Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
News, coverage and analysis tracking Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening across the outlets.
Latest coverage
Mass Effect 5 was named Universe partly because it let players generate alternate timelines based on their choices in previous entries, technical director says
Romain Toutain, franchise technical director at BioWare, revealed that the internal title Mass Effect Universe was considered for Mass Effect 5 partly due to a system that allowed players to generate alternate timelines based on their choices from previous games. This ambitious feature aimed to give players "absolute autonomy" by creating branching narratives and even generating content to ensure mission completion, though it was complex to implement. The article also touches on the leaked internal trailer for the game and the studio's shutdown.
The creator of our running RPG of the year weighs in on BioWare's closure: 'They were fundamental to the…
Developer Christoffer Bodegård, creator of the RPG Esoteric Ebb, reflects on the closure of BioWare, acknowledging its foundational role in the CRPG genre and inspiring his own career. He fondly recalls playing MDK2 and Dragon Age: Origins, highlighting BioWare's significant impact on game development.
BioWare's incredible legacy will continue as long as there are RPGs
This article reflects on the significant legacy of BioWare, a studio that has profoundly influenced the RPG genre with titles like Baldur's Gate, Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect, and Dragon Age. Despite acknowledging BioWare's own missteps and the detrimental impact of corporate decisions, the author emphasizes the enduring impact of its innovative design choices, storytelling, and representation in games, suggesting its influence will persist as long as RPGs are made.
'I'm forever grateful to BioWare': 16 game developers share the moment a BioWare game inspired them to…
Multiple game developers share how BioWare titles like Dragon Age: Origins, Neverwinter Nights, Jade Empire, and the Mass Effect series inspired them to pursue careers in the gaming industry. These developers highlight specific moments and narrative elements that showcased the emotional depth and storytelling potential of video games.
BioWare May Be Gone, But Its Spirit Lives On in These Games
Electronic Arts has shut down BioWare, a studio renowned for its contributions to the RPG genre with titles like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect, and Dragon Age: Origins. Despite recent struggles, the article highlights BioWare's legacy of creating immersive worlds and memorable characters.
BioWare Veteran Defends Team Behind Dragon Age: The Veilguard Following Studio Closure
BioWare veteran James Ohlen defended the development team behind Dragon Age: The Veilguard, stating that most individuals had little influence on the game's criticized aspects. He also shared personal views on modern entertainment and political messaging. The article touches on the game's development history, including pivots between single-player and live-service models under EA's direction, and notes that while reviews were positive, player reception was mixed.
Farewell BioWare, you inspired so many of us, and you deserved so much better than this
BioWare, the acclaimed developer behind Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and Baldur's Gate, has been closed by Electronic Arts. The studio's closure follows a history of critical and commercial disappointments like Mass Effect: Andromeda and Anthem, despite its significant contributions to the RPG genre. The article laments the loss of a studio that shaped industry trends and created deeply emotional experiences for players.
"Sexy sorceresses" and "bare-chested fighters": Dragon Age's original artists wanted to base it on Conan the Barbarian, much to the outrage of the designers
Former BioWare lead writer David Gaider discusses the internal conflicts during the development of Dragon Age: Origins, where art and design teams clashed over whether to draw inspiration from Conan the Barbarian or Lord of the Rings. He explains how the lack of a singular vision led to significant overcorrection between sequels, contrasting it with the more cohesive development of Mass Effect under Casey Hudson.
Former Dragon Age executive producer Mark Darrah explains what he'd change about each game: 'It's kind of…
Former Dragon Age executive producer Mark Darrah shared his thoughts on what he would change about each game in the series. He suggested reducing or cutting the dream sequence in Dragon Age: Origins, addressing the forced conflict in Dragon Age 2, and streamlining the open-world bloat in Dragon Age: Inquisition. For the upcoming Dragon Age: Veilguard, he proposed adding the Keep.
Ex-Dragon Age lead settles the score on Origins' most controversial sequence: The Fade is "filler" and…
Former Dragon Age: Origins co-director Mark Darrah has stated that the game's controversial Fade sequence is "filler" and "not very good content." He suggested that the dream sequence part from the Mage Tower could be cut or dramatically reduced, admitting it was done quickly and hasn't aged well. This opinion from a lead developer solidifies the general consensus among players that the sequence was a rushed attempt to pad the game's runtime.
The Blood Of Dawnwalker Wants You To Eat The Rich–Literally
The Blood of Dawnwalker distinguishes itself by focusing on class struggle and social commentary rather than traditional upward mobility narratives. Unlike many fantasy RPGs where protagonists rise to power, the game emphasizes the plight of the impoverished and critiques systems of oppression through its vampiric ruling class and blood-tithe regime. This focus on "eating the rich" resonates with modern themes of hypercapitalism and worker precarity.
Mark Darrah, co-director of Dragon Age: Origins, has played Riven for 3 minutes and Factorio for 832 hours: 'If you want to know what kind of programmer someone would be, have them play Factorio'
Former BioWare director Mark Darrah discusses his gaming habits, highlighting an 832-hour playtime in Factorio and a brief three-minute session with Riven. Darrah, known for his work on the Dragon Age series, shares insights into game development, programming, and design, emphasizing the lessons learned from playing games like Factorio and his past projects.
Warlock is "fundamentally a linear story," Wizards of the Coast says
Wizards of the Coast and Invoke have stated that their upcoming Dungeons and Dragons title, Warlock, will feature a fundamentally linear story, contrasting with the player agency seen in games like Baldur's Gate 3. While set in an open world, the narrative will focus on a pre-written campaign for the character Kaatri, with no branching paths or morality system. This approach is intended to deliver a strong narrative experience, with Invoke's VP Dominic Guay emphasizing that the core campaign outcomes are set.
Diablo 5's narrative lead is a BioWare vet who says the new caravan system gives the ARPG the "best elements of traditional RPGs" like Dragon Age and Baldur's Gate
Diablo 5 will feature a new caravan system instead of traditional towns, inspired by BioWare veteran Jennifer Hepler's experience with games like Dragon Age and Baldur's Gate. Hepler, Diablo 5's narrative director, stated this system brings traditional RPG elements to the ARPG formula, allowing interaction with followers who have personalities.
Dragon Age Origins is a broken mess. Thankfully, six devs are trying to change that
Dragon Age: Origins, a beloved fantasy RPG, suffers from significant performance issues on PC, making it difficult for new players to enjoy. A dedicated team of six developers is working to decompile its source code for modernization and improved modding support, aiming for a community-managed release without direct profit motive.
30,000 games are either Steam Deck verified or at least 'playable' on Valve's handheld
Valve's Steam Deck now boasts 30,000 games that are either 'Verified' or 'Playable,' a significant increase since its launch. While 'Verified' titles run flawlessly, 'Playable' games may require minor adjustments. Some games, like For Honor, are being removed from Linux platforms, impacting Steam Deck availability.
Former Dragon Age lead says Baldur's Gate 3 studio Larian is taking a "risk" by making Divinity right after its 2023 RPG hit, but he applauds the devs for it
Former BioWare producer Mark Darrah believes Larian Studios is taking a calculated risk by focusing on a new Divinity game immediately after the success of Baldur's Gate 3. He applauds Larian's strategy of focusing on one project at a time, contrasting it with BioWare's past issues of juggling multiple series.
Report: 13TB of Steam data leaked after users access 'publicly accessible endpoint'
A significant data leak, dubbed 'Steam2 leak,' has reportedly exposed 13TB of data from Valve's Steam platform, primarily containing files uploaded between 2003 and 2013. The leaked data includes early versions and assets of Valve games like Left 4 Dead 2 and Portal 2, as well as beta builds of third-party titles such as Dragon Age: Origins and Batman: Arkham Asylum. The information was allegedly accessed via a publicly accessible endpoint, raising security concerns for Valve and other exposed companies.
Massive Valve leak unearths 12TB of unreleased builds for games like Portal 2, alongside a whiff of Half-Life 2: Episode…
A massive 12TB leak of internal Valve game builds and assets from 2003 to 2013 has surfaced online, including unreleased versions of Portal 2, Left 4 Dead, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, as well as materials potentially related to Half-Life 2: Episode Three and the unreleased game F-Stop. The leak is attributed to Valve's outdated content-delivery system rather than a hacking incident.
Panic refunds tariff fees, 1047 Games pivots from Splitgate, and Gamescom Dev grows - Patch Notes #67
This week's gaming news covers the prevalence of generative AI at Gamescom, Panic's refund of tariff fees for the Playdate handheld, and Rockstar Games' response to the Grand Theft Auto 6 leaks. Additionally, 1047 Games is ending development on Splitgate Arena Reloaded and Empulse, CAA launched an indie game fund, and actor Tim Curry passed away. Gamescom Dev saw growth, and No More Room in Hell 2 surpassed one million players.
