Dragon Age: Origins-Awakening

The expansion of Dragon Age: Origins, allowing the player to continue with a previously made character of another origin, or they can create a new Orlesian Grey Warden. The game opens up with its same mythic feel, giving a description of the world you are entering before it thrusts you into it. You are the new Commander of the Grey Wardens sent to Vigil's Keep to rule over the land of Amaranthine. You will embark on a new adventure to face the new threat against Ferelden.

The gameplay is a carry over from the previous title, just being an expansion it doesn't offer any change at all to the battle system. However there is a plethora of new abilities for your characters and allies to use. Awakening offers two new specializations forever class, making a total of 6. There are also 56 new abilities (spells and attacks) to be used in the higher levels of game-play. With the 10 new levels of abilities your characters and allies will grow even more powerful, and they will need to in order to face the new challenges that will you will face as you make your way through the expansion.
There is an entirely new cast of allies that will fight alongside your warden, and one old friend back to, as he would say, crack some darkspawn skulls. Awakening offers six new companions to have fight alongside you in battle. Without revealing too much, you will have choices between two mages, two rogues, and two warriors. The one problem that seems to make itself clearly known is that any warden who doesn't take on the role of Defender is left without one for a portion of the game. Until you meet Justice, a defender warrior, you are left without anyone to fill the role. Luckily the game doesn't make it completely impossible to do things without a Defender, at least for a part of the game. There will come a point when you need a shield though, so don't think Justice isn't valuable. The new allies all have interesting personalities, the son of a traitor, an elf with a grudge and a whole lot of power, a trapped spirit, and that's just a few. The game retains its party influence system although the romance system has been removed. The developers say they wanted focus to be on the dire situation at hand rather than player to character bonds.

The land of Amaranthine itself is a decently large area, maybe about a third of the size of the land in Origins. It offers many interesting zones like the haunted Blackmarshes or the Wending Wood. The story unfolds slowly throughout these areas, each introducing something new. Whether its a new character, a story development, or both, the land of Amaranthine doesn't disappoint in its delivery. Especially with the new darkspawn threat, the land truly comes to life. Everywhere you go, even in the most unexpected places you will meet the darkspawn who wish to destroy you, or so it is believed at first. The ideas on darkspawn make a 180 degree turn as you learn more and more about these rogue wandering sects of the remains of the archdemons army.

The game continues to deliver a strong story, although some may consider Awakening to be a bit short. The land of Ferelden will again be shaken by the darkspawn. You and your allies will embark on the quest to find out why the darkspawn horde continues to fight, and end the threat of these increasingly smart and powerful darkspawn. Whatever the choices you make, whoever you take with you, and whatever your fate may be, if you enjoyed Dragon Age: Origins then Awakening will be a pleasing continuation of the epic journey.

Overall Score: 8/10

For more information on Dragon Age: Origins- Awakening go to: http://dragonage.bioware.com/