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.