Woo some memory are short. Let list some bad aspects or at least weaker than in DAI:
- DAO character building was a weak aspect of the game, only one class well done, mage, all other was offering very few choices and at end of game there was like one build with all abilities. It's been slightly improved later but if there's something wrong in DAO it's character building. Not only that but also the streamlining of skills you take or don't, the ridiculous simplified line trees. DAI is just marvel in comparison with a lot more building abilities.
- Exploration in DAO was also almost always a very weak aspect, very small areas, very linear, not much exploration. On that aspect DAO is a park when DAI is a country.
-A very weird feature of DAO was companions in comp and joking machine puppets in adventuring. And the bonus system and gift system is just a boredom. The whole system done more naturally in DAI even if too much with a similar idea.
- DAO probably succeed implement the most boring crafting system ever, it's been a little bit improved later but still very boring. DAI system is weak too but at least better,
- stupid potion system, since DA2 the series did better.
DAO is just better because:
- Morrigan,
- almost every single combat get a polished dedicated design,
- it had a rather good enemy scaling system I only see BG2 doing better,
- better combat system than DAI, I'm more skeptical for comparison with DA2,
- set of companions very interesting to dig if you bother enter in mini game of companions talk in camp,
- items and equipment with a much better design,
- many good secondary stories sustained very often by good writing and a few strong characters,
- many places compensating a bit the tiny size of most areas and overall weak exploration design,
- mages building rather complex and set of spells is probably more interesting than in both DAI or DA2.
If DAO is really on upper top it's for only two elements, combats and companions if you can suffer the camp design.
I really have nothing to do when waiting ME1 installation, sigh.