Dragon Age 2 - what are your impressions since starting the game?

I'm enjoying myself hugely.

Running a female mage which is at Level 21.

Melee combat is much improved over DA:O, the mage now uses the staff like a real weapon - swinging it around in different directions and actually striking NPCs with it.

The NPC AI is smarter. Seems as there's more Elite Bosses and on up the ranks than DA:O had.

If you enjoyed being able to save at almost any point in a game, you'll appreciate it even more in DA2. Some of the melee encounters you go through will make the hair on the back of your head rise.:lol:

Game looks great on the PC, even in DX 9. Btw, DX 10 GPU cards can use the DX 11 graphics files.

I decided not to jump on any bandwagons and give BioWare the benefit of the doubt.

I am now on Playthrough #2 running a male rogue.

Guess what? The storyline changes a great deal depending upon what choices you make at the beginning - who lives and who dies.:o

I decided not to jump on any bandwagons and give BioWare the benefit of the doubt.

I am now on Playthrough #2 running a male rogue.

Guess what? The storyline changes a great deal depending upon what choices you make at the beginning - who lives and who dies.:o

topsemag55

8 hours....things are getting a bit repetitive. The graphics is really nice; but is it because of the GPU upgrade or is it really remarkably nicer than DA:O? I am liking the game, but I don't think I'll replay this as much as I replayed DA:O. 8.0 score is highly justified. DeadManRollin

The storyline changes quite a bit depending upon what you do:

1. The choice you make of character cIass and gender.

2. Choices you make in-game for certain quests.

3. So far, I have run a female mage, a male rogue, and I'm now running a female rogue. All three storylines haven been significantly different enough to label it a new Playthrough.

That's interesting info, top. I just realized that I am terribly missing the crafting options...making potions, poisons and bombs was a very nice thing to do. DeadManRollin

Yes, but in place of it you have to find the ingredients, and best of all, they don't get consumed when you buy.:o

Btw, here's an example of a storyline change:

[spoiler] I made some different dialog choices with Fenris. On the 2nd game, he was on my side. On the 3rd game, he was opposed, fought me at the end, and was killed by Hawke. [/spoiler]

harry_james_pot

The editor won't let me quote a spoiler, but there are alternatives.

[spoiler] Bethany or Carver can live after the Deep Roads quest, if you play it right. I just finished a game where Bethany was alive at the end of the game. [/spoiler]

I just started playing the deep roads level...more than 10 hours under the belt now. I must say I was very skeptical at the beginning. Especially, the initial run and fetch missions were getting very boring. However, I must say I am getting to enjoy the game a lot now. The battles are very stylish, and the dialogues are better than I expected. Some of the cut scenes are also excellently done. Due to the quest stream lining, I don't have to walk across the same landscape aimlessly, and I can directly jump in to the battles. I never liked puzzles much...I just hated the fade and the gauntlet in DA:O, so I am not missing them much. 

Loving this :D

I just started playing the deep roads level...more than 10 hours under the belt now. I must say I was very skeptical at the beginning. Especially, the initial run and fetch missions were getting very boring. However, I must say I am getting to enjoy the game a lot now. The battles are very stylish, and the dialogues are better than I expected. Some of the cut scenes are also excellently done. Due to the quest stream lining, I don't have to walk across the same landscape aimlessly, and I can directly jump in to the battles. I never liked puzzles much...I just hated the fade and the gauntlet in DA:O, so I am not missing them much.

Loving this :D

DeadManRollin

Those fetch missions add XP fast - there's one toward the end that will give you thousands of points depending upon your choices.

How many hours are there, in total? It took me on average 50 to 55 hours to beat DA:O.

P.s. which mission are you talking about, top?

How many hours are there, in total? It took me on average 50 to 55 hours to beat DA:O.

P.s. which mission are you talking about, top?

DeadManRollin

I did all of the quests, and some I had to do over because I kept dying.:lol:

So my gametime was in the 60+ hour range.

Mission answer below.

[spoiler] A Qunari will be standing in front of your house, and he hopes you will find Qunari swords for him. Some will cost you. Thing is, if you tell him you don't want any money, you get 1,200 XPs for each blade.:o [/spoiler]

Whoever said DA 2 is a bad and or disappointing game didn't really get in to the game. I am loving it. Finished the first 2 Acts and now zooming in to the third. DeadManRollin

[spoiler] Careful when you pick up the the three scrolls for the Aspects. They are tough to beat, and have uber-magic to kill you if you don't watch your tactics.:o [/spoiler]

I couldn't get that quest done....sigh

But I just beat the game. I must say the ending was a bit disappointing

[spoiler] but it felt great to see Lelliana [/spoiler]

Dunno if I'm up for a re-run right away. I am thinking about an archer or dual wielding female rouge. 

I couldn't get that quest done....sigh

But I just beat the game. I must say the ending was a bit disappointing

Dunno if I'm up for a re-run right away. I am thinking about an archer or dual wielding female rouge.

DeadManRollin

You definitely have to run a rogue of either gender - they are the most fun in melee combat, plus if you specialize in Assassin, you'll be nearly unstoppable.:o

Plus, as a rogue you get lots of opportunities to buy inventory items that add +1 to your attributes, and I have had rogues with 2 - 3 of them. Nice buff to your stats.:P

I actually started a game with female rouge and I am enjoying the battles. But I am mostly skipping the dialogues...nothing much new there. DeadManRollin

It can be if you change up your responses. Here's an example:

[spoiler] I changed my answer on the Qunari to the Vicount to burn them. Later on a new side-quest opened up called "the fixer" that doesn't open if you tell the vicount not to hide the evidence. [/spoiler]

Ahh...I need to try that next time. Yes, there will be a next time and that'll be a mage playthrough. 

Meh, played till beginning of Chapter III in a week, then stopped. Its definatly the weakest Bioware game so far. I like the combat, but all the storystuff is mediocre at best. It just needed companions on par with Morrigan and Alistair. The closest to a Bromance you get is with the dwarf. (I dont even Remember his name!). The Biggest mistake though, is the fact that I can't Always talk to My companions while in camp/house. In Origins, I spread their commentary out, so that every Time I went there, I heard something new. Basically, you had one time story stuff (e.g. Alistair talking about his Royal Heritage) and side stuff (e.g. "Have you Ever liked a lamppost in Winter" or "It's so cold in My Tent all alone...."). The latter was completely removed in Dragon Age II, and not all that surprisingly, it seemed to make the game for Me.

In closing, after finishing Dragon AGe: Origins on X360, I immedialty bought the PC version to see what that was all about. I'll probably replay My PS3 DAII right before release of Dragon Age III, but without doing every side-quest that I'm doing now.

Meh, played till beginning of Chapter III in a week, then stopped. Its definatly the weakest Bioware game so far. I like the combat, but all the storystuff is mediocre at best. It just needed companions on par with Morrigan and Alistair. The closest to a Bromance you get is with the dwarf. (I dont even Remember his name!). The Biggest mistake though, is the fact that I can't Always talk to My companions while in camp/house. In Origins, I spread their commentary out, so that every Time I went there, I heard something new. Basically, you had one time story stuff (e.g. Alistair talking about his Royal Heritage) and side stuff (e.g. "Have you Ever liked a lamppost in Winter" or "It's so cold in My Tent all alone...."). The latter was completely removed in Dragon Age II, and not all that surprisingly, it seemed to make the game for Me.

In closing, after finishing Dragon AGe: Origins on X360, I immedialty bought the PC version to see what that was all about. I'll probably replay My PS3 DAII right before release of Dragon Age III, but without doing every side-quest that I'm doing now.

Faller88

If you liked the banter between Morrigan and Alastair, then in DA2 you will find the same offering if you take Aveline and Isabela on quests. Theirs is even better than Morrigan-Alastair, as you can't post them here without censoring every other word.:P:lol:

If DA2 had been the first story, then I doubt there would be as much comments against it. I feel that people are putting DA2 into a "direct-sequel box", and DA2 is not really a direct sequel to Origins.

If it was a direct sequel, then it would have just continued the stories of the Origins characters. Instead, we have been presented with a side-story of one family from Lothering, which is a nice spin, as it is punctuated by the conversation between Varric and the Chantry Seeker.

Edit - Not only is the combat better, but skill progression is better as well. No longer do you have to have insanely high stats to obtain a skill, and rogues start off with Dual Weapons in DA2.:)