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(More customer reviews)DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS will probably go down as one of the best games that I've ever played. It's an RPG of a dying breed. Your character is silent, the lore is extensive, and success only comes about after trial, error, and numerous deaths. A game that all but demands that you invest yourself emotionally and fill your character's shoes as much as possible. It follows the classic D&D tradition that few games submit to these days (not even DRAGON AGE II will be in the same vein) and a masterful story that only the good writers at BioWare could deliver.
If you haven't had a chance to play this game, start with this "Ultimate Edition." No question about it. DA:O is certainly good enough as is, but BioWare released a series of add-ons since its release that aren't quite worth the price tag they were given. This collection, on the other hand, is a great deal. Buying DA:O, its "expansion," and every piece of DLC at release would have cost you a grand total of $160. Unacceptable and insulting, especially considering the quality of some of the DLC. On the other hand, the cost for the "Ultimate Edition" is a fine price for you to enjoy the heck out of DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS, and make up your own mind about the add-ons without conflict.
NOTE: The package includes two discs. The first contains only DA:O, while the second is an installation disc for the add-ons. You WILL have to install the DLC from the second disc to play them. They're not terribly big files, but people with limited HD space should take this into account.
-DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS (5/5 Stars): In my old Amazon review, I gave this game 4/5 stars because of its difficulty, but that was nearly a year ago...and I'm still playing. If the sheer amount of content doesn't keep you playing, then maybe the fact that merely playing as a character of a different gender will dramatically change the way the story progresses. You will never play the same game twice. This is fantasy fiction at its best, and one of the best fantasy RPGs in years and years.
The writing is great, the lore is perhaps TOO detailed, and the characters are extremely likable. If you love in-depth or classic RPGs that stay away from modern trappings, this is the game for you. Perhaps one of the LAST games for you.
(The DLC reviews are in the order I think they should be played for full enjoyment. The first three, you should play before you complete the game.)
-THE STONE PRISONER (3/5 Stars): The quest itself is largely uninteresting, but it unlocks a new party member, Shale. It's a well-written character to be sure and is sure handy in a fight, but don't expect to get a ton out of its backstory.
-WARDEN'S KEEP (4/5 Stars): This has a nice little storyline that's only about an hour in length (as is most of the DLC). You are tasked with helping a descendant of a Grey Warden clear his family's name. To do so, you must clear out a place called Soldier's Peak, which, afterward, will grant you a place to store your goods. For the impulsive looter, this is a gift, though I think it should have been a part of the actual game. Having a guy in your camp asking you to buy Xbox Live content doesn't do much for immersion.
-RETURN TO OSTAGAR (5/5 Stars): This one worked so well on account of its emotional significance to me. Ostagar is The Place where your adventure begins, where you become a Grey Warden, and lose quite a bit. To come back to it was a heart-wrenching experience. It won't take you very long to hack through it, but the items that you can find throughout have great meaning, and the ending brings with it a satisfying sense of closure.
-DRAGON AGE: AWAKENING (4/5 Stars): Without the outrageous $40 price tag attached to it, you can now enjoy this in full confidence. This is a 13-15 hour adventure through the Arling of Amaranthine, which will give you new locations, party members, armor, and an opportunity to rule over the land. It's definitely the best out of all the add-ons, but it probably won't sync up very well with your ending from ORIGINS, which is definitely a downer. And the ending was a bit rushed for my taste.
-GOLEMS OF AMGARRAK (3/5 Stars): I liked the idea of my Warden answering a call for help, but I DREADED going back to the Deep Roads again. AGAIN! There are other places to explore in Ferelden, BioWare...Anyway, this wasn't bad, but there just wasn't much to it. You explore an old dwarven thaig, uncover a few ancient secrets and fight a boss. If it takes you more than two hours to complete, I'd be surprised (that goes for most of the DLC).
-WITCH HUNT (4/5 Stars): The infamous Morrigan romance. If you felt it didn't end the way you'd expected in ORIGINS, here's your chance to get that feeling back again. The story takes place a little over two years after the end of ORIGINS, and your Warden is searching for Morrigan (your intentions, good or ill, are up to you). There's quite a bit of lore to be found here, some humor from your party members, and it provides you with enough foreshadowing to make you remember DRAGON AGE II is right around the corner. Beyond that, Witch Hunt is little more than a fine way to kill an hour, but I liked it. NOTE: This DLC will pretty much serve as the end of your Warden's story until DA2, so plan accordingly.
-LELIANA'S SONG (2/5 Stars): This DLC didn't serve much of a purpose to me. Leliana told her story sufficiently enough in ORIGINS; there was just no reason to play through it. It actually made her character all the more confusing because it doesn't really give you a good, meaningful reason as to why she joined the Chantry. It almost makes it sound like she joined "just because." Way to take a neat story and make it boring. Also, the almost French accents were terribly annoying and poorly done here.
-THE DARKSPAWN CHRONICLES (1/5 Stars): Another pointless piece of DLC. It basically shows what would happened if you, the Warden, had never been found. You command a Hurlock and a party of other Darkspawn through the final battle, killing all of the Warden's companions along the way. This would have been a neat little "what-if?" story, but there is absolutely no voice-work here. Not one word, so it just amounts to an hour of killing things with no real purpose. And all the locations are recycled, let's not forget that.
So, in closing, I do want to reiterate my love for this game and how much of a true RPG experience it is. BioWare might have gone a little crazy with the DLC, but this is a truly great package when everything is said and done. This is my second time buying DA:O (my copy was throughly abused and broken after my friend and I were done with it), and it was my first time playing and of the add-ons with the exception of AWAKENING. I had a lot of fun, despite the questionable quality of a few of them.
This really is as good as it gets. And judging by the current "simplified, modern, give-a-voice-to-the-main-character" trend in RPGs, this may very well be one of your last opportunities to enjoy a game inspired by the classics of the genre.
See you at the Joining, Warden.
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Get the ultimate Dragon Age experience! Dragon Age: Origins - Ultimate Edition includes: Dragon Age: Origins. You are a Grey Warden, one of the last of this 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. Explore a stunning world, make complex moral choices, and engage in bone-crushing combat against massive and terrifying creatures. Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening Expansion Pack. The story of the Grey Wardens continues as you are named their commander. Fight new enemies, learn new skills and spells, and explore an all-new area of the world, Amaranthine. All Nine Content Packs Extend your adventure with The Stone Prisoner, Warden's Keep, Return to Ostagar, Feastday Gifts, The Darkspawn Chronicles, Feastday Pranks, Leliana's Song, The Golems of Amgarrak, and Witch Hunt. Collect new rewards, gain new party members, and more as you delve deeper into the Dragon Age storyline.
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