Dragon Age 2 Review

A lot of people were bashing on this game for not being up to par with its prequel Dragon Age origins. I, on the other hand, have mixed feelings.

Story: 7/10

The story isn't as strong as the first one unfortunately. You pretty much already know the beginning and the end and it's up to you as the player to play out the middle. Story is driven through the characters in dialogues where the players can determine what to say or do. So pretty much, you can either be a good guy, or a douche, it's up to you. Dragon Age 2 spans over a decade as you go from a nobody to champion. Compared to the first one, it isn't as epic...

Gameplay: 8/10

The action is very fast paced when compared to the first one. Of course, there is still the pause and play mechanic, however, you can't zoom out in and out far enough to get a full grasp of the battle situation. There are three different classes to choose from, each with their own abilities and powers, and it seems like they're all equally balanced. Warriors can either amount to super damage dealers or tanks, rogues flank and hit single enemies fast and hard, and mages can use powerful spells to keep enemies at a distance. I personally chose the rogue and hell it was damn fun to play. I always kept a mage and two other warriors in my party and I did okay for most of the game.

Performance/Presentation: 7/10

The visuals aren't so drastically different from the first one. You can increase texture quality and whatnot, but it still looks outdated in this day and age. And yes, there is still blood splatter all over your character during dialogue scenes right after a battle. I managed 60+fps during my whole experience. Took me about 23 hours to beat, side quests and everything, which is surprising, because the first one can immerse you in for more than 70 hours if you get really into it.

The Good:

- More active battle system
- Better dialogue sequences, your character actually talks unlike the prequel
- Smooth battle animations
- Variety in each class fixes balance issues

The Bad:

- Caves, dungeons, areas are used and reused and can get repetitive
- Can't equip your party with armor... seriously...
- Unengaging story makes it hard to care for your characters
- Pause and play mechanic is dumbed down

FluffyBunnyPwn gives it 8/10 overall.