Playtime: 30 Hours
Score: 7/10
After many years I have finally beaten the only Dragon Age game I have never finished previously. I'm a big fan of the DA series as well as Dragon Age Origins being one of my favorite games of all time. Dragon Age 2 is a game that is very divisive amongst fans and I have always wanted to complete it so I can form my own opinion.
To start with the good I really enjoyed the narrative for this game for the most part, as it kept my interest throughout the games three acts. I also really enjoyed Hawke as protagonist, and found their family story to be very engaging. Companions as well were very cool and Varric will always be one of my personal favorites. I also enjoyed the little nods to Origins and the cameos of old characters. Also having the "Enchantment" dwarf boy back was awesome to. The music as well is also a stand out and is second only to Origins in my opinion.
Combat is also fun even though it can be hack/slashy. It does lose the tactical nature of Origins, which I think Inquisition was able to find a happy marriage of the two. I made a note in my Bound By Flame review that I found that games melee combat to be a lot better in its flow and feedback. I still stand by that as DA 2's combat can feel floaty in the beginning but once you level up and unlock more abilities it can feel a lot better.
While many complained about DA 2's linear nature and you being restricted to one city, I found it a little refreshing as it can be a nice break in between Origins and Inquisition's end of the world plots. This is still my least favorite game of the trilogy, but I do still enjoy it for what it is.
My only real complaint is how they restricted you a lot in roleplaying and your choices. They wanted to make this game more like Mass Effect which is very apparent. While I don't mind RPGs where you play as a set character, it can be a let down going from Origins to this in terms of roleplaying mechanics. I also felt like my choices didn't matter with the final choice as the game felt like it was forcing me into one ending with only slight variations based on other decisions I made. I also started to grow bored of the Templars vs Mage's plot line. I don't mind it being a side plot in a DA game, but for it to be the main focus can get frustrating especially when you feel like your choices don't matter.
Ultimately I do enjoy this game for what it is, but it is my still my least favorite DA game. I'd understand if this series started out like Mass Effect in terms of its mechanics, but Dragon Age is different and it should be left to do its own thing, which I'm glad they rectified in Inquisition. At the end of the day it will just come down to your own personal tastes in RPGs which will determine how you feel about this game. For me its good, but can be better.
Score: 7/10
After many years I have finally beaten the only Dragon Age game I have never finished previously. I'm a big fan of the DA series as well as Dragon Age Origins being one of my favorite games of all time. Dragon Age 2 is a game that is very divisive amongst fans and I have always wanted to complete it so I can form my own opinion.
To start with the good I really enjoyed the narrative for this game for the most part, as it kept my interest throughout the games three acts. I also really enjoyed Hawke as protagonist, and found their family story to be very engaging. Companions as well were very cool and Varric will always be one of my personal favorites. I also enjoyed the little nods to Origins and the cameos of old characters. Also having the "Enchantment" dwarf boy back was awesome to. The music as well is also a stand out and is second only to Origins in my opinion.
Combat is also fun even though it can be hack/slashy. It does lose the tactical nature of Origins, which I think Inquisition was able to find a happy marriage of the two. I made a note in my Bound By Flame review that I found that games melee combat to be a lot better in its flow and feedback. I still stand by that as DA 2's combat can feel floaty in the beginning but once you level up and unlock more abilities it can feel a lot better.
While many complained about DA 2's linear nature and you being restricted to one city, I found it a little refreshing as it can be a nice break in between Origins and Inquisition's end of the world plots. This is still my least favorite game of the trilogy, but I do still enjoy it for what it is.
My only real complaint is how they restricted you a lot in roleplaying and your choices. They wanted to make this game more like Mass Effect which is very apparent. While I don't mind RPGs where you play as a set character, it can be a let down going from Origins to this in terms of roleplaying mechanics. I also felt like my choices didn't matter with the final choice as the game felt like it was forcing me into one ending with only slight variations based on other decisions I made. I also started to grow bored of the Templars vs Mage's plot line. I don't mind it being a side plot in a DA game, but for it to be the main focus can get frustrating especially when you feel like your choices don't matter.
Ultimately I do enjoy this game for what it is, but it is my still my least favorite DA game. I'd understand if this series started out like Mass Effect in terms of its mechanics, but Dragon Age is different and it should be left to do its own thing, which I'm glad they rectified in Inquisition. At the end of the day it will just come down to your own personal tastes in RPGs which will determine how you feel about this game. For me its good, but can be better.