Dragon Age : Origins is one of my favorite games. The story was epic, the characters memorable and the game incredibly deep. It seems like just yesterday I was using a corkscrew to pry the cellophane off Origins. Now its sequel is blowing up my 360.

Which Hawke will you be?

The Good

Story

In Dragon Age 2 players assume the role of Hawke, the “Champion of Kirkwall.” Unlike Origins, Hawke can only be human. Hawke can be either male or female, and can be either a mage, warrior, or rogue. The story begins as Hawke and his/her family flees that ravaged nation of Ferelden and land on Kirkwall. For a more in depth report of the story check this article via wiki.  Just know this- the story is rich, touching, and full of surprises. Oh, and if you import your save data from Origins then those events will be mentioned. Such a nice touch.

Presentation

This game is much, much prettier than its predecessor. The different races (Elf, Human, Dwarf, Qunari) have all been remodeled along with some of the baddies. Backgrounds are also rich and crisp. The magic effects are also pretty wild.

The soundtrack is equally as impressive, which should come as little shock. The voice acting is a little shaky in parts, but overall it is top notch.

The Bad

It’s all in the Details

Sue me. I’m gonna be nitpicky. Should you choose make your Hawke anything other than white then your mother has some ‘xplainin’ to do because you will look shockingly different than your brother and sister. Come on BioWare. Did you not take notes from Fallout 3? In that game if you make your character African-American guess what? Your characters father is also African-American. This sort of oversight is annoying.

In-Game Mechanics

So how does the game play? Well…it is different than Origins. Whereas Origins is more geared towards team battle; Dragon Age 2 is more focused on the action. It does take a little while to get used to…but once you do it is pretty fun.

This is Reality, right?

Again, it is all in the details. This game spans a decade, right? So explain to me why your character and his/her allies never seem to age. And why does the city never change as well? BioWare, we expect more from you.

Final Verdict

This game is a ton of fun and is far superior than most games on the shelves. However, when compared to Origins it feels short and at times repetitive.  If you’ve seen one sewer, you have apparently seen them all. The game was not at all challenging (except for the duel with the Qunari leader.) Replay value aside-I still rate this a buy.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8mn1rVakZg[/youtube]