Best Mods and Mod Installation - Dragon Age 2 (DA2)
I think every time you play a game like Dragon Age you wonder are there good mods?
This post will concentrate on explaining how to install mods, which ones to get, and where.
Contents
Mod installation
Dragon Age 2 gives an easy option to install the mods. Generally, most of them follow these steps:
- Download the file (usually a zip). Mainly files have an extension of .erf or .gda
- Find the document files for Dragon Age 2. The usual path on Windows is: /Documents/ BioWare/Dragon Age 2/packages/core/override
- Extract the files to the override folder.
- In case you need to install remove those files.
Important! I also recommend reading the instructions on the mod page. Some of the mods may have special steps need to install them
Best Dragon Age 2 Mods
I will concentrate on mods that have minimal impact on the gameplay and do not make you overpowered. I personally enjoy the vanilla experience.
Dragon Age 2 Ultimate HD
This mod greatly improves the textures by making them have a higher resolution. Moreover, this also changes the art style. So try it out and decide if it fits your imagining of the Dragon age world
This mod changes textures for almost everything, however, you will need a video card with 2 GB+ rams for maximum enjoyment. I think for modern PCs this should not be a problem.
You can download the mod here
No more Bloody Teeth
I do not think this one has a large impact on the overall experience. However, it improves the immersion by removing the blood on the character’s teeth after each fight.
This usually ruins the cutscenes that follow after where instead of listening to the characters you look at their bloody teeth. It is a small change, but I definitely recommend this one.
You can download the mod here
No Follower Auto Level
This is the small quality of life mod. What it does, is that when a new companion joins your group its abilities and attributes are not allocated.
This can save you from buying Maker’s Sigh and you can maximize companions like Sebastian, Merrill, Isabella, etc. damage output early in the game.
The result is you can choose how to build companions early on, they are much stronger and you can set up better tactics
You can download the mod here
Faster Runspeed
I think this is mandatory and the most important mod out of all. It allows Hawke or the Champion to move much faster. This does a few important things:
- Makes exploration faster
- Waste less time tracking back
I only recommend the option that makes the speed faster only out of combat as otherwise, you will have an unfair advantage against enemies and companions.
You can download the mod here
Backpack Mod - Inventory Increase
I definitely recommend this mod. After a few playthroughs, I understand how tedious inventory space can be.
It makes you angry, that your inventory is full because you forgot to sell junk after the last mission. The backpack mod with Merchant Backpacks version decreases the chance of this happening.
Another important aspect is that you need to buy the additional bags, which seems fair.
You can download the mod here
Unique Face Textures for Companions
This is more of an optional mod. I suggest checking out the images that the creator uploaded. Based on that you can decide if the mod is for you.
I personally prefer this as it gives a breath of fresh wind to the experience after numerous playthroughs I had with this game. Moreover, it modernizes the character's looks.
You can download the mod here
Bugfixes and improvements
Here is a list of some minor mods that fix and improve various quests and areas in the game. They do not change anything drastically but provide small changes that make the game much more immersive. They are also perfect for first-time play. Kudos to Urosh Uchiha#0242
- Removes most copy-pasted NPCs - https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage2/mods/4260
- Arishok AI Rebalance - https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage2/mods/4192
- Toggle for autorun and item highlight - https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage2/mods/2266
- Codex Entries Fixes and Restorations - https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage2/mods/4442 and https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage2/mods/4429
- Epilogue Restoration and Fixes - https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage2/mods/4062
- Dalish use their weapons instead of human items - https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage2/mods/4471
- Fixes armors for NPCs making them more lore friendly - https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage2/mods/3941
- Fixed Avelines Kirkwall Armour - https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage2/mods/4386
- Cleans corpses from Fenris' mansion, they really shouldn't be there after a "few years" - https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage2/mods/3989
- Hayder actually uses his razor - https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage2/mods/4477
- "Sketchy on the Details" quest fix - https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage2/mods/3922
- Secret Rendezvous Bug Fix - https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage2/mods/4424
- Forbidden Knowledge Quest Fix https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage2/mods/4388
- Sebastian white fingers fix - https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage2/mods/3985
- Fixes rewards for quests "Letter Alone" and "Magistrate's Orders" - https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage2/mods/3806
- Plethora of fixes for the quest "Best Served Cold" - https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage2/mods/4122
- Unobtainable items fix - https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage2/mods/4206
- Varric Dialogue restoration and bugfixes - https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage2/mods/4235
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed reading this post. This should explain all you need to know for the best mods in Dragon Age 2 and how to install them.
Feel free to share your thoughts on what mods you find to be the best
Discussion