For any fans of Loot; Dragon Age 2 has an abundance of it. You very rarely have to worry about being over-encumbered with robes swords or boots as there are always plenty of shops. The trading system has a tiny wall to get over at first, but once you make the jump it becomes second nature. The side quests, which can become very tedious in other RPGs of the same ilk, will always have a satisfying twist; fetching new materials for potion orders has never been so much fun. Armour and weapons are customisable, with the premium items having slots that you can craft runes on to; the only disappointment concerning equipment is that you can only equip the secondary characters with weapons, so their armour remains unchangeable for the most part.
The dialogue system has been lifted straight from Mass Effect 2, a dialogue wheel gives you the option to give a positive/agreeing response, a negative/forceful response or an in-between cocky response. I would often choose the jokey middle ground, not just because the choices were difficult to make (which they were), but because it was always fun to hear what cocky response would come from Hawkes’ mouth. The voice acting in the game is brilliant, and the writing is just as good. Responses are interesting, and they are all relevant to the over-arching theme that surrounds the plot. A brilliant score, straight out of a Lord of the Rings film sits behind the voices, and frames the battle to make the fights an exciting experience. Although, the overused voice actors start to blend over one another in the game, you’re never confused about which character is talking.
Although the game has been given a spit polish shine, and does look better than Origins, it still doesn’t look as good as a next-gen console game should look. Mass effect 2 was one of the most stunningly beautiful games of the last few years, and this game should have looked just as good if not better. The campaign lasts at least 20 hours and the ability to play different character classes and see the different consequences of different actions, means that you can play it through at least three times; in terms of lastability, you can never really go wrong with a Bioware RPG.
I only finished the game once, and to give a true indication of how good this game is I think it requires more than one play through. Writing about my Dragon Age 2 experience has really inspired me to play it again, I only put it down yesterday, but already I have some fond memories of a great game. The plot does take quite some time to a) give you a sense of what you are actually doing and b) actually do anything at all, but in the end it is ultimately rewarding. Though the game doesn’t look as amazing as it should, it is an improvement on the previous instalment and shows promise for the third Dragon Age. The combat is completely addictive; once you have a strong team and a strategy sorted out, you won’t be able to put the controller (or mouse if you’re playing on pc!) down.
Verdict: 8/10
Female First Edward Lewis