Dragon Age Once More

I'll be forward. I didn't like Dragon Age II.

While I'm sure there are people out there who thoroughly enjoyed their experience with it, before you raise your pitchforks and torches, let me explain. Dragon Age II isn't a bad game. However, after my infatuation with Dragon Age: Origins -- its predecessor -- jumping into Dragon Age II felt like a letdown.

Dragon Age: Origins on the PC was one of my favorite games of 2009. It was tactical and diverse. It was a love letter to the old-school PC RPGs I grew up on. The continent of Thedas was vast, and while the game was only set in the kingdom of Ferelden, the game let us travel to amazing and varied landscapes. The character and dialogue was written and acted out incredibly well, with companions commenting on relationships, past-quests and current circumstances.

Some changes came with Dragon Age II. Following the development process (albeit from the media) and reading post-development blogs (see Matt Rhodes' great blog post, if you have the time), I understand that all choices were made with genuine passion. While Dragon Age II hoped to show us the evolution of the city of Kirkwall and its surroundings, the environment became repetitive and I thought these spaces were generally bland and flat. I enjoyed the new action-oriented approach, but it became a letdown when its originally more strategic elements were sacrificed because of it. Playing on the PC didn't feel as engaging. I felt disjointed from my companions, having to make less choices in their development as characters. It was a shame too, as I was eagerly anticipating it from the day it was announced on GameInformer.com. Dragon Age II isn't a bad game, I was just slightly letdown.

After Dragon Age II, I waited for a sequel. A sequel that would challenge its flaws and improve upon what made it fun. Jumping back into Thedas would be easy and I'd gladly go back in for another round.

That all changed in E3 2013 when Dragon Age: Inquisition was officially announced.

While the footage was running in-engine without gameplay, it looked amazing. Bioware talked about listening to the community, and the exciting new prospects resulting from it. I became instantly attached. I wanted to know more. I mean did you see that monster of a Qunari? Who the [redacted] is he? Heh, I even bought GameInformer's latest issue on the day they announced they'd be covering Dragon Age: Inquisition.

It was then that I realised: I wanted to get back into Dragon Age. Relearn the lore. Make my mark. Quell the Blight once more. Set the foundation for when I inevitably come back for round 3.

I searched stores for Dragon Age: Origin's Ultimate Edition only to be told that it was no longer being produced. Fortunately EA's Origin service had it ready for me to download.

It's like déjà vu all over again.



Bernard Sam is an author at The Ops Centre. He has finished the first season of Bravest Warriors on YouTube and wants more.