Dragon Age: Origins and Awakening Review

[Cyberstrike]

I have often said that Bioware's Mass Effect is the greatest video game of all time and while I still believe it Dragon Age: Origins has now tied itself with Mass Effect for that honor! Bioware has created another great game.

The pros: Huge game world, tons of stuff to do, and find. Tough moral dilemmas you will have to deal with.
Great music. Already 3 different DLC out.
Some really good lines and banter between characters. A lot of companions to find. Tons of romantic options with at least 4 or 5 different potentional lovers (with two party members essentially being bisexual characters so yes you can have both male/male and female/female romances) and also according to guide book you can have both a threesome and even a foursome! Alas I'm going to play this game again to have attempt at that one.
Great customination of your character's look you even select your character's voice (a feature that I haven't seen in a video game since Icewind Dale). With 6 different Origins (Dwarf Noble, Dwarf Commoner, City Elf, Wood Elf, Human Noble, and Mage).
Good graphics. A great combat system.

The cons: The graphics feel a step down from Mass Effect and that is not to say that suck, they don't their quite good, but to me they lack that movie look and feel.
Other than Kate Mulgrew, Tim Russ, (Captain Janeway and Tuvok of Star Trek: Voyager fame), Tim Curry (Darkness from Legend), and Simon Templeman (who did the voice of Kain in the Legacy of Kain series) there are no other stars or people that I know of, in the game. It doesn't hurt it mind you but I wish the three that I mentioned that character's had more to do in it.
While your character has a voice it's only really for battle, when talking to your companions your character is a mute.
The combat system might take some people a while to figure out, it's not IMHO has instinctive as Mass Effect was, it's a lot more like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and it can get at times hard to tell where your party is at times.


Final thoughts: It's a great game even the cons that I mentioned are really only minor gripes. If you love RPGs, fantasy, or just great games in general then get this game NOW! I give Dragon Age: Origins a rare 5 out of 5. #nosmileys#nosmileys#nosmileys


Dragon Age: Origins DLC:

First up is: The Stone Prisoner in this in-game DLC you can recruit Shale, a smart ass golem with an intense hatred of birds, as well augmentation crystals that are Shale's weapons and armor and some weapons and armor for your other characters. You also get a new a town, and a thiag to explore. Shale was originally intended to be in the final game but reasons of time and money the character was cut out of the final game. Shale's dialogue is funny and Shale is pretty tough character to boot. I give it 4.5 out of 5.

The Warden's Keep in this in-game adventure you must clean out a haunted fortress and you learn about the Grey Warden's history. You also get plenty of new weapons and armor for your characters and party and a chest to store things in. While not the most orginal story the weapons (especially the Starfang and the Warden Commander's armor) make up for a standard hack and slash adventure. 4 out of 5.

The Return to Ostagar the third in-game adventure has the PC and company returning to Ostagar to retrieve the King's Armor and Weapons which have been taken by several high-ranking Darkspawn, and if you didn't get a chance to save the dog here is your second chance to recruit the dog. You also get Duncan's sword and dagger. An interesting adventure the King's Armor and weapons are a great fit on Alistair while Duncan's weapons are great mid-level weapons. The banter between Alistair and Wynne is particular funny. Some great mid-level weapons and it does explain where armor for Alistair comes from at the end of the game.
I give it a 4 out 5.

Feast Day Gifts and Pranks adds a bunch of junk to the dwarven merchant that makes your party members like and dislike of you go up and down 50 points (except for the dog) this DLC is a waste unless you want your characters looking stupid and messing up all of the romances in the game. 0 out of 5.

Blood Dragon Armor-A powerful and cool looking armor that can be used in both Dragon Age: Origins and Mass Effect 2. It is worth it for DA:O not so much in ME2 due to the lack of a removable helmet, but hey it was free. 3.5 out of 5 for both games

The Darkspawn Chronicles the first stand alone adventure DLC has you play as a Darkspawn in the final battle of the game. Nice idea but it's not as cool it could be. 2 out of 5

Leliana's Song the second stand-alone DLC is a prequel adventure has you playing Leliana on the mission that changed her life. A fun if conflicting story (with what is said in the full game) adventure. Leliana is my favorite character in DA:O and this only makes me like her more. 4.5 out of 5.

The Golems of Amgarrak is a HIGH-Level stand-alone DLC that features the return of the Grey Warden (note do play this DLC with an existing character you should really wait until you beat DA:O and DA:O-Awakening believe me it is that hard). You must help a dwarven noble find his brother. A very challenging (and at times very annoying) dwarven ruin with some very hard monsters to fight. Pretty interesting but also forgettable. 2.5 out of 5.

Witch Hunt-The final DLC for Dragon Age: Origins is another high level adventure that this time has your Grey Warden looking for Morrigan depending on what happened in the game it can be to reconciliation or revenge and is a pretty fun. Playing it with male character who romanced Morrigan made me come to like her character more and there are some several nice call backs to game especially for a Dalish Elf (which is what my male character was) and maybe for a mage as well. You must track down the witch because she stole a book from the Dalish your character, the dog, a tough female Dalish Elf and a cowardly bookworm of a mage mus track her down. Great story, dialogue, and a rewarding climax makes this DLC gets a 5 out of 5.

[Cyberstrike]

Dragon Age: Origins-Awakening is the first full expansion pack to Bioware's Dragon Age: Origins and you do need DA:O to play it, you can import your character (if s/he survived) or create a new character.

The story is set roughly a year after the events of DA:O you have been given command of the Grey Warden's new base Vigil's Keep and rule over the City of Amaranthine, the home of the late Arl Rendon Howe. Arriving at the Keep you find it's under attack by darkspawn, after running through the Keep you meet Anders, an apostate mage, and Oghren (the dwarf from DA:O) after killing the darkspawn's leader a new kind of darkspawn that talks, you can save Anders by recruiting him and both he and Oghren become new Grey Wardens. Then you must recruit others members including Nataniel Howe, Sigrun, Justice, and Velanna and stop the new darkspawn threat.

Pros: The new characters for the most part are interesting, and their banter is funny and the new darkspawn are pretty freaky looking and tough monsters to kill.

There of course along with the new characters, there also new locations, side quests, abilities, spells, skills, class specializations, weapons, armor, runes, and potions to learn or make.

The main quest's locations are large and diverse.

If you just do the main quest then it's pretty short game maybe 8-10 hours, but if you do all side quests and explore the area then the game is about 20 hours.

You can also get quests, spend money and resources that allow you to upgrade the Keep. Also you have rule the land and dispense justice, and keep the local lords in line.

So there is plenty to do.

The cons: To me the biggest con is the price at $40 (USA) this is pretty expensive expansion.

If you win DA:O with any weapons and armor from other DLC (like the Blood Dragon Armor, The Warden' Keep, and The Stone Prisoner) it will NOT transfer over (I've read that some of the weapons and armor from The Return to Ostagar are said to transfer but not all but I've yet to try it) and if don't switch your armor and weapons then your character will arrive at Virgil's Keep unarmed and in their underwear and while that might be funny at first it isn't when you have high level darkspawn attacking you.

Also while there is some light flirting there is no real romance and your the location of both romantic interest and your dog from DA:O or why they're not at you side (other than Alistair if you made him king) is never mentioned or explained. The only mention of Leliana, if you romanced her, for example is during the text epilogues.

Other than Oghren the rest of companions don't return to help you fight and are not even mentioned and only Alistair, Loghain, Anora, (depending on who killed and put on throne) and Wynne (if you didn't kill her) make small cameos. Also returning from DA:O is Herren and Master Armorer Wade (who can make you some great armor and weapons for your character if you can find and make all the stuff required) but of them are VERY annoying, at least to me.

Final thoughts: $40 dollars for an expansion is kind of steep IMO, (you can also download it from the XBL Marketplace or from the PS Store but it will cost the same amount and it's about 2 gigs so it might be a long download) but in the end it's worth it... barely. While it may lack some of DA:O's finer points it's still a fun expansion pack with some easy achievements/trophies to get.

I give it a 4 out of 5.