Dragon Age: Origins
First published in GRIND Ediția Definitivă, pages 30–35.
ONE OF THE MOST
INTERESTING GAMES
SINGLE-PLAYER THAT
I'VE TRIED...
Overall, Dragon Age: Origins struck me as one of the most interesting single-player games I've tried. Although I put in numerous hours of gameplay, it was the political intrigue and the interactions between the characters that made me want to play constantly, just to see how the story ended.
And on top of the original game, I also played all five DLCs.
I chose to step into the virtual skin of a nobleman, specialising initially as a rogue. The first part of the story, for my character, involved being recruited by Duncan to become a Grey Warden. These Grey Wardens are an order of warriors with remarkable abilities, dedicated to the fight against the darkspawn and the Blight.
A Blight refers to a period in which the darkspawn find and corrupt one of the Old Gods (ancient draconic creatures, sleeping deep in the earth).
And this gathering of darkspawn takes the form of an Archdemon, to lead the horde that threatens the surface world with a terrifying assault. As Dragon Age: Origins opens, the Fifth Blight is still in an inci- pient phase. I met Duncan, the Grey Warden commander, while he was talking to my father (named Bryce Cousland). My father, together with my older brother Fergus, was preparing to answer King Cailan's call to battle at Ostagar – the place where they were to face the darkspawn.
Duncan reckoned I'd make a suitable recruit for the Order he leads, and I agreed.
But the following night, my family's castle was attacked by Rendon Howe's soldiers.
Eventually, after fighting my way through several of Noble Howe's men, I managed to find my father Bryce in a pantry. I arrived too late, though: gravely wounded, he was already dying. My mother, Eleanor, was killed on the night of the assault as well. With his dying breath, Bryce asked me to find my brother Fergus and bring him the news of the massacre at Castle Cousland; Fergus's wife and child had been slain that same night too.
Together with Duncan and my Mabari hound, I managed to escape to
Ostagar – where I met King Cailan. He was preparing for the attack on the darkspawn, the battle in which he was to lose his life alongside Duncan. The knights discover they've been betrayed by Loghain Mac Tir, a national hero and the Queen's father. Before the two of them died, I successfully passed the trial required to become a Grey Warden – namely, drinking darkspawn blood.
After the Battle of Ostagar, very few other Grey Wardens are left alive, among them Alistair, my character's first human companion.
After these events, three important missions fall to my hero: to find Loghain and get justice, to unite the people of the kingdom of Ferelden with the help of the Ancient Treaties in order to form an army that will help him defeat the Archdemon, and also to find his brother, Fergus. Along the way, my character meets and recruits several companions, whom I'll mention below.
ALISTAIR
Grey Warden Alistair is a Grey Warden, a companion to the main character who also teaches the Templar specialisation. He can be romanced if the hero I picked is female. His origin is revealed later in the story: he is King Cailan's bastard brother and, depending on the player's choices, he can become the new king of the realm. I came to see Alistair as a brother over the course of the story and thought very highly of his personality, especially the sense of humour he shows and the interactions he has with Morrigan and Wynne.
"You know, one good thing about the Blight is how it brings people together." Alistair, Dragon Age: Origins
LELIANA
Bard Leliana is a bard from Orlais (Ferelden's neighbouring country to the west) who came to the village of Lothering to become a Sister of the Chantry (the main religious organisation in the story). She can be romanced by both a male and a female Warden. She can also teach the Bard specialisation. I romanced Leliana while I was in a relationship with Morrigan, and she asked me to break up with her, because otherwise she was going to break up with me… so I did what she asked. I don't regret it, because it was fascinating to discover that she had in fact led a double life and that she's a very complex character hiding behind the air of a girl with refined taste in clothes and beauty.
"The righteous stand before the darkness, and the Maker shall guide their hand." Leliana, Dragon Age: Origins
MABARI HOUND
The Mabari War Hound is a war dog and a loyal companion to the Warden. He is a full member of the team, a warrior with unique talents and gear all of his own. He also has the occasional 'dialogue' moment where he digs around and finds items – usually gifts he offers to the player. At the start of the adventure, the Warden is given the chance to name the hound.
MORRIGAN
Morrigan is a witch from the Korcari Wilds and a romance option for a male Warden. Morrigan can also teach the Shapeshifter specialisation. I was especially struck by her dialogue lines, full of personality and sarcasm (which actually conceal psychological complexes and a fear of abandonment), and by her story as Flemeth's daughter – a living legend in Ferelden. On top of that, there's the option to have a child with Morrigan before the Blight, after which, during the battle, she performs an ancient ritual that will have consequences for the outcome.
"Men are always willing to believe two things about a woman: one, that she is weak, and two, that she finds him attractive." Morrigan, Dragon Age: Origins
WYNNE
Wynne is a mage of the Circle of Ferelden (the organisation that trains the realm's mages). To me, Wynne was like a caring grandmother, healing me every time in combat. I consider her the strongest ally, because I wouldn't have got through many battles without her help.
"People fear, not death, but having life taken from them. Many waste the life given to them, occupying themselves with things that do not matter. When the end comes, they say they did not have time enough to spend with loved ones, to fulfill dreams, to go on adventures they only talked about... But why should you fear death if you are happy with the life you have led, if you can look back on everything and say, 'Yes, I am content. It is enough.'" Wynne, Dragon Age: Origins
ZEVRAN ARAINAI
Assassin
Zevran is an Antivan elf who made his name on his assassin skills. He is a romance option for the Warden, whatever their sex. I didn't interact with this character very often, and it was only after I finished the game that I learned about his very sad past (he never met his parents, his mother died giving birth to him, and he had to spend his childhood in a brothel).
OGHREN
Berserker Oghren is a dwarven berserker, fond of a drink. I met him very late in the game, because the dwarven city was the last one I visited before the Blight began. What fascinated me, though, was that even though his wife Branka had died only recently, corrupted by the evil forces of the darkspawn, he asked me to go to a tavern so he could win over another girl.
"This is it, Warden. 'When from the blood of battle the Stone has fed, let the heroes prevail and the blighters lie dead.' As one of the blighters, I sodding salute you.
Let us show them our hearts, and then show them theirs." Oghren, Dragon Age: Origins
SHALE
Stone Golem Shale is a stone golem who can be recruited from the town of Honnleath via "The Stone Prisoner" DLC. Shale was my favourite companion, thanks to the interactions we had together (and especially her hatred of pigeons).
After completing the quest she gave me, I found out that before she was turned into a golem, Shale had been a dwarven woman. That made me like her even more (at first she would "throw" sarcastic lines at me, but in time she grew fond of me too).
"I see it found some augmentation crystals. I was not even aware it knew about them... well done! So? What does it think? They don't make me look any wider, do they? I find I am already too wide as it is." Shale, Dragon Age: Origins
STEN
Warrior Sten is a warrior of the Beresaad, the vanguard of the Qunari people. He is a stoic, disciplined man with a strong ethical code, and how he treats others depends on whether or not they have his respect – which he doesn't hand out easily. He isn't a typical Qunari, as he was born without horns. As with all Qunari designations, “Sten” is not a name but a rank. Although I interacted with him very little, Sten stayed by my side the whole time and proved to be a loyal friend.
“No one has a place here. Your farmers wish to be merchants. The merchants dream of being nobles, and the nobles become warriors. No one is content to be who they are.” Sten, Dragon Age: Origins Although the game has a very long story, I can say that Dragon Age: Origins now sits on my list of recommendations for anyone keen on political intrigue and tales of kings and vassals. I consider it ideal for those who want to play a single-player game where their choices matter and reshape the interactions they have with both allies and enemies.
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