I have completed Dragon Age 2 again and I gotta preface this review with one small notion, this game was special.
I know the hype and marketing did not live up to expectations, but this game provides a phenomenal linear story with just as much interaction and choice differences as Origins, but the characters and atmosphere are once again one of the main driving force of this experience. I just feel this game is very cozy if that makes sense.

The combat is far better and the difficulty was dialled down, but not dumbed down as there is still strategy and challenge with the return of the tactics system.
The game is set in one singular location which drives the main conflict of the story and the characters you meet along the years the journey takes place in. I believe that the cast and linear storytelling with influences from your previous save from Origins crafts an experience that I believe not many games could replicate, and I know I'm in the minority with this opinion.

Compared to Origins the player could not effectively "role-play" the same way since the main character is voiced and the choices are more akin of that of Mass Effect (one of my favourite games of all time) so I did not find this jarring at all. The companions are far superior with one of them returning from the Awakening DLC of Origins and provides the most phenomenal twist in gaming history.

There are some repetitive quest designs at the latter half of the game, but considering the rushed development it's a miracle that the game is functional at all, and oh boy how well it maintains it's surroundings. Massive shoutout goes to Inon Zur for once again crafting a masterpiece of a soundtrack that elevates the game even further and maintaining motifs from Origins while providing a different soundscape for this adventure as well.

This is probably my most replayed Dragon Age entry since the length is more manageable and the varying playstyles the classes provide are sufficient substitute for the lack of character creation races, but naturally that comes with the more linear plot and voiced protagonist. For me the game is most memorable for the story and characters, but the more casual gameplay works for it's advantage as the experience flows naturally and is paced well with even better DLC's than Origins, although none of them were expansions, the flow of the content was maintained with some new locations and fascinating explorations of other aspects of Dragon Age lore.

I gotta say this is one of my favourite games of all time and I cannot recommend it enough. Give it a shot, no matter what detractors are saying you might be the next fan of this underrated gem.