I continued my, what now seems to be an epic quest, of completing Dragon Age: Origins a further time, so that I can take this character into Dragon Age: Awakenings, and then use that story to play through Dragon Age II again. I’m doing well, I haven’t started playing Awakenings yet, and I’ve had it for month or so.
Anyway, the game progressed and I got to the point where you first meet Zevran and he, and his band of ne’er-do-wells attacked me. He got defeated as he always does, but this time I decided to do something that I have never done in all the times I’ve completed Origins, I killed him. I didn’t question him, or find out what he wanted, I just killed him right there and then. Of course, I know what he was going to say from previous storylines.
It was rather liberating. I often find that I force myself down the pre-walked routes in games. I know what is to happen, and I’m safe in that security. With this example, there is a clear positive reason for keeping Zevran alive and making him like you. It’s another pair of hands for the final battle. Even if you don’t use him that much, as long as he at least likes you he’ll be there at the end.
Dragon Age Maverick
My maverick approach, didn’t stop there either. Invigorated by my newly found story-freedom. I went on to side with Branka in the Deep Roads, and asked her to create a Golem army. Usually, I side with the Paragon and destroy the anvil because it’s the right thing to do. Seeing, as though my character is a dwarf this time round, it seemed to fit better for him to create the army.
There have been lots of things, I’ve just tried. Things, for one reason or another I have never tried before. When rescuing Shale, and I was faced with the dilemma presented by the demon who’d possessed kitty. Either I let the demon possess the girl and set her free to go back with her dad, or I’d confront her and she’d kill the girl. It occurred to me then to go back to the little girl’s dad and tell him. For the first time ever, a third option presented itself. The dad ran to save his daughter, and the demon possessed him instead. I intervened, and in this case it ended with the death of the newly-possessed dad, while the little girl ran off calling me a monster. For some reason Alastair and Leliana lost 5 points off their reputation for this version of events, but surely it has to be the better alternative. The demon is dead, and the dad sacrificed his own life (accidentally, though I suppose) to save his daughter’s life. Maybe my more adventurous approach is down to Dragon Age II. Now I know that Dragon Age II is technically the end of the story (so far anyway). Everything is now not about how Dragon Age: Origins ends, it’s just the first part of the story. Of course, it’s also easier to play after the first time round, because you don’t need to hear all those conversations to know what’s going on. In fact in some cases not having certain conversations, leads to not picking up certain quests so you have to find other ways round things and it’s a whole new experience.
There’s still an event that, although it would be different I won’t be able to change this time around. When you go to get the Urn of Andraste to help the Arl of Redcliffe with his sickness, Kolgrim (A crazy cultist who thinks Andraste is now a huge dragon) can give you an opportunity to defile the relic. Unfortunately, when you do this Wynne and Leliana will leave the party or even attack you, as my party this time is heavily reliant on those two. It’s not going to happen. Maybe next time though, eh?
My only real criteria is to have my Grey Warden alive at the end of Origins so that he can still be used in Awakenings, but if he’s not. I’ll just have to deal… and by deal I mean re-load and try again..
Jim Franklin is a freelance writer, living in Derby UK with his wife and his player 3. When time allows he likes nothing more than losing himself in a multi-hour gaming session. He likes most games and will play anything but prefers MMO's, and sandbox RPG's.