Dragon
Age II

Dragon Age II (2011) is an action role-play game with an emphasis on combat and player choices, and a sequel to Dragon Age: Origins. You play a refugee-turned-leader in the medieval fantasy world of Thedas, exploring to make allies and use powers to defeat enemies. It stands out for how it retains the original's player choice but with greater emphasis on strategy and combat, and a new narrative that expands the scope of the world.

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You start the game by choosing an ending to the first game from which the new narrative can begin. You play Hawke, a refugee from Ferelden who flees to the city-state of Kirkwall. Here, you gradually rise up the social and societal ladder until you become the fabled Champion of Kirkwall, making many allies and enemies along the way.

As in the first game, you explore the land and fight monsters, meeting and recruiting characters along the way by choosing what to say and do. Dragon Age II expands on the combat system of the original by placing more emphasis on the strategic side, and you can pause time to arrange your party members and assign actions for them to perform. When talking to characters, you can choose from a variety of responses. Say one thing and characters you meet can join your party, but another response can turn them into a new enemy. Your dialogue choices and actions affect each person's opinion of you, meaning no two play-throughs are the same.

The result is a game that expands upon the original through an updated and expanded combat system that rewards strategy and ambitious tactics. It offers a chance to inhabit a fantastical world while making meaningful in-game decisions that shape the course of your story, interactions and even the ending.

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Our examiner, Andy Robertson, first checked Dragon Age II 12 months ago. It was re-examined by Thom Robertson and updated 4 weeks ago.