The Final Word On Dragon Age
My name is Ashley, and I’m a Dragon Age addict. You can assume from my Tweet that not only did I finish Dragon Age: Origins, but I was absolutely blown away by it, especially the ending. Which is funny, as I had approached this game with such apprehension. Why? Given the pathetic year of gaming I had experienced in ‘09, I wasn’t quite sure my attention could hack a heavy Bioware RPG. I was wrong. By about 73 hours. Heck, I’ve probably done more gaming the past couple of months than I did the entire duration of 2009. Anyway, I’ve talked in some detail about Dragon Age, so I don’t want to reiterate anything that’s already been said, yet I still want to ramble on about what a beautiful game this is (of course, not in terms of graphics…).
Very few of my readers appear to be hardcore RPG fans, so it is safe to assume this post will largely go ignored. However, if any of you are reading this and remotely curious about the wonderful world of Ferelden, continue reading, because I’m determined to highlight how amazing this game is, even if it is only to one person.
What’s An RPG Without A Good Story?
It’s a piss poor RPG, that’s what! Thankfully DA:O has a blinding story, one with multiple options and different endings based on the moral dilemmas you face. We’ve all played games where choice subsequently affects the outcome, but I can’t think of a game I’ve played that did it as well as Dragon Age. Without going into spoiler territory, the particular ending I had actually made me weep the words “But I loved you…” as the final scenes played out before me. Crazy, huh? I was genuinely upset at the consequence; by what I had lost, what had been sacrificed. Even though I had lead my army to victory in the Blight, triumph had been tainted by a broken heart. I won’t say any more as some of you may choose to play as a female character, romance the particular person I did, and make the same choices as me.
Expanding on that, this is what sets the game up for multiple playthroughs. How many games offer a fresh experience after the first playthrough? Not many, but with all the classes, races, dialogue options, romances and moral choices, Dragon Age: Origins feels like it has just as much substance than real life (yes, I just said that, someone slap me). I’ve already started my second playthough, this time as a male human mage, Harrison. I’ve decided he’ll be a fairly evil character and a bit of a ladies man.
It’s Not How Big It Is…
I disagree. With RPG’s it’s all about how big it is. I certainly like to play RPGs that aren’t linear, that open up the world giving me the opportunity to travel where and when as I please. Dragon Age is fantastic in that respect. However, at 73 hours in and at 79% of the world discovered, I had only completed 40% of the game. That blows my mind. When it comes to RPGs, I’m very thorough (or at least I thought I was). I talk to everyone and actively seek out sidequests, then I’ll complete them before considering pushing forward with the main quest.
To think there’s another 20% of the world undiscovered, and that there’s still 60% worth of quests remaining… Ho-ly! Bioware, you’ve spoiled us.
Plenty Of Downloadable Content
Dragon Age: Origins already has a couple of additional quests on Marketplace, but the big expansion, Awakening, comes next month. Personally, I can’t wait for this. It takes place after the events of Origins, which is perfect for myself now that I’ve finished the game. However, it’s not necessary for you to port your character over, and can instead start a brand new one. Details are scarce on Awakening, other than it’s a new area to explore, the level cap has been increased from 20, and there are new party members to recruit, but it looks to be a nice addition to what has become one of the best games I’ve recently played.
David left a comment on my last post about Dragon Age: Origins and hit the nail on the head.
when i first played this game i liked it but it didn’t initial grab me by the neck, which isn’t a bad thing at all as i am sure you understand when you first start a new RPG you mind is all over the place wondering if it is going to match up to (insert similar game here) and wondering what is going to happen over the course of the next few hours…
but then after awhile i started to get sucked into the game, once quests started piling in and the story started to take some twists and turns i was well and truly sucked in, but i think it is from the middle towards the end of the game it really does out do itself, there are some truly OMFG moments towards the end let me say
This is exactly how it played out for me too, especially towards the end where there was many a touching moment. I haven’t had this emotional involvement with a game in a long time. With that said, I’d only recommend it to those with enough time to play from start to finish. Note that while I did a lot of the side quests that spanned over 70 hours, the main quest itself isn’t even half as long. As is always the case with RPGs, though, if you invest your time and emotions into this game, you will reap the reward. So… have I convinced you?
Make sure you seek a copy of Dragon Age: Origins that comes with the free downloadable content and Blood Armor (I got mine from Amazon, and yes, that’s a cheeky affiliate link).
I don’t have anything derogatory to say about Alan Wake. My advice to you? Spend a night in Bright Falls and soak up the eerie atmosphere. Alan Wake excels at thrilling you psychologically. Which is why it’s called a psychological thriller, I guess…
David