Dragon Age 2

I am not sure this game is better than DA:O. Don't get me wrong, I love this game! But, I also loved DA Origins before it. Thats said, I would recommend this game for anyone that has enjoyed any Bioware RPG in the past. Obviously, like with most Bioware games, if you can buy the game for PC do that instead. I couldn't, so i got the console version, and I am pretty happy with it.

THE GOOD:

The graphics for the game are much, much improved over the first one. This time around, there is (not accounting for mods by Bioware or the community) very little difference between the graphic quality of the console version and the PC one. On the Xbox, the game no longer look like someone covered the whole world in a thin layer of mud and everyone around you was in some sort of terrible disfiguring accident.

The gameplay is flexible. You can play this game as an action game (mostly) or more as a strategy game (my personal recommendation). Obviously I am biased because I loved the first instalment, which was almost impossible to play as a real-time action game. The combat feels great in both cases and the game really benefits from it.

The combat looks fluid and interesting. The first game's combat animation was boxy and awkward, this one is sleek and sexy.

The dialogue is AMAZING. Being the kings of gameplay voice-acting and dialogue, Bioware rarely get any point for this anymore, because it has to be mentioned. The writing (at far as what the characters say and how it is delivered) is witty and near flawless. This game will make you laugh and laugh.

The game has tons of re-playability. Not only can you play as different classes that approach combat differently, you can also redo some decisions you made throughout the game that change the dialogue and how people interact with you. Also, keeping with Bioware's recent emphasis on continuity, your decisions from Origins slightly affect the world of DA2. Its neat to see how your choices affect people. If you didn't play Origins, you can choose from a variety of backstory options.

THE BAD:

The level designers were lazier than anything I have seen in years. Yes, level design is hard work. Yes, the game levels that are well made are interesting and pretty. But no, you are not allowed to reuse level templates as much as they do in this game! I didn't think I would mind myself, but wow was I wrong. Near the end of the game you feel more like you are some escaped mental patient running around the same hospital room over and over again living out a delusion of medieval fancy. There are times when the level rehash breaks the suspension of disbelief so much that the game even comments on it.

The story isn't nearly as good as the first one. It doesn't feel as grand and all encompassing as the first. No fate of the world hanging in the balance kind of thing. can't get into too much more without spoilers, so I'll leave it at that.

The bugs can be pretty bad. As of the writing of this review, two of your possible companion characters are bugged so that if you are super good friends with them, there is a chance that they will cripple your character to the point of ruining your game. Due to some funky code, your friends can accidentally lower your stats and basically make is impossible to win in combat. worst part is, this happens really late in the game, potentially killing hours of time (do I sound bitter? I may be a tad bitter). Bioware has always been good about patching these sort of crippling bugs, but right now they are still at large.

The romance is shallow. One of the things I loved about the first game, was the ability to connect with some of your party members in a seemingly human way. it wasn't just about the steamy bits, it was about the dialogue afterwards. It was about how other party members reacted to it. This time around, there is the sexy time, and then pretty much nothing until the end of the game. Is it really that insane to want to talk afterwards? Is cuddling really that vile?