Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening Reviews
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Category: News ArchiveHits: 1996
RPGFan gives it an 83%:
Awakening is never a bad game. It's never just an average game. I just expect more from BioWare, and I wish they had spent more time developing the expansion to one of the best RPGs in recent years. As is, the expansion has some weak spots. By the end, however, Awakening satiates the urge for BioWare creations. Great locations, fantastic new abilities and items, and points of hilarity all make Awakening worth a purchase. Awakening might feel rushed at times, but it tells an important story and allows the Commander of the Grey to kick tremendous ass, and there's little more satisfying than that.
Diehard GameFAN gives it a verdict of "Great Game":
Dragon Age: Origins Awakening is a solid expansion of the original game that should make fans of the game happy, as it adds plenty of content to an already solid game, but it doesn't impress as well as its predecessor on a few levels. The story, while not as good as that of the original game, is solid enough to be interesting, the graphics are as beautiful and well detailed as ever, and the audio is still excellent and very fitting. The gameplay is as easy to learn as before and offers more depth and variety than its predecessor, which should please fans, and between the large amount of choices for how to level and develop characters and the added gear options, you'll still be able to spend a good amount of time outfitting and developing party members. The expansion is fairly lengthy, and while it's not as involved as its predecessor, there's a decent amount to do with it, along with the ability to start off as a brand new high-level character or import your existing character from Dragon Age: Origins. The game still feels a bit too much like Knights of the Old Republic at times, and still feels like it was designed to offer a compromise, control-wise, for PC and console play that doesn't quite seem like it would be pleasing for either. It's also unfortunate that the expansion pack is only compatible with one of the multiple expansion packs released for the main game, as it can lead to players missing awesome gear they loved for no reason, which is quite shocking when it happens as you start the game. Overall, Dragon Age: Origins Awakening is a solid expansion pack for a great game, and while it's not as impressive as its predecessor, fans should still find it to be a worthwhile acquisition, if nothing else.
XGSA gives it a 4/5:
It was obvious from the start that Dragon Age: Origins was made to be an expandable franchise, and Awakening has shown that we can expect the highest of quality from these expansions. The huge amount of new material and the 25+ hours of gameplay make Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening an unmissable adventure for all Dragon Age fans.
Blast Magazine gives it a "B-":
If you were a fan of Dragon Age: Origins, then this is a necessary purchase that expands the Dragon Age universe and gives you another reason to return to the lands you've defended once before. If you weren't sold on the idea of Dragon Age before, this game will not change your mind. It doesn't have the same replay value as Origins, but it's definitely worth at least one playthrough for fans of the franchise.
Military doesn't give it a score:
Overall, those who enjoyed their first journey into Ferelden and are simply hankering to whip some more Darkspawn backside will be thrilled with "Awakening."
And Game Vortex gives it an 80%:
Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening is a better stand-alone product than a true expansion pack. When taken on its own merits, Awakening is a good introduction to the core ideas behind Origins and will more than likely push you towards checking it out. The storytelling and emotional draw leave a lot to be desired, but the quests and combat are fun and offer a lot of game for the price.
