- Site: Dragon Age: Origins: Awakening
- Publisher: BioWare
- Developer: BioWare
- Genre: Role-Playing Game
Game Media
By Brad Cook
“Origins is just the tip of the iceberg … It was definitely the start of something big,” lead designer Mike Laidlaw said when we talked to him about Dragon Age: Origins. The Awakening expansion pack reveals more of the iceberg: you have been tasked with rebuilding the Grey Wardens while serving as the Arl of Amaranthine, but new evil is afoot. The archdemon controlling the Darkspawn was defeated, but yet the vile creatures have returned.
After driving back an assault as Awakening’s storyline begins, you discover that the enemy forces were led by an intelligent Darkspawn, a revelation that comes with a deadly twist: previously, only an archdemon could command an entire Darkspawn horde; if some Darkspawn have become leaders of more than a few soldiers, Amaranthine could find itself under attack in more locations than the Grey Wardens can defend. And if Amaranthine falls, the entire kingdom of Ferelden could be next.
Your Mission
You may import a character from your previous adventure or start anew. If you elect the former option, many of your weapons and other items will come with you; the fact that you defeated the archdemon also means your positive reputation will precede you. New characters hail from the Orlesian Empire — it lies to the west of Ferelden and actually ruled the kingdom until just 30 years ago. The Orlesians sacked Amaranthine during their retreat, so don’t be surprised if some characters give you a chilly reception.
Your quest involves discovering the true intentions of the mysterious antagonists known as The Architect and Mother. Like in the previous adventure, you’ll be able to recruit other characters to assist you — some of them may undergo the Joining ritual to become Grey Wardens themselves. You’ll likely remember one character from the main game: Oghren, a heavy-hitting dwarf with a penchant for ale and a fondness for saying: “Need anything pummeled? Just say the word.”
Your adventure will take you from Vigil’s Keep — where the Grey Wardens who now control Amaranthine have established a base of operations — to Blackmarsh, Wending Woods, and Dragon Bone Wastes, among other locations whose names are as foreboding as they sound. You’ll have tough choices to make along the way, so keep in mind another observation from Laidlaw: “One of the main themes in the world of Dragon Age is that there is no absolute right or absolute wrong.”
Along the way, there are new magical items to collect, new weapons to wield, new talents to master, new spells to cast, new specializations for different character classes to focus on, and new monsters to fight, including armored ogres, blighted werewolves, and the spectral dragon known as Queen of the Blackmarsh. That last one isn’t even the toughest enemy you’ll encounter, so strap on your gear and get ready to visit the continent of Thedas once more. We promise it won’t be your last trip.
Game Hardware
Check out our systems for your best gaming experience.
Here, There Be Dragons. Since the game is called Dragon Age, it would be a bummer if you didn’t run into a few of them.
A Worthy Foe. Two characters take on an armored ogre, one of the new creatures in the game.
Dragon Age: Origins: Awakening Strategy Guide
The Dragon Age: Origins: Awakening Strategy Guide for iPhone is a free preview of the official Prima guide to the game. It offers insights into the warrior class, including developer-approved strategies straight from BioWare, strengths and weaknesses, attributes, skills, talents, and school options.
Dragon Age: Origins
Learn more about Dragon Age: Origins by reading our previous feature which covers the original version of the game. Choose one of six origin stories as you set out to become a powerful Grey Warden and help protect the kingdom of Ferelden from an invasion by darkspawn and their Archdemon.
System Requirements:
- Full version of Dragon Age: Origins required
- Mac OS X version 10.6.2
- Intel Core 2 Duo processor
- 2GB of RAM
- Video card: ATI X1600 or Nvidia 7300 GT or better chipset (Intel GMA950 and X3100 integrated video chipsets not supported)
- 3.5GB hard disk space
But Wait, There’s More
Those of you who have played the pen-and-paper role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons are familiar with modules, which are short, standalone adventures. Many other pen-and-paper RPGs have featured modules too, but D&D pioneered the concept in the late 1970s.
Dragon Age: Origins continues that tradition with five adventures you can download now. All of them offer rewards you can transfer to the main game or the Awakening expansion pack. You can tackle each one by importing an existing character or creating a new one.
- Witch Hunt: What happened to Morrigan? During Dragon Age: Origins, the sorceress left you with the words “Never follow me.” A year has passed since the archdemon’s defeat, and rumors are spreading that she has been seen in the southern wilderness. Travel there and confront Morrigan to learn her secrets.
- Golems of Amgarrak: A dwarven expedition has gone missing deep underground, and you must try to rescue them. The dwarves were seeking the ancient secrets of golem construction, hoping their recovery would bring wealth and power to the dwarven House Dace.
- Return to Ostagar: The ancient fortress Ostagar was the site of a brutal battle during Dragon Age: Origins. It was thought lost to the Darkspawn, but this is your opportunity to revisit it, thanks to a surviving Grey Warden who has escaped from captivity. You’ll learn more about the secret plans of King Cailan of Ferelden, who died during the conflict, and you’ll have the chance to assemble Cailan’s armor, pieces of which is now worn by various Darkspawn.
- Dark Spawn Chronicles: Here’s a fun “What if?” story for you: What if your character didn’t survive the Joining ceremony in Dragon Age: Origins? Here’s your chance to answer that question by playing as one of the Darkspawn. Many of them can command small numbers of troops, so you’ll get to control genlocks, hurlocks, shrieks, and ogres as you heed the archdemon’s call to sack the city of Denerim.
- Leliana’s Song: Leliana is a young bard used to relying on her beauty, charm, and stealth to complete missions for a criminal organization. Then she accompanies her mentor on a high-risk mission and she discovers that her usual tricks won’t be enough. She must figure out how to survive a deadly game of political intrigue or be killed in the process. This is a Dragon Age: Origins prequel that sheds more light on one of its main characters.