Game Over: Dragon Age II

Luke reached the end of Dragon Age II.

- Luke Greenfield

Just over a year ago, I started playing Dragon Age: Origins. Over the course of a year, I finally managed to complete it, which you can hear my thoughts on here. I found myself hooked to the game, but in short bursts, hence why it took so long to actually complete. Once I completed the game, I began the sequel and was skeptical as to how Dragon Age II would fare against the absolute beast of a game that was Origins.

A week and a half, 80 hours of playtime later, and I was finished with the base game and both DLC’s, and I was thoroughly satisfied.

Long before playing Dragon Age II, I’d heard of it’s disappointment from fans, and how it is generally regarded as the weakest in the series, some even straight up calling it a bad game, so I came in having my doubts. One thing that I was told, however - which I think is important to note when addressing Dragon Age II with a critical eye - is that the game had a rushed development thanks to the small window that Bioware were given to actually finish the game. And make no mistake, you can see it in the final product; some textures look god awful, especially the Elves, which is especially noticeable when characters from Origins make an appearance and you can really see the difference. The story at times feels awkward and duct-taped together with the three act system, and the reuse of environments can make the second and third acts of the game feel incredibly stale at times, as you wander through the same identical cavern for the 10th time.