Dragon Age II was, for many, a bit of a disappointment. Too many recycled environments, too many cheap waves of bad guys to chop through. It was, you could argue, a bit of a rush job.
If it makes you feel any better, developers BioWare have heard your complaints. On the company's forums, writer Mike Laidlaw directly addresses these in a lengthy post, of which the highlight is:
Following the launch of DA II, I did some interviews and some of you interpreted my statements to mean I was blind to the concerns that have been voiced repeatedly on these forums. That was never my intent, nor the message I wanted to convey.
I am absolutely aware of the concerns voiced here. Issues like level re-use, the implementation of wave combat, concerns about the narrative and significance of choice and so on have all been not only noted, but examined, inspected and even aided me (and many, many others on the team) in formulating future plans. Further, I'm not only aware of the concerns, but I agree that there are aspects of DA II that not only can but must be improved in future installments. And that is precisely our intent.
He later adds that, in terms of "crafting" the game's slightly different take on the world and story, BioWare learned some stuff. "Some from what worked, but even more from what didn't."
So, for those despairing at the future of the franchise, maybe that's something to hold onto!
Thank you! [BioWare, via Beefjack]