Ugh, I have so many opinions on this the most divisive of games. No way will I be able to talk about it to my satisfaction. But I will try.
I like Dragon Age II. I think it is, altogether, a good game. I like Origins better, but not only is II a good game, it's not a whole lot worse than Origins.
Let's talk about the Characters. They are the main draw for Bioware. I think Dragon Age as a series has some great characters, better than most party RPGs.
-Morrigan may be a bit crazy with her "survival of the cruelest" philosophy, but I think she is quite compelling.
-Alistair is charming and likable; people call him whiny, but this is only in comparison to the impossibly stoic acceptance of hardship from action heroes these days. He laments his misfortunes like a real person, and then he goes out and does something about it.
-Leliana...well, some people like the accent. And I do like that she is a religious character who isn't usually preachy, but rather is concerned with living her faith as an example to others. And her backstory was interesting if vague.
-Sten is my favorite. The Qunari are fascinating, and Sten is just the best way to introduce them. He offers so little of his culture and people, but you nevertheless begin to get a picture of them if you are persistent. And he's a great character in his own right; he's a dutiful, driven, stoic man, who also has an eye for art, a sweet tooth, and is very curious about the heathens, so to speak. I love Sten.
-Oghren is pretty bland. I don't think anyone names him a favorite, as he is very one-dimensional, but he's the comic relief, so no one hates him either.
-Wynne is actually pretty cool. She's another person who knows what she is and what her place in the world is. She is unafraid and unapologetic, and still kind and caring. I like her, even if she doesn't have that much to offer beyond being a steady comfort.
-Zevran is not very deep. Not that he doesn't have personality, it's just that he doesn't seem to have anywhere to go as a character. He's a life-long assassin, he's jolly, he's flirtatious, he's a hedonist. He has no regrets and no direction. Not unlikable, just not compelling.
So overall, it's a good crop. I'll leave out the DLC characters for the sake of simplicity and the fact that not everyone gets it. Origins has a handful of very interesting and well-thought-out companions, and a good balance of personalities.
In DAII we have:
-Varric, who everyone knows is just the best character this game has to offer. He's smart, clever, and quite funny. He's a pragmatist with flair and a fascination with fancy. He's a self-interested mercenary with a great sense of loyalty to his closest friends. He's violent as well as merciful, and on top of all that complexity, he basically gets the plot started and plays a central role, even if you don't put him in your party. Varric and Sten are easily my two favorite people in Dragon Age.
-Anders. (Let's ignore the fact that he is drastically changed from Awakening) He really isn't very well written. Aside from constantly wailing about his persecution all the damn time, he makes the stupidest decisions. He is clearly deeply concerned with the plight of his fellow mages, but he is THE PERFECT example of why to treat mages with care. He is dangerous and untrustworthy, he is angry and misdirected, and he does all the wrong things. Not to say that this couldn't make for a good character, but in his case, it doesn't.
-Isabela is rough, selfish, and promiscuous, but also has a grudging streak of loyalty and caring that sometimes shows through. I thought she was a bit like Morrigan in this way, but she is certainly her own person. Beyond that, there isn't much to say about her.
-Aveline is kinda cool; she's basically a Viking shield-maiden, and not the typical archetype of "super badass chick who is also incredibly attractive but punches men who like her." She's reserved, has a lot of strength and drive, but is insecure about her value as a person. I think after act I she had very little to do, which is a shame as she has potential.
-Fenris is a bit of a problem. He is so divisive, because he clearly plays to the "brooding hunk with a tiny heart of gold" thing that some women just LOVE; but anyone he isn't aimed at finds him eyerollingly dumb. I'm not a big fan, but I think he is successful at being what the writers intended, and his revenge quest at least pays off well.
-Merrill is the female version of Fenris, designed to be the shy, demure, basically moe-type that some guys go nuts for. I am not one of those guys, but again, she isn't that bad. What's odd about her is that her story is actually very interesting; it's got magic, redemption, unknowable risk, and a woman forging ahead with her chosen path despite all around her trying to stop her. Unfortunately, everyone around her is clearly right, and her story only moves forward when she does something phenomenally stupid.
-And finally, Hawke's Sibling, Bethany/Carver. Yeah, they are very boring. Giving Hawke a family is a neat idea, but since his/her brother/sister only lasts for one act, there is no time to explore them and no reason to. Really, a waste of time.
On the whole, Origins definitely has a better crop of companions, but DAII is no slouch. Varric at least is really brilliant, and others like Aveline and Isabela are pretty good. I would say that this game does well as far as characters.
I am going to break here as this is already immensely long and I have lots more to say. I'll be back in a while.