Summary
- Dragon Age: Origins, a beloved CRPG, has heavy influences from Dungeons and Dragons and tabletop RPGs, with combat relying on dice rolls and a familiar class system.
- New players may struggle with the technical gameplay and overwhelming features like party screens and ability trees, as well as the game's reliance on its own history and politics without much context.
- Veterans of Dragon Age: Origins recommend building a balanced party with different classes, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each class, and utilizing the tactics screen for better control over companion behaviors. Reading the codex is also crucial for understanding the game's lore and motivations, and playing each Origin provides unique stories and rewards.
Dragon Age: Origins kicked off one of BioWare's most beloved franchises and is widely regarded as one of the greatest CRPGs ever made. Compared to the other Dragon Age games, it has a heavier influence from Dungeons and Dragons and tabletop RPGs, with the combat relying more on dice rolls to hit and deal damage, and its class system, though simplified, will be familiar to RPG players.
Newer players who want to play Dragon Age: Origins may struggle at first because of how technical the gameplay can be. The many party screens, inventory organization, tactics screen, and ability trees can be overwhelming, not to mention Dragon Age's reliance on its own history and politics without giving the player much context, leaving them lost if they don't read the codex. Here are some things every veteran Dragon Age: Origins player does to make a playthrough easier.
Why Dragon Age: Origins is Still Worth Playing in 2023
BioWare's Dragon Age: Origins is almost a decade and a half old, but some fans still swear by the beloved series' first entry all these years later.
Building a Party in Dragon Age: Origins
Balance the Party
Dragon Age: Origins can have a bit of a difficulty curve, especially at higher difficulties and at later parts of the game. It's important to have a party that is spec'd well, as there aren't any in-game opportunities to respec companions. Companions in Dragon Age: Origins and their classes are:
- Alistair: Warror/Templar
- Morrigan: Mage/Shapeshifter
- Leliana: Rogue/Bard
- Shale: Warrior
- Sten: Warrior
- Zevran: Rogue
- Wynne: Mage/ Spirit Healer
- Dog: Warrior
- Oghren: Warrior/Beserker
Each class has its own role on the battlefield, and it's highly recommended that each party includes at least one companion from each class to have a balanced party.
Understand The Classes
There are three classes in Dragon Age: Origins: Mage, Rogue, and Warrior. Each one has its own set of strengths and weaknesses and role to play in the party and needs to be leveled and equipped accordingly for maximum success in battle. Ensure none of the characters are given weapons or armor they aren't proficient in, as this will impede their ability to cast spells or use their talents. In general, position the mages further from enemies, while warriors move closer in for close-range combat and tanking. Rogues can be more flexible depending on the situation and if they're equipped with a bow or daggers.
Use the Tactics Screen
For casual players, the tactics screen can be an intimidating feature best left alone, but it can be an incredibly helpful tool for anyone. Annoying companion behaviors, such as chugging all the party's health potions at the wrong moment, can be fixed on the tactics screen by adjusting their behavior conditions and parameters.
Dive Into the World of Dragon Age
Read the Codex
Thedas has a long and varied history, and so there's a lot of lore to uncover and explore. As the player uncovers more of Thedas, more codex entries become available. These codex entries consist of letters, in-game book extracts, religious texts, and descriptions of places. Reading the codex brings Thedas to life and helps players understand the politics, factions, and motivations of the characters who inhabit Thedas, and is key to understanding how and why the events of Dragon Age are happening.
Play Each Origin at Least Once
While not every Origin may be appealing to every player, they're all worth trying out thanks to their compelling and unique stories that position the soon-to-be Warden in different places across Fereldan society. Each Origin has its own cast of interesting NPCs, and players are more likely than not to be surprised by some familiar faces. Experiencing different relationships with some of the most controversial NPCs in Dragon Age is just one reason to play each Origin and, while it's fun to play through Dragon Age: Origins multiple times just to make different decisions, there's no pressure to continue once that Origin prologue is completed. Plus, each Origin completed rewards the player with an achievement.
Dragon Age: Origins
- Released
- November 3, 2009
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence, Language, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content
- Developer(s)
- BioWare
- Publisher(s)
- Electronic Arts
- Engine
- Eclipse
- Franchise
- Dragon Age
WHERE TO PLAY
From the makers of Mass Effect comes the dark fantasy epic: You are a Grey Warden, one of the last of a legendary order of guardians. With the return of mankind's ancient foe and the kingdom engulfed in civil war, you have been chosen by fate to unite the shattered lands and slay the archdemon once and for all.
(1) Immerse yourself in a shattered world on the brink of annihilation;
(2) Experience complex moral decisions that have game-changing consequences;
(3) Sculpt your hero in your own image or fantasy;
(4) Engage in bone-crushing, visceral combat against massive and terrifying creatures.
