I think that the Warden *is* silent is what makes it more intimate. Premade voices like Hawke or Shepard have their use, but it also divorces you from the character. It is no longer "you" as that character, you become the pilot guiding the fate of a character that has their own voice - who is *not* you.
I don't know about that. Personally I love the Witcher because it actually has a voiced character and I hated skyrim for having a silent hero. So much that I installed a player-voice mod. I would say it's personal preference.
@@Sogogox not having a voiced character allows for more dialogue options, and it allows you to read any tone into your dialogue as you like, increasing role play. A lot of ppl like having a voice, but the main issue for me is all the good options I had back in DAO were killed for a generic "solemn, humour, or angry" options.
Yeah, I prefer that though. I don't want to play games "as THE character" I want to play as A character and tweak it to my liking. I always just randomize my appearance in these games and get right into it. Hah I know some spend hours on their character appearance and what not
You know what. I am currently playing. 65 hours in. About to finish the Orzimmar questline. After it only Denerim left. Having a blast, the lore and overall writing is so good
@@DaoistYeashikAli I played New Vegas and Witcher 3 on that list and I don't agree they have better writing. New Vegas has great world building with the factions and how they interact with you/each other. The dialogue itself is not that impressive, and you mostly have 2-3 dialogue whereas in Origins you consistently have 4-6 options. Witcher 3 has some fantastic quests but here its mostly 2 dialogue options, and the main character is extremely dull. My opinion obviously, but writing is pretty subjective anyway.
Wouldn't agree that.Disco Elysium and NV are better. Disco Elysium starts off very very strong but Its story fades and it becomes quite boring. New Vegas characters I don't find that compelling. @@DaoistYeashikAli
@@michaelh878 it was not behind its time, lmao. That is not subjective, the opinion on the game might be, but not that lmao, to each there own I guess?
@@michaelh878 it was good on consoles, introduced a ton of console players to the genre. You could talk to companions far more in depth, the companions had personality besides just fighting. Different camera angle, (now most crpgs use this camera angle, including the new baldurs gate) also the pausing and tactics section of dragon age origins was done much better, you could go very in depth with tactics. I don't think you've played the game lol, I see what you're saying but these are two very different games in the same genre.
@@sirmag1735 The new dragon ages don't even use the same camera angle. The pathfinders don't. It had a tiny number of skills. I think it is just the first crpg you ever played so have no idea what came before it to compare.
It's a sad crime that they won't do origin stories for the main character again. In DAO, we got to mold who our characters are as people BEFORE setting out into the world on main campaign. Now, we might get an off-hand comment about our past and that's it.
The flip side to the silent vs voiced protagonist is that if they're voiced, you're locked into that actor's portrayal of your character in terms of tone and delivery of statements. They changed this with Dragon Age II and the result for me was feeling less connection of it being MY character and more of me playing their character. Even with Inquisition, I didn't feel quite the same attachment to my Inquisitor as I did my Warden from Origins. The depth of detail you can get into with setting how you want your party AI to react to situations is my favorite aspect of the combat and no other entry has matched it for me. I don't think any other game has either. I highly recommend romancing Morrigan during a play through and keeping that through the Dragon Age Awakenings expansion as well as the Witch Hunt DLC.
But the first thing you do in Origins is pick a voice set for your character, so the Warden is never actually silent. They are still barking out lines in combat and every time you give them an order. There isn't really a silent or unvoiced protagonist unless you go back to BG and make your own blank soundset. The real disconnect comes when the lines you choose have no relation to what you thought you were saying, or the actor doesn't deliver the line well. It's entirely possible to instead just not have absolute garbage abbreviations.
@@WynneL Agree. I have never felt my character was silent or that my connection to them was less with a voice actor talking. I found it so much better than just the grunt or yell that they gave. And I agree the only disconnect I ever had with a voice character or a silent one, was with the lines I chose but didn't meet my expectations.
It's not just the voice in 2 that makes you feel disconnected. Hawke is literally a character you're made to play. You don't get to choose your race or background, it's all just given to you.
@@TumultuousM This really didn't bother me that much. 2 is not my favorite game of the series, but I did have fun playing it and I've played it more than a few times. I have a whole list of things I wish they had done differently, but they didn't. I understand why, EA had just taken over and it was rushed, though I'm not sure how much difference it would have made. But even with that, having a voice has never disconnected me from my character, even if it's a guy.
Origins is one of my all time favorites! I’m so glad the bugs didn’t scare you off. A well known memory leak caused your problems in Denerim, but there is a fan made patch that fixes it right up. There’s also a TH-camr called B-Tier Mutineer with a video on some great bugfix and quality of life mods. Nexus has a huge community of modders still working on this game that really make a difference - everything from adding a storage chest to the party camp to allowing you to bring your dog everywhere without losing a party slot.
I loved DA:Origins the best out of them all, I really hope it gets a remaster one day. I also in all my years of playing the game so much 259 hours on PC (I don't know how many hours I dumped on Xbox 360) I never actually saw the trailer for Origins. Amazing.
Sven Wincke Larian Studios Lead director for Baldurs Gate 3, have said in 2 or 3 different interviews that Dragon Age Origins was the main influence for BG3 with the companions banter and sense of wonder exploring Ferelden Thedas. Other games that influenced BG3 was Pathfinder Wrath of the Righteous, Mass Effect 3, Morrowind and Neverwinter Nights 2.
Yo, there's a mod that allows you to have an extra party slot specifically for the dog. Cuz the dog is amazing, but usually weaker than other companions (since they can, like, equip armor and weapons and stuff) and this mod allows you to never have to leave the best boi companion behind ever.
Wish more games took advantage of the origin dynamic. I'm someone who never really gets immersed in games, that was the only time I ever really felt it. Entirely from having an origin.
Story and lore aside (which are on Witcher and Elder Scrolls level if you ask me), the tactics menu is something I loved about it. I remember modding it so you had more slots and more conditions. That meant I always knew what to expect from my companions and they rarely required micromanagement. It's quite a contrast to Veilguard where you can't even select your party members... but that's the least of its problems xD
Currently playing again after 14 years, its a blast. With mods, the game is better. Crazy thing is that Im enjoying it more than the new games released recently.
Even if you don't play through the game with them, imo it's essential to complete the origin story for each character background, preferably before you decide on your chosen playthrough. They make sure you're already versed in the world in a very organic way, and make you invested in areas like Orzammar, the Circle and the Alienage before you even get there in the main quest. Makes the experience deeper and more interesting. (Also, gender makes a difference. City elf and mage play better as female imo.)
I played this game 3 years ago and absoluetly fell in love. I was all over the lore and story, I could feel my love for it slowly die away while playing Dragon Age Inquisition. The combat and story of that game is so insufferably generic and contradicts everything in the lore we know for no real reason. I kinda lost all hope for Veilguard to make me fall back in love with the game, but Origins is still a game I will always come back to.
DUDE! so glad to see Dragon Age still relevant! started playing again recently after my first time playing it 15 years ago, its still amazing! its so buggy but moving past that the story and gameplay is still so easy to get lost in. I remember having to get my brother to help me finish the Circle portion of the campaign, unfortunately I had to do it myself as he lives elsewhere now. Just bought inquisition and will be playing after i finish Origins and awakening, was super stoked to see another game being released! I missed Shale so much ;-)
DA:O is one of the very best RPG's I've ever had the pleasure of playing. I replay it at least once a year, 100% worth it. If anyone is diving into it for the first time (on PC) I recommend the DA origins Unofficial remastered mod, and make sure to use the LAA 4gb patch for the game! --edit Also the extra dog slot mod is incredible, allows the dog to always be in the party!
Some must-have mods: 4gb Patch, Utility Sack, Grey Wardens of Ferelden, No Armor Hack (can hide equipped helmets or other gear), Paladin Specialization, Death Knight Specializations, and any of the Sacred Ashes mods, (Leliana & Morrigan face replacers, Leliana's Sacred Ashes armor). The 4GB patch is going to stop a LOT of crashes by allowing more memory to be used by the game instead of its native 2gb cap. Utility Sack's primary feature is selling items and gear from your inventory while in the field, but it also comes with TONS of cheats; this is a 15 year old game, and some of the cheats will just save you time, (like giving you enchantment runes in bulk or some extra gold for that in-game item you want). I played DA: Veilguard, and the gameplay is functional and there are a few good story ideas, but you'll probably walk out like I did craving the older games. I reinstalled DA:O and DA:I and modded both, and I'm already more satisfied with 5 hours of that than I was with 55 hours of Veilguard. The writing is better, the banter is better, and the games are actual dark fantasy games, not "Saturday Morning - Dragon Age the Cartoon Show". Veilguard has a very serious threat in the main plot to face but all the other missions, the companion missions, and companion interactions feel like a cartoon show where no one is allowed to fight with each other. 5 minutes of Morrigan's banter with Alistair in DA:O will tell you everything you need about where Veilguard drops the ball.
I just finished my 8th playthrough of the main game and started on the Awakening expansion about the same time as this video posted. If you're not in combat, you can switch party members via the "Ability Wheel." On the PS3/Xbox, it's the LT button. With the wheel open, you select "Advanced," and you can swap party members from there. Welcome to Thedas!
The best way to talk about this game is talking about D&D gameplay (not so ez by way ! ). The D&D influence is very high here. The 1st D&D that I remember was Baldur Gates ( the 1st one ) and the 2nd was NeverWinter Nights ( the old one ). If you love Baldur Gates 3, Its natural like Dragon Age : Origins. This dragon age is a very simplify D&D one, using good visual overhall ( armor, weapons, effects, etc..). Its not like most games, every gameplay looks unique ! More gamplay we have it, more things we can discover ( Lore, dialog, items, history, class info, etc ...).
@@DeathsInverse Almost the same combat system ( If you take a look in Neverwinter nights its possible to see D&D numbers rolling - wow, diablo 1 & 2 and almost every RPG will flw same rules ). BG3 was build by DAO lovers ! DAO was BG influence and BG3 was DAO influence.
Also started playing it when it was released, and I played every option that was available and loved the dialogue between the companions. I also still pull it out along with the other two. But this is still my favorite. Glad you enjoyed it.
I'm currently on a quest to play, read and watch all Dragon Age media. I'm on the second prequel book and can't wait to dive deep into this game, already save this video to watch after the game!
Dude! Me too! I made a chronological timeline of all Dragon Age media and I’m currently on Origins. I loved both prequel novels and it’s been great experiencing the original game again!
@@la912 Really? I consider it the weakest of the 6, and Mage is my main charachter! Considering that with Human Noble you face Arl Howe, one of the antagonist at the end of the game, with Dwarf you either face Bhelen or Jarvia's Husband and with elf you face the discrimination of the humans, mage has it... easy. Not so much moral dilema, a guy asks for your help, turns out wrong, and he reveals himself to be a liar. And Jowan is... let's just say it, a weenier who is not very likeable.
@@PixelSean Totally! Mage is the most fun and versatile in DAO, if you ask a lot of us. There's a mod to let you play the two noble and two elf origins as a mage as well. Works into Awakening and DLCs as well. I live to Cone of Cold a bunch of enemies, then smash one in the face with a Stonefist and slap a Crushing Prison on their spellcaster. It's a hell of a lot of fun to toss a fireball into a group of darkspawn MWAHWAHWAing their way toward you and watch every single one of them fall onto their asses. Paralysis, Mass Paralysis, Earthquake if you want to disable but not kill any friendly NPCs... so many fun options. I miss Origins magic in the other titles, tbh.
My very first kill of the archdemon I was just using spells and accidentally cast Storm of the Century and immediately was like we'll guess I gotta do another mage playthrough
There is a widely acclaimed mod that hotfixes broken content, so anything you found that doesnt work has probably been fixed with that. Only other mod i use is the one that lets you have the dog as a bonus summon instead of a party slot. Let me bring my dog dammit
I also love the mod Skip The Fade. That quest was cool the first time, but for people who have played many times, it can get annoying re-doing that part of the mage questline.
The game has a lot of issues. Gameplay is clunky, tactical aspect and class depth/balance feels weak compared to crpgs came out 10 years earlier (inquisition actually was better in that regard, however it's controls and awful tactical camera ruined gameplay for many players). Most of the side quests are straight up "Bring me 10 bear asses" or "Kill 10 bandits over there". However that doesn't change the fact that story and narrative are amazing, most choices throughout the main story are relevant and extremely important, vibe of the game is spectacular and lots of other positives about the game I'm too lazy to mention. DAO is incredible game and certainly best dragon age game, which also aged much better than earlier crpgs.
It's dated but hell, the depth of the game is still hard to beat. Spoiler below I've never played another RPG where the protaginist can die a hero at the end and still complete.
It’s funny you’re one of the few that can actually admit the combat in origins and tactical was good a lot of origins glazers lie about how good it was
I actually really liked the class balance in origins. I really enjoyed how human everyone felt. No one was doing crazy backflips, and teleporting everywhere. It made the tactics very emergent. It was about getting the most out of your tools in different situations, and tactical positions, rather than inquisitions approach of having the class mechanics themselves have a bunch of complexity and micro management requirements to hit parry and Block timings.
I thought the class depth was brilliancy. I don’t know about balance but it was a lot of fun to play controlling all the characters and going through their builds whilst going through the story. My favourite game probably.
In the steam forums, there's a link to fix one of the biggest issues in the game that causes constant crashing. Commonly referred to 4gb or laa fix. There's also a lot of QOL mods from nexus mods that work well with the game. With some due diligence, and tinkering, the game is still worth playing in 2024. Once you get the hang of combat, it can be fun.
My interest in Dragon Age was killed by that uninspired mess called Dragon Age Inquisition. I haven't touched anything by EA since then. Dragon Age Origins is a masterpiece in my opinion. I finished it six times and I am currently thinking about playing it again because of all the noise surrounding Veilguard. Aaaah, the nostalgia 😂 it's nice to see that people keep discovering this game. Good video.
I'm in my first playthrough over 100 hours on PC DAO. First time i seen that DAO trailer!! I have DA2 installed & ready to rock. Inquisition waiting for me. I dont think I'll be un-installing DAO for quite some time. I want to replay with all the classes in every race i could. Hope the sequels is fun and enjoyable as this game is for me.
I'm a big fan of this franchise. All the games are sensational... the big advantage of all of them up to Inquisition is the rich story and epic battles, in addition to the secondary quests that bring a lot of richness to the story as a whole! Excellent video for those who don't know the game yet!
If you're planning to play DA2 and Inquisition, I wish I could say it wasn't all downhill from here. It's odd, because DA2 is my favorite of the bunch, but I've only beaten it three times, and two of those playthroughs were virtually the same. Made the same character, picked the same class, same specialization, and made all the same choices, just a repeat of my first run. Origins, on the other hand, I finished *16 times,* and started many more. I made *all* the choices, I saw *all* the things. I can't even play it anymore because I'll practically see a fast-forward version of the playthrough in my head before I've even done anything. Inquisition I restarted about 4 times before finding a class that was mostly fun to play (sword and shield warrior, if it matters), and I only finished it once. I don't know much about Veilguard, but the fan reaction makes me think it's not just continuing the decline, it's tunneling past the Deep Roads.
The real downhill when they stop including sandal feddic into the game from inquisition onward. Lol. Varrick is funny to be the continuous character replacement but I miss sandal wild "enchanment". Probably he can easily kill Solas with his enchanment and his " Not enchanment". Still vividly remember that frozen ogre and corpses that scatering around him whenever we found him alone in Dangerous area. Lmao.
Always nice to see new people find this gem of a game! It does still hold up. The PC version works fine and the best one, you just need to apply a 4GB patch to stop crashing and memory issues. It's old.
I play it every 1-2 years with different mods and self-imposed rules. Like others say it's s bit clunky and you need to experiment a bit with it to make it feel difficult rather than annoying. But the core gameplay and RPG elements are there and done very well. Especially the deep tactics system. I wish more games made that part of the skills and builds like they did here.
The LAA patch (4gb patch) solves most bugs in this game. If you have the GOG version, its an easy fix you just download a 4gb patcher and open it, select the Origins exe file and you are good. Steam is more complicated though. Best mods imo are: - Slinks s7 ravage (game changing mod, not recommended for a first playthough though). Creates random enemies and random loot, its a blast but you need to tweak the settings to get the best out of it. - Unofficial Remaster (for graphics) - Combat tweaks (improves many useless skills and slighly nerfs mages) - Respec mod (change classes and everything for party members)
DAO was one of the most complete RPG I have ever played till Baldur's Gate 3. The option to have full control over which companion to actually recruit or not, how the relationship actually have impact, the diversity of characters, how various origins also impact during your playthrough in story not only for class. Also I prefered the class system better than most other games, and the world design and lore was amazing.
Glad to see people giving Dragon Age: Origins the love it deserves. I miss this grimdark world, that extended through game 2 but even DA: Inquisition was rich in lore and still a somewhat bleak world state
I am replaying it as well. I played it for hundreds of hours in 2019; 2012 and when it came out. The fine acting and brilliant (think snarky to ^11) writing. It made the game a joy. Don't forget to try DA II. It is a bit different but it is a fine game! (some people were not in love with it at release but it's great).
LOL My 2009 self was the "I sleep thinking about DAO, I'm at school thinking about DAO, I'm missing sports playing DAO". I've played all the Dragon Age games since Origins at least 10 times each. I admit that while I was not happy with the reveal trailer, I am willing to be genuinely excited about DAV. It has changed a lot, indeed, but it has been always changing since DA2 and that's ok, all of the games so far have had their good things and their great things (also their not good and even terrible things - I'm looking at DA2 reused environments), but at their core they always had an awesome setting and lore, great, lovable and hateable characters, decent combat, good stories and a grander overarching story that is now about to conclude. I'm giving a chance to DAV.
I just started it and got to lothering. I like how the characters interact. It actually sounds like they are getting to know each other for the first time
there's a mod that let's you keep the dog as an extra member of your party at all times, it makes the game a little easier, but it's worth it for the interactions imo
I remember I put in hours and hours in the intro because I wanted to see all the character backstories before I went all in, I picked human mage and turned into an arcane knight further on.
I've played and replayed the PC version now for almost 15 years, never had any game breaking bugs, not even major bugs. Denerim was a bit of an issue with the memory leak, but even that could be circumvented for the most part by a lot of quick saves and reloading often. This is my favorite game, I really enjoyed the more tactical nature of the combat, loved the lore and the banter to me was the best I ever heard. It's been nothing but a downhill ride since then, the soul of DA has been whittled away with each successive game. Hope there's still some soul left after the Veilguard - would have preferred Dread Wolf as a title to be honest.
I have played it for 10 years and yea, the game runs butter smooth for me with no bugs or crashes ever. The reason people experience those today are due to the fact that modern pc's are terrible for this game. This game (and many others at the time) were designed for computers with a few amount of cores, but now pcs have 16, or even 32 cores which is insane. The problem is that the game runs out of memory to access and just crashes or you see strange texture glitches. Its not really bugs in a standard sense though. Dont run the game with more than 2k resolution (its worthless anyway for these textures) and use the 4gb patch and it should run well on modern pcs. The more cores and "powerful" your pc is the worse it will be though. The memory leak is actually not entirely related to this. The memory leak is essentially that each area you enter, whenever you load in that area, it persists in memory. That means eventually the game runs out of memeory because there are too many areas stored in the memory, resulting in a crash. To fix the memroy leak, you have to restart the game. I do it every 2-3 hours and im good, its a non-issue for me tbh.
All the Origins DLC content is worth doing as well. Awakening continues your warden's story and you can level to level 35 (stops at 24 in Origins). slíght awakening spoiler, since you complained about this at the end of the video: you can buy respec books from Herren and Wade at your base in Awakening, so if you want to play as an archer in Awakening you can just respec there.
idk if anyone needs to hear this but if you can’t get it to run on your newer PC make sure to look up and download the 4gb patch to keep it from crashing!!!!
There's a really good modlist on the steam forums. Griffons Dragon Age Origins is what I search to bring it up. The game is locked to 2gb of ram, and that's why it crashed a lot. There's a 4gb patch that fixes that included in the mod list.
Thanks! I'm waiting to your suggestions for mods, especially visual ones, to help make this game feel less dated. I played it twice over 8 years ago, but with Veilguard on the horizon, we need some great mods to revisit the game and remind ourselves of what a good Dragon Age game is like - before the Veilguard disaster arrives.
Glad you enjoyed it! I actually did not play at all with mods, I need to go back and play again with mods, several people have left comments suggesting some pretty cool ones!
@@PixelSean If you have a good mod list, or just a bunch of a good mods, I would like to hear your suggesting! Or you could make a video on this topic! I am sure a lot of people, will gladly mod this game to immerse again in this beautiful world of Dragon Age)
It's so strange bc I just started it and I'm trying to be tactical even though I know I could largely let them run free and be fine but the game doesn't have any real intuitive tactical system that I've noticed. Yeah I can tell all of them to stop as a group and I can take control of each of them in real time but i kinda wish there was a freeze camera like inquisition to que attacks. Most I can do is open the radial menu to freeze for a second about what i wanna do with each of them. I guess I just gotta get used to just letting my team fight their own ways and only bothering to switch to each for their one or two big abilities I need in certain situations. I am really enjoying it so far though, especially the variety in side objectives. Wanna get through them all and jump into the new one around launch.
I beat this game multiple times and it’s one that got me into modding. Had made a camp chest mod with a little quest line called “Misha the Hoarder” It was so good I even read the book about Duncan and I hated reading. Sadly it was never as good after this.
DA:O is one of a kind. I played it in 2009 and I still play it now from time to time because I love the stories and characters. The sequel has lazy, repetitive maps but still great characters and good quests, The feeling for Inquisition feels different from the previous two I think but it's still a good game. Veilguard just does away will all the choices made over 3 games, and if that wasn't bad enough I get why people call it Dragon Age: Fortnite. I will likely give it a miss.
Sean as of now you have 309 subs. Strange to me as your video is actually as good if not better than most influncer's in this genre. I just subbed and I am looking forward to see your career progress. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for reviewing this old classic. i am just getting back into it after BG3 - just for variety. Your game play looks great could you tell us what mods you use? Maybe in a new video? Thanks!!
@@PixelSean wow somehow it doesn’t look that good on my machine at 1440. ive got the settings maxed out except for the resolution because i don’t have a 4K monitor.
Origins is one of my favorite games of all time, and I"m glad you like. I like Dragon Age as a whole. The world, the lore and the characters in general feels amazing. For the Veilguard despite the initial reveal trailer, when I saw the gameplay I was ok with it. Also, developers say there will be a dark atmosphere at some places. I don't know, when it comes to Bioware and Dragon Age, I always likedto some degree with what they did with the series. They don't want to stick with the same thing for the whole series and they want make something fresh with every game so it's ok for me. Let's see what will they bring with the Veilguard.
As someone who is currently replaying the DA series precisely to prepare my soul for Veilguard, I agree you MUST play Dragon Age:Origins! I just finished the game on Nightmare Mode and it's the first time that I've ever played Nightmare Mode 😈
I would love to play Dragon Age Origins right now, but apparently the game hates my PC and crashes on startup from Steam. Every guide and tutorial I looked up has failed to fix the issue.
Started a mage, didn't like buddy, told him I'd help him. Ran straight to the top mage guy, reported his ass, got pulled into a covert op. To take down said friend I ratted out to the big cheese. Sat in awe at how awesome that was. How did I miss this game?
I think it's about the new computer architecture, I remember playing it back in like 2014 and I never experienced any bugs. I tried to play 5 years after that (on a "better pc") and the game was a disaster, crashing left and right. I thought at the time that my computer was having some issues, but now that I think of it, must be a compatibility issue with newer computers.
The PC version has a really bad memory leak that requires manual patching. There’s TH-cam videos on how to do it. After patching I’ve had no issues with crashing or textures.
So about the PC version, it's a problem with the steam version, you can get the GOG version of the game which is way more stable, a fix I found without installing mods on the steam version was to lower graphics and textures to medium
It’s an interesting game. I started playing it on my steam deck for the same reasons you did and while I’m enjoying it it does feel somewhat incomplete. Especially, like others have said, compared to so many other CRP‘s and RPG’s that come out around the same time. But I’m determined to finish it, DA2 and Inquisition before Veilguard
I wish they did a remaster of Dragon Age Origins instead. As much as I love playing Origins, I would like to play a version that doesn't have a 50% chance of crashing after every cutscene and loading screen. And some updated graphics.
If you want a.bunch of characters from DA2 to be in the game Including a squadmate and a major plot point the eluvian mirrors pick Dalish Elf. Everything makes more sense in the follow up tales.
I was playing Stellaris when I wrote a Dragon Age head canon that treats the dwarves as a fallen empire that awakens. Play as a Dwarvdn Noble, and you'll think of it as the "dwarf game". You can have two children, side with your brother, reclaim entire thaigs, etc. The Dwarven Awakening The Dwarfen Nobles, Origins Soundtrack Origin: Dwarven Noble, Awakened Empire Class: Rogue Children: Mardy's child, reinstated as an Aeducan. Kieran Aeducan, via Morrigan. Mentality: DAO is about securing increased birth rates for Dwarves via Bhelen, male Aeducan MC, and using Kal'Hirol's casteless sacrifice as part of Bhelen's propaganda campaign to elevate the casteless. Using Ferelden favors (asked of Alistair as king, no Anora) and Awakened Darkspawn assistance in securing Orzammar, Kal'Hirol, the Anvil of the Void, Gwaren and the Deep Roads to connect them all. Destroying the chantry buildings in Origins and Awakening by sacrificing Redcliffe and Amaranthine, and getting the missionary in Orzammar to die. Establish a Circle of Magi in Orzammar without Templar control, and provoke talk of a crusade while claiming the Anvil of the Void to feed the religious zealots who were exposed on the surface into instead of random surfacers. Reopening research on lyrium wells, and environmental switches with assistance from the circle. Absorbing the Orzammar Carta remnants into the Circle and renaming it the House of Veils. Form an alliance with the Dragon Andraste Cult, for access to drakes as beasts of war instead of Avvar bears, Ferelden hounds, etc. Ferelden was founded by Reavers. Leliana killed to make Sketch's betrayal of the Ben-Hassrath by turning over gaatlok to Dworkin, and the Dwarves that much colder. Wynne's spirit of the vessel possessing Leliana at the old mage's request, so the young girl could survive after both fell in the Temple of Sacred Ashes. This spirit later urges her to marry Alistair after becoming Divine, as it carries a fondness for him that Wynne and she carried. Dragon Cult sends soldiers to the Ferelden Coalition, and Inquisition (Tamar). Gathering up deep stalkers, drakes, etc for integration into the Dwarven military ranks as a play out of Ferelden, Avvar/Chasind and the Carta's book. Secure the Brecilian Forest via the werewolves, and setup Dust Town to profit from exporting nugs to them as an exotic food source and treat. One Dalish clan down. See the legend of Hafter. Reclamation of the thaig at Gwaren and renewed partnership with the human city, along with Dwarven warship technology to arm Ferelden with ships to combat the Qunari after stealing their powder recipe, in conjunction with Dworkin's expertise of grenades and shell canisters. A shipyard can be constructed on the ruins of Amaranthine and at Gwaren supported by the Silver Order at Vigil's Keep, and the human city. The wealth of the keep is generated by securing the trade routes via patrols, completing Trade Must Flow, and destroying the city to transfer its economic power to the keep and weaken the Chantry. Gwaren is already prosperous and directly above the thaig, but not as prosperous as it once was with Dwarven trade so construct Dwarven walls and defenses on the surface using Minrathous, and Vigil's Keep as a blueprint. Resupply point for privateers hired to harass the Orlesian shipping. Wealth redistribution to the Mages, Grey Wardens, Kirkwall, Dwarves and Ferelden. Immediate lyrium trade sanctions against the Ferelden/Orlesian Chantry and their Templars unless freedom is given to the Calenhad Circle, and the Chantry's immediate withdrawal (lyrium) from Ferelden. Pun intended. The Calenhad Circle Tower, and the docks growing into a replacement for Redcliffe. DA2: Side with the mages, continue the trend of destroying chantry buildings. Cause as many headaches for the Qunari, Orlais, Templars, Dalish, Old Tevinter, etc as possible. Dalish clan two wiped out like in Origins.
Way ahead of you. Already beat Origins, Awakening (25hr Origins expansion that is fantastic) , and in act 2 of d-age 2 now. Since I will clearly not be getting my new D-Age fix. I wont be buying Dragon Age the fail guard.
It's been years since I last did my old dragon age solo nightmare challenge 🤣 wanted to restart it before veilguard, but that trailer only got me depressed at how wasted the devs efforts were in it. Just went and bought the games from the studios the old Bioware devs started. Not an amazing IP like Dragon Age, but having a lot of fun. Anyway, welcome to the Dragon Age rabbit hole. I do hope you like the story and lore around the games as much as I do.
The bug which you mentioned around the 12-minute mark is caused due to NV RTX cards/driver... try a non-RTX card/support driver and that issue will not be there.....
I think that the Warden *is* silent is what makes it more intimate. Premade voices like Hawke or Shepard have their use, but it also divorces you from the character. It is no longer "you" as that character, you become the pilot guiding the fate of a character that has their own voice - who is *not* you.
I don't know about that. Personally I love the Witcher because it actually has a voiced character and I hated skyrim for having a silent hero. So much that I installed a player-voice mod. I would say it's personal preference.
@@Sogogox not having a voiced character allows for more dialogue options, and it allows you to read any tone into your dialogue as you like, increasing role play.
A lot of ppl like having a voice, but the main issue for me is all the good options I had back in DAO were killed for a generic "solemn, humour, or angry" options.
nah if done right, a mc with voice is always superior to non voiced one
Yeah, I prefer that though. I don't want to play games "as THE character" I want to play as A character and tweak it to my liking. I always just randomize my appearance in these games and get right into it. Hah I know some spend hours on their character appearance and what not
You know what. I am currently playing. 65 hours in. About to finish the Orzimmar questline. After it only Denerim left. Having a blast, the lore and overall writing is so good
The writing is just fantastic
Played this for the first time back in 2016. Never played a game with better writing and dialogue options.
@@Skumtomten1Games like Witcher 3, Planescape, Disco Elysium and New Vegas are better. But I enjoyed DAO just as much
@@DaoistYeashikAli I played New Vegas and Witcher 3 on that list and I don't agree they have better writing. New Vegas has great world building with the factions and how they interact with you/each other. The dialogue itself is not that impressive, and you mostly have 2-3 dialogue whereas in Origins you consistently have 4-6 options. Witcher 3 has some fantastic quests but here its mostly 2 dialogue options, and the main character is extremely dull. My opinion obviously, but writing is pretty subjective anyway.
Wouldn't agree that.Disco Elysium and NV are better. Disco Elysium starts off very very strong but Its story fades and it becomes quite boring. New Vegas characters I don't find that compelling. @@DaoistYeashikAli
I genuinely believe dragon age origins is a top 5 game ever created. It was ahead of its time. And was a big step for a lot of these modern crpgs
It was really behind its time. It was only seen as good because crpgs had declined so much In the previous 10 years.
@@michaelh878 it was not behind its time, lmao. That is not subjective, the opinion on the game might be, but not that lmao, to each there own I guess?
@@sirmag1735 What new did it bring to the table that games like baldurs gate hadn't already done?
@@michaelh878 it was good on consoles, introduced a ton of console players to the genre. You could talk to companions far more in depth, the companions had personality besides just fighting. Different camera angle, (now most crpgs use this camera angle, including the new baldurs gate) also the pausing and tactics section of dragon age origins was done much better, you could go very in depth with tactics. I don't think you've played the game lol, I see what you're saying but these are two very different games in the same genre.
@@sirmag1735 The new dragon ages don't even use the same camera angle. The pathfinders don't. It had a tiny number of skills. I think it is just the first crpg you ever played so have no idea what came before it to compare.
It's a sad crime that they won't do origin stories for the main character again. In DAO, we got to mold who our characters are as people BEFORE setting out into the world on main campaign. Now, we might get an off-hand comment about our past and that's it.
The flip side to the silent vs voiced protagonist is that if they're voiced, you're locked into that actor's portrayal of your character in terms of tone and delivery of statements.
They changed this with Dragon Age II and the result for me was feeling less connection of it being MY character and more of me playing their character.
Even with Inquisition, I didn't feel quite the same attachment to my Inquisitor as I did my Warden from Origins.
The depth of detail you can get into with setting how you want your party AI to react to situations is my favorite aspect of the combat and no other entry has matched it for me. I don't think any other game has either.
I highly recommend romancing Morrigan during a play through and keeping that through the Dragon Age Awakenings expansion as well as the Witch Hunt DLC.
Doesn't bother me in mass effect 2 and fallout 4
But the first thing you do in Origins is pick a voice set for your character, so the Warden is never actually silent. They are still barking out lines in combat and every time you give them an order. There isn't really a silent or unvoiced protagonist unless you go back to BG and make your own blank soundset.
The real disconnect comes when the lines you choose have no relation to what you thought you were saying, or the actor doesn't deliver the line well. It's entirely possible to instead just not have absolute garbage abbreviations.
@@WynneL Agree. I have never felt my character was silent or that my connection to them was less with a voice actor talking. I found it so much better than just the grunt or yell that they gave. And I agree the only disconnect I ever had with a voice character or a silent one, was with the lines I chose but didn't meet my expectations.
It's not just the voice in 2 that makes you feel disconnected. Hawke is literally a character you're made to play. You don't get to choose your race or background, it's all just given to you.
@@TumultuousM This really didn't bother me that much. 2 is not my favorite game of the series, but I did have fun playing it and I've played it more than a few times.
I have a whole list of things I wish they had done differently, but they didn't. I understand why, EA had just taken over and it was rushed, though I'm not sure how much difference it would have made. But even with that, having a voice has never disconnected me from my character, even if it's a guy.
There are 3 games that changed my life Metal Gear Solid, Dragon Age Origins, and Mass Effect 2.
Origins is one of my all time favorites! I’m so glad the bugs didn’t scare you off. A well known memory leak caused your problems in Denerim, but there is a fan made patch that fixes it right up. There’s also a TH-camr called B-Tier Mutineer with a video on some great bugfix and quality of life mods. Nexus has a huge community of modders still working on this game that really make a difference - everything from adding a storage chest to the party camp to allowing you to bring your dog everywhere without losing a party slot.
Thanks so much for the info!
@PixelSean the endgame boss is that stupid bridge in ostagar.
Guys, remember when we were calling this Baldur's Gate 3 in the times of still waiting for BG3: The Black Hound since 2003? I feel so old.
I loved DA:Origins the best out of them all, I really hope it gets a remaster one day.
I also in all my years of playing the game so much 259 hours on PC (I don't know how many hours I dumped on Xbox 360) I never actually saw the trailer for Origins.
Amazing.
They are making a remake but very early in development
@1vaultdweller a remake or remaster? I hope it's a remaster.
Sven Wincke Larian Studios Lead director for Baldurs Gate 3, have said in 2 or 3 different interviews that Dragon Age Origins was the main influence for BG3 with the companions banter and sense of wonder exploring Ferelden Thedas. Other games that influenced BG3 was Pathfinder Wrath of the Righteous, Mass Effect 3, Morrowind and Neverwinter Nights 2.
Yo, there's a mod that allows you to have an extra party slot specifically for the dog. Cuz the dog is amazing, but usually weaker than other companions (since they can, like, equip armor and weapons and stuff) and this mod allows you to never have to leave the best boi companion behind ever.
Dog knocks enemies down on the regular.
Ohhh
Played Origins on release , still playing !!
Wish more games took advantage of the origin dynamic. I'm someone who never really gets immersed in games, that was the only time I ever really felt it. Entirely from having an origin.
Story and lore aside (which are on Witcher and Elder Scrolls level if you ask me), the tactics menu is something I loved about it. I remember modding it so you had more slots and more conditions. That meant I always knew what to expect from my companions and they rarely required micromanagement. It's quite a contrast to Veilguard where you can't even select your party members... but that's the least of its problems xD
The tactics menu is SO GOOD dude, that mod sounds fantastic, will definitely add it during my modded run of the game
Currently playing again after 14 years, its a blast. With mods, the game is better. Crazy thing is that Im enjoying it more than the new games released recently.
just dont forget you can import you save to the next game and it will influence it
Compare the Veilguard one to the old Origins Trailers, including the Warden one, the difference in tone is incredible.
Even if you don't play through the game with them, imo it's essential to complete the origin story for each character background, preferably before you decide on your chosen playthrough. They make sure you're already versed in the world in a very organic way, and make you invested in areas like Orzammar, the Circle and the Alienage before you even get there in the main quest. Makes the experience deeper and more interesting. (Also, gender makes a difference. City elf and mage play better as female imo.)
I played this game 3 years ago and absoluetly fell in love. I was all over the lore and story, I could feel my love for it slowly die away while playing Dragon Age Inquisition. The combat and story of that game is so insufferably generic and contradicts everything in the lore we know for no real reason. I kinda lost all hope for Veilguard to make me fall back in love with the game, but Origins is still a game I will always come back to.
DUDE! so glad to see Dragon Age still relevant! started playing again recently after my first time playing it 15 years ago, its still amazing! its so buggy but moving past that the story and gameplay is still so easy to get lost in. I remember having to get my brother to help me finish the Circle portion of the campaign, unfortunately I had to do it myself as he lives elsewhere now. Just bought inquisition and will be playing after i finish Origins and awakening, was super stoked to see another game being released! I missed Shale so much ;-)
Inquisition is no longer a dragon age game...
The "origin" story is what makes this game gold. I played each before continuing after ostagar.
It's gold because it's old game, people wake up. If it was made nowadays I'd be shit on as every single game that gets released.
DA:O is one of the very best RPG's I've ever had the pleasure of playing. I replay it at least once a year, 100% worth it. If anyone is diving into it for the first time (on PC) I recommend the DA origins Unofficial remastered mod, and make sure to use the LAA 4gb patch for the game! --edit Also the extra dog slot mod is incredible, allows the dog to always be in the party!
Some must-have mods: 4gb Patch, Utility Sack, Grey Wardens of Ferelden, No Armor Hack (can hide equipped helmets or other gear), Paladin Specialization, Death Knight Specializations, and any of the Sacred Ashes mods, (Leliana & Morrigan face replacers, Leliana's Sacred Ashes armor). The 4GB patch is going to stop a LOT of crashes by allowing more memory to be used by the game instead of its native 2gb cap. Utility Sack's primary feature is selling items and gear from your inventory while in the field, but it also comes with TONS of cheats; this is a 15 year old game, and some of the cheats will just save you time, (like giving you enchantment runes in bulk or some extra gold for that in-game item you want).
I played DA: Veilguard, and the gameplay is functional and there are a few good story ideas, but you'll probably walk out like I did craving the older games. I reinstalled DA:O and DA:I and modded both, and I'm already more satisfied with 5 hours of that than I was with 55 hours of Veilguard. The writing is better, the banter is better, and the games are actual dark fantasy games, not "Saturday Morning - Dragon Age the Cartoon Show". Veilguard has a very serious threat in the main plot to face but all the other missions, the companion missions, and companion interactions feel like a cartoon show where no one is allowed to fight with each other. 5 minutes of Morrigan's banter with Alistair in DA:O will tell you everything you need about where Veilguard drops the ball.
I just finished my 8th playthrough of the main game and started on the Awakening expansion about the same time as this video posted.
If you're not in combat, you can switch party members via the "Ability Wheel." On the PS3/Xbox, it's the LT button. With the wheel open, you select "Advanced," and you can swap party members from there.
Welcome to Thedas!
The best way to talk about this game is talking about D&D gameplay (not so ez by way ! ). The D&D influence is very high here. The 1st D&D that I remember was Baldur Gates ( the 1st one ) and the 2nd was NeverWinter Nights ( the old one ). If you love Baldur Gates 3, Its natural like Dragon Age : Origins. This dragon age is a very simplify D&D one, using good visual overhall ( armor, weapons, effects, etc..). Its not like most games, every gameplay looks unique ! More gamplay we have it, more things we can discover ( Lore, dialog, items, history, class info, etc ...).
Origins was called the spiritual successor of Baldur's Gate II at the time of release.
Is the combat better than BG3? That's the only thing I didn't like about BG3.
@@DeathsInverse Almost the same combat system ( If you take a look in Neverwinter nights its possible to see D&D numbers rolling - wow, diablo 1 & 2 and almost every RPG will flw same rules ). BG3 was build by DAO lovers ! DAO was BG influence and BG3 was DAO influence.
Also started playing it when it was released, and I played every option that was available and loved the dialogue between the companions. I also still pull it out along with the other two. But this is still my favorite. Glad you enjoyed it.
I'm currently on a quest to play, read and watch all Dragon Age media. I'm on the second prequel book and can't wait to dive deep into this game, already save this video to watch after the game!
Dude! Me too! I made a chronological timeline of all Dragon Age media and I’m currently on Origins. I loved both prequel novels and it’s been great experiencing the original game again!
If you haven’t seen it already I would recommend checking out the ShoddyCast lore series here on YT
Another super fun feature are the spell combinations. It rewarded you for playing with different spells with satisfying results.
I need to do another playthrough as a mage ASAP!
@@PixelSean The origin story for mages is also pretty cool
@@la912 Really? I consider it the weakest of the 6, and Mage is my main charachter!
Considering that with Human Noble you face Arl Howe, one of the antagonist at the end of the game, with Dwarf you either face Bhelen or Jarvia's Husband and with elf you face the discrimination of the humans, mage has it... easy.
Not so much moral dilema, a guy asks for your help, turns out wrong, and he reveals himself to be a liar. And Jowan is... let's just say it, a weenier who is not very likeable.
@@PixelSean Totally! Mage is the most fun and versatile in DAO, if you ask a lot of us. There's a mod to let you play the two noble and two elf origins as a mage as well. Works into Awakening and DLCs as well. I live to Cone of Cold a bunch of enemies, then smash one in the face with a Stonefist and slap a Crushing Prison on their spellcaster. It's a hell of a lot of fun to toss a fireball into a group of darkspawn MWAHWAHWAing their way toward you and watch every single one of them fall onto their asses. Paralysis, Mass Paralysis, Earthquake if you want to disable but not kill any friendly NPCs... so many fun options. I miss Origins magic in the other titles, tbh.
My very first kill of the archdemon I was just using spells and accidentally cast Storm of the Century and immediately was like we'll guess I gotta do another mage playthrough
There is a widely acclaimed mod that hotfixes broken content, so anything you found that doesnt work has probably been fixed with that.
Only other mod i use is the one that lets you have the dog as a bonus summon instead of a party slot. Let me bring my dog dammit
I also love the mod Skip The Fade. That quest was cool the first time, but for people who have played many times, it can get annoying re-doing that part of the mage questline.
@@antigone80 speaking as someone who bas played the game 16-20 times, only once recently for nostalgia. I still enjoy the fade quest
The game has a lot of issues. Gameplay is clunky, tactical aspect and class depth/balance feels weak compared to crpgs came out 10 years earlier (inquisition actually was better in that regard, however it's controls and awful tactical camera ruined gameplay for many players). Most of the side quests are straight up "Bring me 10 bear asses" or "Kill 10 bandits over there". However that doesn't change the fact that story and narrative are amazing, most choices throughout the main story are relevant and extremely important, vibe of the game is spectacular and lots of other positives about the game I'm too lazy to mention. DAO is incredible game and certainly best dragon age game, which also aged much better than earlier crpgs.
yup, back then when game positives outweighed its flaws
It's dated but hell, the depth of the game is still hard to beat.
Spoiler below
I've never played another RPG where the protaginist can die a hero at the end and still complete.
It’s funny you’re one of the few that can actually admit the combat in origins and tactical was good a lot of origins glazers lie about how good it was
I actually really liked the class balance in origins. I really enjoyed how human everyone felt. No one was doing crazy backflips, and teleporting everywhere. It made the tactics very emergent. It was about getting the most out of your tools in different situations, and tactical positions, rather than inquisitions approach of having the class mechanics themselves have a bunch of complexity and micro management requirements to hit parry and Block timings.
I thought the class depth was brilliancy. I don’t know about balance but it was a lot of fun to play controlling all the characters and going through their builds whilst going through the story.
My favourite game probably.
In the steam forums, there's a link to fix one of the biggest issues in the game that causes constant crashing. Commonly referred to 4gb or laa fix. There's also a lot of QOL mods from nexus mods that work well with the game. With some due diligence, and tinkering, the game is still worth playing in 2024. Once you get the hang of combat, it can be fun.
I replay DAO probably once every 2 years, and every time, I'm reminded of just how amazing it is in so many ways.
Eternally thrilled for people to discover this game. Legitimately one of the greatest RPGs I’ve ever played
My interest in Dragon Age was killed by that uninspired mess called Dragon Age Inquisition. I haven't touched anything by EA since then. Dragon Age Origins is a masterpiece in my opinion. I finished it six times and I am currently thinking about playing it again because of all the noise surrounding Veilguard. Aaaah, the nostalgia 😂 it's nice to see that people keep discovering this game. Good video.
Thanks for the kind words 🤝
I'm in my first playthrough over 100 hours on PC DAO. First time i seen that DAO trailer!! I have DA2 installed & ready to rock. Inquisition waiting for me. I dont think I'll be un-installing DAO for quite some time. I want to replay with all the classes in every race i could. Hope the sequels is fun and enjoyable as this game is for me.
I've been wanting to replay this game what type of PC do you have cuz I can't get it to open up on mine.
I have a Windows 11 custom build.
I'm a big fan of this franchise. All the games are sensational... the big advantage of all of them up to Inquisition is the rich story and epic battles, in addition to the secondary quests that bring a lot of richness to the story as a whole! Excellent video for those who don't know the game yet!
If you're planning to play DA2 and Inquisition, I wish I could say it wasn't all downhill from here.
It's odd, because DA2 is my favorite of the bunch, but I've only beaten it three times, and two of those playthroughs were virtually the same. Made the same character, picked the same class, same specialization, and made all the same choices, just a repeat of my first run. Origins, on the other hand, I finished *16 times,* and started many more. I made *all* the choices, I saw *all* the things. I can't even play it anymore because I'll practically see a fast-forward version of the playthrough in my head before I've even done anything.
Inquisition I restarted about 4 times before finding a class that was mostly fun to play (sword and shield warrior, if it matters), and I only finished it once. I don't know much about Veilguard, but the fan reaction makes me think it's not just continuing the decline, it's tunneling past the Deep Roads.
The real downhill when they stop including sandal feddic into the game from inquisition onward. Lol. Varrick is funny to be the continuous character replacement but I miss sandal wild "enchanment". Probably he can easily kill Solas with his enchanment and his " Not enchanment". Still vividly remember that frozen ogre and corpses that scatering around him whenever we found him alone in Dangerous area. Lmao.
Fans don't know everything. It's for you to decide.
Always nice to see new people find this gem of a game! It does still hold up. The PC version works fine and the best one, you just need to apply a 4GB patch to stop crashing and memory issues. It's old.
I play it every 1-2 years with different mods and self-imposed rules.
Like others say it's s bit clunky and you need to experiment a bit with it to make it feel difficult rather than annoying. But the core gameplay and RPG elements are there and done very well.
Especially the deep tactics system. I wish more games made that part of the skills and builds like they did here.
The LAA patch (4gb patch) solves most bugs in this game. If you have the GOG version, its an easy fix you just download a 4gb patcher and open it, select the Origins exe file and you are good. Steam is more complicated though.
Best mods imo are:
- Slinks s7 ravage (game changing mod, not recommended for a first playthough though). Creates random enemies and random loot, its a blast but you need to tweak the settings to get the best out of it.
- Unofficial Remaster (for graphics)
- Combat tweaks (improves many useless skills and slighly nerfs mages)
- Respec mod (change classes and everything for party members)
DAO was one of the most complete RPG I have ever played till Baldur's Gate 3. The option to have full control over which companion to actually recruit or not, how the relationship actually have impact, the diversity of characters, how various origins also impact during your playthrough in story not only for class. Also I prefered the class system better than most other games, and the world design and lore was amazing.
Glad to see people giving Dragon Age: Origins the love it deserves. I miss this grimdark world, that extended through game 2 but even DA: Inquisition was rich in lore and still a somewhat bleak world state
I am! Just started a playthru this past weekend. It's still fantastic.
I am replaying it as well. I played it for hundreds of hours in 2019; 2012 and when it came out. The fine acting and brilliant (think snarky to ^11) writing. It made the game a joy. Don't forget to try DA II. It is a bit different but it is a fine game! (some people were not in love with it at release but it's great).
LOL My 2009 self was the "I sleep thinking about DAO, I'm at school thinking about DAO, I'm missing sports playing DAO". I've played all the Dragon Age games since Origins at least 10 times each. I admit that while I was not happy with the reveal trailer, I am willing to be genuinely excited about DAV. It has changed a lot, indeed, but it has been always changing since DA2 and that's ok, all of the games so far have had their good things and their great things (also their not good and even terrible things - I'm looking at DA2 reused environments), but at their core they always had an awesome setting and lore, great, lovable and hateable characters, decent combat, good stories and a grander overarching story that is now about to conclude. I'm giving a chance to DAV.
Couldn't agree more, good take!
Hell yeah! I love this attitude! DA 2 is my personal favorite!
I bought it when all the DLC came out, but I had my eye on it after watching someone playing it on TH-cam. It's amazing
I just started it and got to lothering. I like how the characters interact. It actually sounds like they are getting to know each other for the first time
there's a mod that let's you keep the dog as an extra member of your party at all times, it makes the game a little easier, but it's worth it for the interactions imo
DAO, top 5 all time along with mass effect 2.
Ive played this game multiple times. And i gotta say, everytime i play it i see something new.
im playing this for the first time 15 years later... 20 hours in 4 days and im loving it so far, i cant believe i´ve never gave it a try
I remember I put in hours and hours in the intro because I wanted to see all the character backstories before I went all in, I picked human mage and turned into an arcane knight further on.
I've played and replayed the PC version now for almost 15 years, never had any game breaking bugs, not even major bugs. Denerim was a bit of an issue with the memory leak, but even that could be circumvented for the most part by a lot of quick saves and reloading often. This is my favorite game, I really enjoyed the more tactical nature of the combat, loved the lore and the banter to me was the best I ever heard. It's been nothing but a downhill ride since then, the soul of DA has been whittled away with each successive game. Hope there's still some soul left after the Veilguard - would have preferred Dread Wolf as a title to be honest.
I have played it for 10 years and yea, the game runs butter smooth for me with no bugs or crashes ever. The reason people experience those today are due to the fact that modern pc's are terrible for this game. This game (and many others at the time) were designed for computers with a few amount of cores, but now pcs have 16, or even 32 cores which is insane. The problem is that the game runs out of memory to access and just crashes or you see strange texture glitches. Its not really bugs in a standard sense though.
Dont run the game with more than 2k resolution (its worthless anyway for these textures) and use the 4gb patch and it should run well on modern pcs. The more cores and "powerful" your pc is the worse it will be though. The memory leak is actually not entirely related to this. The memory leak is essentially that each area you enter, whenever you load in that area, it persists in memory. That means eventually the game runs out of memeory because there are too many areas stored in the memory, resulting in a crash. To fix the memroy leak, you have to restart the game. I do it every 2-3 hours and im good, its a non-issue for me tbh.
@@Skumtomten1 Yeah, that's my experience as well.
All the Origins DLC content is worth doing as well. Awakening continues your warden's story and you can level to level 35 (stops at 24 in Origins). slíght awakening spoiler, since you complained about this at the end of the video: you can buy respec books from Herren and Wade at your base in Awakening, so if you want to play as an archer in Awakening you can just respec there.
I wore out 2 discs playing this game, I LOVE it! The world felt fleshed out and unique... too bad it's sequels have yet to live up to it.
I’m about to play it again😳 I will also download mods this time and stream it w my friends so I really look forward to it🎉
DA:O is great game. I have spent 1300+ by playing it every way possible and cant play it anymore... 😀
ahh that sweet burn my heart gets everytime I see the trailer for the continuation I've been waiting for 10years.
god the from the ashes trailer is still one of the best cinematics ever made AND ITS A TRAILER.
idk if anyone needs to hear this but if you can’t get it to run on your newer PC make sure to look up and download the 4gb patch to keep it from crashing!!!!
There's a really good modlist on the steam forums. Griffons Dragon Age Origins is what I search to bring it up.
The game is locked to 2gb of ram, and that's why it crashed a lot. There's a 4gb patch that fixes that included in the mod list.
Thanks! I'm waiting to your suggestions for mods, especially visual ones, to help make this game feel less dated. I played it twice over 8 years ago, but with Veilguard on the horizon, we need some great mods to revisit the game and remind ourselves of what a good Dragon Age game is like - before the Veilguard disaster arrives.
Glad you enjoyed it! I actually did not play at all with mods, I need to go back and play again with mods, several people have left comments suggesting some pretty cool ones!
@@PixelSean If you have a good mod list, or just a bunch of a good mods, I would like to hear your suggesting! Or you could make a video on this topic! I am sure a lot of people, will gladly mod this game to immerse again in this beautiful world of Dragon Age)
I first played this game several years ago. Modded it on PC to add QoL, Graphical Enhancements and some Cutting Room Floor content.
Top 5 game for me.
I must be blessed to not have ever encountered any bug on pc, after completing 20+ runs with different characters
For mods the extra dog slot, more storage at your camp or inventory and free respec or unlocking specializations for free are nice.
It's so strange bc I just started it and I'm trying to be tactical even though I know I could largely let them run free and be fine but the game doesn't have any real intuitive tactical system that I've noticed. Yeah I can tell all of them to stop as a group and I can take control of each of them in real time but i kinda wish there was a freeze camera like inquisition to que attacks. Most I can do is open the radial menu to freeze for a second about what i wanna do with each of them. I guess I just gotta get used to just letting my team fight their own ways and only bothering to switch to each for their one or two big abilities I need in certain situations. I am really enjoying it so far though, especially the variety in side objectives. Wanna get through them all and jump into the new one around launch.
Loving the videos!
Thank you kind sir 🙏💪
I beat this game multiple times and it’s one that got me into modding. Had made a camp chest mod with a little quest line called “Misha the Hoarder”
It was so good I even read the book about Duncan and I hated reading.
Sadly it was never as good after this.
DA:O is one of a kind. I played it in 2009 and I still play it now from time to time because I love the stories and characters. The sequel has lazy, repetitive maps but still great characters and good quests, The feeling for Inquisition feels different from the previous two I think but it's still a good game. Veilguard just does away will all the choices made over 3 games, and if that wasn't bad enough I get why people call it Dragon Age: Fortnite. I will likely give it a miss.
GOG version works perfctly, also 4GB patch fixes it, its steam one thats broken, and GOG has all dlcs too
Sean as of now you have 309 subs. Strange to me as your video is actually as good if not better than most influncer's in this genre. I just subbed and I am looking forward to see your career progress. Keep up the good work.
I appreciate this so much! Its a lot of fun making these, glad you enjoyed it.
'The BEST gaming trailers of this generation"...
Ya got me... X D
Best of luck with the channel.
Much appreciated 💪
1k hours and still playing this lovely game, i have a little hope from veilguard i really wish a good game please bioware
Thanks for reviewing this old classic. i am just getting back into it after BG3 - just for variety.
Your game play looks great could you tell us what mods you use? Maybe in a new video? Thanks!!
No mods in this video! There are some great mods mentioned in the comments! I plan on revisiting soon for a modded run!
@@PixelSean wow somehow it doesn’t look that good on my machine at 1440. ive got the settings maxed out except for the resolution because i don’t have a 4K monitor.
Origins is one of my favorite games of all time, and I"m glad you like. I like Dragon Age as a whole. The world, the lore and the characters in general feels amazing. For the Veilguard despite the initial reveal trailer, when I saw the gameplay I was ok with it. Also, developers say there will be a dark atmosphere at some places. I don't know, when it comes to Bioware and Dragon Age, I always likedto some degree with what they did with the series. They don't want to stick with the same thing for the whole series and they want make something fresh with every game so it's ok for me. Let's see what will they bring with the Veilguard.
it doesn't matter dark the atmosphere is when the art is a cartoony caricature of the series.
As someone who is currently replaying the DA series precisely to prepare my soul for Veilguard, I agree you MUST play Dragon Age:Origins! I just finished the game on Nightmare Mode and it's the first time that I've ever played Nightmare Mode 😈
I would love to play Dragon Age Origins right now, but apparently the game hates my PC and crashes on startup from Steam. Every guide and tutorial I looked up has failed to fix the issue.
I'm playing DA:O right now on a seven years old PC, and haven't experienced any performance issues or crashes.
Just finished it again like last week. It's amazing.
Started a mage, didn't like buddy, told him I'd help him. Ran straight to the top mage guy, reported his ass, got pulled into a covert op. To take down said friend I ratted out to the big cheese.
Sat in awe at how awesome that was. How did I miss this game?
It's nice to see more people discover Origins after the dumpster fire that is Veilguard
I think it's about the new computer architecture, I remember playing it back in like 2014 and I never experienced any bugs. I tried to play 5 years after that (on a "better pc") and the game was a disaster, crashing left and right. I thought at the time that my computer was having some issues, but now that I think of it, must be a compatibility issue with newer computers.
The PC version has a really bad memory leak that requires manual patching. There’s TH-cam videos on how to do it. After patching I’ve had no issues with crashing or textures.
So about the PC version, it's a problem with the steam version, you can get the GOG version of the game which is way more stable, a fix I found without installing mods on the steam version was to lower graphics and textures to medium
Played this game again recently but this time as a blood mage. Man is blood wound insane. Made the deep roads a breeze.
It’s an interesting game. I started playing it on my steam deck for the same reasons you did and while I’m enjoying it it does feel somewhat incomplete. Especially, like others have said, compared to so many other CRP‘s and RPG’s that come out around the same time. But I’m determined to finish it, DA2 and Inquisition before Veilguard
Imagine if they brought the "Origins" (Human Noble, Dalish Elf, etc.) gimmick back into the series and expanded on it.
I just recently finished my first play through of Origins and have gone back to complete more of the side quests to get a full experience.
At least two playthroughs a year since release. Games amazing.
I wish they did a remaster of Dragon Age Origins instead. As much as I love playing Origins, I would like to play a version that doesn't have a 50% chance of crashing after every cutscene and loading screen. And some updated graphics.
If you want a.bunch of characters from DA2 to be in the game Including a squadmate and a major plot point the eluvian mirrors pick Dalish Elf. Everything makes more sense in the follow up tales.
I believe they made respect possible in the "Awakening" dlc. Also if your playing mage go "Arcane Warrior" and you'll feel like a god
Uff i wish to replay but i cant find a decent fix to minuscule ui in 4k
You can even play as something ridicolous as "Archer mage" if you want to. Although it will not be as effective as other build, but still viable.
Silent Protagonists in rpgs like this are juts as valid as voiced ones.
I was playing Stellaris when I wrote a Dragon Age head canon that treats the dwarves as a fallen empire that awakens. Play as a Dwarvdn Noble, and you'll think of it as the "dwarf game". You can have two children, side with your brother, reclaim entire thaigs, etc.
The Dwarven Awakening
The Dwarfen Nobles, Origins Soundtrack
Origin: Dwarven Noble, Awakened Empire
Class: Rogue
Children: Mardy's child, reinstated as an Aeducan. Kieran Aeducan, via Morrigan.
Mentality: DAO is about securing increased birth rates for Dwarves via Bhelen, male Aeducan MC, and using Kal'Hirol's casteless sacrifice as part of Bhelen's propaganda campaign to elevate the casteless.
Using Ferelden favors (asked of Alistair as king, no Anora) and Awakened Darkspawn assistance in securing Orzammar, Kal'Hirol, the Anvil of the Void, Gwaren and the Deep Roads to connect them all.
Destroying the chantry buildings in Origins and Awakening by sacrificing Redcliffe and Amaranthine, and getting the missionary in Orzammar to die.
Establish a Circle of Magi in Orzammar without Templar control, and provoke talk of a crusade while claiming the Anvil of the Void to feed the religious zealots who were exposed on the surface into instead of random surfacers. Reopening research on lyrium wells, and environmental switches with assistance from the circle. Absorbing the Orzammar Carta remnants into the Circle and renaming it the House of Veils.
Form an alliance with the Dragon Andraste Cult, for access to drakes as beasts of war instead of Avvar bears, Ferelden hounds, etc. Ferelden was founded by Reavers. Leliana killed to make Sketch's betrayal of the Ben-Hassrath by turning over gaatlok to Dworkin, and the Dwarves that much colder. Wynne's spirit of the vessel possessing Leliana at the old mage's request, so the young girl could survive after both fell in the Temple of Sacred Ashes. This spirit later urges her to marry Alistair after becoming Divine, as it carries a fondness for him that Wynne and she carried. Dragon Cult sends soldiers to the Ferelden Coalition, and Inquisition (Tamar).
Gathering up deep stalkers, drakes, etc for integration into the Dwarven military ranks as a play out of Ferelden, Avvar/Chasind and the Carta's book.
Secure the Brecilian Forest via the werewolves, and setup Dust Town to profit from exporting nugs to them as an exotic food source and treat. One Dalish clan down. See the legend of Hafter.
Reclamation of the thaig at Gwaren and renewed partnership with the human city, along with Dwarven warship technology to arm Ferelden with ships to combat the Qunari after stealing their powder recipe, in conjunction with Dworkin's expertise of grenades and shell canisters. A shipyard can be constructed on the ruins of Amaranthine and at Gwaren supported by the Silver Order at Vigil's Keep, and the human city. The wealth of the keep is generated by securing the trade routes via patrols, completing Trade Must Flow, and destroying the city to transfer its economic power to the keep and weaken the Chantry. Gwaren is already prosperous and directly above the thaig, but not as prosperous as it once was with Dwarven trade so construct Dwarven walls and defenses on the surface using Minrathous, and Vigil's Keep as a blueprint. Resupply point for privateers hired to harass the Orlesian shipping.
Wealth redistribution to the Mages, Grey Wardens, Kirkwall, Dwarves and Ferelden. Immediate lyrium trade sanctions against the Ferelden/Orlesian Chantry and their Templars unless freedom is given to the Calenhad Circle, and the Chantry's immediate withdrawal (lyrium) from Ferelden. Pun intended. The Calenhad Circle Tower, and the docks growing into a replacement for Redcliffe.
DA2: Side with the mages, continue the trend of destroying chantry buildings. Cause as many headaches for the Qunari, Orlais, Templars, Dalish, Old Tevinter, etc as possible. Dalish clan two wiped out like in Origins.
I've been playing this game yearly by adding new mods every time every year. Perfect game every playthrough.
Way ahead of you. Already beat Origins, Awakening (25hr Origins expansion that is fantastic) , and in act 2 of d-age 2 now. Since I will clearly not be getting my new D-Age fix. I wont be buying Dragon Age the fail guard.
It's been years since I last did my old dragon age solo nightmare challenge 🤣 wanted to restart it before veilguard, but that trailer only got me depressed at how wasted the devs efforts were in it. Just went and bought the games from the studios the old Bioware devs started. Not an amazing IP like Dragon Age, but having a lot of fun.
Anyway, welcome to the Dragon Age rabbit hole. I do hope you like the story and lore around the games as much as I do.
The bug which you mentioned around the 12-minute mark is caused due to NV RTX cards/driver... try a non-RTX card/support driver and that issue will not be there.....