Why do people hate DA2?

[Kakokun]

DA2 had a lot of potential but feels unfinished in a lot of places. Thanks EA for meddling and forcing Bioware to rush the game.

[Pervade]

You are in Kirkwall (a rather boring city) almost the whole time, that's why i hated it anyway

[Stir]

The series for me as a whole, was super disappointing due to poor writing and really bad gameplay. For a series touted as a "return to form", it was kinda unacceptable to deliver a childish script and and thin gameplay system as Bioware did in Dragon Age. Reviews and critical thought of the series were characteristically laughable of "video game journalism".

Actually..
No. I'm sorry, but you're wrong.
Now; if it were your opinion... Sure.

The writing itself was excellent. However, the main plot of DA:O is, indeed, overly simplistic and, as a result, rather childish. Save the world, ladida. Been there, done that, and it's usually reserved for simplistic stories.
However, where Bioware blooms is detail in character interaction. The choices you have in conversation, the background of your environment and the NPCs. These things are done incredibly well; better than any other computer game.

But yeah; the plots (of both DA:O and DA2) are, indeed, simplistic and poorly designed. But hey; their focus didn't lie there. Most authors write a plot, and then force their characters to behave in such a fashion as to make the plot happen. Bioware tend to ignore the plot in favour of the characters. They're both not perfect, but I personally prefer a good story over a good plot.

[Fencers]

Now; if it were your opinion... Sure.

It is my opinion. Stated as such in the first sentence.

Also, by the way--

The writing itself was excellent.

Hm, sorry. You're wrong. Now had it been your opinion the story was excellent... sure.

[Faldric]

Couldnt count how often i thought: Oh look its that cave again, well at least i know the way. Right, left left and right...
Or of course this is my mother, she must be the hottest 50+ woman I have ever seen. And she looks exactly like every other woman in this game with enormous breasts.
And the deep dialogues..."Please save us!!!!" Answer: "I am hungry."

It was a huge step back in every part of this game. Thank god stores took it back for 2 weeks for activation problems...I had none, but I felt cheated on my money.

[Zelk]

It was a great game, but it wasn't quite as good as DA:O
The story wasn't quite as epic, especially seeing as Bioware had been selling it hard, saying that you really felt you made a difference in the city in everything you did. Basically Bioware forgot who they were and turned into Lionhead for a year and made promises they didn't keep. Some people didn't like the combat, Orign's combat was a perfect example of strategic combat, because of the clicky nature of DA2 combat the strategy felt a bit tacked on.
I still liked the game, certainly in my top 10 for 2011. I much preferred the combat to Skyrim's as well. The story felt epic in places but some of it was just lackluster, for example all of Act I barring the expedition. I'll never forget the ending of Act II and III though, they really were some of the most epic moments I had in gaming. For me the two biggest problems I had was that the companions armour didn't change, and you couldn't give them new ones ( Aveline looked so stupid -.-) Re-used areas annoyed the hell out of me too.
I loved the graphical style of Da2, and I like the idea of a political story. I'm still excited for the 3rd game as I think a war between the two big factions in the game will be pretty epic. ( hoping for the champion and Warden to be companions).

[Deleted]

Because the story and depth of dragon age: origins was so much more. Personally I'd rate origins 11/10 and put dragon age 2 on a big disappointment list giving it 9/10. It was a magnificent game for me and I think it improved it in some parts but it was way inferior to origin, which probably stirred the hate.

[Clockwork Pinkie]

Because it wasent DA:O, simple as that. It was rushed and left a bad taste in my mouth. Can't even get excited at the thought of DA3 but, maybe it won't be rushed.

[Xeones]

I actually thought the game was a lot of fun! (seriously!)

I played it on console and the mix between dynasty warrior type of gameplay + pause and issue order and switching character is very refreshing

That is the problem... I wanted Dragon Age 2 not Dynasty Warriors: DRAGON AGE!

Dynasty warriors is fun and all don't get me wrong. But I found it harsh to go from DA:O where the combat was slow paced and deliberate to what basically amounted to button mashing. I enjoyed less reliance on passives (I really hated that in DA:O) but it just felt a lot more shallow.

The story in DA2 was pretty poor. It seemingly had no point, it was clearly exclusively for the next game but that doesn't do me any favors when I don't even know when to expect the next one.

The biggest problem with the game was the fact there was only 3 dungeons used the entire game. I can't remember a game this past decade to reuse so much content, it was literally sickening.

As hard as it was to believe, I felt the graphics actually got worse (and DA:O was pretty behind the times). Combine that with reused areas and you get me pretty disappointed.


It is abundantly clear, to me anyways, that not much effort went into this game. I don't know why but it was like they just tried to push it out as fast as possible with the absolute minimal effort to cash in on their successful new IP. I hate on DA2 because they took a game I would give a 9/10 for to a 6/10 sequel. Even if you enjoyed DA2 a lot you have to agree they could have put a lot more effort into it, I'd almost bet the reason ME3 was pushed back was because of the complaints DA2 got.

[OrcsRLame]

That is the problem... I wanted Dragon Age 2 not Dynasty Warriors: DRAGON AGE!

Dynasty warriors is fun and all don't get me wrong. But I found it harsh to go from DA:O where the combat was slow paced and deliberate to what basically amounted to button mashing. I enjoyed less reliance on passives (I really hated that in DA:O) but it just felt a lot more shallow.

The story in DA2 was pretty poor. It seemingly had no point, it was clearly exclusively for the next game but that doesn't do me any favors when I don't even know when to expect the next one.

The biggest problem with the game was the fact there was only 3 dungeons used the entire game. I can't remember a game this past decade to reuse so much content, it was literally sickening.

As hard as it was to believe, I felt the graphics actually got worse (and DA:O was pretty behind the times). Combine that with reused areas and you get me pretty disappointed.


It is abundantly clear, to me anyways, that not much effort went into this game. I don't know why but it was like they just tried to push it out as fast as possible with the absolute minimal effort to cash in on their successful new IP. I hate on DA2 because they took a game I would give a 9/10 for to a 6/10 sequel. Even if you enjoyed DA2 a lot you have to agree they could have put a lot more effort into it, I'd almost bet the reason ME3 was pushed back was because of the complaints DA2 got.

I have a name for DA2 that you may find funny. I call it, Achievement Age 2: The Fable of Dragon Effect Warriors. Now you're probably thinking, wtf does that mean? So I'll break it down. To me, the only good thing about the game was the easy achievements. I felt that the new combat system was a mix of Fable and Dynasty warriors, while the conversations from DA:O were replaced with the conversation wheel from Mass Effect. So you throw it all together and you have Achievement Age 2: The Fable of Dragon Effect Warriors.

[Propane]

Terrible combat (randomly spawning enemies eliminates any tactical combat), terrible equipment system (80% of all gear is vendor trash because companions don't use gear), terrible dialogue choices (you don't know what you'll say until your moron of a character says something unrelated to what you wanted), recycled dungeons, camera fixed to your characters so you can't control the action properly, no character origin stories (probably one of the best features from the original game), more to complain about but that should be enough to understand why I think it was a complete turd of a game.

[Against the Modern World]

Parts of story were disconnected from each other, if you could participate in all three acts as different protagonists nothing would change, storywise. No overall grand goal in game.

Combat was totally different from first one, why it needs to be that console-like, if it was aimed at people who liked DA:Origins? And those crowds of enemies that jump from the roofs, or run at you from nowhere.

Overused and bland locations. Couple of streets, couple of dungeons, one mountain, couple of caves. Now compare it to diversity of DA:O - mage tower, dwarven city and caves, elven forest and dungeon, the Fade, villages.

Elves are freaking ugly compared to elves in DA:O.

Mass Effect like dialogue - the wheel suggests you a simplified (and often, totally different) version of what the character really says.

Disconnected from ending in DA:O. Even if you killed Leliana and Anders is dead in Awakening, and you import that save, they're still present in DA2. Don't know about killing Nathaniel and Alistar (who's freaking ugly compared to Origins).

Companions use little gear, and overall item system is very simplified.

[Rageissues]

These are the reasons why I believe the steaming pile of crap called DA2 sucked:

1) Lack of a sense of adventure. Aside from escaping the Lothering, you pretty much stay in one place the entire game, which is that boring city. In Origins, you, one of the last few surviving members of the Grey Wardens in the country, traveled all over the country, uniting all sorts of factions for one final battle that would decide the fate of the world. In DA2 you are essentially a glorified city guard.

2) Dumbed down, sometime hilarious combat. Origins had a pretty steep learning curve... I remember getting my ass handed to me by the bandits in Lothering, but once you learned all about positioning and class combos, you were unstoppable, even on nightmare... and that is something that brought a sense of reward. In DA2 you could call your cat over and invite it to walk on your keyboard, and you essentially have all the tools needed to win right there. Also... exploding bodies.... what. the. fuck? It's like they swallowed a brick of C4.

3) Mage/Templar conflict is terrible. In Origins, the vast majority of the mages were honest people, but a small number of blood mages ruined their reputation and made the templar persecution of their kind mostly unjust. How the hell are you supposed to be able to sympathize with the mages of DA2 when EVERY. SINGLE. ONE of them is a blood mage or at least is harboring some sort of demon. There was no choice involved in knowing who was the real bad guy was when every mage was possessed. I mean fuck... even the grandmaster, or whatever his name was, was a blood mage... are you kidding me DA2?

I need to get going, but my other gripes with the game are how your decisions don't really matter in the long run, how no character, not even your own, feels real, and how the pathetic excuse of a story ended so abruptly, with you feeling that there was more to be done, but I just didn't care.

[ambigiouslynamed]

People don't enjoy it because they feel that linear games are bad, and that you the player should impact the game directly through either presence or in-game choices.

In some cases I can understand this but in others I can't, I felt that DA2 was telling a story unlike DA in which the game made you feel like you were the story.

But hey, that is just my 2 cents worth.

theres also the not so little fact that you COULD effect things in the first game with your choices and the game wasnt linear

also EA is bragging that you'll hate it less if just give them MOAR money for DLC

and while DA was somewhat generic Dark Fantasy plot (read them before you call DA original) it at least had you save the country from the invasion (morrigan being an ass aside) but in DA 2 you just go around in some city

[Super Kami Dende]

A little thing I like to call "Bandwagon Syndrome" as 90% of the people I hear spouting "LOLOL WURST GAEM EVAR!!" when I ask them why they tell me, "oh I've not actually played it, it is just Bad." I.e Games that suffer - DA2, SW:TOR, MGS, Any Final fantasy game that isn't FF7 or to lesser Extent FF6

"Bandwagon Syndrome" Is most commonly a Disease caused by a certain group of people on a forum called /v/.

"Bandwagon Syndrome" Also works both ways, with people shouting how amazing a certain game is, just because others like it, without having played it themselves. I.E. FF7 or any Zelda game made after N64

[Wildmoon]

It is rushed out imo. Bioware didn't take time to polish it.

[Ulfric Trumpcloak]

Because its shit compared to the 1st one, to start you are in a city all game long everything happens in a boring ass city, combat is improved, graphics are improved and talent trees, but the story is absolute crap compared to origins...

[Xeones]

A little thing I like to call "Bandwagon Syndrome" as 90% of the people I hear spouting "LOLOL WURST GAEM EVAR!!" when I ask them why they tell me, "oh I've not actually played it, it is just Bad." I.e Games that suffer - DA2, SW:TOR, MGS, Any Final fantasy game that isn't FF7 or to lesser Extent FF6

"Bandwagon Syndrome" Is most commonly a Disease caused by a certain group of people on a forum called /v/.

"Bandwagon Syndrome" Also works both ways, with people shouting how amazing a certain game is, just because others like it, without having played it themselves. I.E. FF7 or any Zelda game made after N64

Please don't troll. Disregarding people who disagree with you, and falsely generalizing, doesn't make a subpar game better.

[obdigore]

@Xeones -> I dont see Asthreon as trolling. If you think he does not have a point, go look at metacritic user scores. How can a game that plays get a 0? I don't care if you hate it, no game that gets you from start to finish should get a 0.

Honestly, the two biggest problems that DA2 had have already been brought up in thread. 1) Re-used Zones. 2) The Story wasn't as 'epic' as DA:0. You weren't saving a nation and the world. You were doing tasks for jack-holes in some city.

I thought the combat, especially as a mage, was more entertaining.

Now, I'm hoping that the third Dragon Age allows you to play as the heroes from one and two in a kind of working together thing since they both disappeared. I'm pretty sure Bioware learned that rehashing the same areas over and over again is going to get them a lot of flak. As for the story/romance/dialogue, they will just keep doing what they do. Most of it works, some of it seems forced in my opinion.

[Lightfist]

I rather liked DA2, and I feel it really improved on DA:O in some areas; in others, however, it REALLY dropped the ball. Reused, uninteresting, linear dungeons were probably my biggest complaint.