Somewhat disappointing in some areas, but still playable.
I was disappointed that BioWare revisited a problem which gamers did not care for in Mass Effect 1, that is, cookie-cutter environments. On the one hand, it was to be expected, given that Dragon Age 2's storyline takes place in a much smaller area than Dragon Age: Origins. However, given that BioWare did add new environments for the DLCs "Legacy" and "Mark of the Assassin", one would think BioWare could have added in a few more areas to the main game.
I was quite appreciative of the improved melee combat - mages now used their staff as an actual weapon (versus an afterthought in Origins), rogues now possessed a better Backstab move, and they started out with Dual Weapons instead of having to waste levels obtaining the skill.
I also appreciated the removal of having to achieve outrageous stats in order to obtain a skill (recall Alastair having to obtain a ridiculously high Dexterity to complete his shield ability). Dexterity should go with rogues versus warriors, and this was fixed in Dragon Age 2.
There is a lot of dislike for this game, and I believe a lot of it extends from two reasons: one, a lot of gamers feel the game was rushed, and two, there is a mistaken belief that Dragon Age 2 is a sequel, which it is not. It is a parallel storyline taking place during the timeline of Dragon Age: Origins.
Overall, even granting its faults, I believe this game is worth playing. The quests are a tad disjointed, but they are enjoyable to complete all the same.