I have been working my way through all the Dragon Age games for the first time, in anticipation of the release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Progress has been slow due to squeezing it in between reviewing other games and leaving my house a couple of times a week, but I’m finally nearing the end of Dragon Age: Origins. Currently, I’m at the final battle at Denerim, at the city gates.
The game has taken a darker turn than I expected in its last hours. The elven alienage in Denerim, which I only saw during an elf-specific quest, left a lasting impression on me. The destitution, suffering, and segregation depicted there were very distressing.
The depiction of mass illness and the slavery storyline were also deeply unsettling. The orphanage where a massacre occurred during an elven riot was particularly chilling. The game continued to bombard me with cruelty and horror, leaving me with a sense of dread and sadness.
I found the game to be extremely effective at invoking these emotions, but I wish I had known beforehand about the level of darkness I would encounter. I’m left wondering whether all the games in the series will have a similar effect on me. In Dragon Age: Origins, the kingdom of Ferelden is under attack by the violent Darkspawn, and as a Grey Warden, I am tasked with helping to end the invasion.
