Less is not more - it's simply less

Being an epic fan of Edmonton-based big daddy developer Bioware, it's hard to admit the faults of Dragon Age: Origins — unimpressive visuals, lagging combat and a crawling plot. Now if you fought through that, it was an incredibly rich experience, drawing players back to the magical, medieval roots of the RPG.

Dragon Age II doesn't feel like a sequel in the classic sense of the word. It's more of a standalone game that learned a thing or two from its predecessor. You'll find structural elements that whisper of Origins but Dragon Age II has its own pulse, streamlining the experience from the first into a tighter and faster gaming experience. The darker tones put excitement and thrill back into an originally stagnant formula.

The story follows the 10-year rise of Hawke as he gains fame and fortune, power and popularity to become the champion of Kirkwall. As with most Bioware games, the choices made by the player mould the game's storyline. The plot focuses mostly on your life in and around the city, which allows a stronger connection to be formed with the setting. Most players will end up missing the sprawling maps of Origins.

The strongest improvement comes in combat. The battle system is smoother and faster. This intensity combined with greater frequency and scale to the battles makes the combat in Dragon Age II some of the best we've seen in RPGs in years.

Graphics have also been given a makeover. Locales are exquisitely crafted and textures in clothing, armour and weapons are even better. Though nowhere near as rich as Bioware's sci-fi operatic RPG Mass Effect 2, visuals have a style all their own, which combined with unique and natural body language, creates an overall realism to the characters. This is reinforced through the incredible voice acting that only Bioware can bring to fruition.

Tiny tweaks throughout attempt to renew the formula, from a home to stash your stuff right down to load screens that show off greater variety. Menus and skill trees have been simplified and companion armour has been all but eliminated. While these elements create a more fluid game, it felt oversimplified at times and lacked the depth that, eventually, made Origins so memorable.

Characterization, as with all Bioware games, is at the heart of the game. The highlights are surprisingly not in the main character, despite the vast array of choices you have. Even your companions, who are well written and incredibly voiced, aren't as memorable as in Origins. The most compelling characters are those you meet along the way. The Witch of the Wilds, Flemeth, returns in all her cryptic, shape-shifting glory. A personal favourite was the Qunari, a thickly-bound, devilishly horned yet honourable race.

And while romance continues to be ever present and adds depth to the gaming experience, homosexuality is more common in this game than any other Bioware game. But unlike some RPGs where it is played off as a joke, it is dealt with much more seriously in this game and given its deserved realism.

Finally, what's a Bioware game without an impressive score? The music, with its brass-embrace, march-themed accompaniment, feels like an homage to the Lord of the Rings and complements the already robust sounds and dynamic voice acting to produce an all-around compelling soundtrack.

Dragon Age II is more immediately gratifying with an aggressive pacing and style that caters to a larger audience. On the whole it isn't as satisfying, gripping or expansive an experience. Dragon Age II seems written for those who didn't connect with Origins and ends up ostracizing those who did.