Genre: RPG
Developer: Bioware
Publisher: Electronic Arts

From a technical vantage point, Dragon Age II is superior to its predecessor in every way; especially with the "high resolution texture pack" applied, the game is a wonderful representation of the current generation of graphical capabilities. From an artistic standpoint however, the title is remarkably unremarkable; it's almost difficult to imagine an area with less character and personality than the insipid Kirkwall and its equally lackluster surrounding areas.

Dragon Age II's soundtrack sees Inon Zur use motifs the world has come to expect from Bioware's previous titles, although not a single melody in the title is very notable. Voice acting is a mixed bag, with Joanna Roth and Gideon Emery really giving life to their characters "Aveline" and "Fenris", respectively; Nicholas Boulton and Jo Wyatt, as the male and female protagonists, both put in indifferent performances unfortunately.

When compared to its predecessor, Dragon Age II is disadvantaged right from the get-go; the tactical view has been inexplicably removed from the title completely, and the battles, which bizarrely involve additional enemies literally materializing out of thin air, are generally so straightforward that they make the "pause" mechanic feel out of place. Positively, the melee classes are more interesting to play than they were in the first game, and the title's pacing is competent.

Dragon Age II's combat is disappointing, yes, but this title has other problems as well; there is such a distinct lack of a story arc that it's difficult to really care for the characters or their plights. Additionally, the same dungeon areas are reused over and over, making the entire game feel a bit like the boring side quests from the first Mass Effect game. On the other hand, the game still has the recognizable Bioware "charm", and although this is probably the worst game Bioware has ever released, it is at least slightly better paced than its predecessor.