Now that I’ve replayed it and some of the DLCs (I skipped Mark of the Assassin), DA2 really grew on me. The fact that this game was rushed out of development and made to shelves playable was a miracle. While I get that some wanted an experience similar to Origins, I like how DA2 changed it up. We’re limited to Kirkwall and get to see how bad things are for Hawke, his companions, and the rest of the city over a span of a few years. Last time, I had no idea what I was doing and didn’t know what to expect when some big moments happened.This time, I really wanted to see what could happen with these characters. I came away with a bit of a realization from some of my companions. I was Warrior Hawke this time and I had so much fun with that big sword/axe/hammer. I might go two handed for Inquisition, but I’m not sure yet.
So, how were the companions this time? They were pretty good as usual. Some of them don’t hold a candle to the ones from Origins, but there are some that are on par. We also have a limited number of companions which I think helped things a bit story wise. Since we play Hawke over a span of years, we get to see these friendships go through the ringer, and you sometimes don’t know how things will end.
1. Varric - You know Varric was going to be #1. The dude is probably the best companion in all the games. You don’t see many Dwarves with as much charisma and swagger as Varric. You join up with him and his jackass brother for an expedition into the Deep Roads… just guess how that goes. At least you get a good friend and a buttload of treasure out of it. Varric’s main choice of weapon is Bianca, a powerful crossbow, so I’d max all those abilities out. Make him into a tank too. Dude can take some pretty serious damage.
2. Aveline - Next up is the lady warrior with a good head on her shoulders and is apparently named after a warrior from Ferelden’s past. Aveline was one of the survivors the Hawke family finds on their escape from Lothering. When you get to Kirkwall, she becomes a city guard who’s a big help to the city. She’s got a cool demeanor and is good on the battlefield. Just don’t get her to flirt or she might spaz out. Since she's a warrior class, I’d max out her health and durability. She can take a beating, but don’t leave her without too much cover.
3. Fenris - With how much I hated him originally, I’m shocked that I’m saying this: I liked Fenris! He was an enslaved elf who escaped from the Tentivar Imperium with a bit of a surly attitude and a mighty disdain for mages. Back in my old playthrough, I sometimes couldn’t stand his reactions to magic especially since I was a mage. I understood his reasons, but it didn’t really click with me until now. After playing through the game again, I get it. It’s actually a testament to the writing here since the whole mage/templar conflict has quite a bit of nuance. Fenris is a two-handed warrior with his big sword, so get that set maxed out. Because of what his slavemaster did to him, he has these magic abilities that really came in handy here.
4. Isabela - Next up is the “Selina Kyle” of the group. She’s a pirate and a rogue. We actually met Isabela in the first game for a moment… a good moment for some (ha ha). Here, she’s in Kirkwall searching for artifacts and stranded without a ship. She’s one of the few you can romance, and it was a tumultuous romance, I tell you! She’s one who’s trapped in innuendo and double entrades. Your mileage may vary with that, but I liked it. Since she’s a rogue with daggers, I tried to build up her stealth and weapon abilities.
5. Bethany - Bethany is your sister who lives if you’re a warrior or rogue. She’s a mage who unfortunately is pulled into Kirkwall’s Circle at some point during the game. She’s also the one sibling who’s actually nice unlike Carver. More on him later. She does have good banter with the team while she's around, and she's all around nice. She’s also a formidable force. Bethany is probably the best mage in the game. I tried to make her as destructive as possible.
6. Merrill - Merrill is a Dalish Elf you meet while keeping a promise to a familiar, old witch who saves you during the Blight. If you were a Dalish Elf in Origins, you would’ve met Merrill for a bit. This time, Merrill’s the nice, plucky, somewhat absent-minded elf who’s playing with some dark, dark magic. While I romanced her in my original playthrough, she was more like a little sister this time… a little, mind you. I will say that her plot with the Eluvian Mirror kinda grated on me, but that had more to do with how her character handles it all. As much as I like the game, some of the writing can be a little messy. She has some pretty powerful mage abilities, so try to max them out.
7. Anders - Oh Anders… yes, this is the same “blonde bastard” I talked about in the last post. This time around, Anders is on the run from just about everyone from the Circle to the Grey Wardens. He’s also not alone since he bonded with the Fade spirit, Justice, between games which leaves him in a pretty schizoid situation. Anders still stands up for the plight of the mages which is good…for a while. While you understand him, let’s just say that he takes his advocacy for the mages way too far. Even though I couldn’t stand his character towards the end, he was a good mage in battle. I tried to build up his healing abilities and other powerful abilities.
8. Sebastian - Sebastian is a DLC character who’s part of the Chantry and has a couple of missions. He’s also pretty flat and forgettable as a character. I’m guessing Bioware didn’t put much into his story since the game was so rushed into production. Some of his banter with the rest of the crew is okay though. He also gets a good moment at the end after… “It” happens. While he is pretty bland, his bow/arrow abilities are pretty top-notch.
9. Carver - Finally, we have this… boy. Carver is your annoying brother who lives if you play as a mage. Your relationship with him is pretty rocky Unlike your relationship with Bethany. At some point in the game, he either leaves to become a Warden or joins Kirkwall’s Templars. It’s when he’s on his own where your relationship starts to get better, so he’s not all bad. Even though I couldn’t really stand him, his sword abilities are fine. He plays similar to Fenris, so build those up.
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In the end, these were some fun characters to revisit. While DA2 isn’t as good as DAO, there was a lot I found to be still solid. If you skipped out on this, I think you should reconsider especially if you’re disappointed by the recent game. Right now, I’m in the middle of a Dragon Age: Inquisition playthrough. With how I’m playing, I should be done by Christmas… I’m not joking. Until then, Peace, God Bless, and be careful out there.
Also, if you run into someone who’s talking like Anders at the end of the game, give him one of these:
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