It’s been almost a year since Dragon Age 2 was released. Now that I finally completed the second DLC Mark of the Assassin it’s time for a Final Verdict. I always say that a game really needs to sink in before I can write a somewhat decent Final Verdict. When I shared my First Though about Dragon Age 2 I mentioned it didn’t really sweep me off my feet during the first hours of gameplay – unlike the original Dragon Age game. But, I spend a lot of time playing Dragon Age 2, even dedicated my second CHRONICLES series to the game. In the end Dragon Age 2 really grew on me.
Final Verdict
When I first started playing Dragon Age 2 I noticed the game was very different from Dragon Age. First of all the graphics were quite different, it has a much cleaner GUI than Dragon Age, and the combat was much smoother and fast paced (especially when playing as a rogue). I actually enjoyed those changes. But when the story takes Hawke to Kirkwall the game slows down a lot. There’s no immediate pressure to save the world or save yourself. I can imagine a lot of people felt they were only doing chores and got bored.
But once I accepted Hawke simply isn’t the Hero of Ferelden and has an adventure of her own, becoming The Champion of Kirkwall, I started to really enjoy the game. Kirkwall became my home, I loved hanging around in The Hanged Man, chatting with The Arishok, admire the vhenadahl in the Alienage. I enjoyed learning more about my companions, their background, see how they influenced the story. I believe the character driven story of Dragon Age 2 is it’s greatest selling point. It’s actually much deeper and personal than the story of the Hero of Ferelden. You can’t randomly walk up and talk to your companions anymore, but overall the interaction with and between your companions is pretty solid. I must admit the party banter really had me laughing out loud while playing the game.
Dragon Age 2 simply isn’t Dragon Age, but it would be unfair to discard it just because it is not similar. Slaying an Archdemon is pretty impressive. I don’t think players would be truly happy if we had to slay another dragon in Dragon Age 2. After playing both games I do believe Dragon Age 2 is worth checking out. I think it succeeded in giving us enough to prepare for Dragon Age 3. I’m definitely looking forward to what will happen next!
