Difficulty:

Very Easy

Time Spent:

40 to 100 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Disappointing"

It's been a while since I've written a review (anyways not many people read them, for those who do, you have my thanks). But since I am, or was, a big Bioware fan I felt the need to review the latest Dragon Age.

If you are reading this, perhaps you played Dragon Age: Origins and yes, the game wasn't perfect, but still it was a great game, with few issues, great story-telling, very console-friendly RPG, and so on.

Now Bioware in all its wisdom (no doubt guided by Electronic *money sucking* Arts) has decided to make this an action RPG, or a button masher RPG for all that matters.

Many of the features that made the first DA such a delight are gone, while the art in this game is really cool, everything else is not. Whereas you felt involved with the story and the characters in DA:O, here the characters are just background necessary for the story to unfold, yet you don't feel anything for them at all (I know they're CG characters, and thus it's impossible to feel anything towards them, but for the aims of this review I'll use the word "feelings" indiscriminately).

While the premise is pretty interesting, the decision-making factor which is a big plus in many games is almost non-relevant here, while it is still there, I don't feel it plays a big part of the story.

Voice acting is pretty good, though I know many would have preferred a silent character with a dialogue tree, than a speaking character, undoubtedly designed to provide the same reaction as Commander Shepard.

This is laughable, Hawke is -IMO- a grey character at best, it just doesn't feel right.

Regarding the OST, it's great, I actually liked it more than the previous game.

While not being a great game, DA2 may entertain you long enough until the release of Mass Effect 3 or any other blockbuster title. Yet I strongly recommend you rent it first.