Freebie Feelers… Dragon Age: Origins

Freebie Feelers is a series where we download the free monthly console-specific or newly released free-to-play games to test their worth. This series will contain some useful information as well as plenty of personal opinion. While these articles may not be reviews, we hope that you will be able to use them to help decide whether that free download is worth it.

Some games have a fanbase for a reason, and the Dragon Age series is one of them. The trilogy has left a lasting mark on the videogame world, and believe it or not, the first in this series is currently up for free on Games with Gold on an Xbox Live Gold subscription. We are not here to simply sing the praises of Dragon Age, though, as that is not what we do at Freebie Feelers. Nay, we of this rare guild are to test the will and strength of these free games so that you do not have to waste your time on them if they suck! So welcome, lords and ladies, as we venture into the world of Dragon Age: Origins.

What is it?

Now to be fair I’ve played this one before, around when it first came out. Granted, that was back in 2009, so it has been a while, and sometimes even games such as this don’t age all that well. Sometimes graphics suck, or controls get confusing, and these are all things we’ll discuss. When I first picked up this game, I was really impressed with it. The story is amazingly deep, starting with a sweeping tale regarding the history of the world you’re about to go into. It really pulls you in, and I found it still does. The graphics, while looking a bit dated, honestly aren’t too bad. If I put a still of the character creator up against the character models from the Friday the 13th game that was just released, they’d be pretty similar. So for a huge studio like BioWare, the graphics are kind of low res, but for an average or indie studio, they’re not bad.

What did I think?

This is an RPG title, and in it you can be one of three classes: warrior, mage, or rogue, and come from one of three heritages: elven, human, or dwarven. The gameplay is very similar to Diablo and other similar titles that came out around this time, and it’s pretty easy to get a hold of. Be prepared to do a lot of running around, of course, and a lot of searching. Again, typical RPG, so quests to be had and to be completed of course.

Since this game only dates back to the Xbox 360, the controls don’t change too greatly from then to now. That’s kind of a nice thing, because there are some titles that may still look nice, but the controls just did not age well. One of my favorite games to go back to is stunted by this, Resident Evil 4. Oh good god are the controls just terrible.

One thing I’ve always liked about Dragon Age games is the music. It’s always been sweeping and well orchestrated. That started here with Origins. The opening score is just perfect to pull you in and make you excited to play. It also isn’t a constant companion, which is nice. Knowing where music goes and doesn’t go is important to the flow of a title, which BioWare paid a lot of attention to with the Dragon Age series. If it’s placed poorly, or ignored in a place where it should be included, it can cause a player to feel disconnected from a game. Fortunately it’s handled well here.

Is it worth it?

All in all, is Dragon Age: Origins worth a shot for free? Definitely. This game has aged fairly well, and is most definitely worth a look. Some of the cut scenes didn’t age the best, but all in all the title has stood the test of time. Available for the rest of the month of June, 2017, on Xbox Live Gold, definitely give this game a look. I honestly thought it was worth the price when it was first released, as this one was fun and definitely pulled the player in. It still has that allure to it and definitely is worth being free. Don’t let this title pass you by, but be prepared that it might be a bit of a gateway game. Start with this, and you might find that you need to complete the trilogy. Though now a days, those won’t cost quite what they did when they were originally released, so it’s not like you’re forking over full price at least. That’s it from us here at Freebie Feelers, lords and ladies, go slay your dragons and definitely let us know what you think of the game down below once you’ve tried it for yourself!