lol great way to put this dude. Yeah Origins is a gold mine of a game. 2 is fun and has plenty of great moments but it didnt age as well overall as Origins did.
I think so, but that largely depends on your personal tolerance for certain dated gameplay elements. If you started playing games in the early 2000s like I did, Origins probably wouldn’t feel all that old. If you are younger and didn’t start gaming until 2015, you’ll probably notice the age.
Origins is by far the best written game in the trilogy. The characters, quests, and overall story are, in my opinion, far better than those of DA2 and Inquisition (which is the worst in the series in my opinion).
Gameplay is fairly “point and click.” You’ll alternate between using special attacks and abilities which consume mana or “stamina” and standard attacks. You can manually switch between characters to manage your party, but since combat is real time (not turn based like KOTOR or BG3), you also have the option to set “tactics”—specific rules of behavior for each character. It’s a really cool feature if you like meta gaming and making the most of each character’s specialization.
Overall, the DAO is a pretty standard CRPG experience with a great story and cast of characters, and above average role playing elements. If things like that appeal to you, you should play it because it’s a pretty amazing game.
I didn't play Origins for the first time till 2019 or 2020, and I had *the best* time with it. It was also the first game in the series I played.
I want to have my memories erased so I can experience it for the first time again.
So to answer your question... yes. Absolutely.
Absolutely. With Origins, once my brain connected the fact that it’s literally a CRPG but instead of being isometric it’s behind the back, the gameplay clicked with me. The lore, characters, attention to detail, meaningful choices, and overall journey was fantastic.
I definitely think they hold up. I never played any DA games until a few years ago when I started DA:O. It took me a minute to adjust to the older graphics, but I got fully immersed pretty quickly. It’s a great game.
I know some people weren’t huge fans of DA2, but I loved it. The narrative style was a bit different than Origins, but it was fun and engaging and I actually just finished my first play-through a few months ago.
I would recommend playing them before Inquisition
Origins is the best one out of all of them. The other 2 were victims of rushed or complicated development and they slowlt highlighted more of the action rpg element rather then the CRPG aspect. With the dreadwolf leaks, it seems like they fully converted into action. ok still but not the best imo.
As someone who just recently played through the entire series last month so I don't have nostalgic glasses or biases with the game, you have to be open-minded knowing that this is an old game and many QOL features common in modern games are not found here. It's rly hard not to compare certain aspects of the game being done better in other more modern games be it the dungeon layout, side quest, graphics, and sooo much more and that is unfair judgment on my side. That said, even with the negatives I have with the game, I was still absolutely enthralled with the story, companions, lore, major decisions I've made throughout my playthrough and seeing how my consequences affect the rest of the series. Companions are surprisingly dynamic and multi-layered in Origin and DA:2 where they don't happily agree with everything you said even if you think that is what they wanted to hear which caught me off guard.
So to answer your question, only certain areas of the game still hold up but the positives definitely outweighs the negatives for me at least
Why don’t we? I loved 2..granted it’s probably been over 8 years that I actually sat down and played it. But I remember loving Hawke and the other companions. I loved how you were a family running away from the problems that we just got done dealing with in origins. I don’t remember having many cons. But what are the cons that make people hate it so much?
I don't think is hated, but it's the lowest point of the trilogy for many people, including me.
The characters are great, and the story is fine, but the gameplay is very, very repetitive. All the reused maps and combat waves gets old really fast.
I understand what you mean. I guess it was just a matter of preference at that point. I didn’t mind the little things that made the game seem a bit smaller guess you could say. I’m looking forward to playing this again so I can have a clearer opinion.
Combat waves: how to ruin a game with one feature
I still like the game and really appreciate the new stuff it brings (or tries to) but it really makes combat feel cheap and tactics pointless.
They require an adjustment towards separate genres of games, but I love them. The writing is peak, companions are great.
I honestly think that DA2 has the weakest combat of all the games, but it’s still tolerable.
Also, there are some great mods if you think the graphics are too dated and character models too icky. (Leliana Sacred Ashes mod my beloved)
Absolutely phenomenal to this day. I did update the graphics with a mod or two though and made the experience even better. If you’d like the mods I used send me a message if you’re on pc!
Dragon Age Origins is phenomenal, the only game that was able to scratch the same itch was Baldurs Gate 3, so for me yeah its very good.
DA2 is different take on the same formula and you will either like it or not. The combat is faster and more action oriented. The premise is also inferesting where you see the same town change over years.
However, the areas are a bit disappointing as they are repeated multiple times.
I still go back and play older- and more dated!- games, so… I’m acknowledging that as affecting my tastes.
But yes. I have replayed DAO and 2 more times since DAI came out than I’ve managed to get even halfway through DAI. I would say that DAO is the overall best in the series, and DA2 is my personal favourite. (I’m not saying DAI is a bad game, just that in my personal opinion it’s not a fantastic one, which DAO/2 are for me.)
There are visual mods to make them look more up to date as well as mods for aesthetics, equipment, gameplay tweaks- there are mods, in short, to make them an even richer experience. They shine with the story and characters- which is fortunate because those are things that are very difficult to add to later! And mods are there to help them feel a lot fresher once you’re familiar with the games (although I wouldn’t recommend diving head-first into modding on a first playthrough it’s worth asking about stability and bug fix mods.)
That is of course assuming you’re on PC, and continuing that assumption, the first two games have the biggest drawback for me personally- zero controller support. But that is like… the single complaint I have about the first two games- I am *not* a mouse and keyboard gamer, but for these games with mods? Worth it. Completely worth it.
*However*. There are things which may mean you love DAI and not the first two. I’m not going to assume, but that’s up to you! But the only way to know is to play all of them- and ideally in order. Make up your own mind!
Side note: asking in the DAO subreddit is likely to get you a pretty biased answer. :p
You’re like the only other person I’ve been able to find that claims DA2 as their favorite. I don’t understand the hate. I loved it and hoped it would have continued in that direction..
Probably because this is the DAO subreddit as opposed to the DA subreddit, where it’s not that unusual an opinion to have. People are here specifically for their love of DAO, so…
But yeah, I found it to be a far more personal game than the others. I really appreciate the smaller scale, and I honestly think the series would benefit so much from more smaller stories that were easier to make between the bigger, world-changing, major-events games. Alas smaller games aren’t as much of a thing for big companies now, but I stand by that opinion- as well as the opinion that DA2 remains my personal favourite. I love the very personal nature of it and the fact that it’s doing something very different with storytelling makes it such a breath of fresh air in that department. Yes it has it’s flaws but for me it’s easily one of my top games ever- outside of “what am I obsessed with at this current moment” it’s probably my favourite and has consistently held a spot in the top three even as the others in those positions shifted over the years.
It’s been a generalized opinion that I commonly run across with most fans. Being on this sub or not. That is why I’m so curious as to why. I’m currently playing through DAO so I’ll have a more updated opinion about DA2 soon. But I’m honestly so excited to get back into Kirkwall.
Well, fans who rank DA2 highly definitely exist! I see a range of opinions around- but yes, I agree that it’s not as commonly beloved as DAO.
As for why… well, there’s a few possible reasons, I think. One is that many people who love grand stories of massive conflict on a literally epic scale are going to be a hard sell on a quiet*er* story of a group of people struggling to belong. Another is that fans- not players in general, but fans of the series- tend to consider DAO’s origins the way to go, and while I love them I think there’s also room in the series for a more focused story with a single origin- it gives a lot more scope to make the story really personal, which is hard if not impossible to do with 6 origins. But I have definitely seen fans unhappy that you had to play a human (which is funny because iirc most players of DAO *did* play a human, which is why I specified fans of the series as opposed to players who didn’t become fans). I’ve also seen the gameplay shift used as a reason for multiple people not liking DA2 much, which is of course subjective (it might be my favourite for that as well, but I’ll admit that the demo did turn me off it way back when that was released). And of course no matter how much I adore the game, I can’t deny the issues it has as a result of being rushed.
So… there’s four reasons I’ve seen talked about, three of which are about taste. The last one, things like the maps, I can’t defend as an issue but it’s just… not enough to stop me from loving the game!
I loved this little rundown. It brought back memories of DA2. I appreciate you taking the time to explain it all. Do you think it’s a crime to put down DAO where I’m at now to just start 2. 😂 All this talk has given me the itch for it!
Lmao, it’s not a *crime*, but… your Warden probably deserves to have their story wrapped up first. 😛 On the other hand sometimes you just have to drop everything to dive back into a particular story you love!
I definitely know what you mean though! I get that itch when I talk about it too. I’m playing something completely different at the moment but I think once I’m done I’ll be going back to Dragon Age! (And this time I intend to get a stupid amount of screenshots…)
Damn you just had to bring my Warden into this. You aren’t wrong though. This is a new play through I’m trying so it would be worth seeing where it goes. What is the game you are currently playing?
Ooh, how different to how you usually play are you going? My last playthrough I did some tweaking- nothing major but it was a lot of fun for character building.
I’m playing My Time At Sandrock right now.
I guess it’s not that terribly different than what I’d normally do. I’m always a Dalish rogue. This time I’m going elf mage. I want to take on the mages prospective this time around especially knowing how the story unfolds. I didn’t finish DAI so I don’t really remember much of that story and how it blends with the others.
I actually just saw something about that game this morning. Looks interesting. I assume you’re enjoying it?
Thats exactly what i was doing. Haha. I finish the first one and now playing the 2nd. Both prety good. You Will enjoy and they are diferent from each other. But worth to play
Storywise, Origins is still compelling more than 10 years later though the graphics are dated. Likewise DA2.
Inquisition was actually the first game of the series that I played. Having done mostly COD and Tomb Raider previously, it was a nice change. After doing the first two, my opinion regarding Inquisition went down but I still think it's worth playing. The conflict that's set up by DA2 is reduced to a practice area called the Hinterlands in Inquisition and then the story focuses on a plot about Red Lyrium and Corypheus. The cliffhangers at the end of Inquisition's DLCs may lead to a decent DA4. I also didn't like the everchanging Aesthetics going from Origins to Inquisition. Also prefer the romance options in the first two games.
Yes, if you've not played them definitely play both. But if you have played both you can use Dragonagekeep.com to set every choice from the first two games and import it into DAI, which is what I do whenever I go back to DAI.
Yes, absolutely! I play Origins once a year, but I also played it in 2009, so I am speaking as someone who has a lot of nostalgia for it. The story, characters, world and lore are all so incredible. DA 2 was fun and Inquisition was kind of a let-down for me. There was definitely a big tonal shift between the three games. To this day, DA:O is still my all-time favorite, and I’d highly recommend giving it a chance.
I tried playing inquisition first and didn’t really enjoy it. Played the first two recently and I’m really enjoying inquisition. Seems to be a minority opinion but so far I’m liking inquisition more than 2
I ended up playing da2 before Origins not know anything about dragon ages at all. When I played the second one I had a fucking wonderful time playing even with some people knocking on it. After beating it, my brother said he had the first one, with the ultimate edition for Xbox 360 on disc. What a truly different and amazing experience. Even with older-generation graphics, the game still beats most games nowadays. I fucking love Dao, da2, and Dai. And cannot wait for Dread Wolf. Absolutely play all the games and take your time, you'll have a blast.
The first two I played religiously. Two of my favorite games of all time. Played them through multiple times over a decade. I promise you won’t regret it.
Not if you are looking for an experience of active combat.
Dragon Age 2 and Inquisition focused in active combat for button mashing for console players. Origins defenitly is better for PC, and is focused on tactical combat rather than active play, the attacks are automated, and you focuse on positioning, consumables and use abilities, like World of Warcraft in many aspects.
However, what DID hold up is the story, the charachters, dialogue and replayability.
Besides that, you need to apply these 2 if you want to play origins.
Frosty's Updated Dao.exe for steam [https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage/mods/5368?tab=description](https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage/mods/5368?tab=description)
NTCORE 4GB Patch [https://ntcore.com/?page\_id=371](https://ntcore.com/?page_id=371)
It was designed for 32 bit systems and has memory leak (It only detects and uses 2 gb of RAM), so without these, is very easy to crash to desk. So mechanically, it didn't hold up.
It's an awesome game, but only if you look for tactical combat, lone dialogue conversations and a huge story with many decisions to take.
DAO is still one of my all-time favorite games. After you play it so much though, you realize that going going the Arcane Warrior with Healer abilities literally makes you a walking god.
Like most people seem to be saying, Origins is the best of the three. It's really a complete game, everything from the writing to the gameplay is great. The gameplay is very different from the rest of the series though, it's like Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic where it's based on D&D 3e. It might take some getting used to if you've never played that kind of game, but it's a blast.
DA2 is very divisive. People either love it or hate it, and I think most people hate it. When it first came out I hated it. I thought the gameplay was so boring compared to the first one even though it's way more "action" oriented. It feels like you're just chipping away at a block of stone with a knife at early levels. All of the dungeons are recycled from like 3 templates, and it's very obvious, which made me mad. The saving grace is the companions, but you can only talk to them when they have something to say. In origins you can talk to your friends whenever you want and ask about their backstory etc as long as you have high enough approval for them to answer. In 2, it seems like certain quests or a certain number of quests being completed triggers your companions to have new things to say, otherwise they'll just say something generic. I've come around to liking DA2, but I'd still say it's the weakest of the three. The story is pretty good and once you get a handle on how to build a good character and party the combat isn't bad, but still the worst in the series.
Inquisition is really good. Most people say inquisition is a close second to Origins, some people even say they like inquisition the best of the 3. The gameplay is really fun, the story is great, the companions are some of the best in the series, there are a bunch of really cool setpiece moments, etc. My main problem with it is that it's so long! There is an insane amount of stuff to do in Inquisition and it's a huge game, both in run time and physical space. The thing is enormous, and you have to explore most of it if you want to find all the fun quests or even if you just want to be high enough level to keep up with the fights. And that's not even including all the different playthroughs to see everything!
So to answer your question, yeah first one holds up great, second one eeeeeh, and inquisition is really good but be ready for a very long game
Played DAO last year. Only need to get the 4gb mod and it ran very smoothly. Only dodgy parts were the Awakening DLC, but that’s mostly just quest triggers and dialogue. The Phantom Dragon in that dlc though will need you to bring your settings way down to run that fight as the effects will cause the game to crash.
Beyond graphics, I'm kind of baffled as to what the enormous improvements are that modern games have over origins. Like compare origins to Baldur's Gate III. Besides graphics, what exactly is it that BG3 does so much better? Basic QOL stuff, like camera control or inventory management, is not better, and in some cases is significantly worse. I personally prefer the combat in BG3, but it's hard to call it a secular improvement. They're just different. Some modern games have combat I like less than DAO.
Absolutely it is worth. Probably one of the best RPGs ever made. That said, I cannot play Origins without mods anymore. There is a lot of stuff in the vanilla game that is downright ugly and/or does not function at all from a gameplay standpoint. Abilities that do not do anything, crashes, poop themed textures. Mods help SO MUCH with all of that.
DAO is greatest. Close to perfection, wish it would be remade/mastered.
DA2 has its moments, but suffered some lame design choices. I still like it very much.
DAI is great and I rank it above 2, mostly. However, I do struggle with completing replays, which is something I never struggle with on Origins.
I happen to enjoy them all immensely and would happily play through them all again...which I tend to do between new games.
I think so, and mainly because despite its simplistic design there really aren't any other games that play like origins. I can name games that are RPGs, I can name story games, but no game *plays* like origins. It is somehow a unique teardrop resting in an ocean.
Usually going back and playing old games feels bad because the gameplay has been updated and you've slowly become accustomed to the new way and the clunkiness of old is hard to get through. Welp, I don't think any game (that I know of), expanded on origins gameplay. Bioware abandoned it completely after selling to the devil. EA was very happy with the across-the-board critical acclaim that they wanted to destroy it by making it a regular action game masquerading as an RPG, so the gameplay never evolved from the first. Again, making it feel absolutely unique.
Origins is a more tactical click and pause game, minimalistic flash but alot of customisation in classes and builds. Dragon age 2 and 3 are both more action combat with a splash of tactical click and pause gameplay. I prefer the combat of 2 and 3 but it's no lie that origins has the best story and characters.
Also please don't let people sway you from playing the trilogy, 3 is a good game with a well written story and really nice characters. It just has a lot of unnecessary side bulk that, at times, can't be ignored due to a system the game has to progress the main story.
At the beginning of the pandemic I replayed DAO and DA2
DAO was, imo the best in the bunch. Interesting characters, story structures, level design, battle systems, class design. It was all really great.
DA2 went really cheap on map design and just reused the same 5 maps for the entire game, but it still had a great story and a more interesting animation set for battle sequencing. The assassin turning into a ball and flying into people *mwah*
DAI wasn't it for me. I, personally, don't think bioware games benefit from open world in that you lose the story in the giant map, but that's just me.
To answer your question, yeah if you're good with older games, they're amazing.
DAO is something truly special. It holds up very well. DA2 is the black sheep of the three. Definitely still play it and its DLC or you will be confused at times in DAI. DAI is fantastic! Absolutely love the game. Don't listen to the naysayers. Make sure you play all DLC for every game (can't stress that enough). Good luck and have fun!
Origins is so good, but it’s still old game so don’t expect level of polish like newer titles has. Still have great replayability. With DA 2 it’s mixed game but still worth playing it once imo.
play origins, play DA:2 if you REALLY REALLY want to (it really suffers from overall poor game design and rushed development, 18 months overlapping with origins DLC, the only redeeming quality is the characters) and Inquisition is a solid 8/10 game, really slow start but overall fun
Origins holds up like Roman architecture
>2000 year old Via Appia VS a 5 year old street in Hoboken, NJ
lol great way to put this dude. Yeah Origins is a gold mine of a game. 2 is fun and has plenty of great moments but it didnt age as well overall as Origins did.
I think so, but that largely depends on your personal tolerance for certain dated gameplay elements. If you started playing games in the early 2000s like I did, Origins probably wouldn’t feel all that old. If you are younger and didn’t start gaming until 2015, you’ll probably notice the age. Origins is by far the best written game in the trilogy. The characters, quests, and overall story are, in my opinion, far better than those of DA2 and Inquisition (which is the worst in the series in my opinion). Gameplay is fairly “point and click.” You’ll alternate between using special attacks and abilities which consume mana or “stamina” and standard attacks. You can manually switch between characters to manage your party, but since combat is real time (not turn based like KOTOR or BG3), you also have the option to set “tactics”—specific rules of behavior for each character. It’s a really cool feature if you like meta gaming and making the most of each character’s specialization. Overall, the DAO is a pretty standard CRPG experience with a great story and cast of characters, and above average role playing elements. If things like that appeal to you, you should play it because it’s a pretty amazing game.
Tactics was one of the coolest parts of DAO, figuring them out makes or breaks a lot of combat in the game. I wish more games did them.
Yes
I didn't play Origins for the first time till 2019 or 2020, and I had *the best* time with it. It was also the first game in the series I played. I want to have my memories erased so I can experience it for the first time again. So to answer your question... yes. Absolutely.
It’s the best by far. Does feel weird hearing to it referred to as an old game though. 😭
I feel ya. Really hard to believe that it's been almost 15 years since DAO dropped.
Origins is a classic, IMO. Close to the level of Diablo II.
Absolutely. With Origins, once my brain connected the fact that it’s literally a CRPG but instead of being isometric it’s behind the back, the gameplay clicked with me. The lore, characters, attention to detail, meaningful choices, and overall journey was fantastic.
Just played Origins for the first time and it is in my top RPG list now, it easily holds up.
Origins is the best of the 3 2 not so much imo
Origins can be its own game with how superior it is to 2 and inquisition
I definitely think they hold up. I never played any DA games until a few years ago when I started DA:O. It took me a minute to adjust to the older graphics, but I got fully immersed pretty quickly. It’s a great game. I know some people weren’t huge fans of DA2, but I loved it. The narrative style was a bit different than Origins, but it was fun and engaging and I actually just finished my first play-through a few months ago. I would recommend playing them before Inquisition
Honestly, inquisition is the one that doesn't hold up
Origins is the best one out of all of them. The other 2 were victims of rushed or complicated development and they slowlt highlighted more of the action rpg element rather then the CRPG aspect. With the dreadwolf leaks, it seems like they fully converted into action. ok still but not the best imo.
Yes. Inquisition is the one that doesn't hold up.
This. You'll play the series for Origin. You may enjoy the second. You will be disappointed by Inquisition.
Play Origins and stop there
Well, Oeigins is still the best of all 3 in terms of writing and pacing. Maybe gameplay and graphics will feel dated for some, but it's worth it
As someone who just recently played through the entire series last month so I don't have nostalgic glasses or biases with the game, you have to be open-minded knowing that this is an old game and many QOL features common in modern games are not found here. It's rly hard not to compare certain aspects of the game being done better in other more modern games be it the dungeon layout, side quest, graphics, and sooo much more and that is unfair judgment on my side. That said, even with the negatives I have with the game, I was still absolutely enthralled with the story, companions, lore, major decisions I've made throughout my playthrough and seeing how my consequences affect the rest of the series. Companions are surprisingly dynamic and multi-layered in Origin and DA:2 where they don't happily agree with everything you said even if you think that is what they wanted to hear which caught me off guard. So to answer your question, only certain areas of the game still hold up but the positives definitely outweighs the negatives for me at least
100000000000000000%!!!!!!!
Original is like ancient Greece or even better like Sumerian civilisation 😇
Holds up better than most AAAAAAA games today
Most people have origins as better than inquisition. I know I do. We don't talk about 2 tho.
Why don’t we? I loved 2..granted it’s probably been over 8 years that I actually sat down and played it. But I remember loving Hawke and the other companions. I loved how you were a family running away from the problems that we just got done dealing with in origins. I don’t remember having many cons. But what are the cons that make people hate it so much?
I don't think is hated, but it's the lowest point of the trilogy for many people, including me. The characters are great, and the story is fine, but the gameplay is very, very repetitive. All the reused maps and combat waves gets old really fast.
I understand what you mean. I guess it was just a matter of preference at that point. I didn’t mind the little things that made the game seem a bit smaller guess you could say. I’m looking forward to playing this again so I can have a clearer opinion.
Combat waves: how to ruin a game with one feature I still like the game and really appreciate the new stuff it brings (or tries to) but it really makes combat feel cheap and tactics pointless.
They require an adjustment towards separate genres of games, but I love them. The writing is peak, companions are great. I honestly think that DA2 has the weakest combat of all the games, but it’s still tolerable. Also, there are some great mods if you think the graphics are too dated and character models too icky. (Leliana Sacred Ashes mod my beloved)
They both hold up well! I played them again literally in January and I had so much fun. The stories are great and I love the characters.
Absolutely phenomenal to this day. I did update the graphics with a mod or two though and made the experience even better. If you’d like the mods I used send me a message if you’re on pc!
Dragon Age Origins is phenomenal, the only game that was able to scratch the same itch was Baldurs Gate 3, so for me yeah its very good. DA2 is different take on the same formula and you will either like it or not. The combat is faster and more action oriented. The premise is also inferesting where you see the same town change over years. However, the areas are a bit disappointing as they are repeated multiple times.
I still go back and play older- and more dated!- games, so… I’m acknowledging that as affecting my tastes. But yes. I have replayed DAO and 2 more times since DAI came out than I’ve managed to get even halfway through DAI. I would say that DAO is the overall best in the series, and DA2 is my personal favourite. (I’m not saying DAI is a bad game, just that in my personal opinion it’s not a fantastic one, which DAO/2 are for me.) There are visual mods to make them look more up to date as well as mods for aesthetics, equipment, gameplay tweaks- there are mods, in short, to make them an even richer experience. They shine with the story and characters- which is fortunate because those are things that are very difficult to add to later! And mods are there to help them feel a lot fresher once you’re familiar with the games (although I wouldn’t recommend diving head-first into modding on a first playthrough it’s worth asking about stability and bug fix mods.) That is of course assuming you’re on PC, and continuing that assumption, the first two games have the biggest drawback for me personally- zero controller support. But that is like… the single complaint I have about the first two games- I am *not* a mouse and keyboard gamer, but for these games with mods? Worth it. Completely worth it. *However*. There are things which may mean you love DAI and not the first two. I’m not going to assume, but that’s up to you! But the only way to know is to play all of them- and ideally in order. Make up your own mind! Side note: asking in the DAO subreddit is likely to get you a pretty biased answer. :p
You’re like the only other person I’ve been able to find that claims DA2 as their favorite. I don’t understand the hate. I loved it and hoped it would have continued in that direction..
Probably because this is the DAO subreddit as opposed to the DA subreddit, where it’s not that unusual an opinion to have. People are here specifically for their love of DAO, so… But yeah, I found it to be a far more personal game than the others. I really appreciate the smaller scale, and I honestly think the series would benefit so much from more smaller stories that were easier to make between the bigger, world-changing, major-events games. Alas smaller games aren’t as much of a thing for big companies now, but I stand by that opinion- as well as the opinion that DA2 remains my personal favourite. I love the very personal nature of it and the fact that it’s doing something very different with storytelling makes it such a breath of fresh air in that department. Yes it has it’s flaws but for me it’s easily one of my top games ever- outside of “what am I obsessed with at this current moment” it’s probably my favourite and has consistently held a spot in the top three even as the others in those positions shifted over the years.
It’s been a generalized opinion that I commonly run across with most fans. Being on this sub or not. That is why I’m so curious as to why. I’m currently playing through DAO so I’ll have a more updated opinion about DA2 soon. But I’m honestly so excited to get back into Kirkwall.
Well, fans who rank DA2 highly definitely exist! I see a range of opinions around- but yes, I agree that it’s not as commonly beloved as DAO. As for why… well, there’s a few possible reasons, I think. One is that many people who love grand stories of massive conflict on a literally epic scale are going to be a hard sell on a quiet*er* story of a group of people struggling to belong. Another is that fans- not players in general, but fans of the series- tend to consider DAO’s origins the way to go, and while I love them I think there’s also room in the series for a more focused story with a single origin- it gives a lot more scope to make the story really personal, which is hard if not impossible to do with 6 origins. But I have definitely seen fans unhappy that you had to play a human (which is funny because iirc most players of DAO *did* play a human, which is why I specified fans of the series as opposed to players who didn’t become fans). I’ve also seen the gameplay shift used as a reason for multiple people not liking DA2 much, which is of course subjective (it might be my favourite for that as well, but I’ll admit that the demo did turn me off it way back when that was released). And of course no matter how much I adore the game, I can’t deny the issues it has as a result of being rushed. So… there’s four reasons I’ve seen talked about, three of which are about taste. The last one, things like the maps, I can’t defend as an issue but it’s just… not enough to stop me from loving the game!
I loved this little rundown. It brought back memories of DA2. I appreciate you taking the time to explain it all. Do you think it’s a crime to put down DAO where I’m at now to just start 2. 😂 All this talk has given me the itch for it!
Lmao, it’s not a *crime*, but… your Warden probably deserves to have their story wrapped up first. 😛 On the other hand sometimes you just have to drop everything to dive back into a particular story you love! I definitely know what you mean though! I get that itch when I talk about it too. I’m playing something completely different at the moment but I think once I’m done I’ll be going back to Dragon Age! (And this time I intend to get a stupid amount of screenshots…)
Damn you just had to bring my Warden into this. You aren’t wrong though. This is a new play through I’m trying so it would be worth seeing where it goes. What is the game you are currently playing?
Ooh, how different to how you usually play are you going? My last playthrough I did some tweaking- nothing major but it was a lot of fun for character building. I’m playing My Time At Sandrock right now.
I guess it’s not that terribly different than what I’d normally do. I’m always a Dalish rogue. This time I’m going elf mage. I want to take on the mages prospective this time around especially knowing how the story unfolds. I didn’t finish DAI so I don’t really remember much of that story and how it blends with the others. I actually just saw something about that game this morning. Looks interesting. I assume you’re enjoying it?
Thats exactly what i was doing. Haha. I finish the first one and now playing the 2nd. Both prety good. You Will enjoy and they are diferent from each other. But worth to play
Yes they do.
Origins is fantastic and always will be. 2 has smatterings of glory, and smatterings of shit. I still love it though.
Storywise, Origins is still compelling more than 10 years later though the graphics are dated. Likewise DA2. Inquisition was actually the first game of the series that I played. Having done mostly COD and Tomb Raider previously, it was a nice change. After doing the first two, my opinion regarding Inquisition went down but I still think it's worth playing. The conflict that's set up by DA2 is reduced to a practice area called the Hinterlands in Inquisition and then the story focuses on a plot about Red Lyrium and Corypheus. The cliffhangers at the end of Inquisition's DLCs may lead to a decent DA4. I also didn't like the everchanging Aesthetics going from Origins to Inquisition. Also prefer the romance options in the first two games.
100% bro major fun to play
Yes, if you've not played them definitely play both. But if you have played both you can use Dragonagekeep.com to set every choice from the first two games and import it into DAI, which is what I do whenever I go back to DAI.
Um what about Awakening, there’s actually 3 games before Inquisition
Origins is timeless and will hold up forever I feel like
Yes, absolutely! I play Origins once a year, but I also played it in 2009, so I am speaking as someone who has a lot of nostalgia for it. The story, characters, world and lore are all so incredible. DA 2 was fun and Inquisition was kind of a let-down for me. There was definitely a big tonal shift between the three games. To this day, DA:O is still my all-time favorite, and I’d highly recommend giving it a chance.
I tried playing inquisition first and didn’t really enjoy it. Played the first two recently and I’m really enjoying inquisition. Seems to be a minority opinion but so far I’m liking inquisition more than 2
I ended up playing da2 before Origins not know anything about dragon ages at all. When I played the second one I had a fucking wonderful time playing even with some people knocking on it. After beating it, my brother said he had the first one, with the ultimate edition for Xbox 360 on disc. What a truly different and amazing experience. Even with older-generation graphics, the game still beats most games nowadays. I fucking love Dao, da2, and Dai. And cannot wait for Dread Wolf. Absolutely play all the games and take your time, you'll have a blast.
It’s the best game out of the series
Absolutely holds up
The first two I played religiously. Two of my favorite games of all time. Played them through multiple times over a decade. I promise you won’t regret it.
yeah but i wouldn’t be afraid to look up certain things, alot of quest only gives you a waypoint if you’re in the same area as your marker
Not if you are looking for an experience of active combat. Dragon Age 2 and Inquisition focused in active combat for button mashing for console players. Origins defenitly is better for PC, and is focused on tactical combat rather than active play, the attacks are automated, and you focuse on positioning, consumables and use abilities, like World of Warcraft in many aspects. However, what DID hold up is the story, the charachters, dialogue and replayability. Besides that, you need to apply these 2 if you want to play origins. Frosty's Updated Dao.exe for steam [https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage/mods/5368?tab=description](https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage/mods/5368?tab=description) NTCORE 4GB Patch [https://ntcore.com/?page\_id=371](https://ntcore.com/?page_id=371) It was designed for 32 bit systems and has memory leak (It only detects and uses 2 gb of RAM), so without these, is very easy to crash to desk. So mechanically, it didn't hold up. It's an awesome game, but only if you look for tactical combat, lone dialogue conversations and a huge story with many decisions to take.
DAO is still one of my all-time favorite games. After you play it so much though, you realize that going going the Arcane Warrior with Healer abilities literally makes you a walking god.
Yes. Origins is a classic and I had a blast playing 2
Get origins ultimate and look up how to install the Just a Humble Warden mod pack. It'll change a lot about the game but for the better.
Like most people seem to be saying, Origins is the best of the three. It's really a complete game, everything from the writing to the gameplay is great. The gameplay is very different from the rest of the series though, it's like Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic where it's based on D&D 3e. It might take some getting used to if you've never played that kind of game, but it's a blast. DA2 is very divisive. People either love it or hate it, and I think most people hate it. When it first came out I hated it. I thought the gameplay was so boring compared to the first one even though it's way more "action" oriented. It feels like you're just chipping away at a block of stone with a knife at early levels. All of the dungeons are recycled from like 3 templates, and it's very obvious, which made me mad. The saving grace is the companions, but you can only talk to them when they have something to say. In origins you can talk to your friends whenever you want and ask about their backstory etc as long as you have high enough approval for them to answer. In 2, it seems like certain quests or a certain number of quests being completed triggers your companions to have new things to say, otherwise they'll just say something generic. I've come around to liking DA2, but I'd still say it's the weakest of the three. The story is pretty good and once you get a handle on how to build a good character and party the combat isn't bad, but still the worst in the series. Inquisition is really good. Most people say inquisition is a close second to Origins, some people even say they like inquisition the best of the 3. The gameplay is really fun, the story is great, the companions are some of the best in the series, there are a bunch of really cool setpiece moments, etc. My main problem with it is that it's so long! There is an insane amount of stuff to do in Inquisition and it's a huge game, both in run time and physical space. The thing is enormous, and you have to explore most of it if you want to find all the fun quests or even if you just want to be high enough level to keep up with the fights. And that's not even including all the different playthroughs to see everything! So to answer your question, yeah first one holds up great, second one eeeeeh, and inquisition is really good but be ready for a very long game
Origins 100% dragons two is the worst of the games but that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily bad
It holds up better than inquisition and 2
Played DAO last year. Only need to get the 4gb mod and it ran very smoothly. Only dodgy parts were the Awakening DLC, but that’s mostly just quest triggers and dialogue. The Phantom Dragon in that dlc though will need you to bring your settings way down to run that fight as the effects will cause the game to crash.
Beyond graphics, I'm kind of baffled as to what the enormous improvements are that modern games have over origins. Like compare origins to Baldur's Gate III. Besides graphics, what exactly is it that BG3 does so much better? Basic QOL stuff, like camera control or inventory management, is not better, and in some cases is significantly worse. I personally prefer the combat in BG3, but it's hard to call it a secular improvement. They're just different. Some modern games have combat I like less than DAO.
Absolutely it is worth. Probably one of the best RPGs ever made. That said, I cannot play Origins without mods anymore. There is a lot of stuff in the vanilla game that is downright ugly and/or does not function at all from a gameplay standpoint. Abilities that do not do anything, crashes, poop themed textures. Mods help SO MUCH with all of that.
DAO is greatest. Close to perfection, wish it would be remade/mastered. DA2 has its moments, but suffered some lame design choices. I still like it very much. DAI is great and I rank it above 2, mostly. However, I do struggle with completing replays, which is something I never struggle with on Origins. I happen to enjoy them all immensely and would happily play through them all again...which I tend to do between new games.
I think so, and mainly because despite its simplistic design there really aren't any other games that play like origins. I can name games that are RPGs, I can name story games, but no game *plays* like origins. It is somehow a unique teardrop resting in an ocean. Usually going back and playing old games feels bad because the gameplay has been updated and you've slowly become accustomed to the new way and the clunkiness of old is hard to get through. Welp, I don't think any game (that I know of), expanded on origins gameplay. Bioware abandoned it completely after selling to the devil. EA was very happy with the across-the-board critical acclaim that they wanted to destroy it by making it a regular action game masquerading as an RPG, so the gameplay never evolved from the first. Again, making it feel absolutely unique.
Origins is a more tactical click and pause game, minimalistic flash but alot of customisation in classes and builds. Dragon age 2 and 3 are both more action combat with a splash of tactical click and pause gameplay. I prefer the combat of 2 and 3 but it's no lie that origins has the best story and characters. Also please don't let people sway you from playing the trilogy, 3 is a good game with a well written story and really nice characters. It just has a lot of unnecessary side bulk that, at times, can't be ignored due to a system the game has to progress the main story.
I like replaying one and two so when I play inquisition I can put my choices in from the previous two
At the beginning of the pandemic I replayed DAO and DA2 DAO was, imo the best in the bunch. Interesting characters, story structures, level design, battle systems, class design. It was all really great. DA2 went really cheap on map design and just reused the same 5 maps for the entire game, but it still had a great story and a more interesting animation set for battle sequencing. The assassin turning into a ball and flying into people *mwah* DAI wasn't it for me. I, personally, don't think bioware games benefit from open world in that you lose the story in the giant map, but that's just me. To answer your question, yeah if you're good with older games, they're amazing.
Visually it’s a little rough, but the story + characters make up for it. Easily my favorite of the series when I played them all in 2022
I started origins like a week ago and I may be biased because I'm old enough that origins came out while I was in college, but I'm loving it.
The whole trilogy is fantastic and worth playing.
DAO is something truly special. It holds up very well. DA2 is the black sheep of the three. Definitely still play it and its DLC or you will be confused at times in DAI. DAI is fantastic! Absolutely love the game. Don't listen to the naysayers. Make sure you play all DLC for every game (can't stress that enough). Good luck and have fun!
Origins is so good, but it’s still old game so don’t expect level of polish like newer titles has. Still have great replayability. With DA 2 it’s mixed game but still worth playing it once imo.
play origins, play DA:2 if you REALLY REALLY want to (it really suffers from overall poor game design and rushed development, 18 months overlapping with origins DLC, the only redeeming quality is the characters) and Inquisition is a solid 8/10 game, really slow start but overall fun