// KOTAKU — GAMING
31 Moments That Made The Dragon Age Series Unforgettable
BioWare’s closure last month has put a lot of focus on the Mass Effect series, as the shutdown also coincided with the cancelation of the fifth game in the studio’s sci-fi series. But the company’s fantasy series, Dragon Age, also deserves some eulogizing. All four Dragon Age games are vastly different, spanning different RPG frameworks, fantasy subgenres, and corners of the world of Thedas. Though BioWare left some dangling threads at the end of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, it also seemed like the studio was focusing on narrative closure, just in case this was the last time anyone in the studio would get to go back to the universe it had created over four games and 15 years. With BioWare gone, let’s look back at some of the best moments from all four games.
Dragon Age: Origins begins with one of six playable opening chapters, the one you play based on the race and class of character you choose, providing a unique background for your character before they head out into the main story.
The Hero of Ferelden can be part of human nobility facing a tragic series of losses, a castless dwarf struggling to make it in the city of Orzamar, or a mage evicted from the magic school they’ve known their entire life, and those starkly different origin points are only half of the options. These origins define how your hero will be viewed in the dozens of hours that follow, and also function as a starting point for how a new player will view the franchise. I started as a Mage when I first played Dragon Age: Origins in 2009, and have always felt like a veteran of the Circle at heart. Future Dragon Age games would implement this concept of different player backgrounds with Inquisition and The Veilguard, but none would do it as thoroughly—Origins was the only time I got to see that history play out in real-time.
No character in Origins is as impactful as Morrigan, the enigmatic Witch of the Wilds. The apostate carries a sense of superiority toward the rest of the party, as well as the trials and tribulations of Thedas. When you meet her in the early hours of Origins, you still don’t know much about the world, but her commanding presence elevated by Claudia Black’s excellent voice performance tells you that she is unlike anyone or anything you’ve met so far. Morrigan is one of the few characters in Dragon Age who watches nearly every important moment in Thedas’ history unfold, so seeing her here, both enigmatic but still so young and naive, is chilling to look back on.
After you’ve picked your background and lived out whatever trauma is associated with it, Dragon Age: Origins puts you at the center of a battle with a darkspawn horde. Your job is to signal for reinforcements to help defeat an army of bloodthirsty monsters, but before the battle starts, the vibes seem off. The golden retriever King Cailain is jazzed about the incoming battle, though his father-in-law Loghain Mac Tir seems less enthusiastic. The tension between the two is tangible, but who are you to get involved in royal family affairs? However, when you signal for reinforcements, Loghain instead commands his forces to retreat, leaving everyone, including you and his own son-in-law, for dead at the hands of the Blight. Most of the preceding origin stories are full of some kind of betrayal. You might think you would get some respite from it at some point, but Origins doubles down, reminding you that you know nothing of this world and the lengths people will go to get what they want.
Origins is not an entirely grimdark fantasy drama—some of the best character interactions come from your party members hanging out with your dog companion. Though Mabari dogs are trained to be vicious combatants, your canine companion is a sweetheart. Many interactions between the party and dog give him a hard time for being a mangy mutt, only for him to be revealed as a sensitive soul who just wants to play. Examine your preconceived notions, Origins crew. The sharp fangs mask that the Mabari is actual