Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

10 to 20 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Mixed reactions"

Personally, I found Dragon Age to be very overrated on the Xbox 360. The graphics were very dull, and the combat seemed a bit fiddly and frustrating and is most likely far better on the PC version. The changes made to this sequel have a mixed effect. Combat wise, the game plays more of a hack and slash, rather than the real-time strategy approach of the previous game. It is less cumbersome and more accessible, but as a result it becomes less challenging. Graphically, the game looks good and much more vibrant. The game mainly takes place in the city of Kirkwall and there are only a few small areas outside; so the world is much smaller and contains less variety which results in visiting the same places over and over. Even when you do come to buildings and caves, they are usually recycled from the same couple of locations which seems very lazy from the developers and make the game feel unfinished. The equipment system has changed and now you can only equip armour to Hawke, companions can only be upgraded by buying at certain shops then applying runes to them. Other changes bring the game more in-line with the Mass Effect series. You can inspect items and encounter new enemies to add entries in your codex, which gives extra background information on the games world. The social system is also like Mass Effect. Your character engages in many conversations and you can decide between good, neutral and evil responses which sometimes have a large consequence and others lead to the same result. Also like Mass Effect, you are given the fixed surname; Hawke and are forced to play as a human, but are provided with the choice of gender. The class options are as numerous as Mass Effect and the choice is between Rogue, Mage or Warrior. Personally, I prefer the move to be similar to Mass Effect because it gives the main character a high degree of personality so you feel more immersed in the world. However, the story is very minor and doesn't really add to the Dragon Age world. This is good for newcomers because you don't need any prior knowledge to play, but is a disappointment for Dragon Age fans. Initially set at the same time as Dragon Age 1, Dragon Age 2 tells the story of Hawke and his/her party, who flee from the darkspawn and seek refuge amongst Kirkwall. After settling there, Hawke then raises enough cash to go on an expedition into the Deep Roads with a group of Dwarves and they come across many riches which closes Act 1. In Act 2, the Viscount asks Hawke to try resolve the conflict with the Qunari who refuse to leave Kirkwall despite being discontent with the residents. An anti-Qunari group try to provoke war which does eventually break out and the resulting war sees Hawke being declared the Champion. Act 3 tells the story of the Templar Meredith ruling with oppression, and unfair treatment with the mages which results in another war and Hawke must choose a side to support which concludes the game. There are many sidequests to complement the main story which takes the play time to at least 18 hours. A problem worth noting is that the game performs extremely sluggish but can be resolved by installing to the hard drive. Overall, Dragon Age 2 is a decent game but in places feels a bit unfinished. The foundations of a great RPG are here, with plenty of side quests and brilliant dialog and voice acting, but the story and locations mean that the game doesn't reach its full potential.