Bioware might not exactly sport the stellar reputation that it could boast of in the past, but there's no denying the fact that the studio still boasts some of the most valuable and coveted IPs in gaming history. The first games in the Dragon Age and Mass Effect trilogy were definitely beloved for all the right reasons... but one can argue that the release of Dragon Age II showed the chinks in Bioware's once-impenetrable armor.
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That being said, retrospective reviews of Dragon Age II have been fairly positive, in comparison to the fan backlash that accompanied its initial release. People were more than enthused to try out an important — if somewhat inferior — sequel to the brilliant Dragon Age: Origins, made even more playable through the use of the following excellent mods that fans have made for this title.
Updated on August 16th, 2021 by Ritwik Mitra: For most people, Dragon Age II felt like a step back from its predecessor. The only thing that was noticeably improved on was the combat, and even that notion was really subjective for most fans. The story, characters, and setting were all quite underwhelming and made for a painfully average experience that left fans in an uproar.
So, one can understand why most modern gamers would prefer to stay away from the second game in the series. However, the game is actually quite overheated, and using the following mods to play Dragon Age II can noticeably improve the overall experience.
15 NPC Hands
This might be a small complaint, but there's no denying the fact that the hands of some characters in the game can be quite painful to look at. It might be a small complaint, but one can't help looking at these abominations that the game has the gall to call hands.
Players who want this issue to be a thing of the past need only download the NPC Hands mod. It does exactly what is implied in the name and improves the textures of Bethany, Isabela, Merrill, and Anders' hands.
14 Bidelles Cosmetics 2
Players wanted their customization options in Dragon Age II to be as diverse as possible. Given the backlash against this title, it's clear that customizing one's character wasn't really all that diverse either.
Thankfully, with the Bidelles Cosmetics 2 mod, players can at least add a number of makeup options to Dragon Age II. It's a small change, but the fact that it allows characters to look as unique as possible is definitely a plus.
13 Valuable Junk
The act of selling items for money is consistent across any RPG. So, it's no surprise to see that Dragon Age II follows this golden rule as well. However, for the most part, merchants don't really pay Hawke a lot for the goods he or she provides.
This can prove to be rather annoying, at times. Thankfully, with the Valuable Junk mod, merchants will be more reasonable when it comes to buying the party's treasure.
12 Unique Face Textures For Companions
Dragon Age II isn't really the newest game around. As a result, a lot of the visuals can seem painfully dated at times, including the face textures for the hero's companions.
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Thankfully, a simple mod can take care of this issue for the player. These new and updated textures breathe new life into the characters of Dragon Age II and make them significantly more bearable to look at.
11 Diversified Follower Armors
While Hawke's followers can definitely be garbed in different articles of clothing, the variation isn't anything to write home about. This fact can be somewhat disappointing for players who wanted greater control when it came to customizing the look of their party members in Dragon Age II.
This is where the Diversified Follower Armors mod comes into the picture. Now, not only can all the slots of a companion's equipment be changed, but new and unique pieces of armor for each and every follower also make their way into the game!
10 TrufflesDuval Texture Mod
There are a large number of texture mods and the like present for Dragon Age II, rendering anything below the best mods around somewhat obsolete.
While the TrufflesDuval Texture Mod may fall in this category, the work put in this project is still quite immense, making it a serviceable mod for anyone who isn't really vibing with the aged graphics of Dragon Age II.
9 Dragon Age II Level 50
Dragon Age II is an RPG that ends up stripping down a ton of its mechanics in order to appeal to the mainstream audience — something that didn't really sit well with the majority of fans who were expecting a deep experience, akin to Dragon Age: Origins.
Mods have aimed to fix this, with this Level 50 mod increasing the arbitrary 27.5 level cap in Dragon Age II and replacing it with a higher number that feels way more satisfying to reach.
8 Backpack Mod — Inventory Increase
Any RPG player will definitely grimace at the idea of a mechanic that ends up limiting one's inventory space, which is precisely why this mod is so popular among the Dragon Age fandom.
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In the base game, inventory space can be increased only to a 100 units even though the game technically allows for 120 slots. This mod adds two more backpacks to the game so that people can reach the higher limit with ease.
Of course, if players can't be bothered with their inventory space, then they can always just download the alternate version of this mod that gives players 120 slots from the prologue itself.
7 DA2 Equip Your Party v3
The fact that players can't customize their party members in Dragon Age II is another weird mechanic that didn't sit well with the fanbase... which is why they ended up taking matters into their own hands to accommodate this change.
This Dragon Age II mod allows players to customize their party's armor and alter their look as well, making for a more immersive experience that actually feels like a fleshed-out RPG as opposed to a stripped-down one.
6 Better Mages — Better Spells
Being a mage in the Dragon Age series can definitely be a ton of fun in its own right, but one can't deny that some of the spells that players can access are quite disappointing to use in battle.
With this mod, mages now have a ton of skills in their arsenal that can make the act of spellcasting all the more entertaining. Players who want to control a mage should definitely make the most of this mod.
5 Super Lots of Skill Upgrades
The skill tree of Dragon Age II is serviceable enough for anyone willing to upgrade their characters as they see fit... but one can't deny that having more customization options in this area could've proven to be a massive help regardless.
This can be accomplished with the Super Lots of Skill Upgrades mod, which ends up adding a ton of active and passive abilities throughout the skill tree in order to make the act of leveling up the characters in the game more involved and entertaining.
4 Dragon Age Save Generator
Any game that would benefit from a finished save file from its prequel could definitely benefit from a mod that ends up generating this save file to negate the annoyance that players without said save file would have to experience.
With the Dragon Age Save Generator, players can customize a save file to fit the mold of their playthrough in Dragon Age: Origins without facing too many headaches in the process.
3 Chargen Revamp
Any RPG fan will be more than enthused by the idea of creating their own custom character, but the character creation options present in Dragon Age II might be rather disappointing in this regard.
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Thankfully, with the Chargen Revamp mod, players can finally access a whole host of options that can make the act of creating a custom Hawke all the more entertaining, as a result.
2 Dragon Age II ReDesigned
Dragon Age II might be a fun game to play through, but one has to admit that the design of some of the characters in the game can be somewhat drab, uninspired... and downright ugly at times.
Thankfully, with the Dragon Age II ReDesigned mod, everything from the NPCs to the armor that people wear is enhanced substantially, giving the game's characters and locations the glow-up they deserve.
1 Dragon Age 2 Ultimate HD
However, it would be impossible to talk about graphical overhaul mods for Dragon Age II without mentioning the best mod in this regard that turns the game into a visual treat in every way.
Not only does the Dragon Age 2 Ultimate HD mod end up up-resing and overhauling most of the base textures in the game, but it also aims to improve the art style of the game in order to bring a more modern and pleasing look to the entire game — something that this mod manages to accomplish in spades.