Dragon Age is a critically acclaimed fantasy role-playing game (RPG) series developed by BioWare. The series has captured the hearts of RPG enthusiasts worldwide with its captivating storylines, intriguing characters, and immersive gameplay.

Table of Contents

Dragon Age Origins

The original Dragon Age game, Dragon Age: Origins, was released in 2009. The game introduces the Grey Wardens, an ancient order of warriors tasked with protecting Thedas from the darkspawn, a horde of monstrous creatures. Players create their own Warden character, choosing from various races, classes, and backgrounds.

Key Features:

Epic Storyline: Embark on an epic journey to save Thedas from the darkspawn and uncover the secrets of its ancient past.
Character Creation: Customize your Warden character with a wide range of options, including race, class, and background.
Tactical Combat: Engage in thrilling real-time combat with pause functionality, allowing for strategic planning.
Companions: Build friendships with a diverse cast of companions, each with their unique story and combat abilities.

Dragon Age II

Dragon Age II was released in 2011. The game takes place in the city of Kirkwall, several years after the events of Dragon Age: Origins. Players assume the role of Hawke, a refugee from Lothering who becomes entangled in the city’s political and social conflicts.

Key Features:

Non-Linear Storytelling: Experience a more linear storyline that focuses on the character’s journey within Kirkwall.
Combat Improvements: Enhanced combat system with new abilities and more dynamic encounters.
Enhanced Relationships: Build deeper relationships with companions through a more interactive dialogue system.
Intriguing Setting: Explore the bustling city of Kirkwall, with its complex factions and political struggles.

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Dragon Age: Inquisition was released in 2014. The game expands upon the lore of Thedas, following the Inquisition’s efforts to restore order and fight a new threat known as the Breach. Players take on the role of the Inquisitor, a powerful leader tasked with making crucial decisions that shape the fate of the world.

Key Features:

Vast Open World: Traverse a vast and diverse open world, exploring ancient ruins, lush forests, and bustling cities.
Class Specializations: Each class now has three unique specializations to choose from, allowing for greater character customization.
Strategic War Command your forces from the war table, making strategic decisions that impact the outcome of the Inquisition’s campaign.
Crafting and Customization: Create powerful weapons, armor, and other items with the in-depth crafting system.

Dragon Age: Dreadwolf

Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is the upcoming fourth installment in the series, scheduled for release in late 2023. The game will reportedly explore the character of Solas, an ancient elf who played a significant role in Dragon Age: Inquisition.

Key Features (Speculated):

New Setting: Explore a fresh new setting and uncover the secrets of Solas’ past.
Updated Combat: Expect further enhancements to the combat system, offering more dynamic and immersive battles.
Deep Lore and Characters: Dive deeper into the lore of Thedas and interact with intriguing new characters.
Player Choice and Impact: Make impactful choices that shape the storyline and the fate of the world.

Dragon Age Franchise: Key Differences

Game	Storyline	Setting	Character Focus
Dragon Age: Origins	Epic quest to save Thedas from the darkspawn	Vast and diverse world	Warden character with customizable race, class, and background
Dragon Age II	Non-linear narrative in the city of Kirkwall	Kirkwall and its surroundings	Hawke, a refugee caught in political conflicts
Dragon Age: Inquisition	Inquisition’s journey to restore order and fight the Breach	Vast open world with various regions	Inquisitor, a powerful leader with class specializations and strategic command

Dragon Age: Wardens, Blights, and Darkspawn

Wardens: An ancient order of warriors sworn to protect Thedas from the darkspawn.
Blights: Cataclysmic events where darkspawn invade from the Deep Roads.
Darkspawn: Monstrous creatures that seek to consume all life in Thedas.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is the release date of Dragon Age: Dreadwolf?
- A: Late 2023 (estimated)
Q: What platforms will Dragon Age: Dreadwolf be available on?
- A: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S (unconfirmed)
Q: Which Dragon Age game is the best?
- A: The best game depends on personal preferences. Dragon Age: Origins is praised for its epic storyline and character customization, while Dragon Age: Inquisition offers a vast open world and strategic war table gameplay.
Q: Will Dragon Age: Dreadwolf connect to previous games?
- A: Yes, it is expected to explore the lore and characters established in the previous installments.

References:

Dragon Age Wiki

BioWare: Inquisition

BioWare: Inquisition is a 2014 action role-playing game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts. It is the third installment in the Dragon Age series and was released on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.

Players assume the role of the Inquisitor, a powerful warrior who is tasked with leading the Inquisition, an organization dedicated to fighting the demonic forces that have invaded the world of Thedas. The game features a complex narrative with multiple branching paths, a vast open-world environment to explore, and a deep character customization system.

Inquisition received critical acclaim for its story, characters, and gameplay. It won numerous awards, including Game of the Year from multiple publications. The game was also a commercial success, selling over 10 million copies worldwide.

Dragon Age: Origins

Dragon Age: Origins is a role-playing game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts in 2009. Set in the fictional kingdom of Ferelden, the game follows the story of the player character, known as the Warden, as they battle an ancient evil known as the Darkspawn.

Gameplay in Origins revolves around exploration, combat, and character development. Players create their own unique Warden, selecting from a variety of races, classes, and backstories. The game features a branching narrative that adapts to player choices and actions, affecting the story’s progression and the relationships with party members. Combat is turn-based and tactical, requiring strategic planning and careful positioning.

Key features of Dragon Age: Origins include:

Extensive world and lore with a rich fantasy setting
Character-driven story with complex relationships and branching dialogue
Deep character customization with multiple races, classes, and origins
Strategic turn-based combat with a focus on tactics and teamwork
A varied cast of companions with unique personalities and abilities

Dragon Age: II

Dragon Age: II is a role-playing game released in 2011. It follows the story of Hawke, a former refugee turned renowned Champion, who leads a group of companions against various threats in the city of Kirkwall.

Key Features:

Character Customization: Create and customize a unique Hawke, choosing from various races, classes, and backgrounds.
Companion System: Recruit and manage a diverse group of companions, each with their own unique abilities, personalities, and storylines.
Branching Storyline: The player’s choices throughout the game influence the narrative, leading to multiple endings.
Intense Combat: Engage in fast-paced and visceral combat using a variety of weapons, spells, and abilities.
Political Intrigue: Navigate the complex political landscape of Kirkwall, where power struggles and ancient secrets intertwine.

Mass Effect

Mass Effect is a science fiction role-playing video game trilogy developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts. The series follows Commander Shepard, a human soldier who fights against an ancient alien threat known as the Reapers. Throughout the trilogy, Shepard leads a diverse crew on the Normandy, a starship that becomes their home and base of operations.

The games feature a vast and detailed universe with diverse alien races, planets, and civilizations. Players can choose to focus on combat, diplomacy, or a combination of the two, and their decisions have a significant impact on the story. The trilogy is renowned for its compelling characters, immersive storytelling, and epic scale.

Summary of Knights of the Old Republic

Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) is a role-playing video game set in the Star Wars universe approximately 4,000 years before the events of the original trilogy. The game follows the story of a customizable protagonist who awakens with amnesia after their ship is attacked by the Sith. They are joined by a group of companions, including the Jedi Knight Revan, who helps them to regain their memory and fight against the Sith threat.

KOTOR features a branching narrative that is influenced by the player’s choices. Players can choose to side with the Republic or the Sith, and their decisions will affect the story’s outcome. The game also features a robust combat system and a wide variety of planets and locations to explore.

Upon its release in 2003, KOTOR was critically acclaimed and went on to become a commercial success. It is considered to be one of the greatest role-playing video games of all time and has been praised for its story, characters, and combat system.

Star Wars: The Old Republic

Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR) is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) set thousands of years before the events of the Star Wars movies. Players create characters from one of eight character classes and align themselves with either the Galactic Republic or the Sith Empire.

The game features a rich and immersive storyline that is heavily influenced by player choices. Players can engage in a variety of quests, from simple fetch-and-retrieve missions to epic battles that shape the fate of the galaxy. SWTOR also features a robust crafting system, allowing players to create their own weapons, armor, and other items.

The game has been praised for its engaging story, deep character customization options, and stunning graphics. It is one of the most popular MMORPGs on the market, with a large and active player base.

Jade Empire

Jade Empire is an action role-playing game set in a fantasy world inspired by ancient China and martial arts films. Players take on the role of a young martial artist who must uncover a conspiracy that threatens the fate of the world. The game features a unique combat system that allows players to chain together different attacks to create powerful combos. Jade Empire also has a branching storyline that changes based on the player’s choices, affecting their character’s alignment and the ending of the game.

Neverwinter Nights

Neverwinter Nights is a role-playing game set in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting of Dungeons & Dragons. It was developed by BioWare and published by Atari in 2002. The game features a single-player campaign and a multiplayer mode that allows players to create their own characters and adventures.

The single-player campaign follows the story of Aribeth de Tylmarande, a paladin of Bhaal who seeks to bring about the end of all things. The player character, a young adventurer who has been recruited into the Order of the Gauntlet, must stop Aribeth and prevent her from completing her plans.

The multiplayer mode allows players to create their own characters and adventures and to play with other players online. Players can create their own maps, stories, and quests, and they can share them with other players. Neverwinter Nights is a popular and critically acclaimed role-playing game that has sold over 2 million copies worldwide.

Baldur’s Gate

Baldur’s Gate is a classic role-playing video game set in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting of Dungeons & Dragons. Developed by BioWare and published by Black Isle Studios, the game was released in 1998 and quickly became a critical and commercial success.

The game is set in the titular city of Baldur’s Gate, a major port city on the Sword Coast of Faerûn. Players take control of a party of adventurers who are hired to investigate a series of murders and kidnappings. As the investigation unfolds, the party uncovers a sinister plot that threatens to destroy the city.

Baldur’s Gate is a highly acclaimed game that has been praised for its deep gameplay, engaging story, and memorable characters. The game has been credited with popularizing the isometric role-playing genre and is considered one of the greatest video games of all time.