by Jesus Ibarra

I first hesitated buying Dragon Age 2, not having played the first game Dragon Age: Origins, but having heard many good things, I decided what the hell I have time to kill. And boy was I not disappointed.

The best thing is you don’t need to have played the first game. In fact, I suggest you don’t because this game is superior. Dragon Age 2 is a role playing game by Bioware, set in almost medieval times in a world called Thedas. Like most of their games, the choices you make in the game can change your experience and lead to new choices. These choices also affect the number of companions available to be in your party, and whether they become your friends or rivals.

The basic premise is you take the role of Hawke, a refugee from a terrible Blight, and live his or her rise to power in Kirkwall. The game itself takes place over ten years, as you become the most important character in this game universe. Of course, the game itself offers you many secondary and side quests that allow you to explore and learn about this world. Before you even play the game, you are given the choice of gender and class: warrior, mage, or rogue. Each class has its perks but I advise playing as a mage your first time through the game because I can guarantee you are going to want to play the game a second through like I did.

The game mechanics are pretty straightforward, and earning items and stuff isn’t too hard, just takes a lot of time; be prepared to play thirty hours, forty or more if you are trying to get all the side and secondary quests. Besides choices, this game, again like most of Bioware’s games, allows you to romance your companions, which is something I find interesting. The story itself, is epic, raw, and very engaging. The best way is to just dive right in.

A couple of complaints I had were that the area maps sometimes got recycled and any veteran gamer would take notice. Occasionally there were some bugs, especially if you are playing 6-8 hour sessions, leading the game to freeze on me. Visually the game looks great, but I think it could have looked a bit better especially on these new generation consoles. And, finally, the ending was kind of anticlimactic, but it did leave me wanting more. I kind of forgive the ending because during the credits you hear a remix version of Florence + The Machine.

So if you are into long games with a gripping cool story that engages you to the point that you forget some of the technical stuff, then this is the game for you. If not, then go pick up a first-person shooter because this is not the game for you. Oh, and fair warning: this game is rated M for mature, meaning 17+ for blood, gore, adult themes, language, and sexual content, so it is not for kids as things do get really dark.

This game is available for the PS3, xbox 360 and PC’s.

Jesus Ibarra is 18 years old and an ongoing contributor to our Teen Talk section; with a love of all media, he’s always on the lookout for the best finds.