If you make a sandwich with moldy bread it doesn't matter how good the stuff in the middle is.
Dragon Age 2 has a beginning, a middle, and an end. The beginning is slow but eventually builds to an involving and in-depth second act only to fall in a crashing heap from the abrupt stop that is the end. In the course of the game, you will become attached to a few of your companions and feel like you've established your own version of the main character, Hawke. There are subtle differences as you play through the game depending on your decisions, but the ending will always be the same. Also, if you attempt to restart, wanting to see some of the bits you might have missed, you'll be frustrated by the artificial limitations placed on you in the game's first act. If that doesn't stop you from playing through a second time, then the repetitive dungeons will.
In summary, Dragon Age 2 is a game that many people will play but few will really fall in love with. It is the sandwich made with moldy bread. There are some really good bits and pieces in there, but taken as a whole it really leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Its sad too, because with a little more attention to detail this game could have been something special. Hopefully Bioware will look at this as a learning experience. My personal recontamination is that any potential player avoid this game.