Dragon Age 2 - Preview @ PC Gamer

There's a short preview of Dragon Age 2 at PC Gamer, although it isn't clear if they saw the PC or console version.  The author says the combat is "closer to an action game", mentions the Mass Effect-inspired dialogue and talks about the new, improved rogue compared to the "toothless" version in DA:O (not my experience - my rogue put out some serious damage):

I ended up being happy with StabbyHawke. Dragon Age II’s backstab move is ludicrously satisfying: starting with Hawke hurling a smoke bomb, he darts forward at warp speed and somehow gets behind his foe, whereupon he injects a few inches of cold steel into their kidneys. The first time he did it, I made an involuntary grab for my own innards. The second time, I started grinning. I began playing this Hawke as he was meant to be played. Hawke and friends are a lot more mobile this time around – indeed, combat as a whole is fresher, faster, and closer to an action game than in Origins.

Interestingly, when questioned in the comments about the opening criticism of DA:O's "utilitarian and ugly" menus, the article author says this came from BioWare:

To interject here, guys, I’m basing a lot of the dissatisfaction with the art style on what DA:O’s art director told me. You might love the muted browns and greys; he and his art team were quite adamant it didn’t come out as well as they’d hoped.