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.