Dragon Age: Origins

Above: The final DLC chapter for Dragon Age: Origins finds you in pursuit of Morrigan

Witch Hunt marks the beginning of the end for Dragon Age: Origins. The downloadable adventure will be the last DLC BioWare releases for the original Dragon Age and finds you in pursuit of one of our favorite party members, the saucy, shapeshifter Morrigan…

Dragon Age: Origins’ November release date is fast approaching, and so far, we’ve been having a blast bathing our ragtag party with the blood of our foes. That’s why we’re excited to bring you some exclusive screenshots and advanced lore from the folks at BioWare about Dragon Age: Origins’ most dangerous beast, the dragon.

Eight hours into a preview build of Dragon Age: Origins and we can’t get the blood off. The crimson evidence of our violence still stains our hands, our armor, and our entire party. It’s even in our hair. Whether you’ve slain a pack of wild beasts or put a gang of mercenaries to rest, in Dragon Age: Origins there will be blood - lots and lots of blood

First things first: there’s a lake-load of blood in the game proper, but certainly there’s nothing to rival a limb-lopping fest like Dead Space. And, as far as sexy times go, think God of War II pre-watershed tame.

Seeing Dragon Age: Origins this time, we were skeptical.

In less than three hours, I’d been appointed commander of a dwarven army, only to be tricked by a member of the royal council into committing fratricide - killing my brother, the true heir to the throne. I have unseated my father's kingship over the dwarven capital of Orzammar. I have disgraced my house. I am an exile from my people.

Since we last saw Dragon Age its name has gained extra weight. According to Bioware the Origins reference is twofold: both a nod to the company setting aside recent projects such as Mass Effect and returning instead to its Baldur’s Gate roots, and also a hint at the game’s opening hours. The first is exciting for all RPG fans, but especially for console players.

BioWare’s spun us some epic space operas of late, but the developer’s roots have always been firmly planted in the fantasy setting, à la Neverwinter Nights and Baldur’s Gate. The return to elves ‘n’ ogres territory was inevitable, and the pendulum now swings back with Dragon Age: Origins, a spiritual successor to Baldur’s Gate (Interplay still owns the rights to BG).