Dragon Age is a strange and unique franchise. There are a quite a few games in the franchise that reach quite a few types of games. Today we're going to be talking about their three primary games: Dragon Age Origins, Dragon Age II, and Dragon Age Inquisition. These three games were all released on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. They're probably the most well known games in the franchise. Now, why does that matter? Well, recently Bioware has been dropping hints and clues about their newest game, Dragon Age Dreadwolf, for the past year or so now and it's been a longtime coming considering the last game, Inquisition, came out in 2013 and Dreadwolf is a continuation of that game. Long story short, it's been a long time coming and we're desperate. In honor of Dreadwolf, let's talk about what keeps fans so interested in the series.
Let's go back to the original. Dragon Age Origins is a game that released in 2009. It's an action-based rpg where you can take control of the four party members you choose to take along with you who all specialize in different classes. You have a say in their skill growth which gives you a massive say over how exactly you want to play this game. You also have your own playable character who you can customize down to origin story. The game is heavily based on Dungeons and Dragons and high fantasy lore. It's a genuine challenge to get through with a compelling story.
You play as the last of the Gray Wardens, set out to end the blight before it destroys all of Thedas (simply, the dragon age setting, for those who don't know). As I said, you can customize your character down to their origin story. Dwarves, elves, and humans - your race changes how people in the game see
and react to you. While Thedas has a primary god, the Maker, each race also has their own deity that they follow. Your race also changes where you can start from. A mage can only start in a circle while an elven rogue can start either as a city elf or as one of the Dalish - freedom seeking elves from the forests.
On top of that, the party members you work with and customize are also incredibly well thought out character with backstories of their own. An assassin rogue who owe you his life, a wild bard, a bastard prince - they're all here for the ride too. And forced to interact with both you and the other party members. Beyond that, there's also an option to further your relationship and even romance some of these characters.
Now, the most interesting part of this game is that your choices matter. The decision you make and dialogue you choose changes how your party might see you. Not only that, but you can also upload your saves to the Keep, an online server where all your choices are saved and affect the other games, although mostly slightly.
The second game we're talking about is Dragon Age II, my personal favorite. Hawke, the base name for the protagonist, is fleeing from the blight your original Grey Warden is fighting and finds him/herself as a refugee forced to eek out a life in Kirkwall. The companions in this game are much more compelling than those in Origins. While I adore Origins' characters, II's are just much more life-like. A large part of this comes from the fact that they're not just companions who are forced to work with you due to the end of the world. They're your friends.
Beyond that II also takes place almost entirely in the city, where your Hawke is forced to deal with much more political intrigue over the years and, hilariously, they don't typically want to be there. Hawke just wants to make a name for him/herself and stay out of trouble though their little group is always in
the middle of everything - whether they want to be or not. Your group of wild companions will always be there for the ride, just like how you can work down their quest lines and help them when they need you.
While in II, you can only play as a human, as this is very important to the story, you still have plenty of customization options for your class and your party is always there to fill in the gaps.
If you couldn't tell yet, the companions in II are my favorite part. They really stand out from either of the other two games and are all interesting in their own right. Isabella the pirate is compelling and smart, Fenris the city elf is sympathetic despite everything and deep, Varric the dwarf is your fun best friend, Aveline the city guard is honest and forthright, Merrill the Dalish elf is silly yet terrifying despite her good intentions. And there's Anders. I love Anders, as a character, but if you know, you know. Your companions are a rag-tag group of people with their own motives with interesting dialogue and backstories. I love and would die for them.
The story itself, I find much more compelling. You're not a righteous hero, come to save the day. You're just a bystander who keeps getting pulled into trouble. Kirkwall is a growing city, suffering from the aftereffects of the Blight and you get to watch that unravel. Sure, you don't get quite as much background customization, but Hawke's journey and story is just as interesting. You still get to work with and help other races as well as see how they live their lives in a human city. The fact that it's told in the future from Varric's point of view is even more compelling. Anyone who knows about Varric's stories knows they can be wildly embellished. The narrator himself is unreliable.
Dragon Age II is, and will likely always be, my favorite series.
That brings us to the final and most recent entry in Bioware's repertoire: Dragon Age Inquisition. Coming out in 2013, Inquisition was the first game I played in the series and the one that made me fall in love with the franchise. You play as the Inquisitor, an unlucky bystander turned hero. This game brings back the major backstory of Origins though it matters a little less. You don't get to play around in your starting area of choice. It still effects how the character see you and, sometimes, speak with you, but it doesn't feel quite as different.
The companions are all interesting and fun with unique dialogue that builds and changes as you
go, but it just doesn't quite hit II's level of banter. Don't get me wrong, I love them all, but it's simply not the same for me and I've beaten both II and Inquisition multiple times. They're good games.
The story in Inquisition is the biggest stand-out from the other games, It's massive. You can get lost for hours following side quests, collecting pieces, and just exploring. That was the largest downside to II: I feel like I've done everything. Replay value is amazing, but I just run out of things to do after a point. Your home bases, because there are two, are massive as well and they give you the option of near-endless customization.
This game is also the one that makes you feel like your choices in the other games really matter. Your Hawke, customized and imported from II, can even appear in the game to fight with you.
While we don't have a definitive release date for Dragon Age Dreadwolf, we're all waiting anxiously. If you haven't had played the previous games yet, there's still time. Origins, II, and Inquisition are all available on Steam right now with Inquisition also being available on both Xbox and PlayStation. The games are well thought out and well worth and I would recommend them to anyone who hasn't had the chance to see them yet. With Dragon Age Absolution, a Netflix original show, coming out in December the Bioware team has been hyping us up for the new game and I, for one, can't wait.
Comentarios