Dragon Age: Origins came out towards the end of last, with much fanfare and critical acclaim. It was a return to the high-fantasy roots that garnered BioWare so much respect as a PC developer For strictly console gamers; it showed that the Edmonton developer could go beyond the science fiction trappings of Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect series. Once again, BioWare invites gamers to strap on sword and shield for an expansion pack to the award-winning fantasy RPG.
A Return to Ferelden
Dragon Age: Origins – Awakenings is larger and more far-reaching than the smaller downloadable content that has been available so far, but as the term expansion implies, it merely opens up the existing world a bit more, rather than going for a complete overhaul of the graphics and mechanics that a full sequel would entail. It uses the exact same engine and often much of the same motion capture animation as its predecessor. It’s simply a bigger chunk of new Dragon Age gameplay to tide hungry fans over until next year’s release, already hinted at with a postcard in the retail version.
“Dragon Age: Origins have not changed in the slightest.”
It’s difficult to talk about the story in Awakenings for a couple of reasons, one being that to do so would be to give away some of the plot of the previous game, and the other being that some minor elements will be slightly different based on the choices players made in the previous game. Players will have the option of starting a new character, a Grey Warden from the neighboring nation of Orlais, or importing their old character from Dragon Age: Origins into this new expansion.
Players importing their old character should note that loot acquired from DLC such as Warden’s Keep or The Stone Prisoner will not carry over, so players attached to the Helmet of Honnleath will have to find an alternative. The plot largely deals with the fragmented Darkspawn, the villainous army from the first game. After their defeat in Dragon Age: Origins, the accepted historical convention has been that even with a massed army, they should now retreat underground until they have a new leader. This time, that doesn’t happen, and everyone wants to know why. The player, either as the new kid from Orlais or the returning hero from Ferelden, gets to the bottom of this event.
The cohesiveness of the story is what makes this game work. It’s worth noting that you can’t play this expansion without having played Dragon Age: Origins, as the game requires an existing Dragon Age: Origins save file on your system. With that out of the way, old friends show up either in cameos or as members of your party for this new adventure, new characters arrive, and a rich, complex task of rebuilding a new fortress and dealing with local politics arises in addition to the main mystery of the ornery Darkspawn. It’s more of the same from BioWare, which means a compelling story with likeable characters, and that’s a good thing.
The technical aspects of Dragon Age: Awakenings show no changes at all. It’s the exact same engine and mechanics that were used in the first game, right down to the chugging frame rates and occasional sound dropouts. It’s obvious that while enormous care was taken with the story, the constraints of time allowed some bugs to slip through, such as journal entries that go blank and sound mix problems during battles where the grunts of enemies drown out the clashing of swords and hurling of fireballs, and most seriously, quest bugs that sometimes prevent completion. The engine is solid and functional, but lacks polish.
Compact But Complex
This latest expansion does not have the same scope as the original Dragon Age. In contrast, the first had players roaming the entire land of Ferelden for anywhere from 60 to over 100 hours of gameplay. Awakenings can be completed in about 30 hours or less. The action takes place entirely in a region of Ferelden known as Amaranthine at a much faster pace. The beginning of the game sees the player saddled with an overwhelming number of quests in less than two hours, and it quickly spirals upward as exploration of neighbouring towns and countryside begins.
“Dragon Age: Origins – Awakenings is larger and more far-reaching than the smaller downloadable content that has been available so far.”
The mechanics of Dragon Age: Origins have not changed in the slightest. Combat still plays out the same as before. In fact, it’s slightly easier even on normal difficulty since players start at a higher level, especially with an imported character. Non-player characters in your party can still be interacted with to increase or decrease their level based on your choices, and there’s plenty of loot to go around. What is different here is that romance is completely absent, so there are no Byzantine relationship dynamics to navigate for the more soap opera-motivated gamer. The items have also been revamped, with a vast array of high-level weapons, armour, and accessories to use.
Dragon Age: Origins – Awakenings is an easy game to recommend. It can only be used by players who have already played the first game, and anyone who loved the first game will be ready for more. Bioware has given players exactly what they want, more adventure, more characters, more story, and more insight into the world of Ferelden. The only major criticism of the expansion pack is the noticeable level of minor bugs present, but it’s always possible that a patch will address those issues. Otherwise, Awakenings plays it safe by giving players more of the same in a smaller, higher-quality package.
