Better than the first, that's right.

User Rating: 9 | Dragon Age II X360
By ICG09 | Review Date:
I just finished up my first play through of DA2, and I've got to get this out of the way first. I waited a year and a half for this game to come out, and at first was a little disappointed. That being said, I believe that this Dragon Age is superior to the first. That's right I said it. It is a better game. If you're reading this review, you probably already know the just of the story. You play as Hawke, a refugee from Lothering who over a decade, ascends to become the Champion of a city in the Free Marches called Kirkwall. No, there is no supreme evil that you must defeat such as the Archdemon (actually there are like three depending on how you look at it), instead the game focuses on the story within a story aspect of Varric describing how you became the Champion with your in-game actions shaping his story. In terms of characters, no, there is no Allistair, Morrigan or even Oghren (*mild spoiler: although the first does make an appearance), but there is a Varric, Isabella and Merrill to keep the in game conversations interesting, at least according to me. I know that many say that the characters in this game were no where near as deep as the first. And at first, I felt the same. However, after giving these characters a chance, they've grown on me, and I feel a sense of attachment and even distaste equal to that from those in the first. No, there is no instant "icon" such as Morrigan, but Varric and Isabella come sort of close. Your character however depending on how much effort you put into making him/her, can take that place at least in your mind (seriously I restarted the game like five times just because I didn't like the way he looked, then I found out that the Black Emporium has a mirror that allows you to modify your character in-game). Fenris and Anders in my opinion were boring, but the original had one too *cough*Sten*cough*. There however, is a noticeable drop-off of character development in this one, although it should be considered that the story has taken a more centered approach concerning your character (even giving your character a family), which I personally like.
The music and voice acting is superb. They've decided to keep the English accents for humans, American accents for elves and dwarfs, and added welsh accents for the dales. Also, the original voice actors who played returning characters are all kept in place with the exception of Merrill, probably because she plays a central role in this one. Furthermore, two voice actors who play either male or female Hawke (getting to hear your character speak is like music to the ears) were added. The cut scenes are also a treat that never seemed to disappoint despite minor hiccups in some in the form of weapons popping in and out. The graphics have been improved despite the obvious recycling of environments. However, because the dungeons are not as drab as the original, it isn't a complete pain in the butt. The actual city of Kirkwall and its surrounding areas look especially polished. In terms of detail, it seems that Bioware as usual took their time. A shadow is cast by you character when you walk in the sun, and depending on where you walk, the shadow takes shape within the environments. Characters in your party look more than just slightly better looking NPCs. And there is a noticeable improvement in the character creation.
The game play, depending on who you are, is either dumbed down or a vast improvement. I'm in the latter camp. I can honestly say that at times it does feel like a dynasty warriors-esque button masher, but at critical moments you will find that you will need to revert back to pause strategy to defeat more difficult bosses, and the immediate response that the a button provides is a definite plus. Cross-class combinations also add depth to the combat as well as more strategy concerning how you decide to assemble your team. I guess at the end of the day, there is nothing in this review that you probably have not heard before. But what I feel that many have left out was how reviewers felt in the end. I personally felt extremely satisfied, even more than the first (perhaps it's because I've gone through it like six times, but that's beside the point). I won't spoil it, but depending on the choices that you make, even at the end of the first act, there is a very noticeable effect on both the ending of the story as well as how you play it. In the end, I think that it is fairly obvious that this is at least a great game. For me, I felt a certain sense of accomplishment completing this game that I haven't felt since playing Mass Effect 2. I just loved the ending (*spoiler Leliana is in it), and now I'm just really jacked up for DA3, which the ending subtly tells you is coming.

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