Dragon Age Origins: The Best Bioware Game?

A long and in depth retrospective on one of my favourite bioware game Dragon Age: Origins
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Chapters
Intro 0:00
The Set Up 5:35
Gameplay 14:30
Side Quests 17:23
Companions 20:18
Origins 44:02
Redcliffe 57:45
Sloth Demon 01:02:56
Dalish Vs Werewolves 01:05:50
Orzammar 01:08:46
Denerim & Ending 01:11:25

[@propheinx2250]

The mabari quest in Ostegar is something I've thought about a few times. Particularly, the flower you need to heal the mabari from the darkspawn sickness, is the same flower needed for the Joining Ritual. The mabari basically becomes a Grey Warden. Just no words are spoken, which seems to be tradition more than functional.

[@FlorentiusIV]

Huh. Where does it say its used in the ritual specifically? I never saw this anywhere. To be fair, It's likely to assume since the Joining does utilize "rare herbs" but I never saw it confirmed that the "Wilds Flower" is named directly in any codex or dialogue.

[@propheinx2250]

@FlorentiusIV it isn't, but it's the same model of flowers used, white with a red center. It's also not the only flower model they use in the game. I'm fairly certain that there's some yellow flowers somewhere around Ostagar. They also do the same thing, allowing someone/something to survive being tainted by the blight.

[@jordenfrost2329]

My questions were why not try that flower with sick people

[@Jeff17ish]

The Dalish origin literally introduces Eluvians, and it wraps it up quite nice during the Witch Hunt DLC. And DA2, and Inquisition... and I'm sure DA4 will have plenty of Eluvians too.

[@crassweller11]

Finally some love for Oghren. The fans seem to really dislike him for some reason.

[@Gguyrules]

He's my spirit animal, along with Zevrin.

[@Troopertroll]

It honestly pays to start different routes and then go and complete them later. Like you said, if kind of sucks to not have the companions for most of the adventure. I honestly think the Ohgren arc of redeeming a man at his lowest point is amazing. You go against your companions' better judgment and give this useless, dead weight a chance. You discover just how far he had fallen and help build him back up. He risks his life alongside the elf who tried to kill you and rescues you from prison. He re-assumes his command role and leads the Warden allies in the defense of the city.

[@brendanbeta487]

I think my favourite thing about the finale is that you can get a special ending by romancing Morrigan and not sleeping with her before the final battle. You find out she’s pregnant later but you still die because she leaves but you get a unique world state later

[@shadowtime91]

You can have all that happen and not have to die, also. :)

[@Sindrella.]

I played Baldurs Gate 3. I loved it. But the whole time, I kept thinking “I have to go back to DA:O” This game capped off the legendary run that BioWare had since the late 90s.

[@rafterman5072]

I would say ME3 really capped that run. Dragon Age may have been the peak, although I think ME2 is a bit better.

[@Sindrella.]

@@rafterman5072 Dragon Age: Origins was the peak, specifically. There’s a depth of reactivity in that game that hasn’t been surpassed by many games. Fallout: New Vegas is one of the few that achieves having player choice and consequence on a large-scale world. Mass Effect 3 definitely had it and was a great BioWare game. But that ending did seriously impair the legacy of the game. It was poorly executed. Everything before was really good stuff. Also, people hated James Vega. Also, the end game (minus that awesome DLC) could’ve had a large boss confrontation at the end. ME3 really just dropped the ball at the very end. Even the citadel lead-up was good. Of course, these are post-launch additions I’m talking about… that could arguably be considered it’s own thing.

[@Sindrella.]

@@rafterman5072Can’t argue against Mass Effect 2, though. 1 was already superb, 2 just improved it and made a near perfect game.

[@death_cab]

dragon age origins is one of my all time favorite games. great retrospective!!! :)

[@claurin284]

Dunno if anyone else has said, but there is another connection point to the Dalish origin later in the game. When the darkspawn ambush your camp they are accompanied by a ghoul who turns out to be your elf friend. You can speak with him and he asks you to end things for him. It feels pretty emotional and is a great way to show what actually happens to people who get the blight and don’t die right away. The only point against it is that it takes place so late in the game.

[@tlomofficial]

“Time to talk about everyone’s least favorite part of this game: The Circle of Magi” COUNTERPOINT; you can mod out the Fade sequence. You cannot mod out the equally abysmal Deep Roads.

[@khatack]

Is there an actual point in the game that is NOT abysmal? I mean, the werewolf forests are horrendous as well, redcliffe is boring as hell and Denerim is just a disjointed mess. Dragon Age has ok storytelling, great voice talent and amazing world-building, but everything else is pretty much rubbish.

[@tlomofficial]

@@khatack ive actually thought about this quite a lot, and i kinda agree. I do actually enjoy the redcliffe section. and i enjoy the inbetween moments but there are too many bad levels for each part of the game. And add on top of that the very bleh (again imo) gameplay, and i dont think i actually like DAO. Best thing I can say about it is it has the best romances in Dragon Age today. I hope Dreadwolf fixes that lmao.

[@khatack]

@@tlomofficial I fully agree with the very bleh gameplay. Half the time you're in combat you're battling against the goddamn camera and its weird angles instead of the enemy, or other weird features like "let's disable every buff just before combat" nonsense, not to mention the endless repetitive dungeons that have you face the same encounter countless times. DAO worldbuilding is amazing and I would love to like it, but the gameplay is so abhorrent that I simply can't. The sad thing is that the subsequent Dragon Age games are even worse when it comes to the gameplay.

[@hristobibov]

Uhm, there is actually a skip mod for the Tunnels as well. It called "Shortcut through the Deep Roads" and it's on Nexus. It's been out since 2016.

[@Matixsb]

@@khatack In terms of cleaning up loot by re-runing area there is only one Carta Hideout has 2nd exit/entry point in boss room going straight to the shop Personaly i find Denerim with its smaler areas bigest pain in A.. On its own Denerim is responsible for 85% crashes in all of my gaming life

[@R9beats]

i like when the funny little British man uploads videos talking about games I've never played or even considered caring about ... he's that good i just sit down and watch... not because I'm legally insane and can do nothing but watch KZbin videos in my fancy white jacket with my arms behind my baccccck noooo cause hesss da best dammmit

[@sharpdressedgoblin]

Cheers mate... definitely didn't bribe you with McDonalds to make this comment 👀

[@magnusprime962]

I love how Shale is basically “What if HK-47 had a character arc?”. What’s amazing is that it ends up working

[@Gguyrules]

"Tell me why you love this section so much" Honestly? Cause you got to polymorph into a lich, a rat, a golem. Nowhere else in the game were you able to do that, and it just felt so cool.

[@MonarchDWolf]

Just found you through the Timesplitters video, and I've gotta say that I'm loving your stuff! Origins is in my top 3 games of all time. Excited to catch up on your other stuff and see where you go from here. Keep doing your thing, and you're bound to catch the almighty algorithm's favor.

[@sharpdressedgoblin]

Cheers man appreciate it working away on the next vid just started editing should be out in a few weeks 👍

[@jackinthebox1993]

Dragon Age Origins is one of my favorite games of all time and I needed something to listen to tonight while I was at work 😂 Thanks 🙏🏿

[@sharpdressedgoblin]

Glad to be of service 🎩

[@klassytome]

I am one of the weirdos who likes the Fade. I am fascinated by mage Lore in Dragon Age. My first warden was an Amell mage, and it has made it hard to make anti-mage choices, I was trying hard to save Niall. I wonder how many people have had their viewpoint of Thedas set by their choice of first warden. Another reason is that I loved the horror feel of Origins and the lack of horror on Inquisition was a reason I did not like it as much as Origins or even Dragon Age 2.

[@skywoofyt5375]

I love it purely because of all the stat boosts you get in it, it's just genuinely amazing LMFAO

[@magnusprime962]

I love abstract puzzles in games, so that combined with the fun abilities of the shapeshifting forms make it something I love to go back to.

[@MyHazey]

Sten and Liliana never left my party. Once you get Sten to like you, he shows his philosophical side. He is pretty much a warrior poet.

[@50bottlesofpinklemonade]

i kinda just accepted that they made everyone in the party obsessed with wanting to add Sten in just because they knew most people would just skip him otherwise. I just wish they had made him more likeable, a lot of his relationship development with you can be completely missed too if you dont speak to him all the time, and it gets even harder for you to like him if you're playing as a female. You kinda have to prove yourself to him, rather than the opposite. At least it gives you a challenge in the companion aspect i guess.. (also, i have to disagree on the entire oghren segment lol)

[@sharpdressedgoblin]

Ha Oghren is like marmite 😂

[@skywoofyt5375]

i love sten, i find his interactions humorous and the cultural exchanges fun.

[@jordenfrost2329]

Okay time for some honesty I kinda ignore him my first time playing back when the game came out. He was kinda a dick and than left him alone years later to find out he was a companion 😂

[@GeekyAbby]

Omg I love Dragon Age so much, I’m so fallong asleep to this vid ❤

[@raabm5292]

Yesssssssss!!!! Perfect way to end my workday!! You the man Jake!

[@sharpdressedgoblin]

Glad I could be of service ✊

[@raabm5292]

im just glad you dont let the youtube gremlins slow ya down! @@sharpdressedgoblin

[@sharpdressedgoblin]

They'll never stop me... KZbin is staffed by elves I just know it 🤮

[@rodneyturnerii3416]

Fable was my favorite game as a kid for the longest time but then i got my hands on thos bad boy and man oh man ive never looked back.

[@CrumbsLamond]

1:45 blew my mind out the back of my head I knew about baulders gate 1 and 2 but never thought about who made them bioware and square really dominated the 90s with nonstop genre defining RPGs

[@Jasmixd]

Very enjoyable watch, thanks. Would love to see you cover the rest of the series for sure.

[@paulocarreirapinto]

At least you had puddles of blood. My game insisted in squares of blood.

[@EXPGamersOfficial]

Excellent Video and Retrospective! Keep up the amazing work! Any clues as to which game you'll be covering next?

[@sharpdressedgoblin]

Thanks mate appreciate it 🙏. Well I'm gonna do some stuff that's a bit less intensive next cause this one took well... 3 months ha. But at the moment I'm thinking PS1 Fighting Games retrospectivey thing, Pokemon Clones thing and then Onimusha series retrospective.

[@tsundere-sniiper1600]

Hell yeah Goblin is back!

[@Matixsb]

I might have liked Fade part due to stat increasing totems... Until i learned about duplication glitch, which combined with 2 stat increasing tomes from Dwarven city and Brecilian forest can lead to infinite tomes (100+ in all stats for PC and 60+ in both willpower and magic for my mages) BTW: if Alistar is hardened during his quest you can talk him into marrying Queen while making Loghain warden which one of only 2 ways to keep both alive

[@jamesfowler6785]

Its here. Praise the lord!

[@sharpdressedgoblin]

It took a bloody age 😂. Something quicker next methinks

[@martinlisitsata]

always liked the inquisition story line the most

[@Sett86]

I remember launching DA:O in a world of saturated colors, condescending tutorials and games too afraid to s swear for the first time: EA and Bioware in blood: "Cool" Dragon Age blood dragon: "Hell yeah!" Into on blood-stained cloth, despair, muted color, politics, blood, blood, blood: "Son of a bitch, I'm in!" Baldur's Gate 2 is still Bioware's magnum opus, but DA:O is a close second.

[@Eddn102]

When I played this game, ages ago, I stopped at the sloth demon part and never finished it.

[@sharpdressedgoblin]

I honestly don't blame you

[@FlorentiusIV]

So you gave in to Sloth. 😴

[@stephenbennett4373]

Most underrated KZbinr

[@sharpdressedgoblin]

Namaste my brother 🙏

[@CupidAceEmporium]

Ah, its on my mind to play this weekend too. LOTR pc game: battle for middle earth II is awesome.

[@JonLikesStats]

Your review reminded me how much I struggled with the gameplay of the circle. So different from the rest of the game and nothing is explained well. It became my favorite part after maybe the fifth playthrough.

[@mikeymacaque]

I missed Origins at launch because my 360 red ringed twice when trying to get thru the campaign. Instead of starting over a third time I just moved on to PS3

[@draakgast]

the reason the darkspawn look like orcs in this game is because the man in charge of the story or someone simulair didn't go into to much detail describing the darkspawn, this made the people making the models and creature ''skins'' think he just meant orcs, by the time the mistake was found it was already to ate to change it

[@lumina1104]

I tend to get with Morrigan, then break things off and commit to Leliana.

[@denakarganta1502]

Hopefully you do the other games in the series and though I do think Origins is still the best in the series I enjoyed the other two as well but I do hope BioWare takes a few questions from Origins with the popularity of games such as BG3 hopefully pushing them in that direction.

[@sssryzor4646]

Ah yes a fellow "left Leliana at the tavern on your first playthrough" player. Great video! Especially liked the bits with the comparisons to other contemporary games or even earlier Bioware stuff, because I first played DA in 2018 so it was all quite fresh to me, though the overall story still seemed quite basic. And that's why I like the other two games more because I feel like they actually try and do something new and interesting coughcough

[@phalanx9089]

Dude, this was just an absolutely fantastic retrospective of this game. A little too mage friendly for my taste, but for each their own. Can`t wait for you to get to DA2. Or even Awakening and the dlc bunch!

[@antheezy411]

Hope you do the dlcs! Great video

[@sharpdressedgoblin]

I think my plan as weird as it might be is to do dragon 2/Inquisition videos then do a video with all the DLC from all 3 in a vid

[@SirWinnigton]

The tactics menu is actually genius i just really wish it wasnt looked behind skill points, literally paying skill poinys to do less general micro. Learning how to effectivly have your mages combo with each other with no input just setting the tactics os really nice.

[@nicolaskiergras9322]

Digimon pulled me in and dragon age as earned a sub Let's go

[@nicolaskiergras9322]

Don't mind the long period of time in between comments but... KOTOR RETROSPECTIVE WHEN? i love finding fellow HK lovers. He was the best, my absolute favorite and I would do anything for the approval of my favorite droid in the entirety of the star wars franchise.

[@ShieldMaidenJ]

If anyone enjoyed the lore of the games I highly recommend the books! You get sooo much more context behind many of the characters. I read the books first, and actually screamed when Cole appeared in Haven. lol. First book gives you more details about Alistair's mother too, : I'll spoil it in the reply:

[@ShieldMaidenJ]

Fiona the First Enchanter from DA:I is Alistair's mum. She was never a servant. That's why she asks about him when you talk to her :)

[@alac2222]

i love the sloth section cus theres a mod that lets you skip it lol

[@sharpdressedgoblin]

Now that's a mod I need

[@MediocerPlay]

Oooo, video.

[@moggwa6071]

love the digimon world music

[@ericsmith718]

I like the Persona soundtrack in the background!!

[@sharpdressedgoblin]

So many good tracks... one day ludicrously long persona vid

[@carsonnesbit1178]

I don’t really see any major similarities between the Grey Wardens and the Jedi other than the fact that they are both organizations that people can join. The Jedi are a monastic order of psychic/telepathic monks who only use violence as a last resort. And you have to be lucky enough to be born force sensitive to be recruited by them. The grey wardens are essentially a militaristic order of monster hunters dedicated to saving the world, they don’t really have any major powers other than being able to kill archdemons and “sensing” darkspawn, other than that their only major ability is having their life span shortened by like 30 years. And anybody can join the grey wardens as long as they survive the joining. They seem to be fundamentally very different groups from my perspective. I wouldn’t even say they serve a similar purpose in their respective games, the whole plot around KOTOR 2 revolves around the Jedi being pacifist monks who refused to get involved in a major galactic war. Whereas the Grey Wardens are almost always portrayed as ruthlessly pursuing their goal of stopping the blight and are never shown to be apathetic like the Jedi. Thank you for reading my nerd rant, also I really enjoyed the video, and I agree that Oghren rocks.

[@sharpdressedgoblin]

Oghren love hell yeah 👌

[@pqfire0950]

Have missed the dog but no one else.

[@legomaster6201]

can you do a review on the dlcs and the other dragon age games i liked what you had to say about this game i am a dragon age fan all the way so i will watch every video you make on this subject

[@sharpdressedgoblin]

It's definitely gonna come at some point 👌

[@Hammerpowah]

30:55 so based, however i killed wynne in my 1st playthrough because morigan told me so :P

[@ApparitionGuitar]

When you said the Grey Wardens and Darkspawn are derivative of LOTR and Starwars I wanted to reach through the screen, grab you but your collar to yell at you that they’re absolutely not. They’re 10000% ripped off from the Nights Watch from Game of Thrones/ASOIAF

[@sharpdressedgoblin]

I mention that later

[@ApparitionGuitar]

@@sharpdressedgoblinI finished it today. I will not stand for this Dalish origin slander! Dwarf origins are my absolute least favorite (even if I do love Windrose)

[@ladooshka]

Indeed Origins is the best out of all DA games.

[@Psycopuppy1]

Its so crazy to me how bioware keeps being lile, "were never remaking a game like orgins again," but basically everyone who plays origins agrees its the best one, idk maybe they should double back around

[@Keijoz]

Im pretty early on in the video, but i have to comment on how youve managed to miss one of the main points of the game. You speak of the game being black and white, good and evil while maybe the biggest appeal is that its incredibly GREY(making the Grey Wardens another example of biowares naming sense). The Grey Wardens as an organisation are absolute fuckin monsters who use any means necessary for the greater good. And you too can be like that if you choose. In any other game they would be the secondary bad guy you have to take out before the main bad guy. The scene of Duncan killing Jory that you complained about is a perfect early showing of it. And is a great scene that early on starts the establishment that the GREY Wardens arent "good", but more a necessary evil and pretty fucked up. Jory had already signed up and been informed theres no going back so him changing his mind is inexcusable and him living could risk the future of the Wardens as if he lives without joining them he could tell someone and if it becomes more well known how risky the Joining is less people will be willing to join them which harms the greater good in the long run. The game is filled with overt examples of how fucked up the Wardens are. And its even more filled with missable little details. But the game clearly wants the player to know the Wardens are fucked up, so its kinda weird to miss that. Edit. Hell, later on even the "evil" becomes more grey as they humanise parts of the darkspawn

[@Cole_Wulfrun]

Huh. I agree with some of your points but really disagree with oghren being a good character and the human noble being the worst origin. I really like some of your other points in this video but these two in particular stand out to me. The human noble feels like it’s the most tied to the main story while the others feel only tied to a specific questline. It’s not the best one (city elf is) but it’s definitely way better than both the dwarven origins. I also like Howe as an additional villain because he’s so subtle. As for Oghren; I used to love him as a teenager, but now I see him for the sexist loser he is. The dude is literally a washed up frat bro who never grew up. Does he have like 2 funny lines of dialogue? Sure, but everything else out of his mouth is insanely cringey.

[@TheSpiritsLease]

He's one of my favorites because, despite all that jock toxicity and entitled military rank talk, he isn't afraid to fight against genuine evil.

[@petemisc4291]

It was the best because it was the most fun!

[@sharpdressedgoblin]

Ya damn right 👌

[@MuscleFlexChris]

Goth waifu > Ginger waifu in this case, and Sten should be nothing less than everyone’s inspiration, but you defended my boy Oghren so all’s forgiven :)

[@TheVivalajady]

Well shit, i never played Dragon Age properly. I was a young naive twat this seems like i may have slept on a great game.

[@Gguyrules]

Best Bioware game, and the only Dragon Age game I'd say is worth a damn. Dragon Age 2 had a decent story, but ruined the combat. Dragon Age inquisition? Ruined everything that made that series what it was. It's been a decade since I played it, and after being utterly disappointed by Baldur's Gate 3, I believe it's time to get back to it and its DLCs =D!

[@TheVivalajady]

Im not getting this in my sub feed, ring the bell time

[@Drixiem]

it was a really good game, the sequels were deceiving

[@tru4158]

gay elf man who doesn't want to get married eventually seduces assassin who tried to murder him and then locks his lover elf boy in a chastity belt, this game has great role playing options!

[@arezdracul8650]

I love DA Origin’s, I have played it so, so, so meany times, both PS, and PC. I wish they would make a remake of Origins for PS5, instead we got it for Inquisition. I hate inquisition, boring game, that is so confusing, and chaotic. Not to mention all that virtue signaling in it made it worst.

[@powerplay9422]

I miss the days when you could say the naughty no no words.

[@sharpdressedgoblin]

I used to swear so much on my old channel I had to make this channel 😂. I mean I wouldn't swear a ludicrous amount but a fuck every now and then would be nice.

[@user-mt2zc5cp3t]

I always thought dragon age was like Witcher, amazing in every regard, except their shit combat 😂 so unfortunately I abandoned both series 😅

[@sharpdressedgoblin]

I agree with the witcher shit combat

[@joaquinchavez652]

First

[@yaasinm]

Dragon age died after Origins sadly . Even how broken DA 2 is , its still better than whatever DA 3 is.

[@Matass101]

And that is a fact. Origins is true gem and all sequels are just oversimpflified both in game mechanics & character depth.

[@CraftianMods]

Kinda offensive to call a character with a different attitude/personality autistic. Are you just trying to be funny, or seriously arguing in bad faith? Sten is great.

[@TheSpiritsLease]

No he's not. I enjoy Sten as a character, but his interaction with the main quest and story are interesting, but unfulfilled at best. His involvement with a majority of the game is "complain, judge and possibly attack the Warden." That's just counterproductive without justification. He doesn't even have a major argument against you besides "the Qun says so." Despite the fact that he's capable of questioning it, the game presents more abrasion for the sake of tip-toeing around a hard sell male companion. Even Fenris and Howe did that better, and I find them obnoxious.

[@sharpdressedgoblin]

All I see is wasted potential with Sten could of been a way more compelling character

[@khatack]

Best BioWare game? Please, not even close. Not when it has to compete with the likes of Baldur's Gate 1&2, Neverwinter Nights, Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect 1,2&3, Jade Empire.... Dragon Age Origins is pretty easily the most overrated BioWare game.

[@fzzy5739]

Human noble origin is the best origin, your opinion is wrong

[@sharpdressedgoblin]

Fair enough 👍

[@SirWinnigton]

Human noble, nah mis me ith that dwarf nobles where its at

[@cttommy73]

Sten isn't evil. Neither is Morrigan. Why you keep calling them autistic is dumb, even as a running joke. Yes, they are raised differently and follow a different culture, so what.

[@josesolias]

How much paint thinner did you drink?

[@sharpdressedgoblin]

I dunno man, I feel like the dead children would feel differently about sten 🤔