Have a soft spot for this game despite his many many problems. I like Hawke as a character in general and like how you can give him/her different personalities according to the type of response you mostly use. Also like the little "family drama" that could be more fleshed out, but I always like when RPG main character are not totally blank pages and you can actually see some form of background for them.
Something I like about characters who are not blank slates for you to do as you wish... In practice people are forced outside of comfort zones. Take Shepard in Mass Effect 3. No matter how much of a saint or a complete POS Shepard is, they are always a human fighting first and foremost, for the sake of humanity and as such, there is literally no room in the character to allow ludicrous options, like selling out Earth. Those guideposts to who the character is, are literally the kind of things that define a role to be played. Hawke is someone who had to run from their burning home, watches as their newfound home erupts into hell around them and watches as their family is taken away, one by one. Hawke is a person, not just some random mage in a tower, scheming dwarf or stuck up elven warrior. A character as well as an archetype. Blank slate and silent but free... those are just archetypes and machines, not true characters in a story. Some decry this as something like "limiting player freedom". I think of it as putting on a costume. These kinds of "limited" characters can actually cause people to truly play a role that is different than what they would come up with themselves. To play as something that you would not ever be if you had true freedom. To me, that is actually a stronger form of role playing. Since afterall, we do not get to define roles in the real world, there are niches where we all do what we do. When you have The Last Dragonborn, Hero of the Imperium, Listener of the Dark Brotherhood, Harbinger of The Companions, Archmage of the College of Winterhold, theiving scum (screw theives, virtual and real) and champion of 16 different daedra.... WHAT ROLE IS THIS? If you play Skyrim like that, you are not playing a role. You are simply just doing everything like a machine. Even when people are playing a tabletop RPG, if their DM is competent, they will keep the players in check. Even within the TES fandom tons of Oblivion fans found this to be absurd. Remember in Oblivion you got locked out of certain questlines, by doing other questlines. More simply put, when there are _good_ external controls on a character, it means I have a lot less to think about in terms of _what_ my character is supposed to be doing. I don't want, need or even wish to think about the things that I do not need. Hawke was a truly great character, stuffed into a so-so game. Sure, I played it less than the other two games, but that still means I spent a couple thousand hours in it. (let me put it this way, I memorized exactly how to proceed in such a way as to lock every companion as friends before the final act started and characters that are locked full friend or full rival, will not change, no matter what you do... so you can have some fun messing around) Also, just to add. People who complain about voice acting in games need to go back to the 80s. When "speech" was just beeps. Or to the later 90s when perhaps 1/3 of the major players in an RPG would have voices for 1/2 of their dialogue and how asinine that felt. Or only cutscenes/opening movies would be voiced over. This was a huge factor in why so many games from the late 90s and early 00s feel cheap. imo anywaysd There are far too many people who throw a temper tantrum like a child whenever things don't go exactly as they want. The world needs fewer of these people. They need to grow up. Or maybe they can just stick to minecraft... away from me. EA rushing the game is really only half of why people hate on DA2. The other half is because of people being butthurt by having guidelines. addendum: Skyrim is awesome and playing it like I just said can be really fun. But it still stupid. (I say this as someone with more time in Skyrim than in all the DA games combined... and I have over 4k hours in Inquisition alone.)
I also have a soft spot. It’s unfinished with so few variations in the environments but I’ve played a few times and I really like it. Not as much as the others it I don’t get the hate. DLCs are good too, fleshes the game out a bit
Varric being an unreliable narrator is such a cool framing device. I love how you could interpret some of the story as pure fiction that Varric is spinning to make him and Hawke into legends.
For me it's the explanation of why my Hawke went from a cheeky flirty over-the-top sarcastic bisexual disaster to a depressed and broken woman with nothing left to be happy about. Varric just lied. He lied about Hawke being unbreakable, maybe because he didn't want her weaknesses exposed to Cassandra or maybe because the true story of Hawke is so tragic, depressing and traumatizing that even Varric himself wants to forget it and replace it with his Tale of the Champion.
@@maxpotapenko4632 never though about it that way but yes, would make sense. Hawke is a broken person.. he/she can easily end up alone and being the cause of death of sibling/mother etc etc.. anybody would crack.. and i personally like how Hawke IS broken in Inquisition.. so much soo that, at least in my headcanon, is willing to sacrifice itself for something..anything. Just to go out in a blaze
Played Inquisition then origins and loved them both and wasn't expecting much from DA2 from what everyone was saying but I was hooked from the beginning and loved every second.
I loved it when i played it. Combat was way better than Origins (which had constant difficulty fluctuations, where you could squash most things, then have to re-do a random fight 5 times to get through it) The story was good, i liked all the characters, Hawke is interesting (always fun when you can be a sarcastic asshat when you want) Only thing that sucked was how much maps were re-used. But, even then, it kinda makes sense, since its all set around 1 city. And, well, i have 800 Hours in Dawn of War 2, which has like 20 maps, and just rotates your landing point a to make them feel different.
I have beaten DA2 many times, but I never heard that voice line from Meredith about her possessed mage sister. It's great that that's in there. Thanks for finding these details.
It seems that 99% of people in Dragon Age think possession are irreversible. Yeah it’s complicated and another mage risk his life but that’s possible. Jowan might be the only mage aware of that in the whole trilogy
@@elmousse007 I think most mages know it can be reversed, they just chose not to most of the time because you either need a lot of lyrium and a bunch of mages or a bloodsacrifice, and the chance of defeating the demon are low. Just too risky, Connor was an exception because he was a child otherwise they would have just killed him.
@@manolitolaleman5816 The way they talk about it in the game, you would think most people just straight up think it’s irreversible. They don’t say, it’s hard to do, they just say that’s impossible and everyone act really surprised when Jowan said it and thought blood magic was the only way. Otherwise buying lyrium and hiring mages would be nothing for nobles with mages children. Just like none of them knew the appeasement was reversible too. Those seems to be information known to a fraction of people. And don’t forget, DA 2, the elves know a way to go save the person without that much lyrium. That’s how they helped that mixed blood child
I love dragon age 2, it's like a Greek tragedy. The characters are very interesting and well done, I love the art style. While I do agree it had a lot of problems it's still one of my favorite games of all time
The saddest part about DA2 is that the devs and writers have, relatively recently, revealed just how hard the mere *year and a half* deadline hit the developement process. For instance: 1.Mage Hawke was supposed to get a game long questline where they struggle with possesion 2.Kirwall was supposed to have noticeable changes in its appearance over the couse of the game 3.Multiple endings and more nuance to the 2 main faction leaders, as well as a way to stay neutral and a way to convince Anders to not blow up the Chantry. And the list goes on... The worst part is that these cuts weren't made early on either. They were reportedly made well into the developement process and were cut solely due to time constraints, as they didn't have the time to both implement and test all the content before they had to release the game. Honestly, if any game from Bioware's roster deserves a proper remake, it would be DA2 (maybe not more than Origins tbf) just because the game was stuck fighting an uphill battle from Day 1. I would love to see all the cut content restored and all the planned ideas implemented properly. And , who knows, with the roaring success of the Dead Space remake maybe EA will take another look at all the IPs they have on ice and games that have aged poorly in areas and give them a similar treatment.
There is a common theory that Orsino didn't actually go Big Bad Blood-Mage but rather let it slip he knew of the serial killer who killed Leandra and did nothing to stop it, leading to Hawke killing him in anger for revenge. Varric just tells the Blood Mage story to cover up what actually happened to protect Hawke.
I've never even considered that. That's a really neat theory. The whole Harvester transformation thing really bugged me, as it just seemed so tacked on and pointless. I think that you might have succeeded in changing my personal head canon.
@@lordsnot9540 so, interestingly, in Inquisition one of the easy ways to up Varric's approval of you is to ask about his adventures with Hawke... Except if you ask about Orsino. THAT gets you disapproval points instead. It makes me wonder if Varric is hiding something there...
I wish that this could have at least been a playable option. I would have played the scene that way. I was so sympathetic to Orsino the whole first playthrough, until I found out that he was trading stories and research with the man who murdered my mother (etc.), and I was furious in the end. I would have happily played the wrathful Hawke role.
That is a FANTASTIC theory, oooh. I'm so glad I know of this now, ty! :O I really need to keep the _Varric admits to being an accomplished liar and is the one telling this story_ framing in my head on my next playthrough. Maybe Fenris DID clean up those corpses in the manor after all, lol.
Yes! I can understand that DAO fans were disappointed because DA2 is so different it's basically another genre, but it's not a bad game in it's own right. It's downright miraculous how short the development was. As far as the story and characters go, I think it's more compelling than DAO.
@@AvengerAtIlipaisn’t there plenty of choice about who to side with, the Templars or the mages? It can at least be replayed twice to full effect, three times if you consider sarcasm to be an entirely new experience.
@@salamanticsonly those choices... I remember if we side with templar hawke becoming viscount or something like that.. still new here and im glad always save the game frequently like the screen said.. incase we made a mistake in the choice you can reload that... Absolutely love it every seconds of it.. this game looks like makes me want more consuming more drugs.. and makes me fall in love how funny female hawke it is with that sarcasm like:"Remedy that potion shop.. oh man you're priceless"
@@elmousse007 It depends on whether you care about scope or personal connection. DAO is great because you are deciding the fate of the world. DA2 is great because of its laser focus on your family and a single town.
I have said it in previous videos but DA2 is my favourite DA game. I just love how the characters have a more natural chance to bond in one way or the other, where in other games the team comes together due to a greater threat, in DA2 all the characters come together for smaller more personal things but they end up sticking together more out of respect and friendship than anything else if treated properly. I also enjoy how the initial story is more personal rather than ah "Chosen One" or "Save the world" aspect, all the way to the end you are more reacting to major events rather then being the focus of them which is a nice change from the norm. Again it's just how you get to see the story and characters develop more natural, there are time skips but they are handled rather well to not create a disconnect from the time that has passed. The underlining issues are still valid with the re-usage of maps and some combat being a little bland, but if they were just given more time to create more environments (or give the existing ones more personality and change in the time jumps) and fleshed out the combat a little more ( I do like that the combat was faster as some fights in DAO could drag) things could have gone much better.
Somehow I just related to my Hawke more and clicked with all the characters and story in DA2. It's my favourite game despite it's gameplay and map setbacks and I ended up playing it more than the other two because I find myself missing Kirkwall and the disaster bisexuals the most.
I love all the Dragon Age games but this one is truly special. The sense of place you get by setting the game in one location that evolves over the years really makes it feel like you exist in that world. Plus, the smaller scope of the story lets you connect and care for the characters as they change throughout their lives. It was a breath of fresh air to not have to save the world again too. Far too many RPGs tell you to hurry and save the world one minute but then task you with rounding up a farmer’s chickens the next. Lowering the stakes is something I wish that more games would do. This is definitely my favorite of the Dragon Age games. Great video Dan!
It really is weird how both Dragon Age 2 and Mass Effect 2 had more criminal-ish enemies that what it should’ve been (dragon age 2 being the thugs and mass effect 2 being the mercs). It’s like they made the main villains for both games more side enemies when it should’ve been the other way around
In both cases it made sense, more so in DA2 than ME2. In DA2 petty criminals are the most common type of evildoers in Kirkwall, Hawke's not a high and mighty hero until the last act. It's just fitting that they're fighting more criminals than monsters etc. In ME2 they just wanted to do more gritty, grounded part. It's not my favourite of the series, but it still makes sense that mostly unknown, elusive Collectors aren't put everywhere and geth are mostly gone, so it leaves only mercenaries to fight in the lawless Terminus Systems
I think there is one upside to the game being set in the same city over multiple years that wasn't mentioned; the interpersonal relationships between the companion characters have a chance to evolve over time. For example, Aveline and Isabella pretty much hate each other at the start, but over the years they come to respect each other and even become friends despite being extremely different people. I also love the rival system, and the different tone being a rival with a character can bring to a romance; it's nice to have the option to maintain a relationship while still not agreeing on everything.
My general feelings on DA2 were always: Solid story with tons of lore implications. Good characters. Development time affected heavily reused maps and wave based combat.
Sarcastic Hawke + Varric = so fun. Like when Varric narrates Hawke's conversation with Grand Cleric Elthina. btw fun fact: the voice actor for Zevran and the American male Inquisitor, is the same man.
The game is awesome, as long as go into it accepting that you are really exploring one 'cave', one 'basement', one 'house'. If you can see past the reused locations, the story are characters are the best of the three games.
Agree with this 100%. The reused assets to me are far and away the worst part of the game. But the characters and story are fantastic and arguably the best of the series.
@@sofajockeyUK Thanks for the answer. That is unfortunate. I also find the cartoonish look a bit annoying but story and characters are so much praised that I will give it a try.
@@theodorleberle It's worth the effort. If you can steel yourself to visit 'The Cave' and 'The House' and 'The Dungeon' several times, there's a fine story and characters to enjoy. It's a minor classic despite the asset issues.
When DA2 came out I absolutely hated it. I was expecting more DAO type gameplay and my mind could not be changed that 2 was bad. I played it again a few years later and fell in love with it and played it through with each class back to back. A lot of the criticisms are valid. The reused assets are particularly annoying, but overall I love the game.
I am nearly finished my full do-everything playthrough of Inquisition (good lord that game is long), and instead of feeling pulled to complete it, I'm starting up my fourth playthrough of DA2. I see its flaws: the overused maps, restricted companion armor, weird day/night/mountain world map. But I'm pretty confident in saying 2 is my favorite of the series. For me it's all about character and while all three games have good characters in them, I find 2 to have the best (to me) concentration of fantastic companions and intense character writing. Love them or hate them, you will have _Opinions_ about Anders and Fenris and Isabela and Aveline, not to mention Hawke themselves, the much loved Varric, and and and... With the great voice acting and Hawke who I absolutely love, it takes the top spot for me. :) Come to think of it, it's the same reason why Mass Effect 2 is my favorite of that series: Shepard plus companions! (also, yes, I always laugh at Sebastian chewing up the scenery!)
I just started replaying DA2 for the first time in many years, just to actually finish it for the story. It obviously has some serious flaws, but it really is much better than I remember. My archer is quite fun, the arrows have some punch. And story and party members are very decent. Glad I am replaying it.
Hawke is a janitor. A janitor who fights helicopter Templar drops, always 4 waves, always x amount of enemies. Oh, btw, I finished the game when it came out - on the heighest difficulty. Not just a hater, I know it intimately.
I love Dragon Age 2, it’s my favorite of all the three and the one I have played over and over again. I loved the smaller, more personal story. Kirkwall is the only place I have ever felt a connection to in any Dragon Age game and the only place I would love to return to in future games only to see all the places in better graphics but still recognize them. I remember all the characters and their backstory and truly felt connected to them. They aren’t just your companions that will help you fight, you will see them grow and change over the years that goes past in the game. That is a big different from the other two games where I felt the companions, though well-written and with interesting backstory, had very little change. Dragon Age Inquisition did try some changes, such as with Leliana and Cole, but it was fairly small. I loved that you actually had a family and a backstory which left a greater impact on the story. Dragon Age origin had some short stories at the start but outside human noble and dwalf noble, I felt like it didn’t really impact the story as much outside one or twice encounters. I also liked the more action oriented combat as the combat in Dragon Age Origin was what I hated the most, but then again, I hate most of the old school rpg’s because of the combat which I just find boring and tedious, so that might be it. If you like the old school rpg style then I can understand why Dragon Age 2 might be seen as a step down. Much of what I love comes from the fact that it was a smaller story with fewer locations. It is a good example of what you can do if you don’t focus so much on large open worlds with barely anything in it outside side quests that won’t really affect the story or the characters. That said, I can see some of the problems as well, much of it seem to stem from the game having little to no time to develop such as reusing areas or enemies. Or just lazily reusing old enemies but giving them new skins. Repeating of certain side quests such as you hunting a gang at night in every chapter and so on.
To me that's the best DA to this day. You are just Human, not hero, you are dragged in the event, still you are not in control of them. The blooming of the mage rebelion is too big for you to stop, it's root are to deep. Hawk as a family, a real background that is used... say what ever you want about DAO everything is written with a human point of view/ stranger point of view when it come to Elves & Dawrves. Most Back ground in DAI are just a direct way to execution on the spot the momment you are found or stoning the moment Cassandra take you outside. Elf... who cares for Elves in DA world ? + Daylish just prolonged a war between mages & templars weakening Humans Kingdom. Dwarf : A carta agent that smugle Lyrium just made sure mage/templar conflict continues & everyone will still buy lyrium from the carta at any price. Qun : Only "innocent" would be a mage for qunnaries would never let a mage free. Other could just be benasrath agent destabilising power to prepare an invasion. Human : benefice of the doubt because you are noble.
If you enjoy repetitive, streamlined shit that stands in opposition to the original vision on many core design principles and is dumbed down for the broader audience (kids, imbeciles, and/or Americans) then yeah, it's pretty awesome.
@@jjforcebreaker Alright Mr. "Genius" calm yourself lol. The game was rushed, and the repetitive locations were boring.. But with all it's flaws and it being a downgrade from the original, overall it's still objectively a decent game in and of itself. Btw what did yanks do to you to get you in feelings bringing em up for no reason? 😂
Playing for the first time in years (possibly since release) right now and definitely have to agree that Dragon Age II is dreadfully underrated. Having divorced myself from the idea that it should be a sequel as opposed the franchise testing out some new waters, I’m quite enjoying it so far in this playthrough (especially going the sarcastic route)
I am a huge DA2 fan. It always felt like a DLC to me, but I discovered the game series years after it came out, so I get why people were disappointed. You're expecting a sequel to DAO and get a DLC basically. I love the writing, it is so tragic and you want so badly to change everything, but you can't. The whole multi-act quest series starting with The First Sacrifice was gut wrenching especially the second time around when you know everything. I think my favorite part of DA2 is the fact that these fights are fights you want to do over. It's more fun to me than some of the other fights. I'm not a huge combat fan, I go more for the story, but the fights in DA2 were actually fun for me especially Meredith. Personally, I feel closer to Hawke than Alastair, but I still make Alastair a Grey Warden just because, lol.
A criticism people have of this game is that you can't actually change the course of the plot, and usually I would agree with that as a criticism of an RPG, but in DA2, I really don't, because it's just very thematic of Hawke's story. From your hometown to your family to the Qunari to the fate of Kirkwall to Anders, Hawke's story is about someone who gets tossed around by forces much bigger than herself in spite of her ability and best efforts. And that makes her the rare RPG protagonist who's tragic in a way that isn't contrived. I definitely would've liked more interaction with the final quest of act 3, but I really have no issue with how they handled choices in this game. Hawke is supposed to fail, she's supposed to be helpless, she's supposed to lose, the plot is supposed to run you over, and Hawke is a better character for it.
I guess I'm in the minority for enjoying DA2's combat quite a bit...completely agree about the environments though, they are downright depressing. I loved the story and I just prefer voiced main characters (surprised anyone has a problem with this after Mass Effect.)
wasn't sure what he was talking about when he said the game was too easy, guess he only played on a lower difficulty because on nightmare it can be very difficult, also he says positioning isn't necessary while showing him casting aoe fire spells, with friendly fire on higher difficulties positioning is really important. Honestly I find Origins a lot easier, while the beginning can be hard it's very easy to break the game and become OP, and once you get your defence stat up to 120 you literally can't be hit (which isn't that hard to do even for mages).
@@MannerdDesert7 Meh, I honestly do not get how Origin could be considered hard, even at the beginning, it is the easier cRPG I have ever played, at normal it has about the same difficulty as the first Pillars of Eternity in its second easiest or easiest difficulty, I found DA2 to be around the same level as Origins
@@byletheisner5006 did you play on nightmare, parts of DAO are very difficult on nightmare, especially the deep roads, also the Harvester battle from the DLC is almost impossible without resorting to max defence. There’s not much point in talking about game difficulty if you’re not going to talk about the harder difficulties, Halo 2 is considered one of the hardest games ever but on heroic and lower it’s actually not that hard but on Legendary and LASO/Mythic the difficulty spikes to the point where on certain levels you can be killed before the level even loads.
Despite its imperfections this is my favorite game and Hawke the character I most relate to. It is a comfort game I go to when I need to chill out in the familiar setting. :)
If you don't mind dungeons that are EXACTLY the same, but you enter through different doors, it's a pretty good game. It was actually my first Dragon Age. I loved that you aren't some kind of Chosen One, you are just a dude/dudette who wants to get rich and return the glory of your family name. Merrill - best girl in the series.
I like Dragon Age 2 more than Inquisition; mainly because I liked the smaller party-focused plot more than the larger grandiose plot of Inquisition and because I particularly disliked the repetitive open-world content of Inquisition, to the point where I point to it as my poster child for all that is bad about open world. To be fair, though, console commands and a bit of customization were an essential part of my DA2 experience; I never played through without Merrill (best girl) having healer+Spirit Healer abilities. Conversely, DAI had no such customization or hackability, which made its grinds far worse.
THANK you. I've never gotten the argument that having a silent protagonist lets you more fully immerse yourself into a character when at the end of the day, the game is still running off of pre-scripted story beats and dialogue cues. If I want to fully immerse myself into a character of my own making, I'm gonna play DnD, and make the exact character I want, instead of the Hero, or the Champion, or the Inquisitor. I could name my character whatever I wanted him to be, play him with whatever tone I want, but at the end of it all, that character is still the Dragonborn. That character is still Commander Shepard. If I'm playing a game, I want a good story above all else
Dragon Age 2 was the first Bioware game I actually played and I honestly prefer it over Origins any day. I love the humor and companions, and while I agree some places like caves had repetitive places (Mass Effect 1 did as well), I loved the story and felt really connected to all the characters. I enjoyed the music and combat and adore Hawke. I was dying while you flipped money through the phone call lmao
dragon age 2 was my first da game ive played, sure the game mechanics arent the best but once you get past that you're left with great memorable characters, a deeply emotional story you can connect with and it is overall my favourite dragon age game
I think differently on Anders’ arc. I feel like having “the spirit of justice/vengeance” actually weakens it. I think he would have been a more dynamic and compelling figure had he acted on his own accord.
Orsino's blood magic makes a lot more sense if you side with the Templars. It was a shame they couldn't make it work better on the Mage side. I used to side with the Mages, but it makes a lot more sense, story-wise to side with the Templars, especially if your Hawk is concerned for the people of Kirkwall and not just the plight of the Mages. Anders' terrorism kind of forces your hand to take action against the Mages if only to prevent an uprising and chaos among the average citizen.
Interesting, but I don't think that's a flaw as many people still go with the mages side because of it. Templar abuse their power just like the mages do. The only difference is that magic isn't as well understood as law is.
@@channel45853 true, but at least when you side with the Templars, there is an option to prevent a full Annulment. You can actually save a handful of honest mages. SPOILER You also discover that Orsino was in fact aiding Quintin, so he wasn't as honest and noble as he claims to be. He was hiding his fair share of blood mages, unfortunately. There were good and bad guys on both sides, it just sucked that Kirkwall itself was a syphon for blood magic and corrupting mages (almost like it was built for that) and Meredith was corrupted by the Red Lyrium, emphasizing her anxiety and distrust of mages. That and then Anders had to go and be a terrorist, basically condemning all mages by acting insane.
@@indiana_holmes true, and all the setup feels kinda wasted in Inquisition, I personally think the mage-templar war should've been the focus of the game. What if they had to find a way to beat one side of the war, make them make peace with each other, etc. It would've been a lot more open to more interesting roleplay imo.
i choose mages (because i am from mage family and i would rather destroy the whole world if they attempted to make Bethany tranquil) but I always also kill Anders for his crime so i will send a clear message i stand for what is right. You have forgotten many templars actually helped the mages and they were killed for helping them and opposing Meredith
I genuinely enjoyed it, Arishok is the best Antagonist in the series and I won’t be taking questions. yes it was a stark contrast to Origins but I didn’t mind going from a grand sweeping epic to a more focused character driven story. Yes it is flawed, like all BioWare games. Yes it has way more focus on combat and way less on role playing but that’s understandable with EA’s meddling. But the party characters were all memorable, Varric and Isabella standing out as they do. What is not to like?
The problem is that DA2 was given only a 1.5 year development cycle, so the game was undercooked. They definitely would made a diamond if it got another 2 years in development. I would have loved for them to allow us to flesh out our Hawke more via character customization, dialogue and backstories in cc, which I felt we would have got with my development time.
Excellent review mate👍. Also regarding Orsino fight I think that Mark Darrah explained why that fight was forced...if I remember correctly the reason was that developers thought that endgame needed another boss fight
I'm going to go ahead and say it, DA2 is my favourite in the series. The only thing I didn't like was the repetetive locations. I loved the companions (Fenris my love), I loved the story, and the DLCs were great. Hawke is also just Commander Shepard in Dragon Age form, and I love that.
I could always understand why DA2 was so badly received - the reused caves were bad, the dumbed down combat and the 'parachute' enemy reinforcements were worse, both Orsino and Meredith should have been more complex and inspired a bit of symphaty to be interesting villains - but still I liked the game quite a lot. Would definitely play a remastered/rebooted DA2, and I still dream of the planned Exalted March DLC we never got.
I honestly enjoyed DA2, but my biggest gripe with it was that the combat felt repetitive time and time again. Either enemies were too tough and I had to hack away, or they were too easy and melted: there was no inbetween. However, I did enjoy Kirkwall and didn't mind the story only taking place there. Also looking back, DA2 really heralded the change in tone between Origins and Inquisition.
Dragon Age II was the first game I played in the series, and I was hooked on it almost immediately. When I read up on all the hate on it, I can understand why people were disappointed since it didn't live up to the expectations of people who played Origins first, but DAII made me want to play Origina and Inquisition. I didn't enjoy Origins so much (shocker, I know), but I loved learning more about Leliana, Alistair and Morrigan and her mother. But in DAII, I thought the pacing, the characterization, the morally grey standpoints of mages vs templars, and how everything led to the eventual war in DAI was done so well considering the major time constraints they had, and would like to see a remake with all the content that got cut out, if one is ever in the cards.
Had the opposite problem with the wave based combat: A wave of fighters always seemed to spawn right on top of my mage backline. So combat encounters for me usually boiled down to learning where the spawn points were and positioning my party accordingly, which felt so meta it ruined immersion.
the only major issue i had with the game, was them reusing assets/layouts so much, but knowing they had such a short deadline makes it a bit harder to be mad at them for it.
This does remind me of the time EA tried to Madden an RPG franchise to horrible reception and actually learned from the mistake letting all subsequent BioWare games cook longer; even if they still turned out mediocre.
I remember as a teen who didn't know anything about how the gaming industry worked I was just super stoked that there was a DA2. Honestly I really was/am the demographic they where aiming for DA2 and I still play it every so often to this day. I will also say that I also love DAO and tbh the 2 games scratch different itches in my brain because to me they are kinda 2 different types of games to me.
DA2 is what got me into gaming as an adult back in 2012. The last game I played was Jak and Daxter 3 when I was 14. I loved it. Played Origins after, fell in love with the lore. Now I'm a huge DA nerd. So, thank you DA2.
I always thought the reason Justice went dark was because Anders was tainted by the blight. Taint a living person? Ghoul. Taint a dragon? Archdemon. Taint a spirit trapped outside of the fade? Demonic Anders abomination.
No, Justice, being a spirit, was corrupted by Anders himself, his rage for the unfairness of the plight of the mages perverted Justice into a spirit of revenge
So, I'm not a Bioware fan. I guess you could call me a Bioware contrarian. I tried Baldur's gate when I was a teen, didn't really like it because I severely disliked games that required save scumming, (though my opinion on the first Baldur's gate has changed a little bit). I also have a complicated history with Mass Effect. Skip a few years later, a friend recommended I try Dragon Age Inquisition. I didn't realize it was also a Bioware game (heck, I didn't even know who Bioware was, and realized even less that they were behind both Baldur's Gate and Mass Effect), I liked it enough at the time that I tried DAO. Now, I was mostly playing on console at the time, so I played DAO on PS3. I found the game quite horrible to play with a controller. Unless the game is turn based, I really don't want to micro manage a whole team with a controller. This really soured the experience, but I was still a bit invested in the story. The key word is "bit". And that's where you'll remember that I wrote that I am a Bioware contrarian, but I didn't really enjoy the characters. Like, apparently Alistair is well-liked? I never even hoped to consider he would be. He's annoying and always makes stupid jokes. At least there are glorious ways to get rid of him near the climax of the story. Years later, I tried DA2. I absolutely loved it. A much more focused story with great characters. I also think that Meredith is, by far, the best villain in the series. It's my favorite Bioware game. Whatever opinion anyone may have, it's true that with a controller in hand, the gameplay was more enjoyable. Also, I always thought that the most interesting aspect of Dragon Age lore was the mage issue, and DA2's climax is super relevant to that idea. So when you consider my experience and where I come from, it's true that DA2 appealed to me, because I played with a controller, and I was a new market.
The reason there are so many reused environments is because Varric is telling the story to Cassandra. He is more interested in the characters involved, not the settings. So when he describes Hawke entering a cave it looks like every other cave. This also explains how waves of enemies drop from the sky. Hawke is describing the action, and once one wave of enemies are defeated, the next wave appears "out of nowhere". At least that's the way I see it.
I actually like dragon age 2 better than dragon age origins, I like carrying a big sword and it not taking 1000 years for me to swing it. Plus, I like the voice acting
DA2 was my first Bioware game. Not knowing the high bar set beforehand I really liked this game. It was enough to want to play all the other games from the studio. I absolutely understand why fans were disappointed, but this game is remembered dearly by me.
Dan, the fighting in DA2 can be the best. You can set up the tactics of each companion to work together like clockwork. It takes, or took, a ton of notes and trial and error bit can be perfect or close to it. It is so far my favorite.
I’ve always been a dragon age fan and I still find myself going back to all 3 games on the regular, there just something about them, something I haven’t found in other games. I’ve always loved the characters and the story. I think the main problem with dragon age 2 is that there’s so much fluffing around in the same areas it gets boring at times fighting the same enemies in the same streets, the same tunnels. Especially when you consider replay value, there’s only so many different choices you can make. It would have really benefited from just cutting out a lot of the fetch quests and focusing more on the main story and just having it be a shorter game. Dragon age origins though, there’s some special magic going on there, it’s a game I e never been able to put down, I always, always go back
I’ve always said that DA2 has the best combat. The attack chains and abilities feel fluid yet powerful, your complains having entirely unique abilities and passives based on your friendship with them was a great way to try out new party compositions, and you just FEEL like an unstoppable badass.
Dragon Age and Dragon Age 3 had an MC that had become superhuman, a symbol of selflessness and leadership. The war scenes were incredible with entire armies following the orders of the MC. I did enjoy DA2 and played it through 2 or 3 times, but Hawke simply wasn't the "Hero of Ferelden" that the entire battlefield witnessed kill the Dark God nor the Herald of Andraste, the Bride of the Maker who led armies of fanatics who watched the MC slay pretty much dark gods and the one who began creating those dark gods.
If the goal was to get new people in to the franchise; in my experience I feel they didn't completely miss the mark. Dragon Age 2 was my first Dragon Age. It got me interested in the series, mostly because I already was a Bioware Mass Effect fan by this point with Mass Effect 2 ironically being my first of that series as well.
I loved this game the first time i played it. I wasn't bothered with the fact that the game is focused around one city or the reused assets And i kinda liked the combat, yes it's not Origins with it's strategic gameplay but it was cool witch i think was what bioware first intended. And i loved the conversations having a voice actor was really a great idea and the story was absolutely amazing and i dear say that it's comparable to origins in someways. Again thank u for the video mate.
This game and I have a long long history. I've had to have played it at least a hundred times, and I have about 2000 hours on my record. Some people will call me crazy for playing a "mediocre" game for so long, and I can say that yes. Compared to other landmark titles in the RPG scene, it's reasonably fair to call DA2 'mediocre'. But what has always made DA2 stand out are the characters. It's the heartbreak I experience every time Anders blows up that chantry. The heartbreak to know that especially if you romance him (which I usually do) you HELP him and he LIES to you about it. Maybe I'm just a fool for a good tragedy. Who knows?
I think it's obvious Orsino is the "O" who was helping the blood mage who murders your mother in such a vile fashion. I really wish we could have at least asked/accused him. Maybe he weasels out of it but is fully unmasked during that last fight
One counter argument regarding choices I've heard is that even the ones we do make in the game are superficial. Like having two mutually exclusive characters fill the exact same role in the plot. Yeah they are saying different things and the case of the siblings its different combat but the main story doesn't really change. And I don't know how to feel about that. More over I'm shocked to hear you liked the Mage/Templar conflict as well as Anders. All of it felt forced with so many mages in the game turning out to be evil blood mages, while the templars ranks seem to consist mostly of psychopaths who just want an excuse to hurt people who have magical abilities. I agree with you as far as Meredith is concerned but the end of the game was the most frustrating the last time I played.
I enjoy playing as much as Origins despite its flaws (DAI is my personal favorite). The combat was much more fluid and fast paced, which I liked. I also loved the in depth world building around Kirkwall and its society, which made up for the lack of geographical variety. The character roster is also fantastic. How can you dislike a game which gave us Varric? I also like that Hawke had (various) personalities and wasn't a total blank slate. He is more like Commander Shepherd from the Mass Effect Games than the Hero of Ferelden.
I just hope that dragon age 4 Dreadwolf doesn't turn into a hack and slash game. As I like storyline, strategy, and role play in which decisions actually make a difference in the story.
Agree. I read somewhere that you won't have to have played the previous games to understand the story or enjoy the gameplay which makes me worry a little. The same article also said they worked for 2 years at making DA4 a live service game but have now switched it to a single-player experience. So many changes just give me pause. I'm not gonna pre-order it, that's for sure, but I don't preorder games anymore anyway.
One thing I really liked about DA2 was how small scale it is for a fantasy game. I’m trying to think of any fantasy game, hell, story in general, that takes place mostly in a single city, and it’s the only one that comes to mind. It’s cool to see how the city and the characters develop over the years and time skips. Also, I like Isabela. I know she isn’t to everyone’s taste, but I find her funny. And her interactions with Aveline are priceless. I always have them in my party.
@@adeptdamage3669 Did I say any different? The story had a lot of problems, I’ll never deny that. I just enjoyed the different approach for the fantasy genre.
DA2 was my first foray into the universe. I enjoyed it so much, that I actually despised the combat system of Origins. One of my few complaints of DA2 is that imho, some boss battles should have been skippable depending on your choices (for example, that Deep Roads Rock monster you end up fighting, no matter if you made a pact or not with that demon to kill the rock monster.)
Probably the most interesting thing that I ever experienced from the friendship/rivalry system is when I decided to play Hawke as a complete magic-hating hardass, which obviously put me in a rivalry with Merrill. I even went out of my way to do everything I could to lose favor with her, yet after she confronted me about the destroyed Eluvian, they got it on. It was odd and a bit melodramatic, but it was also the most satisfying romantic relationship I'd ever experienced because even though Hawke and Merrill disagreed about damn near everything, there was something nice about knowing that the one thing they did agree on was how they felt about each other.
It definitely has many flaws but at the same time some things deserve a praise. For example I liked rivalry system, this way you can fully express your opinion without being afraid of hurting your relationship with a companion, in the first game my character was a hypocrite who tells one character one thing and to other character completely opposite thing. And also I really liked the fact that you're not deciding the fate of the world or the universe like in most rpgs, you're just a guy who's trying to make a name for himself. While some other things that you mentioned in the video were definitely hurting the experience, for example not the best combat system, repeating locations, poor romance options and overall cast is the weakest in the series in my opinion (outside of Varric I didn't care for other characters). So in conclusion fuck Sebastian
Why people like silent protagonist is beyond me.. nothing is more immersion breaking than being the only mute in the world.. without being actually mute.. DAO would have been leagues better if the warden could speak instead of just looking goofy in cutscenes..while other character speaks for you..
Dragon Age II is one of the gems of the 360/PS3 generation. I understand it has glaring issue like repetitive dungeons but the characters and the story really knock it out of the park for me. I would say most characters were better than Origins. The spark of the Mage-Templar War was a moment for me. I also love some of the updated looks like the Grey Warden garb. The game puts you in the shoes of a specific story the devs wanted to tell I love Hawke and the struggle of him or her and how they were at the center of massive world events almost by coincidence.
I feel really bad for Hawke. He/she is just a normal guy/girl who is usually better than others at at solving problems. That said, they don’t have enough power to cause a major change like the Warden and Inquisitor. Hawke in Inquisition seems so done with all the crap and is also feeling quite guilty over what happened with mages and Corypheus. On top of losing their father, a sibling, followed by another sibling either dying or joining a faction never to be seen and the mother’s horrifying death, Hawke probably has it the worst.
I always play human male warrior so I never had an issue with lack of customization 😅 I also played 2 immediately after origins so the lack of waiting probably lessen my issue with the reused assests In short, I really like 2, probably cuz I never had any expectation to be let down 😂
Dragon Age 2 really is massively underrated. In my opinion it is a lot better than inquisition, especially because I find the characters to be better...
I wouldn’t say it’s a good game. Too repetitive as a game for that. But it’s a fascinating narrative. A bit more time would have solved some lingering narrative issues but not the gameplay ones. If they had a lot more time, then the game would have been completely different as the entire setup and story was born from the devs having so little time.
DA2 had so many Problems that the flaws far outshined the things it did well. For example i loved that maybe for the first time the companions were not just friends with us the player but to each other as well. Aveline directing guard patrols away from Fenris, Isabella trying to instill some confidence in Merril etc.
I have always loved DA2. It was my first DA game. My 1st time playing, I romanced Anders. His betrayal at the end was so heart wrenching. It has many flaws as a game, but the story and it's characters (Fenris *drool*) have always made me love this game.
I really enjoyed DA2, but I always play on casual/easy mode because I'm more interested in the story than I am the combat. The copy/paste locations didn't bother me because the story was compelling enough, and the rich character development of the companions made it worthwhile (for me, anyway).
The best part of the trilogy I haven't played part 4 yet is part 2 I like to play The Evil part but still keep my companions yeah a lot of people like evil my friend goes how the hell can you do that very simple there's a way of making tons of gold in the black Emporium I made me like 20,000 gold pieces in the beginning of the game still not enough though I found tons of loopholes in part 2 of the game and part 3 in the game of Dragon Age 2. I like a good Trilogy game.
The story and characters carry DA2 for me cause I absolutely hated the watered-down combat system and customization. I felt similarly to DA:I's gameplay, but the customization, characters, and more polished gameplay made it better for me. It goes to show that the execs at Bioware didn't know what they're doing then and still don't now.
Have a soft spot for this game despite his many many problems. I like Hawke as a character in general and like how you can give him/her different personalities according to the type of response you mostly use. Also like the little "family drama" that could be more fleshed out, but I always like when RPG main character are not totally blank pages and you can actually see some form of background for them.
True, blame player "characters" has only sometimes ever seen to be a positive for me. And by positive, I mean I can deal with it.
Something I like about characters who are not blank slates for you to do as you wish... In practice people are forced outside of comfort zones. Take Shepard in Mass Effect 3. No matter how much of a saint or a complete POS Shepard is, they are always a human fighting first and foremost, for the sake of humanity and as such, there is literally no room in the character to allow ludicrous options, like selling out Earth. Those guideposts to who the character is, are literally the kind of things that define a role to be played. Hawke is someone who had to run from their burning home, watches as their newfound home erupts into hell around them and watches as their family is taken away, one by one. Hawke is a person, not just some random mage in a tower, scheming dwarf or stuck up elven warrior. A character as well as an archetype. Blank slate and silent but free... those are just archetypes and machines, not true characters in a story.
Some decry this as something like "limiting player freedom". I think of it as putting on a costume. These kinds of "limited" characters can actually cause people to truly play a role that is different than what they would come up with themselves. To play as something that you would not ever be if you had true freedom. To me, that is actually a stronger form of role playing. Since afterall, we do not get to define roles in the real world, there are niches where we all do what we do. When you have The Last Dragonborn, Hero of the Imperium, Listener of the Dark Brotherhood, Harbinger of The Companions, Archmage of the College of Winterhold, theiving scum (screw theives, virtual and real) and champion of 16 different daedra.... WHAT ROLE IS THIS? If you play Skyrim like that, you are not playing a role. You are simply just doing everything like a machine. Even when people are playing a tabletop RPG, if their DM is competent, they will keep the players in check. Even within the TES fandom tons of Oblivion fans found this to be absurd. Remember in Oblivion you got locked out of certain questlines, by doing other questlines.
More simply put, when there are _good_ external controls on a character, it means I have a lot less to think about in terms of _what_ my character is supposed to be doing. I don't want, need or even wish to think about the things that I do not need. Hawke was a truly great character, stuffed into a so-so game. Sure, I played it less than the other two games, but that still means I spent a couple thousand hours in it. (let me put it this way, I memorized exactly how to proceed in such a way as to lock every companion as friends before the final act started and characters that are locked full friend or full rival, will not change, no matter what you do... so you can have some fun messing around)
Also, just to add. People who complain about voice acting in games need to go back to the 80s. When "speech" was just beeps. Or to the later 90s when perhaps 1/3 of the major players in an RPG would have voices for 1/2 of their dialogue and how asinine that felt. Or only cutscenes/opening movies would be voiced over. This was a huge factor in why so many games from the late 90s and early 00s feel cheap. imo anywaysd
There are far too many people who throw a temper tantrum like a child whenever things don't go exactly as they want. The world needs fewer of these people. They need to grow up. Or maybe they can just stick to minecraft... away from me. EA rushing the game is really only half of why people hate on DA2. The other half is because of people being butthurt by having guidelines.
addendum: Skyrim is awesome and playing it like I just said can be really fun. But it still stupid. (I say this as someone with more time in Skyrim than in all the DA games combined... and I have over 4k hours in Inquisition alone.)
I also have a soft spot. It’s unfinished with so few variations in the environments but I’ve played a few times and I really like it. Not as much as the others it I don’t get the hate.
DLCs are good too, fleshes the game out a bit
Despite its shortcomings I love the game and the voice acting is great.
Not the best bioware game, still better than 99% of current games, e.g. walking simulators like dragon dogs*t 2.
Varric being an unreliable narrator is such a cool framing device. I love how you could interpret some of the story as pure fiction that Varric is spinning to make him and Hawke into legends.
They should have used his penchant for exaggeration more than just two times (in the beginning and in his personal quest).
For me it's the explanation of why my Hawke went from a cheeky flirty over-the-top sarcastic bisexual disaster to a depressed and broken woman with nothing left to be happy about. Varric just lied. He lied about Hawke being unbreakable, maybe because he didn't want her weaknesses exposed to Cassandra or maybe because the true story of Hawke is so tragic, depressing and traumatizing that even Varric himself wants to forget it and replace it with his Tale of the Champion.
@@maxpotapenko4632 never though about it that way but yes, would make sense.
Hawke is a broken person.. he/she can easily end up alone and being the cause of death of sibling/mother etc etc.. anybody would crack.. and i personally like how Hawke IS broken in Inquisition.. so much soo that, at least in my headcanon, is willing to sacrifice itself for something..anything. Just to go out in a blaze
I dunnos I really hate Verick, he looks so unnatural without a beard call me crazy but i cant get over it
Too be fair, we were pretty badass.
Played Inquisition then origins and loved them both and wasn't expecting much from DA2 from what everyone was saying but I was hooked from the beginning and loved every second.
I loved it when i played it.
Combat was way better than Origins (which had constant difficulty fluctuations, where you could squash most things, then have to re-do a random fight 5 times to get through it)
The story was good, i liked all the characters, Hawke is interesting (always fun when you can be a sarcastic asshat when you want)
Only thing that sucked was how much maps were re-used. But, even then, it kinda makes sense, since its all set around 1 city. And, well, i have 800 Hours in Dawn of War 2, which has like 20 maps, and just rotates your landing point a to make them feel different.
I almost skipped 2 after DAO because everyone kept telling me too. I’m glad they didn’t because it actually became my favorite DA game
@@eauxkei702 especially since Hawke has a potentially big moment in inquisition.
Its ok to like trash games.
DA2 is my favorite I have finished it multiple times.
I have beaten DA2 many times, but I never heard that voice line from Meredith about her possessed mage sister. It's great that that's in there. Thanks for finding these details.
You have to help Orsino first and Meredith after in Act III to hear it
forgot what patch but i had DA2 torrent download game and blood mage with the aoe circle spell was so OP with right gear (group mascara) lol
It seems that 99% of people in Dragon Age think possession are irreversible. Yeah it’s complicated and another mage risk his life but that’s possible. Jowan might be the only mage aware of that in the whole trilogy
@@elmousse007 I think most mages know it can be reversed, they just chose not to most of the time because you either need a lot of lyrium and a bunch of mages or a bloodsacrifice, and the chance of defeating the demon are low. Just too risky, Connor was an exception because he was a child otherwise they would have just killed him.
@@manolitolaleman5816 The way they talk about it in the game, you would think most people just straight up think it’s irreversible. They don’t say, it’s hard to do, they just say that’s impossible and everyone act really surprised when Jowan said it and thought blood magic was the only way. Otherwise buying lyrium and hiring mages would be nothing for nobles with mages children. Just like none of them knew the appeasement was reversible too. Those seems to be information known to a fraction of people. And don’t forget, DA 2, the elves know a way to go save the person without that much lyrium. That’s how they helped that mixed blood child
I love dragon age 2, it's like a Greek tragedy. The characters are very interesting and well done, I love the art style. While I do agree it had a lot of problems it's still one of my favorite games of all time
The saddest part about DA2 is that the devs and writers have, relatively recently, revealed just how hard the mere *year and a half* deadline hit the developement process.
For instance:
1.Mage Hawke was supposed to get a game long questline where they struggle with possesion
2.Kirwall was supposed to have noticeable changes in its appearance over the couse of the game
3.Multiple endings and more nuance to the 2 main faction leaders, as well as a way to stay neutral and a way to convince Anders to not blow up the Chantry.
And the list goes on...
The worst part is that these cuts weren't made early on either.
They were reportedly made well into the developement process and were cut solely due to time constraints, as they didn't have the time to both implement and test all the content before they had to release the game.
Honestly, if any game from Bioware's roster deserves a proper remake, it would be DA2 (maybe not more than Origins tbf) just because the game was stuck fighting an uphill battle from Day 1.
I would love to see all the cut content restored and all the planned ideas implemented properly.
And , who knows, with the roaring success of the Dead Space remake maybe EA will take another look at all the IPs they have on ice and games that have aged poorly in areas and give them a similar treatment.
The issue is that they'd have to automatically overhaul the Dragon Age keep. And then remake Inquisition as well out of obligation.
I really Wish i didn’t read this, i hate What ifs because i really enjoyed DA2 and this just sounds way too awesome
Fuck businesses and money, I really hope humanity finds an alternative to money in the future somehow
THERE WAS A POSSESSION STORYLINE?!?!? I was robbed. It’s the one thing I’ve wanted since I learned about Dragon age.
@@Rigby350 Unless resources are unlimited and easy to obtain, I highly doubt it.
There is a common theory that Orsino didn't actually go Big Bad Blood-Mage but rather let it slip he knew of the serial killer who killed Leandra and did nothing to stop it, leading to Hawke killing him in anger for revenge. Varric just tells the Blood Mage story to cover up what actually happened to protect Hawke.
I've never even considered that. That's a really neat theory. The whole Harvester transformation thing really bugged me, as it just seemed so tacked on and pointless. I think that you might have succeeded in changing my personal head canon.
@@lordsnot9540 so, interestingly, in Inquisition one of the easy ways to up Varric's approval of you is to ask about his adventures with Hawke... Except if you ask about Orsino. THAT gets you disapproval points instead. It makes me wonder if Varric is hiding something there...
Oh, thank you, I am going with that from now on because it always hit me like, wait, what? WHYYY, ORSINO, WHYYYYY?? lol
I wish that this could have at least been a playable option. I would have played the scene that way. I was so sympathetic to Orsino the whole first playthrough, until I found out that he was trading stories and research with the man who murdered my mother (etc.), and I was furious in the end. I would have happily played the wrathful Hawke role.
That is a FANTASTIC theory, oooh. I'm so glad I know of this now, ty! :O I really need to keep the _Varric admits to being an accomplished liar and is the one telling this story_ framing in my head on my next playthrough. Maybe Fenris DID clean up those corpses in the manor after all, lol.
Yes! I can understand that DAO fans were disappointed because DA2 is so different it's basically another genre, but it's not a bad game in it's own right. It's downright miraculous how short the development was. As far as the story and characters go, I think it's more compelling than DAO.
I think DAO story is more compelling. Just for the fact that you can influence it more
@@elmousse007Exactly. Dragon Age 2 has almost no replayability whatsoever once you experience all the scripted "plot twists" the first time.
@@AvengerAtIlipaisn’t there plenty of choice about who to side with, the Templars or the mages? It can at least be replayed twice to full effect, three times if you consider sarcasm to be an entirely new experience.
@@salamanticsonly those choices... I remember if we side with templar hawke becoming viscount or something like that.. still new here and im glad always save the game frequently like the screen said.. incase we made a mistake in the choice you can reload that...
Absolutely love it every seconds of it.. this game looks like makes me want more consuming more drugs.. and makes me fall in love how funny female hawke it is with that sarcasm like:"Remedy that potion shop.. oh man you're priceless"
@@elmousse007 It depends on whether you care about scope or personal connection. DAO is great because you are deciding the fate of the world. DA2 is great because of its laser focus on your family and a single town.
I have said it in previous videos but DA2 is my favourite DA game. I just love how the characters have a more natural chance to bond in one way or the other, where in other games the team comes together due to a greater threat, in DA2 all the characters come together for smaller more personal things but they end up sticking together more out of respect and friendship than anything else if treated properly.
I also enjoy how the initial story is more personal rather than ah "Chosen One" or "Save the world" aspect, all the way to the end you are more reacting to major events rather then being the focus of them which is a nice change from the norm. Again it's just how you get to see the story and characters develop more natural, there are time skips but they are handled rather well to not create a disconnect from the time that has passed.
The underlining issues are still valid with the re-usage of maps and some combat being a little bland, but if they were just given more time to create more environments (or give the existing ones more personality and change in the time jumps) and fleshed out the combat a little more ( I do like that the combat was faster as some fights in DAO could drag) things could have gone much better.
Somehow I just related to my Hawke more and clicked with all the characters and story in DA2. It's my favourite game despite it's gameplay and map setbacks and I ended up playing it more than the other two because I find myself missing Kirkwall and the disaster bisexuals the most.
Honestly loved this game. Sure, it was hastily done, and would've been spectacular given more time, but I really enjoy it every time I play it.
Dragon Age 2 is one of my favorite games. I love how it’s broken into acts like a play.
Dragon Age 2 is such an underrated game.
Great video Dan!
Thanks Saria!! :D
Better than Skyrim i would say?
Saria and Dan crossover when?
@@thomasrosendahl2783 Skyrim is only good with like 800 mods 🤣
Having a honey badger chew your bollocks off would be better than vanilla Skyrim
I love all the Dragon Age games but this one is truly special. The sense of place you get by setting the game in one location that evolves over the years really makes it feel like you exist in that world. Plus, the smaller scope of the story lets you connect and care for the characters as they change throughout their lives. It was a breath of fresh air to not have to save the world again too. Far too many RPGs tell you to hurry and save the world one minute but then task you with rounding up a farmer’s chickens the next. Lowering the stakes is something I wish that more games would do. This is definitely my favorite of the Dragon Age games. Great video Dan!
Hawke is a great protagonist. Jo Wyatt did a fantastic job voicing femHawke, especially sarcastic voice tone, which is the proper way to Hawke.
It really is weird how both Dragon Age 2 and Mass Effect 2 had more criminal-ish enemies that what it should’ve been (dragon age 2 being the thugs and mass effect 2 being the mercs). It’s like they made the main villains for both games more side enemies when it should’ve been the other way around
In both cases it made sense, more so in DA2 than ME2.
In DA2 petty criminals are the most common type of evildoers in Kirkwall, Hawke's not a high and mighty hero until the last act. It's just fitting that they're fighting more criminals than monsters etc.
In ME2 they just wanted to do more gritty, grounded part. It's not my favourite of the series, but it still makes sense that mostly unknown, elusive Collectors aren't put everywhere and geth are mostly gone, so it leaves only mercenaries to fight in the lawless Terminus Systems
I think there is one upside to the game being set in the same city over multiple years that wasn't mentioned; the interpersonal relationships between the companion characters have a chance to evolve over time. For example, Aveline and Isabella pretty much hate each other at the start, but over the years they come to respect each other and even become friends despite being extremely different people. I also love the rival system, and the different tone being a rival with a character can bring to a romance; it's nice to have the option to maintain a relationship while still not agreeing on everything.
My general feelings on DA2 were always: Solid story with tons of lore implications. Good characters. Development time affected heavily reused maps and wave based combat.
Sarcastic Hawke + Varric = so fun. Like when Varric narrates Hawke's conversation with Grand Cleric Elthina.
btw fun fact: the voice actor for Zevran and the American male Inquisitor, is the same man.
I love this game. I highly recommend a rivalry with Anders if you can, it adds so much more depth to his actions and dialogue in the third act.
I just wish you could have that end fight with him and let him live for the next games.
@@chadchaddingson4675 Meeting Anders in the Fade instead of Stroud.
@@chadchaddingson4675 didn’t stop Morrigan from coming back if you make certain choices in Witch Hunt
The game is awesome, as long as go into it accepting that you are really exploring one 'cave', one 'basement', one 'house'. If you can see past the reused locations, the story are characters are the best of the three games.
Agree with this 100%. The reused assets to me are far and away the worst part of the game. But the characters and story are fantastic and arguably the best of the series.
Are they as badly reused as in Mass Effect 1? Because there it was a pain in the arse, but I lived it through multiple runs.
@@theodorleberle No, the location assets are even more limited in DA2, but the story and characters are super.
@@sofajockeyUK Thanks for the answer. That is unfortunate. I also find the cartoonish look a bit annoying but story and characters are so much praised that I will give it a try.
@@theodorleberle It's worth the effort. If you can steel yourself to visit 'The Cave' and 'The House' and 'The Dungeon' several times, there's a fine story and characters to enjoy. It's a minor classic despite the asset issues.
BigDan bringing that high quality content we all enjoy
When DA2 came out I absolutely hated it. I was expecting more DAO type gameplay and my mind could not be changed that 2 was bad. I played it again a few years later and fell in love with it and played it through with each class back to back. A lot of the criticisms are valid. The reused assets are particularly annoying, but overall I love the game.
I am nearly finished my full do-everything playthrough of Inquisition (good lord that game is long), and instead of feeling pulled to complete it, I'm starting up my fourth playthrough of DA2. I see its flaws: the overused maps, restricted companion armor, weird day/night/mountain world map. But I'm pretty confident in saying 2 is my favorite of the series. For me it's all about character and while all three games have good characters in them, I find 2 to have the best (to me) concentration of fantastic companions and intense character writing. Love them or hate them, you will have _Opinions_ about Anders and Fenris and Isabela and Aveline, not to mention Hawke themselves, the much loved Varric, and and and... With the great voice acting and Hawke who I absolutely love, it takes the top spot for me. :) Come to think of it, it's the same reason why Mass Effect 2 is my favorite of that series: Shepard plus companions! (also, yes, I always laugh at Sebastian chewing up the scenery!)
I just started replaying DA2 for the first time in many years, just to actually finish it for the story. It obviously has some serious flaws, but it really is much better than I remember. My archer is quite fun, the arrows have some punch. And story and party members are very decent. Glad I am replaying it.
Hawke is a janitor. A janitor who fights helicopter Templar drops, always 4 waves, always x amount of enemies. Oh, btw, I finished the game when it came out - on the heighest difficulty. Not just a hater, I know it intimately.
I love Dragon Age 2, it’s my favorite of all the three and the one I have played over and over again. I loved the smaller, more personal story. Kirkwall is the only place I have ever felt a connection to in any Dragon Age game and the only place I would love to return to in future games only to see all the places in better graphics but still recognize them.
I remember all the characters and their backstory and truly felt connected to them. They aren’t just your companions that will help you fight, you will see them grow and change over the years that goes past in the game. That is a big different from the other two games where I felt the companions, though well-written and with interesting backstory, had very little change. Dragon Age Inquisition did try some changes, such as with Leliana and Cole, but it was fairly small.
I loved that you actually had a family and a backstory which left a greater impact on the story. Dragon Age origin had some short stories at the start but outside human noble and dwalf noble, I felt like it didn’t really impact the story as much outside one or twice encounters.
I also liked the more action oriented combat as the combat in Dragon Age Origin was what I hated the most, but then again, I hate most of the old school rpg’s because of the combat which I just find boring and tedious, so that might be it. If you like the old school rpg style then I can understand why Dragon Age 2 might be seen as a step down.
Much of what I love comes from the fact that it was a smaller story with fewer locations. It is a good example of what you can do if you don’t focus so much on large open worlds with barely anything in it outside side quests that won’t really affect the story or the characters.
That said, I can see some of the problems as well, much of it seem to stem from the game having little to no time to develop such as reusing areas or enemies. Or just lazily reusing old enemies but giving them new skins. Repeating of certain side quests such as you hunting a gang at night in every chapter and so on.
It's a freaking hidden gem.
To me that's the best DA to this day.
You are just Human, not hero, you are dragged in the event, still you are not in control of them. The blooming of the mage rebelion is too big for you to stop, it's root are to deep.
Hawk as a family, a real background that is used... say what ever you want about DAO everything is written with a human point of view/ stranger point of view when it come to Elves & Dawrves.
Most Back ground in DAI are just a direct way to execution on the spot the momment you are found or stoning the moment Cassandra take you outside.
Elf... who cares for Elves in DA world ? + Daylish just prolonged a war between mages & templars weakening Humans Kingdom.
Dwarf : A carta agent that smugle Lyrium just made sure mage/templar conflict continues & everyone will still buy lyrium from the carta at any price.
Qun : Only "innocent" would be a mage for qunnaries would never let a mage free. Other could just be benasrath agent destabilising power to prepare an invasion.
Human : benefice of the doubt because you are noble.
If you enjoy repetitive, streamlined shit that stands in opposition to the original vision on many core design principles and is dumbed down for the broader audience (kids, imbeciles, and/or Americans) then yeah, it's pretty awesome.
@@jjforcebreaker Alright Mr. "Genius" calm yourself lol. The game was rushed, and the repetitive locations were boring.. But with all it's flaws and it being a downgrade from the original, overall it's still objectively a decent game in and of itself.
Btw what did yanks do to you to get you in feelings bringing em up for no reason? 😂
@@jjforcebreaker DA2 is the best story of the series.
@@jjforcebreaker Wow. Look at you taking a perfectly reasonable point and making it in the most unreasonable, dickish way possible.
Playing for the first time in years (possibly since release) right now and definitely have to agree that Dragon Age II is dreadfully underrated. Having divorced myself from the idea that it should be a sequel as opposed the franchise testing out some new waters, I’m quite enjoying it so far in this playthrough (especially going the sarcastic route)
With the release of Veilguard. I can confidently say yes and I apologize.
I am a huge DA2 fan. It always felt like a DLC to me, but I discovered the game series years after it came out, so I get why people were disappointed. You're expecting a sequel to DAO and get a DLC basically. I love the writing, it is so tragic and you want so badly to change everything, but you can't. The whole multi-act quest series starting with The First Sacrifice was gut wrenching especially the second time around when you know everything. I think my favorite part of DA2 is the fact that these fights are fights you want to do over. It's more fun to me than some of the other fights. I'm not a huge combat fan, I go more for the story, but the fights in DA2 were actually fun for me especially Meredith. Personally, I feel closer to Hawke than Alastair, but I still make Alastair a Grey Warden just because, lol.
A criticism people have of this game is that you can't actually change the course of the plot, and usually I would agree with that as a criticism of an RPG, but in DA2, I really don't, because it's just very thematic of Hawke's story. From your hometown to your family to the Qunari to the fate of Kirkwall to Anders, Hawke's story is about someone who gets tossed around by forces much bigger than herself in spite of her ability and best efforts. And that makes her the rare RPG protagonist who's tragic in a way that isn't contrived. I definitely would've liked more interaction with the final quest of act 3, but I really have no issue with how they handled choices in this game. Hawke is supposed to fail, she's supposed to be helpless, she's supposed to lose, the plot is supposed to run you over, and Hawke is a better character for it.
I guess I'm in the minority for enjoying DA2's combat quite a bit...completely agree about the environments though, they are downright depressing. I loved the story and I just prefer voiced main characters (surprised anyone has a problem with this after Mass Effect.)
wasn't sure what he was talking about when he said the game was too easy, guess he only played on a lower difficulty because on nightmare it can be very difficult, also he says positioning isn't necessary while showing him casting aoe fire spells, with friendly fire on higher difficulties positioning is really important.
Honestly I find Origins a lot easier, while the beginning can be hard it's very easy to break the game and become OP, and once you get your defence stat up to 120 you literally can't be hit (which isn't that hard to do even for mages).
@@MannerdDesert7 Meh, I honestly do not get how Origin could be considered hard, even at the beginning, it is the easier cRPG I have ever played, at normal it has about the same difficulty as the first Pillars of Eternity in its second easiest or easiest difficulty, I found DA2 to be around the same level as Origins
@@byletheisner5006 did you play on nightmare, parts of DAO are very difficult on nightmare, especially the deep roads, also the Harvester battle from the DLC is almost impossible without resorting to max defence.
There’s not much point in talking about game difficulty if you’re not going to talk about the harder difficulties, Halo 2 is considered one of the hardest games ever but on heroic and lower it’s actually not that hard but on Legendary and LASO/Mythic the difficulty spikes to the point where on certain levels you can be killed before the level even loads.
Despite its imperfections this is my favorite game and Hawke the character I most relate to. It is a comfort game I go to when I need to chill out in the familiar setting. :)
I feel like I owe this game an apology
If you don't mind dungeons that are EXACTLY the same, but you enter through different doors, it's a pretty good game. It was actually my first Dragon Age. I loved that you aren't some kind of Chosen One, you are just a dude/dudette who wants to get rich and return the glory of your family name.
Merrill - best girl in the series.
Nope that's Morrigan.
I like Dragon Age 2 more than Inquisition; mainly because I liked the smaller party-focused plot more than the larger grandiose plot of Inquisition and because I particularly disliked the repetitive open-world content of Inquisition, to the point where I point to it as my poster child for all that is bad about open world. To be fair, though, console commands and a bit of customization were an essential part of my DA2 experience; I never played through without Merrill (best girl) having healer+Spirit Healer abilities. Conversely, DAI had no such customization or hackability, which made its grinds far worse.
THANK you. I've never gotten the argument that having a silent protagonist lets you more fully immerse yourself into a character when at the end of the day, the game is still running off of pre-scripted story beats and dialogue cues. If I want to fully immerse myself into a character of my own making, I'm gonna play DnD, and make the exact character I want, instead of the Hero, or the Champion, or the Inquisitor. I could name my character whatever I wanted him to be, play him with whatever tone I want, but at the end of it all, that character is still the Dragonborn. That character is still Commander Shepard. If I'm playing a game, I want a good story above all else
"Secretly a good game" Pffft, it's BLATANTLY a good game.
Dragon Age 2 was the first Bioware game I actually played and I honestly prefer it over Origins any day. I love the humor and companions, and while I agree some places like caves had repetitive places (Mass Effect 1 did as well), I loved the story and felt really connected to all the characters. I enjoyed the music and combat and adore Hawke. I was dying while you flipped money through the phone call lmao
Even with those repetitive scenarios i love both Dragon Age 2 and Mass Effect 1, don't know why those two games bring something that others can't
And of course there is sarcastic Fem Hawke one of the best things that Bioware produce it.
Coming back here after DA: The Veilguard released. I think we all owe DA 2 an apology…
They really made a game like that in a year, while Veilgard took 10 years...
dragon age 2 was my first da game ive played, sure the game mechanics arent the best but once you get past that you're left with great memorable characters, a deeply emotional story you can connect with and it is overall my favourite dragon age game
I think differently on Anders’ arc. I feel like having “the spirit of justice/vengeance” actually weakens it. I think he would have been a more dynamic and compelling figure had he acted on his own accord.
Orsino's blood magic makes a lot more sense if you side with the Templars. It was a shame they couldn't make it work better on the Mage side. I used to side with the Mages, but it makes a lot more sense, story-wise to side with the Templars, especially if your Hawk is concerned for the people of Kirkwall and not just the plight of the Mages. Anders' terrorism kind of forces your hand to take action against the Mages if only to prevent an uprising and chaos among the average citizen.
Interesting, but I don't think that's a flaw as many people still go with the mages side because of it. Templar abuse their power just like the mages do. The only difference is that magic isn't as well understood as law is.
@@channel45853 true, but at least when you side with the Templars, there is an option to prevent a full Annulment. You can actually save a handful of honest mages.
SPOILER
You also discover that Orsino was in fact aiding Quintin, so he wasn't as honest and noble as he claims to be. He was hiding his fair share of blood mages, unfortunately.
There were good and bad guys on both sides, it just sucked that Kirkwall itself was a syphon for blood magic and corrupting mages (almost like it was built for that) and Meredith was corrupted by the Red Lyrium, emphasizing her anxiety and distrust of mages. That and then Anders had to go and be a terrorist, basically condemning all mages by acting insane.
@@indiana_holmes true, and all the setup feels kinda wasted in Inquisition, I personally think the mage-templar war should've been the focus of the game. What if they had to find a way to beat one side of the war, make them make peace with each other, etc. It would've been a lot more open to more interesting roleplay imo.
nah, I would've helped Anders WILLINGLY given the change, fuck templars and especially Meredith
i choose mages (because i am from mage family and i would rather destroy the whole world if they attempted to make Bethany tranquil) but I always also kill Anders for his crime so i will send a clear message i stand for what is right.
You have forgotten many templars actually helped the mages and they were killed for helping them and opposing Meredith
I genuinely enjoyed it, Arishok is the best Antagonist in the series and I won’t be taking questions.
yes it was a stark contrast to Origins but I didn’t mind going from a grand sweeping epic to a more focused character driven story. Yes it is flawed, like all BioWare games. Yes it has way more focus on combat and way less on role playing but that’s understandable with EA’s meddling. But the party characters were all memorable, Varric and Isabella standing out as they do. What is not to like?
Its my personal favorite even with all the flaws
The problem is that DA2 was given only a 1.5 year development cycle, so the game was undercooked. They definitely would made a diamond if it got another 2 years in development. I would have loved for them to allow us to flesh out our Hawke more via character customization, dialogue and backstories in cc, which I felt we would have got with my development time.
Excellent review mate👍. Also regarding Orsino fight I think that Mark Darrah explained why that fight was forced...if I remember correctly the reason was that developers thought that endgame needed another boss fight
As a person who played it three times in the last two months
Yes.
Yes, they were wrong.
I've completed it at least twice and that's a testament of how good it is, as I rarely play and complete games more than once.
I was obsessed with DA2 when i was 14 and I still am despite how little time the devs got to cook
I'm going to go ahead and say it, DA2 is my favourite in the series.
The only thing I didn't like was the repetetive locations.
I loved the companions (Fenris my love), I loved the story, and the DLCs were great.
Hawke is also just Commander Shepard in Dragon Age form, and I love that.
I could always understand why DA2 was so badly received - the reused caves were bad, the dumbed down combat and the 'parachute' enemy reinforcements were worse, both Orsino and Meredith should have been more complex and inspired a bit of symphaty to be interesting villains - but still I liked the game quite a lot. Would definitely play a remastered/rebooted DA2, and I still dream of the planned Exalted March DLC we never got.
I honestly enjoyed DA2, but my biggest gripe with it was that the combat felt repetitive time and time again. Either enemies were too tough and I had to hack away, or they were too easy and melted: there was no inbetween. However, I did enjoy Kirkwall and didn't mind the story only taking place there.
Also looking back, DA2 really heralded the change in tone between Origins and Inquisition.
Dragon Age II was the first game I played in the series, and I was hooked on it almost immediately. When I read up on all the hate on it, I can understand why people were disappointed since it didn't live up to the expectations of people who played Origins first, but DAII made me want to play Origina and Inquisition. I didn't enjoy Origins so much (shocker, I know), but I loved learning more about Leliana, Alistair and Morrigan and her mother. But in DAII, I thought the pacing, the characterization, the morally grey standpoints of mages vs templars, and how everything led to the eventual war in DAI was done so well considering the major time constraints they had, and would like to see a remake with all the content that got cut out, if one is ever in the cards.
It was never a bad game. We didn’t even know what bad games were back then
Had the opposite problem with the wave based combat: A wave of fighters always seemed to spawn right on top of my mage backline. So combat encounters for me usually boiled down to learning where the spawn points were and positioning my party accordingly, which felt so meta it ruined immersion.
the only major issue i had with the game, was them reusing assets/layouts so much, but knowing they had such a short deadline makes it a bit harder to be mad at them for it.
This does remind me of the time EA tried to Madden an RPG franchise to horrible reception and actually learned from the mistake letting all subsequent BioWare games cook longer; even if they still turned out mediocre.
I remember as a teen who didn't know anything about how the gaming industry worked I was just super stoked that there was a DA2. Honestly I really was/am the demographic they where aiming for DA2 and I still play it every so often to this day. I will also say that I also love DAO and tbh the 2 games scratch different itches in my brain because to me they are kinda 2 different types of games to me.
DA2 is what got me into gaming as an adult back in 2012. The last game I played was Jak and Daxter 3 when I was 14. I loved it. Played Origins after, fell in love with the lore. Now I'm a huge DA nerd. So, thank you DA2.
I always thought the reason Justice went dark was because Anders was tainted by the blight. Taint a living person? Ghoul. Taint a dragon? Archdemon. Taint a spirit trapped outside of the fade? Demonic Anders abomination.
Nah its because he was a pervert. Literally perverted justice
No, Justice, being a spirit, was corrupted by Anders himself, his rage for the unfairness of the plight of the mages perverted Justice into a spirit of revenge
@@byletheisner5006 I miss the days when all he just wanted a decent meal, a cute girl and the right to sling lightning at fools
@@tinytitmouse7019 AND TO KEEP HIS GODDAMN CAT!
So, I'm not a Bioware fan. I guess you could call me a Bioware contrarian. I tried Baldur's gate when I was a teen, didn't really like it because I severely disliked games that required save scumming, (though my opinion on the first Baldur's gate has changed a little bit). I also have a complicated history with Mass Effect.
Skip a few years later, a friend recommended I try Dragon Age Inquisition. I didn't realize it was also a Bioware game (heck, I didn't even know who Bioware was, and realized even less that they were behind both Baldur's Gate and Mass Effect), I liked it enough at the time that I tried DAO. Now, I was mostly playing on console at the time, so I played DAO on PS3. I found the game quite horrible to play with a controller. Unless the game is turn based, I really don't want to micro manage a whole team with a controller.
This really soured the experience, but I was still a bit invested in the story. The key word is "bit". And that's where you'll remember that I wrote that I am a Bioware contrarian, but I didn't really enjoy the characters. Like, apparently Alistair is well-liked? I never even hoped to consider he would be. He's annoying and always makes stupid jokes. At least there are glorious ways to get rid of him near the climax of the story.
Years later, I tried DA2. I absolutely loved it. A much more focused story with great characters. I also think that Meredith is, by far, the best villain in the series. It's my favorite Bioware game. Whatever opinion anyone may have, it's true that with a controller in hand, the gameplay was more enjoyable. Also, I always thought that the most interesting aspect of Dragon Age lore was the mage issue, and DA2's climax is super relevant to that idea.
So when you consider my experience and where I come from, it's true that DA2 appealed to me, because I played with a controller, and I was a new market.
The reason there are so many reused environments is because Varric is telling the story to Cassandra. He is more interested in the characters involved, not the settings. So when he describes Hawke entering a cave it looks like every other cave.
This also explains how waves of enemies drop from the sky. Hawke is describing the action, and once one wave of enemies are defeated, the next wave appears "out of nowhere".
At least that's the way I see it.
I actually like dragon age 2 better than dragon age origins, I like carrying a big sword and it not taking 1000 years for me to swing it. Plus, I like the voice acting
DA2 was my first Bioware game. Not knowing the high bar set beforehand I really liked this game. It was enough to want to play all the other games from the studio. I absolutely understand why fans were disappointed, but this game is remembered dearly by me.
I very much liked it. Instead of being unfinished, every environment is copy pasted. An okay kind of bad in hindsight. The story and gameplay is good.
Dan, the fighting in DA2 can be the best. You can set up the tactics of each companion to work together like clockwork. It takes, or took, a ton of notes and trial and error bit can be perfect or close to it. It is so far my favorite.
Also unlike the other two THE MAGES ACTUALLY HIT SHIT WITH THEIR GIANT FUCK-OFF STICKS
@rondy gal The action oriented combat of DA2 is horseshit compared to the tactical combat of DAO. I like DA2 in general, but the combat is crap.
@@HH-hd7nd I respect your opinion. Just shows we all have different tastes and styles. I lived DAO as well.
I’ve always been a dragon age fan and I still find myself going back to all 3 games on the regular, there just something about them, something I haven’t found in other games. I’ve always loved the characters and the story. I think the main problem with dragon age 2 is that there’s so much fluffing around in the same areas it gets boring at times fighting the same enemies in the same streets, the same tunnels. Especially when you consider replay value, there’s only so many different choices you can make. It would have really benefited from just cutting out a lot of the fetch quests and focusing more on the main story and just having it be a shorter game.
Dragon age origins though, there’s some special magic going on there, it’s a game I e never been able to put down, I always, always go back
I’ve always said that DA2 has the best combat. The attack chains and abilities feel fluid yet powerful, your complains having entirely unique abilities and passives based on your friendship with them was a great way to try out new party compositions, and you just FEEL like an unstoppable badass.
Dragon Age and Dragon Age 3 had an MC that had become superhuman, a symbol of selflessness and leadership. The war scenes were incredible with entire armies following the orders of the MC. I did enjoy DA2 and played it through 2 or 3 times, but Hawke simply wasn't the "Hero of Ferelden" that the entire battlefield witnessed kill the Dark God nor the Herald of Andraste, the Bride of the Maker who led armies of fanatics who watched the MC slay pretty much dark gods and the one who began creating those dark gods.
And that's exactly why I love Hawke lol
If the goal was to get new people in to the franchise; in my experience I feel they didn't completely miss the mark. Dragon Age 2 was my first Dragon Age. It got me interested in the series, mostly because I already was a Bioware Mass Effect fan by this point with Mass Effect 2 ironically being my first of that series as well.
Honestly speaking....i actually really liked DA2s combat...DAO was incredibly slow for a warrior
I loved this game the first time i played it. I wasn't bothered with the fact that the game is focused around one city or the reused assets
And i kinda liked the combat, yes it's not Origins with it's strategic gameplay but it was cool witch i think was what bioware first intended. And i loved the conversations having a voice actor was really a great idea and the story was absolutely amazing and i dear say that it's comparable to origins in someways.
Again thank u for the video mate.
This game and I have a long long history. I've had to have played it at least a hundred times, and I have about 2000 hours on my record. Some people will call me crazy for playing a "mediocre" game for so long, and I can say that yes. Compared to other landmark titles in the RPG scene, it's reasonably fair to call DA2 'mediocre'. But what has always made DA2 stand out are the characters. It's the heartbreak I experience every time Anders blows up that chantry. The heartbreak to know that especially if you romance him (which I usually do) you HELP him and he LIES to you about it. Maybe I'm just a fool for a good tragedy. Who knows?
I think it's obvious Orsino is the "O" who was helping the blood mage who murders your mother in such a vile fashion.
I really wish we could have at least asked/accused him. Maybe he weasels out of it but is fully unmasked during that last fight
One counter argument regarding choices I've heard is that even the ones we do make in the game are superficial. Like having two mutually exclusive characters fill the exact same role in the plot. Yeah they are saying different things and the case of the siblings its different combat but the main story doesn't really change. And I don't know how to feel about that.
More over I'm shocked to hear you liked the Mage/Templar conflict as well as Anders. All of it felt forced with so many mages in the game turning out to be evil blood mages, while the templars ranks seem to consist mostly of psychopaths who just want an excuse to hurt people who have magical abilities. I agree with you as far as Meredith is concerned but the end of the game was the most frustrating the last time I played.
I enjoy playing as much as Origins despite its flaws (DAI is my personal favorite). The combat was much more fluid and fast paced, which I liked. I also loved the in depth world building around Kirkwall and its society, which made up for the lack of geographical variety. The character roster is also fantastic. How can you dislike a game which gave us Varric? I also like that Hawke had (various) personalities and wasn't a total blank slate. He is more like Commander Shepherd from the Mass Effect Games than the Hero of Ferelden.
20:02 But those cakes aren't from april fools DLC? It supposed to be a cheese way to rush that.
From todays perspective every old game is at least decent or good.
Woke destroyed media, cinema, games, shows and every franchise you once loved
Yes u are correct sir
I just hope that dragon age 4 Dreadwolf doesn't turn into a hack and slash game. As I like storyline, strategy, and role play in which decisions actually make a difference in the story.
Agree. I read somewhere that you won't have to have played the previous games to understand the story or enjoy the gameplay which makes me worry a little. The same article also said they worked for 2 years at making DA4 a live service game but have now switched it to a single-player experience. So many changes just give me pause. I'm not gonna pre-order it, that's for sure, but I don't preorder games anymore anyway.
One thing I really liked about DA2 was how small scale it is for a fantasy game. I’m trying to think of any fantasy game, hell, story in general, that takes place mostly in a single city, and it’s the only one that comes to mind. It’s cool to see how the city and the characters develop over the years and time skips.
Also, I like Isabela. I know she isn’t to everyone’s taste, but I find her funny. And her interactions with Aveline are priceless. I always have them in my party.
Except the story was disjointed and all over the place.
@@adeptdamage3669 Did I say any different? The story had a lot of problems, I’ll never deny that. I just enjoyed the different approach for the fantasy genre.
@@acuyra The Witcher games did it better
DA2 was my first foray into the universe. I enjoyed it so much, that I actually despised the combat system of Origins. One of my few complaints of DA2 is that imho, some boss battles should have been skippable depending on your choices (for example, that Deep Roads Rock monster you end up fighting, no matter if you made a pact or not with that demon to kill the rock monster.)
Probably the most interesting thing that I ever experienced from the friendship/rivalry system is when I decided to play Hawke as a complete magic-hating hardass, which obviously put me in a rivalry with Merrill. I even went out of my way to do everything I could to lose favor with her, yet after she confronted me about the destroyed Eluvian, they got it on. It was odd and a bit melodramatic, but it was also the most satisfying romantic relationship I'd ever experienced because even though Hawke and Merrill disagreed about damn near everything, there was something nice about knowing that the one thing they did agree on was how they felt about each other.
Paying for voice actors aren’t expensive, most voice actors are lucky to make a few grand from each role
It definitely has many flaws but at the same time some things deserve a praise. For example I liked rivalry system, this way you can fully express your opinion without being afraid of hurting your relationship with a companion, in the first game my character was a hypocrite who tells one character one thing and to other character completely opposite thing. And also I really liked the fact that you're not deciding the fate of the world or the universe like in most rpgs, you're just a guy who's trying to make a name for himself. While some other things that you mentioned in the video were definitely hurting the experience, for example not the best combat system, repeating locations, poor romance options and overall cast is the weakest in the series in my opinion (outside of Varric I didn't care for other characters). So in conclusion fuck Sebastian
Why people like silent protagonist is beyond me..
nothing is more immersion breaking than being the only mute in the world.. without being actually mute..
DAO would have been leagues better if the warden could speak instead of just looking goofy in cutscenes..while other character speaks for you..
Dragon Age II is one of the gems of the 360/PS3 generation. I understand it has glaring issue like repetitive dungeons but the characters and the story really knock it out of the park for me. I would say most characters were better than Origins. The spark of the Mage-Templar War was a moment for me. I also love some of the updated looks like the Grey Warden garb. The game puts you in the shoes of a specific story the devs wanted to tell I love Hawke and the struggle of him or her and how they were at the center of massive world events almost by coincidence.
“Did you think you mattered, Hawke? Did you think anything you did mattered” - the nightmare demon in Inquisition highlighting the main problem of DA2
Ohh boy, and Dragon Age Absolution just made this statement by the demon EVEN MORE precise.
@@moisesfreire6408 Hawke really needs to learn how to double tap
I feel really bad for Hawke. He/she is just a normal guy/girl who is usually better than others at at solving problems. That said, they don’t have enough power to cause a major change like the Warden and Inquisitor.
Hawke in Inquisition seems so done with all the crap and is also feeling quite guilty over what happened with mages and Corypheus. On top of losing their father, a sibling, followed by another sibling either dying or joining a faction never to be seen and the mother’s horrifying death, Hawke probably has it the worst.
Forgot to add that a dear friend betrayed them that started a war where Hawke is stuck between. Yeah, Hawke’s life sucks.
Vito from Mafia II also didn't really achieve anything. But it doesn't make his story less interesting.
Dragon Age 2 had merits. It was not as good as DAO, but it was not as bad as DAI or DA:Transguard.
If you hate the game, remember, it was EA's fault, not Bioware's.
I enjoyed DA 2 well enough. Neither it nor Inquisition captured me like Origins. Still remember having fun with it.
I always play human male warrior so I never had an issue with lack of customization 😅
I also played 2 immediately after origins so the lack of waiting probably lessen my issue with the reused assests
In short, I really like 2, probably cuz I never had any expectation to be let down 😂
Origins is the better the game for sure but DA2 is still a good entry into the Dragon Age universe despite all of its problems
Dragon Age 2 really is massively underrated. In my opinion it is a lot better than inquisition, especially because I find the characters to be better...
I wouldn’t say it’s a good game. Too repetitive as a game for that. But it’s a fascinating narrative. A bit more time would have solved some lingering narrative issues but not the gameplay ones. If they had a lot more time, then the game would have been completely different as the entire setup and story was born from the devs having so little time.
I actually really enjoy the DA2's flashy fighting combat system
DA2 had so many Problems that the flaws far outshined the things it did well. For example i loved that maybe for the first time the companions were not just friends with us the player but to each other as well. Aveline directing guard patrols away from Fenris, Isabella trying to instill some confidence in Merril etc.
I have always loved DA2. It was my first DA game. My 1st time playing, I romanced Anders. His betrayal at the end was so heart wrenching. It has many flaws as a game, but the story and it's characters (Fenris *drool*) have always made me love this game.
I really enjoyed DA2, but I always play on casual/easy mode because I'm more interested in the story than I am the combat. The copy/paste locations didn't bother me because the story was compelling enough, and the rich character development of the companions made it worthwhile (for me, anyway).
Not the worst Dragon Age anymore!
The best part of the trilogy I haven't played part 4 yet is part 2 I like to play The Evil part but still keep my companions yeah a lot of people like evil my friend goes how the hell can you do that very simple there's a way of making tons of gold in the black Emporium I made me like 20,000 gold pieces in the beginning of the game still not enough though I found tons of loopholes in part 2 of the game and part 3 in the game of Dragon Age 2. I like a good Trilogy game.
The story and characters carry DA2 for me cause I absolutely hated the watered-down combat system and customization. I felt similarly to DA:I's gameplay, but the customization, characters, and more polished gameplay made it better for me. It goes to show that the execs at Bioware didn't know what they're doing then and still don't now.