With the success of its predecessor building quite a hype, Dragon Age 2 was expected with lots of anticipation. Did Bioware manage to surpass an already great game with its new release? Or is Dragon Age 2 another mediocre sequel, created mostly to satisfy the thirst of the fans to experience another adventure at the Dragon Age universe?
Scenario
Let's start with a few words about the plot. Your main character is a human male or female named Hawke. Note that although you can choose your character's gender and, eventually, his/her class, there isn't an option regarding the race (in other words, Hawke is always human). Hawke and his family are forced to leave their homeland due to a Darkspawn attack, and he finds refuge in the town of Kirkwall. From the beginning of the game it's known that Ferelden, the kingdom in which our adventure takes place, is at the edge of war, and also that eventually you will become the Champion of Kirkwall. However there are blanks in the story, blanks that you will have to fill as the game continues.
Regarding the main quest and its storyline, many would expect that, much like the scenarios of most RPGs, there would be an ancient evil force threatening the world, and it would be your job to prevail over it, having an epic adventure through Ferelden along the way, and an appropriate heroic finalle. Bioware, however, didnt follow that path, a welcome surprise considering how many titles have already covered a similar storyline. Instead, the plot of this game revolves around ethical and political rivalries in Kirkwall. I won't reveal anything else about the plot of the game. After all, spoilers can be really frustrating. Let me just say that, like in most Bioware games, the storyline of the main quest is very intriguing, with interesting characters, lots of “grey areas” regarding your choices, ethical dilemmas and an intense finalle. Also, note that the story is told through a framed narrative, and that some of the characters from Dragon Age: Origins appear in this game as well. Apart from the main quest, there is also a number of fairly interesting side quests, some of which can become small questlines.
Gameplay
In Dragon Age 2, your main character is the head of a group of 4 people, in other words, the game is party-based, much like Dragon Age: Origins. Your companions are chosen by you as the game revolves, and can provide new dialogue choices (depending on their personality), as well as the usual help in battle, so choose them wisely. I think that the most characteristic aspect of the gameplay is that it is pretty versatile, and can adjust to almost any style of playing, from a casual action-centered gameplay to more hardcore and tactical styles, typical of old school RPG gamers. Those who prefer action rather than tactics, and like to play without having to pause the game for every battle, can do so by selecting a difficulty level of Casual or Normal. As for the rest, more experienced players who need a greater challenge, there are two higher difficulty levels. Still, I should inform you that hack and slash techniques do not apply in this game, even at the lowest levels of difficulty, as the basic hits are automatic when you choose an enemy.
The leveling and character growth are pretty much what you would expect from a standard game of the genre, nothing too innovative. Nonetheless, the talent trees of the available classes (warrior, mage, rogue) are sufficient and versatile enough, without getting too complex and tiring. Finally, I found the interface much more user-friendly than that of DA:O, which makes quite an impact on the gameplay, simplifying it and making it much more fun. Furthermore, Bioware decided to use Mass Effect's successful style of dialogue options, with the use of the characteristic dialoge wheel. Also, note that the skill of Coersion that existed in DA:O, is not used here, and as a result, there are no guaranties for the success of your ingame choices and answers, thus making the game much more realistic. So put some thought before choosing to insult or praise NPCs and factions, as you never know what can happen! :)
Graphics and Sound
Overall, the technical aspects of the game are quite improved, in comparison to those of its predecessor. The thing that struck me the most, was the addition of voice acting for the main character, whereas in DA:O your character would not say a word except for occasional phrases like “Yes sir”, “Right away” etc, which made him/her pretty creepy! Also, on the bright side, the design of the character models is much more improved, especially the female models are sometimes breathtaking! ;) Another welcome improvement is the animation during battles, with the finishing of enemies being quite impressive and brutal! One important downside is, however, that the environments, although being adequately well designed, are almost always the same, in other words there are no changes of scenery, and also the dungeons are identical, making them really boring to explore. It may sound like a minor issue, but after playing for a while, you might get very irritated by it. So those of you who expected an open world sandbox game, might be disappointed.
Overview
Dragon Age 2, although not groundbreaking, is a very impressive game, improving almost every aspect of its predecessor. With a duration of approximately 25~40+ hours depending on the difficulty level and the amount of side quests you chose to complete, an amazing plot, and fun new additions, it is a great choice for every RPG fan, and can even satisfy those who mostly prefer action games but are intrigued by a good scenario. It is one of the best RPGs we've seen so far this year, and, although it has some minor downsides, overall I believe it offers a great gaming experience. After all, gaming is about having fun, right?
More reviews are coming, so keep in touch! :)
