If you liked the transition that Bioware made going from Mass Effect 1 to Mass Effect 2, then you'll like Dragon Age 2.

Dragon Age 2 has completely streamlined the Dragon Age game dynamics. Fighting is smoother and faster, very well suited to the console as apposed to the PC, and the quests are detailed and have more depth than before.

But theres more than just a new interface and dynamics, this time the story will really move you; Dragon Age 1 had a decent story, but since then Bioware have really found a way to connect the story to the player. I felt personally crushed with some of the things that happened to my character, I could really relate to them.

If you want a good escape from reality then play this game.

Dragon Age Origins was a masterpiece and this does not let it down. I found the fighting was much more fluid and enjoyable, a huge improvement to the first game.

I enjoyed meeting people from the first game through this game, such as Alistair and the charming Antivan Assassin we have learnt to love, and many more. It was also quite interesting to see how they remember you in the previous game as the Hero of Ferelden (that is if you import your save from dragon age origins).

There is a lot of side quests to get lost in which makes the story drag on a bit but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. The new companions you meet are all beautifully crafted and bring a great flare to the game.

I did find that there was a bit of jolting in some of the cutscenes which didn't affect my gameplay but just annoying sometimes, but luckily it never really lasted long and that may just be my game.

The story is wonderful but I do prefer the story in Dragon Age Origins as this seems like you don't really have much of a purpose, or task to fulfill.

I thought it was quite clever and original of how they make one of your companions telling the story, your story, to a seeker.

I worthwhile buy and hours of gameplay which is enjoyable every single minute.

I heard a lot of criticism about this game when it released, so when I got around to playing it on the Xbox 360, I wasn't expecting much (especially after playing Dragon Age: Origins on its “superior” PC platform).

First thing that hit me was the graphics. They are a huge step up from Origins, with characters looking more unique and realistic. There are also some nice cloth physics.

Then you move on to the gameplay, which is the most controversial change from Dragon Age: Origins to Dragon Age 2. While it took me a while to get used to, I think the new combat system is great. You have more control over your character, and not needing to have to pause every 5–10 seconds adds some much needed pace to combat that was non-existent in Origins.

Conversations, too, lacked pace in Origins and I was happy to see this has been fixed for Dragon Age 2. In Origins, it seems characters would drone on and on and on monotonously, but DA2 seems much more “to the point” and sped up. This is also helped by the ability to hear your player-character's voice which removes some of the moral ambiguity from the first game.

The tradeoff of having a voiced player character, however, is only being able to play as a human, with a set background (in Origins you could play as one of three races and select from several backgrounds)

The story which, in a RPG, is one of the most important factors in the game is slightly lacking for much of the game. That said, when the main story really kicks in in Act 3, it really grips you. Throughout the game, there are some very emotional sequences and some interesting companions to gather which are far more unique than their Origins counterparts. Although none, IMO, can match Alastair as a fighting buddy!

There are quests galore and everywhere you go will add miscellaneous tasks to your journal. While much of the game is set during Kirkwall (day and night), you can also explore the exterior coastline. This makes for a nice change, but I would have loved to visit other cities and dive deeper into the Free Marches. One real niggle I have is the recycling of dungeons, which are cut+pasted many times and really breaks the immersion!

All in all, I loved this game from start to finish. It impacted me emotionally in a way Dragon Age: Origins could not, and the fast-paced combat, interesting quests and fun dialogue sequences kept my attention for the whole ~30 hours.

Despite all the criticism, this is, in my opinion, another Bioware masterpiece.

5/5