History VideoGame / DragonAgeII

* GenreShift: Combat is much faster paced and less tactical than the first game. In terms of story, it has a smaller scale focus, is more episodic, and has a much larger emphasis on humor. Sort of the difference between ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' and ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' if they were in the same universe.

** However, Hawke does get the short end of the stick eventually. While Hawke manages to reclaim their family's wealth, it comes at a heavy, ''heavy'' cost. [[spoiler: They lose Bethany/Carver to either the Blight, the Wardens or the Circle, and they are unable to prevent the death of their mother, who catches the attention of a blood mage. While there are a few silver linings here and there, the losses Hawke suffers in the game outweigh their gains]] -- which likely enforces the message that even if ones efforts to retrieve something of their past succeed, more sacrifices will eventually be demanded from them.

* HomeBase: You start off in your uncle's house, and upgrade to a mansion as the game progresses. All party members have their own bases around Kirkwall, where you visit them to talk and get their personal quests.

** It's not that no one else believes he has an illness -- ''Kelder'' thinks he doesn't have an illness. He's convinced he's possessed by demons who are making him do terrible things. Everyone else knows that it's plain old crazy, but Kelder refuses to take personal responsibility for his actions. Of course, the Chantry's solution to Kelder's insanity is not to attempt to heal him or help him cope with the murderous urges; they just stick him in a prison from which he regularly manages to escape and cover everything up.

** There's a sidequest involving a gang of female rogues called "[[GirlsNightOutEpisode Ladies' Lights Out]]."
*** It gets better. The group of rogues is called ''Invisible Sisters''. Get it? Also, a callback to the Silent Sisters from ''Origins''.

--> '''Flemeth''': We stand upon the precipice of change. The world fears the inevitable plummet into the abyss. Wait for that moment... and when it comes, do not hesitate to ''leap''. It is only when you fall when you can learn if you can ''fly''.
--> '''Hawke''': What should I do?
--> '''Flemeth''': Do as I do. Become a dragon! *''laughs''* [{{Beat}}]. ''You could never be a dragon.''

--> '''Aveline''': You can't go home again; that's supposed to be a sign of maturity. It's not the same if you don't have the option.

* If you have the ''Exiled Prince'' DLC but head for the Deep Roads in Act 1 without completing Sebastian's quest, he remains unavailable as a companion; his Act 2 quests require the Act 1 quest to be done first.

* FighterMageThief: One such trio for each of Hawke's classes.
** If Hawke is played as a rogue, the three Hawke siblings are this [[spoiler:until Carver dies in the prologue. Aveline then immediately joins to pick up the slack.]]
** If Hawke is a warrior, they have two such trios. First, they are the fighter to Bethany's mage and Varric's thief, as they are the entire initial party when Act 1 begins. Later, they are the fighter to Anders's mage and Isabela's thief, as the three members of the party who have the most impact on the plot.
** If played as a mage, Hawke plays the mage to Varric's thief and Aveline's fighter, as materials released after ''Dragon Age II'' regularly treat them as a PowerTrio.

* AltumVidetur: The Tevinter Imperium is based more on Byzantium (which had Greek as ''lingua franca'') than the Roman Empire, yet everything from there is named in a slightly [[CanisLatinicus warped]] form of Latin, including some remarks by Fenris, a former Tevinter slave. (His name, however, is Norse. [[spoiler: His original name, Leto, is Greek.]])
** However, the ''ANCIENT'' Tevinter Imperium is basically the Roman Empire with magic. So, the use of Latin is totally appropriate.
** Fenris's name was given to him by a learned Magister, whose knowledge probably crossed the borders of Tevinter.

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Three DLC addons have been produced for the game. The day one DLC ''The Exiled Prince'' (included in the [[LimitedSpecialCollectorsUltimateEdition [=BioWare=] Signature Edition]]) added the ninth permanent companion, the pious archer Sebastian Vael, and his personal questline. The first post-release DLC was ''Legacy'', in which Hawke learns more about their father's past, and the second was ''Mark of the Assassin'', where Hawke teams up with Tallis, Creator/FeliciaDay's character from ''WebVideo/DragonAgeRedemption'', to break into an Orlesian noble's castle. An ExpansionPack titled ''Exalted March'' was planned, but was cancelled so the development team could focus on [[VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition the next installment of the series]]; some of the elements from the unfinished expansion were included in its plot.

A tie-in novel has been published; ''Dragon Age: Literature/{{Asunder}}'' is set in Orlais shortly after the events of Act 3, but before Varric's interrogation. It expands upon the mage/templar conflict. An {{anime}}, ''Anime/DawnOfTheSeeker'', serving as an ExpansionPackPast for Cassandra Pentaghast, was released on May 29, 2012.

The sequel, ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'', was released on November 18th, 2014 in North America and November 21st 2014 in Europe.

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: The pirate's name is Isabela, with one L. Merrill, on the other hand, has two [=Ls=] and two [=Rs=]. Both of these are frequently misspelled.

* AbortedArc: Intended to represent the beginning of Hawke's rise to heroism, the low sales of the DLC and relative unpopularity compared to DragonAgeOrigins ensured that DragonAgeInquisition would be about a new character, rather than Hawke as previously intended.

* DueToTheDead: Wesley will commend the soul of either Bethany or Carver, depending on who is killed by the ogre in the prologue. It's especially poignant if it's Bethany, since she's an apostate and he's a Templar.

** An ''extremely'' subtle one can be found in the Hanged Man as early as Act 1. Go to Varric's rooms and enter his bedroom. He's got a bed, a bookcase, and... [[spoiler:a very large piece of wall art which seems to depict Kirkwall at the center of a stylized explosion]]. It's very easy to overlook, since there's absolutely no reason to go into his bedroom at any point; also, unlike most other art pieces seen in the game, it's unique and is not seen anywhere else.

** In Varric's Act 2 companion quest "Family Matters," Bartrand reveals [[spoiler:he sold the idol to a woman. "She glittered like the sun, but her heart was ice."]] It doesn't make a lot of sense then, but once you get to know [[spoiler:Meredith]], it will.

** Also, [[spoiler:Alistair]] is concerned with tensions between Ferelden and Orlais, which could lead to war between the two countries. He also mentions that Orlais has factions of its own. Come ''Asunder''...

** Remember Feynriel, the half-Elven apostate you rescue from kidnappers in Act 1 and help free from demons in the Fade in Act 2? By Act 3, we learn that his ability as a "Somniari," a rare mage who can enter the Fade without lyrium and can [[RealityWarper bend the Fade to their will]], allows him to rescue a young girl in Kirkwall from bandits and kill each and every one of them... while ''asleep'', in ''Tevinter'', which happens to be ''on the other side of Thedas''.

* ViciousCycle: Varric points out in the narration how the mutual distrust and hatred of the mages and Templars (and Meredith and Orsino in particular) builds over the years.

* VillainousBreakdown: Happens to pretty much everyone in the game. Except for Bethany, and a handful of Circle mages who don't even have names, the mages break out the blood magic when they're cornered; conversely, the Templars start getting way too eager to kill them first and ask questions later. On a more direct note, the entire game is basically Meredith's breakdown.

The game makes several significant changes from its predecessor. The art style has been changed to what has been termed "Stylised Realism," in an effort to make an "ownable" art style. Departing from the three races and multiple backgrounds available in the last game, the protagonist is now a single predefined human character, either male or female, with the standard three specializations of [[FighterMageThief warrior, mage or rogue]]. Additionally, the PlayerCharacter is now fully voiced and also features a conversation wheel much like ''Franchise/MassEffect''; however, instead of moral intent it tracks the inflection of the response as either [[TheHero compassionate]], [[DeadpanSnarker sarcastic]], or [[AntiHero blunt]].

The game makes several significant changes from its predecessor. The art style has been changed to what has been termed "Stylised Realism," in an effort to make an "ownable" art style. Departing from the three races and multiple backgrounds available in the last game, the protagonist is now a single predefined human character, of either gender, with the standard three specializations of [[FighterMageThief warrior, mage or rogue]]. Additionally, the PlayerCharacter is now fully voiced and also features a conversation wheel much like ''Franchise/MassEffect''; however, instead of moral intent it tracks the inflection of the response as either [[TheHero compassionate]], [[DeadpanSnarker sarcastic]], or [[AntiHero blunt]].

* DeadPersonConversation: In ''Legacy,'' [[spoiler: Hawke talks to their mother this way at the end of the quest if she has died]].

*** A few times the Qunari are referred to as "Ox-men", due to their horns. Their stubborn disposition might also be a reason.

* FashionBasedRelationshipCue: Three of the potential [[RomanceSidequest love interests]] will change their outfits if they enter a committed relationship with [[PlayerCharacter Hawke]]. While Isabela and Fenris' wardrobe changes are pretty minor, Merrill goes from the black-green rags of a Dalish outcast to a gorgeous white-and-silver piece appropriate for the significant other of the Champion of Kirkwall.

* FlavorText: Possibly due to rushed release, item lore, abundant in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'', is completely and frustratingly absent, except for some special items who get Codex entries. Expect to find items like the "Sword of Pandemonic Knickers" or "The Archon's Sneeze" without any explanation why they're named so. Some items with special properties merely have generic names like "Amulet", "Ring" or "Sword".

* FoeYay: In-universe, any relationship with the love interest, if you're rivals.

* ForegoneVictory: It is impossible to die during the introduction fight.

** ''Dear Maker,'' does it get worse. First, you're forced to flee from the Blight into a city that's not enthusiastic about the influx of refugees, then [[spoiler:Kirkwall is invaded by angry Qunari, and finally, you find yourself caught in the middle of a CivilWar between mages and Templars that threatens to engulf not just Kirkwall, but the entire continent of Thedas.]]

** Dog is an exception. While he functions as a friendly character who is not part of the party, he is technically a sustained ability. But even so, he merely despawns when he "dies", sustains no injuries, and can be summoned again after a short cooldown.

* GenreThrowback: To [[TheNineties Mid-Late Nineties]] fantasy television series, especially ''Series/HerculesTheLegendaryJourneys'', ''Series/XenaWarriorPrincess'', and ''Series/TheAdventuresOfSinbad''.

** However, Hawke does get the short end of the stick eventually. While Hawke manages to reclaim their family's wealth, it comes at a heavy, ''heavy'' cost. [[spoiler: They lose Bethany/Carver to either the Blight, the Wardens or the Circle, and they are unable to prevent the death of their mother, who caught the attention of a blood mage. While there are a few silver linings here and there, the losses Hawke suffers in the game outweigh their gains]] -- which likely enforces the message that even if ones efforts to retrieve something of their past succeed, more sacrifices will eventually be demanded from them.

** Getting through Merrill's quest in Act 3 without [[spoiler: killing her entire clan.]] Granted, all it takes is a reload, but still... It boils down to one dialog prompt being ''massively'' unintuitive; [[spoiler: honestly explain what happened or try to calm the situation and it's a fight, but claim responsibility for killing their leader without explanation and you part peacefully]]. Also, there's a very simple way to instantly go from almost 100% friendship to nearly 100% rivalry, if you change your mind during Act 2.

** While he loves them, Carver hates being saddled with the burden of having to live life on the run because of his mage sibling(s) and feels that life would be better if they didn't have their abilities.

* PassThePopcorn: Anders will tell a Mage!Hawke that the mages in Kirkwall all look up to them for the hope of a better life, and that Hawke should lead them. Hawke can reply that [[DeadpanSnarker they don't want to lead, just watch, with snacks.]]
* PermanentlyMissableContent: Most items and quests are exclusive to a specific [[ThreeActStructure act.]] Once you move on, there's no getting them back. In terms of items, this is particularly true of companion gifts, backpacks, and armor upgrades.

** If Hawke does not enter the Hanged Man after recruiting Anders in Act 1, there will be no opportunity to recruit Isabela.

* PointAndClickMap: An interesting variant, in that there are three maps and you can jump from any of them to either of the others. One is Kirkwall by day; one is Kirkwall by night; and one is Sundermount and the surrounding countryside. The day and night maps feature loot, enemies, and (some) quests independently of one another, forcing a thorough search of both.

** [[spoiler: The alliance of mages and Templars against Meredith could have avoided being wiped out if they had approached Orsino or a mage-aligned Hawke instead of trying to threaten them into compliance without revealing their goals or identities.]]

* TheQueensLatin: The Free Marches are a FantasyCounterpartCulture of Germany before it was a unified state, but everyone has an American or English accent, with the exception of the Irish-accented Dalish (and Merrill's Welsh accent). Similarly, Isabela is from Rivain, which seems influenced by Spain or Portugal, and Fenris is from the Byzantium-based Tevinter Imperium; both sound English. Orlesians and Antivans are the exception, as they all sound French/Spanish (although Antiva is more Italian).

* RandomlyGeneratedLoot: Resulting in regular random weapon drops routinely out-performing [[NominalImportance unique named weaponry]] that you have to gain through arduous side quests. This is stark contrast to ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'', where only the most basic loot was randomized and all the high-level equipment was predefined and obtained under specific circumstances.

* RoaringRampageOfRescue: Hawke and friends during the "All That Remains" quest [[spoiler: ...unsuccessfully.]]

* SarcasmFailure: In Act 2, you'll meet a homicidal elf [[spoiler: who has killed a bunch of people, but not by the method she intended]]. Her sadness over this prompts Smartass!Hawke to say:

** Also notable when [[spoiler:Leandra is taken by a serial killer]]. No matter how Hawke is played, throughout that quest, they will sound ''terrified''.

* SexSlave: It is hinted that Fenris was this to Danarius on top of being his bodyguard. WordOfGod later confirmed this.

* StrongFamilyResemblance: Regardless of how you customize Hawke, all of Hawke's family members will bear a resemblance to them. It's a nice change from ''Origins'', where Wardens whose families appear in their origin story often look nothing like their nearest relations.
* StupidSacrifice: [[spoiler: In the mage ending, Orsino's desperate transformation into a monster only hurts ''the people who were trying to help him.'' He kills, at most, five Templars before Hawke and company (who initially supported him) need to put him down.]]
** [[spoiler: Apparently, the writers didn't want this to happen, but other departments wanted another boss battle.]]

** When Hawke is warned that a serial killer is targeting Hightown women, [[spoiler: Hawke can't even ''try'' to warn Leandra. The next phase of the quest promptly reveals that she's been kidnapped - she was walking around Lowtown alone, on her way to visit Gamlen, and he faked an injury to lure her away.]]

*** Three petrified pirates make an appearance during the ''Mark of the Assassin'' DLC. (However, if Isabela has not been brought along for the quest, the party never learns that they're anything but ordinary statues.)

* TalkingYourWayOut: Varric can help Hawke in conversations which could end in violence. Not that violence isn't fun, but hearing Varric's lies is, too. It doesn't work if you have Merrill in the party, though, because she just gets confused and corrects him.
** Subverted once:

* TookALevelInBadass: Warriors and rogues are a ''lot'' more powerful this time around, and a lot more impressive to watch in combat; their skills have a much more visible effect on the battle field.

* WeAreEverywhere: ''Mark of the Assassin'' reveals that there are Qunari located throughout Thedas, although at least some of them have ceased following orders and are trying to lead normal lives.

* WeaponStomp: In one of the first scenes from the game, a wounded hurlock reaches for his sword but is stopped by Hawke stomping on its wrist. It screams in rage before being cut down.
** Or, if you're playing a mage, gets blown up.

* WhamEpisode: If your jaw didn't drop when [[spoiler: Anders ''blew up the Chantry'']], you must have read a spoiler.

** From the ''Mark of the Assassin'' DLC: [[spoiler:if you don't recognize (or notice) the Qunari emblem on her breastplate, hearing Duke Prosper announce that Tallis is a Qunari assassin can be this. It certainly seems to be one for Hawke.]]

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Unless she left Kirkwall or died, where exactly is Revka Amell, Leandra's cousin and the Mage Warden's mother?

* WithAFriendAndAStranger: Hawke, Bethany/Carver, and Aveline during the prologue.

* WorldOfBuxom: Virtually every female character in this game has large breasts, due to the limited selection of character models. And then there's Isabela...
** Aveline may seem like an aversion, but her guard armor is just excellent camouflage. In the Prologue, where she's wearing casual clothing, she's ''quite'' buxom.

* WrittenInAbsence: No matter what you do, you will not have the twins in the party after the end of Act 1. There are specific plot-related reasons why they leave you. [[spoiler:One is always dead after the prologue. Depending on player choices, the other either dies, becomes a Grey Warden, or joins the Templars/Circle of Magi.]] They can be brought along for the DLC campaigns, but otherwise, Hawke is on their own, especially after "All That Remains."
* YankTheDogsChain: The quest "All That Remains." [[spoiler: Leading up to the battle with Quentin, you have a vague hope that, perhaps, your mother can be saved. Alas, it is not to be, as Leandra had been killed - and [[NightmareFuel reanimated]] - long before Hawke arrives.]]

* YouCantGoHomeAgain: Lothering was destroyed by the darkspawn - not that you ever see your home. Your mother and Bethany lament this early in the game.

** We never actually do find out if he was married at the time he fathered Feyrniel with Arianni, either.

** [[PlayerCharacter Hawke]] - Brains (No matter their class, Hawke is the de facto leader of the group and makes all the decisions.)

* FashionBasedRelationshipCue: Three of four [[RomanceSidequest love interests]] will change their outfits if they enter a committed relationship with [[PlayerCharacter Hawke]]. While Isabela and Fenris' wardrobe changes are pretty minor, Merrill goes from the black-green rags of a Dalish outcast to a gorgeous white-and-silver piece appropriate for the significant other of the Champion of Kirkwall.

** Should you encounter Leliana in ''Mark of the Assassin,'' despite the conversation being civil Tallis nearly craps herself. This is because she's secretly a Qunari spy, and (for those who had not finished the game yet) Leliana is a Seeker/Left Hand of The Divine - in other words, just the woman sent to stop the threat of Qunari spies and invasion.

* GoodVictimsBadVictims: Most Kirkwall Mages face ''horrific'' abuses and injustices by Templars every day. However, the moment a mage is revealed to have dabbled in blood magic (even in self-defense), they're instantly portrayed as AlwaysChaoticEvil and/or TooDumbToLive, and suddenly treated by characters and the narrative alike as at fault for everything bad that happens to them.

** A couple of the loot-based achievements require you to find items that are only available in one specific area for a very limited amount of time (and you can't go back without reloading). Most notably: To get all 4 volumes of "The History of the Chantry," you have to grab the third volume during a literally couple-second long break in the action during [[spoiler: the battle at the Chantry during the "Following the Qun" quest in Act 2. If you're not in exactly the right place when the battle concludes and quick enough to highlight and grab the book (it's on the central altar) in the three seconds before the next cutscene starts, too bad. There's also the option of selecting it during the battle, which is a far easier method, but still ridiculously frustrating.]]

* HoldingOutForAHero: Rampant, a fact that Hawke gleefully lampshades iof you choose the snarky option..

* InkSuitActor: Flemeth bears a passing resemblance to her voice actress, ''Series/StarTrekVoyager's'' Kate Mulgrew.

* InnocuouslyImportantEpisode: Both Act 1 and the game itself. Act 1 introduces a number of different plot threads and items that don't seem very relevant in that act itself, but become quite important in the next two. The game itself was criticized by many for having plot threads that felt too distant and unimportant compared to ''Origins''. With ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'', many of these plot threads ([[spoiler:red lyrium, the entire ''Legacy'' DLC, Flemeth's scenes particularly with the Dalish, etc.]]) have turned out to be ''extremely'' important to the overall story.

* InterfaceSpoiler: Weeks before Creator/BioWare announced any details whatsoever on the first major batch of DLC, the achievements for it were up. The nature of these achievements reveal that ''Legacy'' involves a location called Vimmark Mountains, which includes cave systems and a prison tower.

* KickTheDog: It's been known that the Tevinters were nasty folk to their slaves, but some of the legends of slave treatment depict downright gratuitous cruelty on the part of the slave masters.

* LampshadeHanging: [[spoiler:King Alistair]] hangs a lampshade on the fact that everyone calls your Warden from ''Origins'' "the Hero of Ferelden," if Teagan says that the Hero is waiting for them at Denerim.
** He will also comment, if Isabela is in your party, that she looks different. Isabela's reply makes sense both as a comment on the years that have passed and a nod to the graphical overhaul between games:

* WhatIfTheBabyIsLikeMe: Malcolm Hawke felt this way when Leandra was pregnant with the protagonist. He hoped that they would not be a mage, like him, so Hawke wouldn't have to live in fear of being locked up by the Chantry. But even if Hawke is not a mage, Bethany is; so ultimately, Malcolm evidently came to accept having at least one mage child, and did everything he could to ensure they remained free. His children are ''very'' surprised to learn that he felt this way.

* YouRemindMeOfX: One of the first things Anders says to Hawke is that they remind him of a friend (which is presumably the Warden). A couple of other returning characters have similar lines. It's especially relevant if the Warden imported from ''Origins'' was the human mage, as this means the Warden is Hawke's second cousin.

* YourCheatingHeart: Vincento. According to Arianni, he didn't desire a wife and abandoned her the moment she found he was pregnant with Feynriel; however, when a male Hawke talks to him, he claims he ''has'' a wife back in Antiva. It should be noted that if you're playing as a female Hawke, he instead claims he is ''single''.

* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: In one banter, Sebastian says that the reason why he doesn't return to Starkhaven to claim his throne is because he is waiting for a sign from the Maker. Boy howdy does he get one. This is especially evident if you spare someone.

** Fenris gets several of these. [[spoiler: During the romance scene with Hawke, Fenris remembers all of his lost memories only to lose them just as suddenly. It's such a shock that he leaves Hawke for three years. When there is finally a chance to reclaim pieces of his past, it turns out it was just a trap to enslave him again.]]

** However, it isn't like Hawke doesn't get the short end of the stick eventually. While Hawke does manage to reclaim their family's wealth, it comes at a heavy, ''heavy'' cost. [[spoiler: They lose Bethany/Carver to either the Wardens or the Circle, and they are unable to prevent the death of their mother, who caught the attention of a blood mage. While there are a few silver linings here and there, the losses Hawke suffers in the game outweigh their gains]] --which likely enforces the message that even if one does manage to get back something of their past with heavy effort, more sacrifices will eventually have to be made.

** Though to be fair, while Hawke does manage to reclaim their family's wealth, it didn't come at a heavy, ''heavy'' cost. [[spoiler: They lose Bethany/Carver to either the Wardens or the Circle, and they are unable to prevent the death of their mother, who caught the attention of a blood mage. While there are a few silver linings here and there, the losses Hawke suffers in the game outweigh their gains.]]