can you say something nice about dragon age 2

[00slash00]

so after finishing mass effect 3 (note: THIS IS NOT A MASS EFFECT 3 THREAD, PLEASE DO NOT TURN IT IN TO ONE)and finding that i loved the ending when almost everyone else seemed to hate it, it made me wonder if it was wise to take overwhelming opinions of other games as discouragement from playing them. the first game that game to mind was dragon age 2. now i enjoyed dragon age origins. i didnt think it was amazing, kind of a watered down baldurs gate, but i still really liked it. i always heard nothing but terrible things about dragon age 2 so i never even considered playing it. so, are there any dragon age 2 fans here or people who think there are redeeming qualities in the game, if i find it on sale for cheap, or is there really just nothing good about the game?

 

[Rawne1980]

If you can get a cheap copy it is worth playing but it does have some massive faults.

The gameplay is okay.
Some of the characters are decent.
You won't get lost in the dungeons, caves or warehouses.

 

[SofiaDralek]

Buy it! It received the hate it got due to the low quality as a sequel and other flaws, but it's still a very good game, and fun to play. If you are truly unsure you can always watch a playtrough in YouTube, or read a review and decide if it's worth it or not. I personally recommend it.

 

[Maeshone]

Sure I can. It is a superior to Dragon Age Origins in most ways. In my opinion of course. Does it have problems? Sure. So do most games. I just enjoyed it far, far more than I did Origins.

 

[The Madman]

I like the idea of a smaller scale more personal adventure that takes place in a localized area over time, being able to guide and see how your decisions over the course of the game will effect not only your companions but the location as well.

Pity Dragon Age 2 did it horribly however. Good idea though, I'd love to see it done well.

 

[Sp3ratus]

I thought it was a pretty good game. Not amazing by any means, but also not deserving of near the amount of shit it got at release.

What I really like about the game is the gameplay and beating nightmare difficulty. I know a lot of people disliked the waves system and I do agree that using it for every single encounter was overkill, but all in all, to me, it added an extra layer of strategy needed to beat encounters. Already having to deal with the already difficult nightmare mode with friendly fire and everything, like you had to in DA:O, this time around you also have to deal with repositioning and cooldown management, instead of just burning through them all at the beginning of a fight.

Another thing that has split fans is the voiced PC. I personally liked it and I thought Jo Wyatt, the voice behind female Hawke did an excellent job in it.

If you're interested in DA lore, DA2 has some good additions in that departed. The retcons for certain characters and events are... jarring, though, to say the least. The story itself is... well, it's a brave attempt at telling a different story than just "you're the only one who can save the world", but it doesn't quite work, because the 3 parts that the story is divided into aren't as well linked, as they could've been.

The major bad points for the game are the reused dungeons. It's just lazy, there's nothing else to say about that. Most of the characters are decent enough, no one really stands out, maybe with the exception of Aveline.

So, my recommendation is that if you enjoyed the gameplay of DA:O or you're interested in the DA universe and would like to see another story set in that universe and the expanded lore, go for it.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

so after finishing mass effect 3 and finding that i loved the ending

...wait, you LOVED IT? i know people have at least tolerated it, but you LOVED IT? I am so baffled I don't even know what to say. opinions,man...

now i enjoyed dragon age origins. i didnt think it was amazing, kind of a watered down baldurs gate, but i still really liked it. i always heard nothing but terrible things about dragon age 2 so i never even considered playing it. so, are there any dragon age 2 fans here or people who think there are redeeming qualities in the game, if i find it on sale for cheap, or is there really just nothing good about the game?

Dragon age 2 was easy enough to get through, it has a few enjoyable characters but most are just "average", and i played through it a couple times even (which says alot considering I can't finish quite a few games these days, just so boring to trudge through).

HOWEVER, it also has some glaring ass flaws, especially with copy/paste dungeons, i've noticed it in other games before, but it's just ridiculous in DA2 (they don't even fix the map/mini-maps for most dungeons, you'll see.) and there isn't much customization at all, unless you mod the hell out of it then it's "acceptable", but comparing it to dragon age awakening you will be amazed at how much they watered down the rpg side of it.

that being said, i liked hawke, i liked some of the plot devices they tried to use (especially in the side quests), but i don't think they went about them in the right way sometimes, so overall it gets a 7/10 for me, while i'd give DA and awakening a 9/10

 

[Tomaius]

Its one of those games that isn't bad, just not amazing. Its cheap enough now that it is well worth the price.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

I like Merrill, though a great many people will find her to be the most annoying character there. Personally, that honor goes to Anders.

The storytelling in the game is different, though that's not exactly a bad thing. If you go into this game looking for a directly sequel to everything that happened in Origins, you're not going to like the game. If you go in understanding that this is a game set in the same universe, with the occasional mention of previous events, but not linked directly, then you should be fine. Easier way to say it: This game is not 'Mass Effect 2 and 3'. It doesn't continue like those two did.

The combat, at least for me, felt more enjoyable. More weight behind the hits, so to say. However, respawning enemies out of nowhere during a fight does mess up tactics.

But the thing that I like most is the lore. There are some serious plot revelations and hints running through Dragon Age 2, but more often than not they take a back seat to what's happening to Hawke. Example: a discovery is made that completely changes everything that's known about a certain race. However, this is quickly cast aside because of the immediate problem of getting out of the Deep Roads (and saving someone, if you brought certain people with you). There's also a series of hidden messages that you can find throughout the game, and the final one reveals that something really, really bad has escaped the Fade. Again, this is never explained because the city is burning around you when you find it, so Hawke is more concerned about other things.
Dragon Age 2 sets up a lot of possible story points that, if the writers do things well, will make a mind-blowing story. I've already come up with my theory on stuff, so I'm waiting to see if I'm right.

Should you choose to get this game--and I say you should, especially if you can find it for cheap--I suggest picking up the two DLCs Legacy and Mark of the Assassin. Legacy if you can only get one, because Legacy takes those storytelling things I told you about (hinting at something greater going on) and dials it up to 11. There are some serious questions raised in that DLC. And I enjoyed Mark of the Assassin myself. It was a fun little trip, and it gets out out of Kirkwall.

 

[Saviordd1]

Combat looks better
The characters are better overall
Sets up an awesome sequel
The idea was cool
Boss fights were better (mostly)

Overall, a good, if really flawed game.

 

[Nomanslander]

I rather play it than Origins...?

I mean, I know the story was better in Origins, but I couldn't stand it.

But then again, they were both mediocre. The story was just some more Tolkienesque fantasy schlock we've seen done a thousand times and better, and it was all made by the B-team at Bioware. =/

 

[Savo]

It's not nearly on Origin's level, but it's still worth playing. Consider it the uber-ghetto edition of the original. Production values, voice acting, writing, just about everything took a major hit, but a lot of people only complained because of how insanely high the standards were for the original.

If you can put aside your love of the original, it's a reasonably enjoyable game. Combat looks way better, there's some great characters, excellent humor, there's still a lot to love about it.

P.S. If you do play it, put it on hard. It is childishly easy on normal; even after putting it on hard, I was still tanking like a boss with my mage haha.

The hats didn't look as stupid as they did in Origins. I mean, they still look fucking ridiculous, but Origins was on a whole other level.


That's about it.

Lmfao, that brings back so many memories of Origins. I had a few hats that made my mage look so jawdroppingly stupid that I refused to wear them, better stats be damned.

Way later in the game, I discovered you could turn off hats on your characters in the graphics settings. I was a very happy man that day.

 

[hazabaza1]

The characters were generally fun and well rounded (Isabella boobie joke durr hurr)
The combat was fun to look at, if not repetitive.
The dialogue was genuinely funny at times.
It wasn't as bad as people said.

 

[SajuukKhar]

It wasn't Duke Nukem Forever, that's a good thing.

 

[Goofguy]

It was good to see Alistair as the king.

And Varric is a pretty good pal to have along on your adventures. I'm a fan of the rogue with a heart of gold.

 

[Exius Xavarus]

Dragon Age II is a decent game, but it's not a good Dragon Age: Origins sequel. I think it would be better if it wasn't labeled as a sequel to Origins, but rather a standalone title by itself. Sure the intro takes place during the invasion of Lothering, but other than that and a few background tidbits, it has fuckall to do with Origins. And that really rustles my jimmies.

 

[Andy Shandy]

The only thing I really disliked about the game was the repetitive dungeons, so I quite enjoyed the game.