Dragon Age II (2011) Reviews

• More Personal and Focused Than Predecessor.

  teddisjunkmail2014-12-18

  Grab your pitchforks because I'm going to get this out of the way and say I preferred Dragon Age 2 to Dragon Age: Origins. (I also prefer it to Inquisition, but we'll leave that be.) DAO was fun, yeah, with a great story that I've played through several times, but I prefer DA2's personal scope as compared to DAO's epic one. DA2 introduces you to, and as, Hawke, a refugee. I, unlike many others, didn't mind that they took away all the backstories and race- choosing. This meant I was getting a character with a voice and a personality and more than one facial expression. And that's what I got. Hawke has three personalities you can attribute them and all three are great and very well written. (Really, my Warden from DAO made the same face when she was executing Loghain as when she was putting the pants to Zevran. What the what?) As this human, Hawke, you explore a single city (and some outlying stuff) and you explore relationships, on a more focused level, with your party. Something all the DA games have done is write compelling characters with interesting things to say and stories and secrets that you have befriend/force out of them. Now, a complaint people have most often is that they didn't like that some characters (namely Anders and Leliana) changed. Well, guess what? People change. Anders, the once cheeky apostate we knew, has had a rough life, is co-habitating with a spirit, and is seeing his people subjugated and oppressed. That's going to wear on a guy so excuse him if he's not exactly chipper. I guess I just don't understand why people are so upset at the concept of character development. I do have a single complaint about the relationships on a sexy level. I liked the exclusivity in DAO: Alistair liked ladies and only ladies, which was fine. Zevran put the pants to anyone, that bifurious little rogue, and that was also fine. Those made sense. I feel that one-size-fits-all everyone-bones-everyone was a cop-out in DA2. I'm certainly not saying I want anyone to be excluded from sexy elf lovin,' only that by fitting them into an either/or there was a chance that some intimacy was compromised. This is a problem that Inquisition fixed and I am hugely pleased with. As for combat, I again, preferred it. I played these games for the stories and choices, not so I could pause the game every six seconds sending my characters scurrying about the map. Combat for me was always an inconvenient barricade to the story. So, if they made it flashier and easier, then I have no problem with that. They really didn't take anything away; players who like sending their pawns in still have a way to do that (albeit less complex and "tactical.") I admit that the tactical thing in Origins was better orchestrated than the one in Two, but I don't think I've ever met anyone who said "The tactical capacity of Dragon Age is its best feature!" A complaint (especially as one treats combat like a rush hour gridlock): they make you fight too many trash mobs. Literally nearly endless mobs. Just when you think you've mopped them up, a rogue falls out of the sky with a dagger for your kidneys. Every. Single. Time. So, how about Kirkwall, that city you're exploring? I loved the concept. I liked having a small area that you could get intimate with because the entirety of Ferelden was just too big for me. I didn't really care about anywhere that I was going with my Warden. Please, note, I loved the "concept." In practice, Dragon Age 2 is full of repeat dungeon scenery. If you ever fight in a mansion, it's the same mansion every time. Same cave, same coastline, same mountain path, same dimly lit street. It, along with the endless sky-rogues, got pretty irritating. I concede that point and blame it on a rushed game production. One thing I don't buy is that the game takes place over 10 years. If you blinked during the part where it says "X many years later," you'd never believe you'd been kickin' it in Kirkwall for a decade. So, that feels a bit forced. Finally, DA2 simplified a lot of things, that I was grateful for. Honestly? I don't really care what my party's armor looks like. Mine? Yeah, I can totally get behind changing my appearance, but having to do that for six people? It was a pain I was glad to be rid of (and then saddled with again in DAI, but I digress.) Also, crafting. Same thing. I hated crafting, didn't have time for it, it got in the way of my story. I appreciated that they streamlined that and simplified it. But I get it, guys, I do. Some people see DAO as a legend, and I'm not knocking that. It was a great game. I don't feel that way, but I understand why *you* do. People are very quick to tear DA2 apart because it's not DAO. But look at it from over here, from my point of view, and cut it some slack, because it's its own creature, and a majestic one. Like a unicorn.

• Good yet frustrating

  silversurfer12882011-05-12

  I had high, high hopes for this game. I adored the first game and pre-ordered this game months before the release date. The initial trailers blew me away, and rarely have I anticipated a game more. Unfortunately, this made the letdown all the more frustrating. DA2 is not a bad game, but neither is it nearly as good as its predecessor. Furthermore, after the epic and Grandiose scale of the first game, this game seemed to add little to the overall scope of the world of Dragon Age. The Graphics have seen a wonderful improvement. The characters are still great and you can delve into each character's current and past life. Overall, the game is highly polished and feels smooth. The tactical battle system feels a bit faster, but basically the same. With that said, I have some major gripes with DA2. First, you don't have control over your party members armor. This drives me nuts, and I find this change from the first game inexplicable. Second, and much more confusing is that the world is significantly smaller than Origins. In Origins, you explored a continent filled with castles, caves, mountains, villages, and cities and tunnels under the Earth. The world was diverse and rich with life and history. In DA2, the entire game is in the city of Kirkwall and a few surrounding areas. Third, and the most irritating, is that the game designers reuse the same areas over and over and over. When I found myself in the brothel and then later a noble's house, and they had exactly the same rooms with the same layout, it made me want to punch the game. Not to mention, that you enter 15 different caves, and each cave is simply the same set piece being reused constantly. On top of that, you find yourself running around the same parts of Kirkwall over and over and over and over and over. Thank God that the quests have quite a bit of variety, but at the same time, I found myself wanting a centralized interested story to keep the game moving. Hawke is a fun character, and his/her voice acting is terrific, but again the game finds itself wanting in the plot department. Also, all of the supporting characters are well-developed and easy to care about. Overall, the game is very well-made. Most of its faults come from comparing it to the first, which again, was a much better game. I expected this game to be an 11/10, but sadly it falls somewhere closer to an 8/10. I will continue to play Dragon Age games, but unfortunately this game put a damper on that desire.

• Okay story, great gameplay

  Bobby7472011-03-15

  This is my first review of a video game on IMDb, as I usually post game reviews on ign.com. There is a lot to talk about in DA: II so if you get bored, just skip to the last few sentences of my review for my final judgment. Anyways, I was absolutely obsessed with Dragon Age: Origins. The rich and epic storyline, emotional depth and involvement of the characters, along with the fantasy-RPG format and gameplay really captivated me to the point that I actually played through the game three times, with the expansion (Awakening) and all the DLC. How does Dragon Age II compare? They changed aspects that I could see many taking issue with in the first game, such as the combat not being fast-paced enough, and seeming lack of consideration in creating a compelling visual representation of the Qunari. The combat in DA II is much more fast-paced, and difficulty levels are maintained, and the Qunari are brilliantly depicted as their menacing selves. These changes I can agree with. What I take issue with is the significantly weaker storyline and limited itemization and customizing options in comparison to DA: Origins. I rather enjoyed being able to meticulously equip and train all of my companions. It is replaced by a general upgrading system that is based on finding character-specific items that party members will automatically add to their existing attire. Accessory items are still interchangeable, but I feel that change was detrimental to the experience. I realize that consistent itemization is a lot of complicated work for developers, and DA: Awakening suffered slightly in that respect, however I am always against limiting the power of the player when it comes to RPGs. On the subject of DA: Awakening, the changes to the Runecrafting system for DA II was very welcome. I do not miss the hours spent upgrading runes to fill my equipment. Concerning the use of characters in DA II, I feel was not bold enough. It seems that attempts were made to present difficult dilemmas for the player to choose from. However, since very few of the characters are even likable, almost all of the decisions were in fact easy to make, or rendered moot. This is likely due to the apparent lack of camaraderie between the central character and his/her companions that was present in DA: Origins, combined with the dialogue of DA II that appeals more to emo subculture than the vast majority of teens and young adults that play fantasy RPGs, and a lack of comic relief in an apparent struggle that seems more commonplace than a time of crisis. There is an exception to the absence of comic relief in the character Merill, whose neurotic and often clumsy dialogue is a source of entertainment. Also, a couple of short encounters with characters from DA:O were entertaining while they lasted. However, generally the characters are much more severe in DA II than DA:O, when the conflicts and crisis of DA II do not feel as urgent. I use DA:O and Awakening as a reference point to assess the direction of DA II because, in my opinion, DA II does not function on its own. It requires an understanding of DA:O to assess the successes and apparent failures of DA II. Having finished both games, I highly recommend that prospective buyers play and finish Dragon Age: Origins, before playing Dragon Age II. If you don't play DA:O, I cannot guarantee that the context of DA II will be totally clear. If you did not like DA:O, you still might like DA II. If you loved DA:O, you won't be as enthused by DA II as you were the first game. It is still a solid fantasy RPG. 8/10. This would be an easy 9 or even 10 if a better effort was made towards the storyline, character development, dynamics between characters, dialogue, and companion itemization. The score is only so high because I believe in giving sequels a fair shake as a standalone item. If I was rating based on my comparisons to DA:O, I would have given it a 6 or 7.

• With great RPGs comes great responsibility

  petra_ste2013-11-16

  Had Dragon Age 2 been called "The Kirkwall Chronicles", an original game by unknown developers, I would have cut it a lot more slack and praised some interesting choices and compelling characters. Since, however, it was made by BioWare, the people behind Dragon Age: Origins, the Baldur's Gate series, the Mass Effect saga and Knights of the Old Republic, its missteps are glaring. Let's give credit where it's due: at least the developers attempted to do something different from the usual "chosen one saves the world" formula, going for the more personal story of Hawke (the protagonist) and his rise in the city of Kirkwall. Now, you can set a whole RPG in a single location, but in that case the place needs to be EXTREMELY well-done. Kirkwall is nothing special; the main cities in Skyrim are far more realistic and detailed, featuring NPCs with daily routines and most buildings being accessible. And Skyrim had MANY cities and a huge world all around them. While the story's structure is questionable (various acts don't really glue together all that well), characters are OK, although not on par with Origins'. Especially memorable is unflappable, roguish dwarf Varric. Anders from Awakening makes a comeback; as irritating as his new emo self can be, he has an interesting arc. An intriguing unreliable narrator idea is vastly underused. Combat is a bore: if you thought the Deep Roads in Origins were tiresome, wait and see this. Hordes of trash mobs keep spawning, wave after wave, literally falling from the sky; you'll soon start to dread (in the wrong way) nocturnal missions, where these tedious encounters are even more frequent. Characters jump and rush, covering huge distances in a split-second - more "teleporting" than "moving" - making tactical placement pointless. Friendly fire is tied to difficulty, so it's present only if you play on "nightmare" (which means even more boring encounters). Tactical camera is gone. There is an interesting game buried beneath Dragon Age 2; too bad they obviously rushed it, cutting corners. Let's hope they'll learn from their mistakes for the next one. As a stand-alone game: 6,5/10 As a sequel: 4,5/10

• A story driven game , less of an rpg than the 1st one

  stefgrig2011-08-27

  First time I run it I was disappointed . Combat felt weird , the start was a little weak story wise . I almost quit right there and then . But I decided to give it a chance , and I'm so glad I did . Visuals are stunning , combat animations excellent . But these are not this game's strong points ... Its all about the story . While the main story is not as inspired as the 1st one , there's a distinct atmosphere built , a personal story of accomplishment , supported by the many many side and companion quests . And your companions feel alive . Voice acting is hands down the best I've seen in a game . Companions have personalities so vivid and perky , that at times I forgot they are just graphics . You can pursue relationships , loose them , there's a full story behind each and every one of them . Classes are distinct in role and fun while playing them , and I finished this game with all of them . While the storyline is mostly linear , there are some choices that can effect the game strongly , like loosing a member of your family . The dialogs between your party members while you run around are much fun also . Battles can be as action or as strategic as you like , since you can pause the game to give commands to every party member , or just hack away at enemies . Higher difficulty settings may require you to pause and consider strategy more . Overall , if you value atmosphere and rich characters , this is a masterpiece .