Dragon Age II

The second installment of this franchise is nothing short of exceptional, delivering a story that is both captivating and, at times, deeply heart-wrenching. The weight of the choices you're forced to make throughout the game is staggering, leaving a lasting emotional impact and making each decision feel significant. What truly elevates this game, though, is its companions. They are the heart and soul of the experience, each bringing their own unique personalities, stories, and dynamics to the journey.

Varric, in particular, stands out as one of my all-time favorite characters. His wit, loyalty, and charm make him the ultimate companion, and I find myself taking him everywhere in the game. Whether he's offering humorous commentary or heartfelt advice, Varric is the kind of friend you want by your side, both in and out of battle.

Another aspect I adored was how the game tied itself to its predecessor. Some characters you meet in this installment make direct callbacks to the events of the first game, and those moments are nothing short of fantastic. They not only reward long-time players but also create a deep sense of continuity and immersion. The ability to import choices from the previous game was groundbreaking for me, as it made the world feel alive and reactive to the decisions I had made before. Few games at the time offered this level of interconnectivity, and it was an experience that felt truly personal and unique.

The combination of an emotionally gripping story, unforgettable characters, and the way the game respected and built upon your previous choices is what makes this installment so special. It's a game that stays with you long after the credits roll, and even years later, I find myself revisiting it to relive the magic all over again.

I'm 10 starring this game to do a little to counter the negative pile-on; it has a bad reputation but it's actually really worth a play, especially now at the price it tends to go for these days. I'd actually give it about an 8.

Is it as good as the first one? Nope. As open as the third? Nope. Is it short? For an RPG, yes. Are the maps recycled? Oh yes, I would call this the most deserved complaint of the game.

On the other hand, it has a decent plot (especially if you read the accompanying books), genuinely wonderful, well written companion characters ranging from adorable, to charming, to absolute anti-hero, a customisable protagonist who you can play in multiple ways (think Commander Shepard only with the addition of a third snark-master playstyle alongside paragon and renegade), the voice acting is fantastic, really engaging and actually pretty star-studded to be fair, it isn't long enough to get overly grindy, the graphics are dated now but their cartoonish style tends to fit well with the overall tone, the battle system is fast paced and has a fair amount of variety in difficulty depending on your settings, but most of all the whole thing is just *fun*. It hearkens back to the days when games didn't pretend to be sports or services - when they were immersion into a different world (and no teenagers claimed to have had relations with your mother), when they did dare to be a bit silly but still knew when to reign it in when the action got going. Honestly - if you've never played it don't be put off by all the negativity, just give it a go. Yeah buying it at full price (plus DLCs) when it was new only to find out that you could finish it in a week was annoying, but it's only about a tenner now for the whole lot, what's to lose?

The most overrated game of the decade. Don't believe the hype and so-called ''professional'' reviewers that were either paid by EA or were EA employees themselves. This game is a terrible garbage that tries to represent itself as Dragon Age and an RPG, but it's not either. Weak storyline, boring quests, copied and pasted maps, uninteresting characters, ruined qunari, terrible graphics, unbelievable and illogical scenarios. Don't believe the illusion, because this game is NOT an RPG. It's completely linear hack&slash with only one ending. Do not bother to import your saves from Dragon Age:Origins. Your choices don't matter at all. You might even meet some characters you have killed in a previous game. And there are DLC's that were actually part of the main game, but were cut out for extra profit and released just a few hours after DA2. RPG fans should avoid this game. And according to the Bioware itself, Mass Effect 3 and Dragon Age 3 will be even worse. A shame on Bioware for selling it's soul to EA for profit.

This game was created in 2011. The game lacks in development, such as graphics and combat. The graphic was okay and I liked the gory atmosphere, but in the sense of development: I feel that they could have done something amazing. I was slightly disappointed when comes to the attribute of armor and the quality of the armor. I expected much from a game that was developed in 2011. The combat animation was exciting, but I could definitely see some improvement. I liked that they still included tactics and control the behavior of the AI character which was my favorite. When comes to the story, the story was interesting by how it progressed and ended. The way it will be mentioned or interact with certain characters who will appear in Dragon Age Inquisition. I noticed some potential in some questions to include more options or change the event or fate of a character that will be mentioned in Dragon Age Inquisition. I am still amazed by the bravery to include LGBTQ+ characters and romances. The game is the best despite what I have mentioned. It is worth it.

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.