If ever there were a developer that truly paid attention to both fans and the critical response to its games, its BioWare. Case in point: Dragon Age 2, the follow-up to the beefy, hardcore RPG that unfurls in the Canadian-born studios ode to Tolkiens Middle Earth. While the core makeup of Dragon Age remains the same, numerous elements have been streamlined in favour of a leaner and meaner experience.
The clunky dialogue and wooden delivery has been eschewed in favour of deftly scripted exchanges delivered with cinematic panache. Brawls have been refined, allowing you to switch between party members at the tap of a button and, more importantly, the storyline is delivered in much the same way as the creators blockbuster sci-fi opus, Mass Effect.
In Dragon Age 2 youre cast as Hawke, a human from the city of Ferelden, but despite being able to customize gender, appearance and class, your journey is somewhat predestined as you essentially fill in the blanks of a characters tale that has already been carved out by the team. And best of all, Dragon Age 2 looks absolutely stunning, with BioWare crafting environments and a world that simply begs to be explored and marveled at. Buy it, and revel in it.