Dragon Age 2 review by Ganondorf2002 (Chris Jones Gaming Staff Member)
With the release of Dragon Age Awakening in March 2010 fans got their first notice that Dragon Age 2 was in the works and would be released in just a little over a year. In March of 2011 Dragon Age 2 was released.
Early previews showed that several things had been improved upon; combat, graphics and a voiced over main character were among the top. However once the game was released in March it was easy to see that the Dragon Age community was sharply divided on the results of this newest addition to the franchise.
In this review I will try to show both sides of the game, and let you the reader decide what is good and not so good. But be warned there will be minor spoilers included to help explain parts of the game.
Graphics: The games graphics are pretty decent, not really game breaking but good. If you only have a direct x 9 video card you will only be able to use the medium quality. But if you have a direct x 10 or 11 video card you can use the top two highest settings respectively. (DirectX 10 cards can make use of DirectX 11)
Companions: There are several new people you can recruit into your party. An elf mage that has an understanding of the forbidden blood magic. How about a dwarven archer that loves is crossbow so much that he named her. A familiar grey warden mage from Dragon Age Awakening. There are more but I don’t want to give everything away.
Creatures: There are familiar creatures that return and among them are Darkspawn, Desire Demons and Golems. However there are some new creatures that appear such as an Ancient Rock Wraith which is a dwarf so corrupt that the stone will not accept them in death. They are doomed to walk the deep roads for centuries.
Characters: These are some of the characters make their return from Dragon Age Origins. Cullen who appeared in the Circle Tower now is the Templar Knight Captain in DA2. Bodahn and his son Sandal reprise their roles and salesman and enchanter. (For those that are fans of Star Trek Dwight Schultz does the voice of Bodahn) Flemeth returns and sheds some light on her existence. (Kate Mulgrew does her voice.)
Locations: There are not as many unique locations to visit compared to Dragon Age Origins. The main city in DA2 is Kirkwall and it is far better in detail and layout compared to those in DA:O. You do revisit many of the locations in DA2 as the game progresses. This is not such a bad idea as the game takes place over approximately 7 yrs, letting you see how the choices you have made affect the game. The only downside is they tend to recycle various layouts for several locations. This is the biggest drawback for me in DA2.
Bugs: Unfortunately this game came with many bugs when released. Up to this point they have release 3 patches for the PC and 2 for the consoles that address the majority of these bugs. From just my personal experience the bugs were a bit annoying but none seemed to be game breaking.
Quests and Choices: Once you make it through the prologue of DA2 you can choose to import your character from Origins, Awakening or the two post game DLC. If you import your character the game will interpret several of the choices that your warden made from an earlier game. Even though you do not reprise the role of your warden in this game you do see that some of the choices from the earlier games affect lands beyond Ferelden. If you choose not to import your previous game save you can choose one of several predetermined layouts that will reflect choices from Origins, Awakening or the DLC. Here are a few examples of choices made from the previous game and how they affected DA2, be warned there may be spoilers.
1). During the expansion Awakening you can choose to save Vigil’s Keep or the city of Amaranthine. If you save Vigil’s keep then in DA2 you will be offered a quest which lets you hunt down several conspirators working for various nobles who want the Warden Commander removed for letting the city burn. If you choose to let Vigil’s keep fall and save the city of Amaranthine then you will be offered a different side quest which allows you to listen in on some pirates that are targeting ships coming in from Amaranthine, after which you can dispatch the pirates.
2). During the DLC Wardens Keep you are given encounter the blood mage Avernus and the demon possessed warden Sophie Dryden you can slay both of these characters or allow one to survive. If you choose to allow Dryden to live then in DA2 a side quest will be triggered allowing Hawke to encounter the demon possessed warden. If you choose to allow Avernus to live you, can loot a body for a potion that allows you to spend 2 attribute points. You also acquire the side quest Dark Epiphany.
3). Another side quest is offered depending on who your warden allowed to become king of Orzammar. If Bhelen was crowned king then you will acquire a quest in which Renvil Harrowmont will tell you what has become of his family. He needs your help in dealing with the Carta Thugs. You can side with either the Carta or Harrowmont. There are different rewards offered for whom ever you decide to help.
4). Once you make it to Kirkwall you also have the choice of what happens to one of your sibling. Depending on who goes or not goes with you to the deep roads one sibling may die, live but become a grey warden or go off to serve another cause. That adds some nice replay to the game.
To me Dragon Age 2 is a game that seems to be a very misunderstood game. Many think of it as a sequel to Dragon Age Origins, but it’s really not, since many of the events occur while the events of your warden take place. It is more like another chapter in a book based on the “Age of Dragons.” Every century in the Dragon Age universe is its own age. To date both games, expansions and dlc occur in the same age. This makes it easier to understand as another chapter in a book as compared to a sequel. In DA2 you do not reprise your role as the Warden but a new role, one of a person fleeing the blight. Once away from the blight you rise to power in Kirkwall, but as you are rising to power the world is going to hell all around you. At some point you must choose whose side to be on, neither side is right or wrong. Along the way you will make friends and see some of your warden’s old friends, and of course make plenty of enemies.
Here is a timeline sample of the “Dragon Age” to maybe show that while DA2 starts during the early part of the blight, many parts of the game extend long after your Grey Wardens last mission. In many cases events of both games are occurring at the same time. Just played out by two separate characters.
9:30 Dragon: Events described in Dragon Age: Origins begin. The Fifth Blight begins in the Korcari Wilds around Ferelden with The Architect attempting to make a Disciple of Urthemiel.
9:30 Dragon: The Warden, Alistair, Hawke, Carver Hawke, and Aveline Vallen fight in the Battle of Ostagar against the Darkspawn; the battle is lost when Teyrn Loghain deserts, resulting in the destruction of the Fereldan army, the near-destruction and exile of the Grey Warden order, and the death of King Cailan Theirin and Duncan. The Warden and Alistair are saved by Flemeth.
9:30 Dragon: Events described in Dragon Age II begin. Lothering is destroyed by the Darkspawn and the Hawke family flees into the Blightlands. Around the Korcari Wilds, Hawke, the rest of his/her family and Aveline Vallen are saved by Flemeth and flee Ferelden to Kirkwall in the Free Marches.
9:31 Dragon: Urthemiel is slain by one of the two remaining Grey Wardens in Ferelden at the Battle of Denerim and The Warden becomes the “Hero of Ferelden”.
9:31 Dragon: Events described in Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening begin. The Architect awakens The Mother, who goes insane sending out The Children armies to conquer Ferelden.
9:31 Dragon: The Mother is slain by the new Warden-Commander of Ferelden. The dwarves of Orzammar are able to reclaim the city of Kal’Hirol. Amgarrak Thaig is overrun by Harvesters. The Warden-Commander of Ferelden slays the first Harvester and destroys the Golem research.
9:31 Dragon: Hawke helps fund an expedition to the Deep Roads with Bartrand Tethras and Varric Tethras and discovers an ancient, pre-First Blight Primeval Thaig and an ancient Lyrium Idol contained within.
9:32 Dragon: The Warden-Commander of Ferelden hears rumors that Morrigan returned to the Korcari Wilds. With his Mabari, he/she goes looking for her.
9:32 Dragon: The Warden-Commander confronts Morrigan in the Dragonbone Wastes. Morrigan leaves through an Eluvian. The Warden-Commander either follows her or goes off to live his/her life.
9:40 The events of Dragon Age 2 conclude.
