This game got a lot of hate when it came out because it wasn't Dragon Age: Origins. And it's not. But it is fantastic on its own.

Origins had a huge, sweeping, epic story where you basically save the world. It also had the Origins system that everyone loved. There was a lot of variability to the story. It took place over an entire kingdom with vastly different regions. And the gameplay was extremely tactical and well thought-out. Dragon Age 2 is not any of that, and it made people mad.

Dragon Age 2 is a smaller, more personal and intimate story. You received a fixed character, Hawke (like every other video game, but particularly more like Mass Effect). The story is considerably more direct and "on the rails" than Origins was. It takes place almost entirely in a single city, so you're going to be revisiting the same places repeatedly. And the combat is done in waves, so you can't plan it tactically like you could in Origins.

I actually understand why people were disappointed and angry. Some of these things definitely could have been fixed if the game hadn't been so rushed.

But if you enjoy storytelling and roleplaying, the game you actually get is fantastic. The setting is great, the story is wonderful, and the characters are absolutely amazing. The fact that it is tailored to Hawke makes it a much more compelling personal story.

If you like setting, story, and characters- in short, if you like STORYTELLING and ROLEPLAYING, don't believe the haters and try this game. You'll probably love it.

Dragon Age 2 has aged really well as DAO and is still a joy to play today. The game has many quality of life improvements compared to the first part.

While the story might not be as strong as Dragon Age: Origins, the third act really shines and makes up for it!

It's alright. Not even close to the first game, but worth buying with a discount.
(To have access to the DLC, you have to log in with your EA account)