Dragon Age II Reviews, Wave Eight

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Written by BuckGB on March 15th, 2011

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Quests appear in my list because I click on someone in the street who doesn't even say what they want me to do. But I follow the marker, kill someone, and then click on them again and I see some money go into my purse. There's maybe a line of dialogue that relates to something I was never really privy to. More weird are the objects you discover in various areas that trigger a side quest. Sort of. You find a book, or a bit of cloth, and the game maybe tells you it belongs to someone. Somewhere else you see someone with a quest marker over their head, click on them, and it tells you you've completed a quest. Maybe I'm some sort of psychic who can discern the owner of any object.

As a huge fan of western RPGs, a lover of all things Bethesda, and someone who would give every BioWare WRPG after Neverwinter Nights a 4/5 or higher on RPGamer's scale, I have to look at Dragon Age II and admit that this is not a great game. Too much of it is formulaic, and when I can see shortcuts taken, storylines rushed, and events that look like they were planned and written in an afternoon, I can't say this game is anywhere close to Mass Effect 2, my favorite RPG of 2010, or Dragon Age: Origins, my favorite RPG of 2009. If a game can be less than the sum of its parts, Dragon Age II would be a prime example. While the combat is fantastic, encounters always play out the same one wave of weak fighters from the front, a stronger second wave from all sides, and finally the strongest wave from all sides so that it, like everything else, loses its interest thanks to an overused formula. Also, the voice acting isn't at the level we've come to expect from western RPGs lately. Were the writing stronger, the fights creative, the setting used better, the story interesting, and the choices meaningful, this would be an amazing game. As is, it is a fun timesink for WRPG fans, but don't try it if you aren't enthralled by the genre or if you don't have the time or money to play every WRPG that comes out. This one isn't worth the full price.

Dragon Age II lacks the scope, freedom, and polish of the original game, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it. The game's narrow focus results in a much tighter narrative, a dark and gritty tale of political and social intrigue that plays much better on a smaller stage. It's an economical production, and while the shortcuts taken to crank out a sequel sixteen months after Dragon Age: Origins are sometimes jarringly evident, the play and its players do a fine job of stealing your attention away from the low-budget scenery.

Dragon Age II is a long, winding road filled to the brim with interesting characters, flawless writing, and one of the best stories to grace a video game in years. While it may be occasionally frustrating with the bugs and poor interface, you'll forget all about that once Dragon Age II is sucking hours and hours away from you, even before you start the main story.

Dragon Age II is a beautiful game, not necessarily visually but for its deep and interesting world, every character has a story to tell and the city of Kirkwall is bustling with energy. The improved menus, combat and dialog mechanics allow for one of the most immersive fantasy RPG experiences to date. Despite its minor flaws, I can't wait to replay Dragon Age II.

Following the 'Mass Effect' series, Bioware has reformulated and streamlined the experience within 'Dragon Age 2.' While it certainly comes with some backlash, the end product is a more cohesive, polished game that continues to transform into its own entity. For this gamer, who wasn't overly enthralled with the original, 'Dragon Age 2' hits their target mark by bringing me into the age of dragons with an overwhelming sense of excitement. I loved everything 'Dragon Age 2' had to offer, this is one RPG, all fans of the genre should check out. Gripping, complex, and delightful, role-playing games are rarely this good.

There's a very notable trend with BioWare these days. Mass Effect quickly springs to mind a game whose sequel went through a number of significant changes but still ended up on top. Unfortunately, while ME1 to ME2 was a renovation of the franchise, DA2 is a reinvention. And it simply doesn't work. From a short campaign to simplified inventory and dialogue, Dragon Age 2 has taken radical cuts at every step. Some changes are for the better, such as revamped skill trees and tactical templates and it goes to show that the best parts of DA2 are those that closely resemble Origins. It might forever remain unclear why BioWare decided to completely rebuild the franchise instead of growing and expanding on it - as it stands, this would have been a decent spinoff RPG project. Once the game took on the sequel title however, comparison are to be drawn, and it simply can't stand alongside the great Origins that came before it. In a year where major franchises are planning new entries; Dead Space 2 and Little Big Planet 2 have already shown us how a great sequel can be done Dragon Age 2 stands as an example of how not to do it.

I was looking forward to Dragon Age 2 when it was first announced. The new art direction was intriguing, as was Bioware's record of success for these types of titles. Tired and frustrated, I walked away feeling empty. I admire how quickly a game of this scale has been released, but also feel jaded for that very same reason. We are left with a long journey, which at times offers more pain than it does pleasure. As much as it hurts to say it, Dragon Age 2 simply has its heart in the wrong place, resulting in a title that succeeds in offering numerous hours of gameplay, failing to make the majority of them fun.

Dragon Age 2 feels in some ways like a trade-off. Combat is good, and the story and characters are the real star of the show, but the constantly repeating environments feel almost (budget) compared to the rest of the game. The stripping down of full customization to only the main character also hurts the game for fans of the RPG genre, and the smaller locale feels less epic in scope than the first game. The end result is a game that is still entertaining, and is still recommended for fans of a good story, but it doesn't quite live up to the (complete package) impression that the Dragon Age: Origins or Mass Effect 2 made. Despite all that, it's still a fun game with solid fundamentals. RPG fans will take issue with the lack of control and complexity, but mainstream console gamers who seem to be the targeted audience will likely appreciate the simplification of the mechanics.

While Dragon Age II is a beautiful game, and the story and world of Ferelden is as rich as anything in gaming, the game ends up feeling like a cop out. The gameplay is absolutely solid, and once I mastered my squad, the combat kept me going, but the story couldn't stack up. Being caged in such a small area with such small quests makes the game feel far more like an expansion than a game. I felt like I had simply completed a chapter of the first game, not crafted something new. The new characters were fun and enjoyable, but not nearly as compelling and rich as those from the first game. The new race, the Qunari, show so much promise, but your interaction with them only shows you a glimpse of who and what they are. For fans of the original, the game will feel hollow. I enjoyed my time with Dragon Age II for the combat and the occasional reference to its predecessor, but new players will find almost nothing to grab onto. It isn't a complete miss, but Dragon Age II has a hard time holding itself up as a premier fantasy RPG, especially considering whose stable it came out of.

Dragon Age 2 has some nice changes, especially to the combat and interface; however there is tons of nagging issues in this sequel that frankly shouldn't exist. More casual players will no doubt enjoy Dragon Age 2, but the hardcore fans will feel left in the dust. Dragon Age 2 is a decent title, however don't expect it to set the genre on fire.

If you were in love with Dragon Age Origins, I'd strongly recommend testing the demo before purchasing Dragon Age II. You should be able to get a good idea of how well you can handle 25 to 30 hours of that combat system. For those that hated the methodical battles of DA: Origins, you will probably love the fast paced, mindless combat of Dragon Age II. Personally, I was extremely disappointed with the changes between the two titles. Opposite from Dragon Age: Origins, I don't feel compelled to play through the game again with another character class.

The immersion and combat of this game are unmatched! A truly moving and fun epic. Anything negative you'll see about this game is an overreaction of personal preference. For what it is, it is flawlessly executed and endlessly entertaining.

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