The thing that ruined perception of 2 was calling it 2. It began life as a spinoff or side story, probably with a $39 target price. That's why the story is so small. It's not a globetrotting adventure, it's a political web based in one city. Viewed through that lens, people would have cut it a wider path when it comes to expectations. They'd be more willing to give way to the structural changes. I haven't actually played it since launch window, but I remember enjoying it for what it was, and honestly there haven't been many games released since then with a similar scope. But when you tell people the entire direction of Dragon Age as a product is shifting from Origins to this, people are rightly concerned because the ceiling just got a whole lot lower.