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 2 showed the chinks in Bioware's once-impenetrable armor.
That being said, retrospective reviews of Dragon Age 2 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 December 1, 2022 by Ritwik Mitra: Dragon Age 2 might not have been the perfect sequel that many fans wanted — especially given the immense quality of its predecessor — but it marked a step in the direction that BioWare wanted to take for their future titles. The title aimed to be accessible to all with simplified RPG systems and proper real-time combat that would feel more responsive.
The reception to this title may have been divisive, but Dragon Age 2 is a great game in its own right that can become even more enjoyable with the use of mods. The best ones of the lot are mentioned below.
20 Dalish Weapons For The Dalish
Sometimes, the simplest mods are the best ones. Immersion can be improved with the lightest touches, and this particular mod is a great example of the same.
The Dalish are fun to interact with in Dragon Age 2, but the fact that they carry around regular shields and swords is slightly jarring. This mod makes the minor change of replacing this generic gear with Dalish weapons, which makes for a simple yet welcome change.
19 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.
18 Bidelles Cosmetics 2
Players wanted their customization options in Dragon Age 2 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 2. It's a small change, but the fact that it allows characters to look as unique as possible is definitely a plus.
17 Valuable Junk
The act of selling items for money is consistent across any RPG. So, it's no surprise to see that Dragon Age 2 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.
16 The Dragon Age 2 Character Creator
Dragon Age: Origins shipped with a toolset that let players create unique character morphs in a special tool and replace the original mods with their creations if they wished for it. However, Dragon Age 2 didn't ship out with the same creator, which is a shame.
Thankfully, the Dragon Age 2 Character Creator mod takes care of this issue, adding a separate tool in the same vein as Origins to help people make character morphs. If players want to mold everyone from their companions to regular NPCs in their own image, then this tool is perfect for them!
15 Unique Face Textures For Companions
Dragon Age 2 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.
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 2 and make them significantly more bearable to look at.
14 Darkspawn Variations
The Darkspawn are classic enemies that players will fight across the three Dragon Age games. Dragon Age 2's version of the Darkspawn is pretty competent, but there's no denying that these enemies end up feeling too recycled after a point.
The Legacy DLC for Dragon Age 2 actually added different variations for these Darkspawn that players can fight. With this mod, these different Darkspawn enemies make their way into the main campaign as well!
13 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 2.
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!
12 TrufflesDuval Texture Mod
There are a large number of texture mods and the like present for Dragon Age 2, rendering anything below the best mods around somewhat obsolete.
While the TrufflesDuval Texture Mod may fall in this category, the work put into 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 2.
11 Dragon Age 2 Level 50
Dragon Age 2 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 2 and replacing it with a higher number that feels way more satisfying to reach.
10 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.
In the base game, inventory space can be increased only to 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.
9 DA2 Equip Your Party v3
The fact that players can't customize their party members in Dragon Age 2 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 2 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.
8 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.
7 Super Lots of Skill Upgrades
The skill tree of Dragon Age 2 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.
6 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.
5 Reinventing The Wheel
The dialogue system in Dragon Age 2 is pretty decent for the most part, although there are certain caveats with it that some people might like. For starters, Hawke can only respond according to their personality type and is completely blocked from taking any other responses.
Reinventing the Wheel aims to make dialogue more dynamic and less restrictive. This mod has different versions that let people pass persuasion checks to select responses that don't necessarily correspond to Hawke's personality type, which is a great way to make the player's personality type matter without making it too frustrating to adhere to.
4 Kirkwall Expanded
Kirkwall is a city that players will be spending a ton of time in. While this area is fun to explore, there's always the possibility to make it even better with the use of mods.
The Kirkwall Expanded mod is perfect for this. It adds new NPCs, items, creatures, merchants, decor, and even quests, among a host of other changes! Kirkwall becomes a living, breathing city with the inclusion of this impressive mod that fans of Dragon Age 2 should definitely download.
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 2 might be rather disappointing in this regard.
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 2 ReDesigned
Dragon Age 2 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 2 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 2 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.
Dragon Age 2 is available for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.