Why wasn't this game better, WHY!?!?! WHY!?!?!
I really enjoyed the original Dragon Age. Yes, I felt there were some major flaws, but it was a nice experience that filled my RPG craving for quite a while. Surprisingly, there was a ton of replay value in that game, something I do not see in many games this generation. To tell you the truth, I think many of my negative feelings towards the sequel are derived from my thorough enjoyment of the first installment.
Onto the sequel, with the quite fitting moniker (que the horns), DRAGON AGE II, the lackluster name in itself should have shown me a bit about the generic nature of the game overall. However, I would like to talk about a few positives to the game before I crush any hopes and dreams. I thought the combat was really fun, and to tell you the truth it is pretty much the only thing that kept me in the game. Bioware really streamlined the heck out of the game mechanics, and that was okay for me. It made the combat a more cohesive experience. I think that is where the positives about stop for me.
Now, let us dive into the brunt of my feelings for the game. This generation two things really draw me to games, setting and storyline. Yes, gameplay is important to me, but not like it was in the prior generations. If I am going to spend substantial hours playing a game, I want to be immersed in an awesome atmosphere that provides a backdrop for a tremendous story. Is that really so hard to ask for? I mean books with these requirements are a dime-a-dozen, right? Well, Dragon Age II sadly did not really provide for any of the characteristics I look for. Probably my biggest complaint simply stems from the fact that the majority of the game is played in recycled environments centering on the same, dare I say, boring city. I probably could have played through some of the cave environments with my eyes closed by the end of the game. This issue is simply screaming, "rush-job" or "hey, let's capitalize on some decent success with a poorly done sequel".
My second main gripe is the overall story. I mean come on man! I played Dragon Age: Origins for hours and hours, and I thought, jeez this is awesome, I wonder what is coming after "origins", maybe a furthering of the "origins" you know into a "body" or god forbid a "conclusion". I bet Dragon Age: Story Body or Dragon Age: Conclusion would have been awesome, but no. We received Dragon Age II, a sad resemblance of a story-drive RPG that its predecessor took. There were only a couple connections with Origins and it is easy to see that they are contrived and last minute additions to keep the fans happy. I mean the game was so devoid of connection to the previous installment, I nearly wet myself with joy at the mere mention of, gasp, KING ALISTAIR! The story itself was a true disappointment for me, and almost caused me to completely stop the game, something that I despise doing.
My anger may be a little hasty. There are some positives to the game, and when compared to other RPG-esque games out there I guess it sort of shows through, but even fool's gold has its shine. If you are a fan of the series, and you have played through Origins, I would say get the game, play through it, and put it away. If you are just starting out, please oh please, go find Origins and play through that first. It is a much better experience overall. In all, was Dragon Age II a serviceable game, eh, I suppose, but the better question revolves around how disappointed I was overall In that mindset, let us just say that I was pretty disappointed overall.