• Dragon Age 2 + DLC
  

  47 hours playtime

After playing this, I can understand why people think this is the “weakest” in the trilogy, even though I haven’t completed Inquisition yet. After the last battle, it felt more like an intermission for something greater. It made the Hero of Ferelden sound legendary, and it felt like I was trying to live to the Hero’s reputation (even though I was that hero).

Still, I loved this game. The quests were a lot more personal. They drew me in far more than the first game, and it felt to me like I should get them right. The repetitiveness of Kirkwall didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would after reading the reviews. When I visit the same old cave or mansion, I was like, “Oh, right, I know this place,” and went on with the quest.

And I still loved it even after I was spoiled for checking out Dragon Age Keep. I was planning to skip this and just use a manually created profile on Keep, so I kinda expected what will happen. It didn’t steal away the worry that I might mess something up or the enjoyment of seeing first-hand how the characters interact and how the story plays out. It was even more important since there’s a “time” progression. Characters died, moved on, got married, etc.

On the other hand, the DLCs weren’t as meaningful for me as the first game’s DLCs. I guess I’m just not that excited for Orlais. I was kinda disappointed with the Legacy too. I was hoping to meet the Architect or their kindred again. But I guess that’s for Inquisition.

Overall, great story, even if it felt temporary and not as far-reaching as the first game. But maybe that was because it felt so personal. I guess it’s like how people tend to think that they can never be someone like that bigger-than-life personality they admire, but only because they experience their own challenges and doubt first-hand while they only see the successes of their heroes.

Anyway, I’m rambling. If you loved Dragon Age Origin and want to play Inquisition, this is an enjoyable interlude to the story.