Dragon Age 2 is an action packed role-playing game, set in the world of Dragon Age: Origins but it is not a sequel so much as it is a spinoff of that title. BioWare has streamlined several elements from the first installment and created something familiar but new. The look has been updated as well as combat and dialog options and although the story is not as epic in scope as DAO it’s just as good. You will still have to face off against Dragons, hordes of Darkspawn, and demons to be sure but the real enemies in this installment are not always so obvious.
In Dragon Age 2 you play as Hawke and your story begins with you and your family escaping from Lothering as the Blight closes in. Soon after you and your family will meet some familiar faces that help you escape Fereldon and make your way to the city of Kirkwall, in the Free Marches where you have relatives and the majority of the story takes place. Kirkwall give the impression of being a great city but the arrival of refugees from Fereldon is stretching its resources to their capacity making its citizens less than friendly to the newcomers. But you won’t stay a refugee for long and quickly go about making your fortune in your new home. Along the way you will encounter new companions and new problems as you navigate through political intrigue, a bunch of shipwrecked Qunari, and a little civil war between the Mages and Templers of Kirkwall.
BioWare has once again broken the story down into three acts, each with its own set of quests that will lead you further into the story. Quests are categorized as main, secondary, side, and companion categories. While almost all quests help support the stories overall narrative it’s questing with and for your companions where the game really shines. Unlike DAO where you could effectively buy your companions friendship, in DA2 your companion’s loyalty or rivalry is earned through questing. The choices you make will determine whether they stick with you in the end or ultimately leave your service.
In DA2 Hawke is able to speak which is a major upgrade in my book, it’s that much easier to get into the story because the conversations have a real feeling to them. Conversations are set up with 3 basic forms of inquiry or reply very much in line with BioWare’s Sci-Fi RPG Mass Effect. These options are supplemented with symbols which I think were intended to help convey the tone in which the statement was intended but can be confusing at times. For example a purple diamond response is supposed to be charming and a black star means that you have prior knowledge of this topic due to a previous interaction.
Combat has been simplified from DAO and has become more action oriented. However, unlike before you will have to engage enemies on your own if you want Hawke to attack or perform an action; otherwise he will just stand there. You are still able to switch which party member you are controlling easily and pulling back on the left trigger will still pause the action allowing you to make any necessary changes to your tactics. Speaking of which, there are still customizable tactic slots for each character and I highly recommend using them as your party members will perform most default actions well but with a little tweaking you can control all aspects of the battlefield.
But it’s not all silver coins and pirate girls in Kirkwall. Due to the tight focus of the story there aren’t a lot of places to go in DA2 and by act 2 you will have visited all of them in one form or another. BioWare tries to change your point of entry or limits access to different set pieces but it is a trick that wears thin quickly. The upside to this is resource gathering, which you will need to do in order to craft new potions or poisons. Clearly, after a few trips around Kirkwall and you’ll know where to look. Also only Hawke can wear 99% of any armor you find. While your companion’s armor can be upgraded through purchases at the many venders in Kirkwall or found during companion specific quests, the sheer volume of unusable items seems like a waste. Lastly, unlike its predecessor Dragon Age: Origins in DA2 you are only able to have conversations with your companions during or just after their specific quests. So speaking with your companions actually becomes a quest in itself rather than something you can just do on the fly.
Ultimately this is a great RPG adventure game with a solid character driven story. The improved graphics and character models, along with a fully fleshed out speaking hero set this sequel apart from its predecessor. The sheer amount of choice you have to design your own destiny will keep you coming back for more adventures in Kirkwall well past the 35 hours it takes to finish the game.
Quick tips:
Always bring a rogue - Oddly no quest items will ever be stored in a locked chest but you may find gold or special weapons / armor.
Save frequently – It’s easy to forget to save your game but its best to save before and after a mission. With a 35 hour run time you should save at key points that you may want to go back to later.
Mi casa es su casa – Apparently Hawke has a serious open door policy and there are several times during the game that events will be tripped without warning when you go home. Remember that with the exception of receiving letters all other activities can be done throughout Kirkwall.
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