no it's not the best game ever. yes it has many flaws. yes you can tell they rushed development. yes, that totally sucks. is it the trashfire game people make it out to be? absolutely not, at least for me. the game is probably the one that i've logged the least time in out of the series, but i'd honestly say that despite that, it's still my second favorite in the series and i enjoy it a lot! the main cast are all some shade of asshole but it's done in a way that makes them likable and relatable. it also has one of the most emotional sequences in the series for me.

A much better cast than the first game, although two characters are very annoying, one completely butchered from the previous game's expansion. Sarcastic femHawke is probably the best protagonist of all time. Combat can look cool but will also grate after a while, as waves of enemies just spawn in seemingly endlessly. Headbutting your desk is more fun than playing a Warrior. Technically not very impressive; the reuse of dungeon layout is very disappointing, considering they didn't have to do any extra work on the main hub, Kirkwall. The idea of focusing your story on a character arc and seeing them grow throughout the years is pretty neat, but the story doesn't do quite enough with it, and it can struggle to connect to the real main plot that goes on in this game.

I'd put this at the same level as the original. I vastly preferred the cast of characters and the story (even if Act 3 is a bit of a mess) and maybe even the combat, but the game has a ridiculously smaller scope than the original. That's not an inherently bad thing, obviously (I even tend to prefer games with smaller scopes), but it doesn't feel...intentional here at all. Seemed like it was either a budgetary issue or a time management one, or both.

Still, I had fun and I really don't think it deserves all the hate that it gets.

Despite being an obvious beta and a bit of a rush job, it's got the strongest characters of the series overall, the combat's improved from the original, and the DLCs provide a welcome break from what is otherwise very repetitive. More than any of that, though, it's a really compelling tragedy; unlike most games in this genre where the right choices can reach a golden ending, there's no good ending for Hawke. It's a unique take on the genre, and it does it very well. Well worth playing, and Hawke remains one of the most unique player characters I've seen.

It's not perfect, all the complaints about repetitive level design and wave enemies are completely valid, the first act is too long, the third is too short and the middle act feels too climactic. But damn it I still have a soft spot for this game. The combat is arugably improved or made worse depending on your preference of Origins combat , for me it made it more fun to play through and looked a lot more interesting visually with its speed and effects. The story, I would argue, is the best in the trilogy so far with its more personal story on Hawke who is fantastic. The personal focus is the right way to go for the franchise and it also laid down some great groundwork for Inquisition. The companions are also brilliant and Sebastian, with Merrill, Varric, Isabela and Aveline being some of my favourite companions in all of Bioware's games. It really is a shame to see what happened during this game to come out and be received the way it did because had it been given more time, the reception would have been much better, but as it stands its hard to deny it isn't flawed but damn I still enjoyed my time with it.

This game really was a mixed bag for me. The first game became a top 5 game for me after just one playthrough, so I was excited to play this game although I had heard it isn't as beloved by RPG fans. I had a great time during the playthrough but consider most the major criticisms of the game as valid. The game is clearly rushed, the maps are not interesting to explore and are reused often. Even the maps and accessible regions themselves are often dull. The story is good and it keeps you engaged but it doesn't feel nearly as important of a conquest as the first game, although the ending sets up my interest for the next game nicely I suppose. Overall this game fell well below expectations especially coming out the same year as Skyrim. On the other hand I still enjoyed every minute of the game, and it is short enough to not overstay its welcome. I cared enough to go through all the side quests, and found the storytelling interesting. The game really shines with it's companions, which might even be a slight improvement on its predecessor. I rocked a mage Hawke with Anders, Isabella, and Verric. I loved fighting with this team and it made combat pretty fun, even if its repetitive. Overall, this game is not nearly as good as it should have been on multiple fronts...but for fans such as myself it is worth playing and fun enough to hit a weak spot. 7/10

La segunda entrega de Dragon Age tuvo en su día muy mala fama (por No Ser Origins, básicamente). Y aunque es verdad que tiene apartados que dejan mucho que desear (debido a una producción apresurada, seguramente), este juego es MUY bueno. Y esencial si quieres comprender qué pasa entre DA: Origins y DA: Inquisition. Que la historia se escape a cierto punto de tu control es un elemento narrativo más: aquí no eres realmente el héroe, sólo Alguien que Pasaba Por Allí Mientras Pasan Las Cosas, y es algo que se debe aceptar antes de jugar. Dicho esto: siéntate, disfruta, y paséate por Kirkwall para conocer sus secretos.

I can't say I was absolutely in love with every aspect of 'Dragon Age: Origins', but I can say I thoroughly enjoyed it for a majority of its runtime. 'Dragon Age II' had enjoyable moments, moments that explored the more complicated relations in the Dragon Age universe, such as the Templars and Mages. It's how they constructed, and ultimately executed said examination that left me yearning for more. The game takes place in a single city and with the amount that changes throughout the narrative the world never changed with it. This left a stagnant world that, also, forced combat scenarios without any narrative significance. Speaking of which, although choices do matter (in fact more so than I initially realized), the dialogue system was stripped bare of its organic flow that was seen in 'Origins'. Gone are the multilayered conversations and here we have, mainly, three options. Diplomatic/helpful, cheeky/charming, and aggressive/authoritative are the central choices at your disposal. This led to static conversations at times, with another downside being the protagonist's voice being a bit wooden mostly. There were moments where I enjoyed conversing with people like my companions, who had backstories and information I wanted to indulge in. Sadly, the game never allowed you to converse with them outside of their personal quests which left me waiting until they had something they wished to discuss. I can go on and on but my final feelings on the game are empty. I could go on and on but what's the point of doing so for a game that left me with such little satisfaction outside of some characters and scenes. Great moments doesn't equal a great game.

It's not perfect, all the complaints about repetitive level design and wave enemies are completely valid, the first act is too long, the third is too short and the middle act feels too climactic. But damn it I still have a soft spot for this game. The combat is arugably improved or made worse depending on your preference of Origins combat , for me it made it more fun to play through and looked a lot more interesting visually with its speed and effects. The story, I would argue, is the best in the trilogy so far with its more personal story on Hawke who is fantastic. The personal focus is the right way to go for the franchise and it also laid down some great groundwork for Inquisition. The companions are also brilliant and Sebastian, with Merrill, Varric, Isabela and Aveline being some of my favourite companions in all of Bioware's games. It really is a shame to see what happened during this game to come out and be received the way it did because had it been given more time, the reception would have been much better, but as it stands its hard to deny it isn't flawed but damn I still enjoyed my time with it.

Better than I remember it being. I picked this up the year it came out since I was a huge fan of Dragon Age Origins, and sadly, Origins this is not, but that does not mean it isn't a good game!

Expecting an actual followup on Origins storytelling style this was a disappointment, but now, a decade later and those feelings mostly detached. I found a pretty good story, a likable protagonist (sarcastic Hawke) and some interesting and complex companions yet again. These companions especially genuinely feel like a ragtag group of friends who have built up real feeling rapport and opinions on each other, and multiple fun scenes of them just hanging out exist and it's great. One of the best found family narratives and genuine feelings in any game. The companions are great and the driving force of this game.

The story is fine, even good at many points, the writing especially for side quests and several main quests is stellar with good worldbuilding and characterization. Where the game falls apart is well... Where it also fell apart in development. This was an obviously rushed game and it shows, certain plotpoints are rushed, many dungeons are outright re-used, and the world is especially small and samey looking. The combat while fun, is sadly crutched by some decisions like the waves of enemies in nearly every fight.

If this was simply a side-game in the series rather than being called and presented like a direct followup to Origins it would have been a lot more understandable and viewed positively in my opinion. View it as a side-game to Origins rather than a full fledged sequel. Just change that name to "Dragon Age: Tales of the Champion" rather than Dragon Age 2 in your mind and view it as side content before the proper sequel Inquisition, and with that interpretation it's a fantastic time in the world of Thedas, a great smaller exploration with a contained and engaging story, characters, and plenty of worldbuilding that has large ramifications for the sequel and books.

If you can withstand some very samey levels, a smaller story, and less main character roleplay customization, you will find an enjoyable story and characters in an interesting setting that makes you want to keep playing to see what happens next with those characters and world. But you can get away with listening to a podcast while doing minor sidequests in the same ten dungeons.