Dragon Age: Origins Witch Hunt DLC Reviews
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At this point you might be expecting me to start listing off the good qualities of the DLC. Unfortunately, the only redeeming part of the entire experience is the presence of our witchy woman herself, an experience completely tainted by what actually happens. Witch Hunt re-uses 4 areas from Origins and Awakening, and its only new area is hardly new at all, but rather just a smaller version of the dungeons found near the Dalish camp in Origins. There are a couple new weapons to be had that are completely pointless to anyone who has Awakening's gear, and every single enemy with the exception of the (boss) of the DLC is old news. Said boss is interesting, but looks far better in the concept art than it does in the actual game, as though the developers simply became sloppy with its rendering. The fight itself is also a recycled version of several previous fights, and my imported character could have easily killed the beast on his own.GameSpot 5/10.
The story, the vehicle that was supposed to deliver me Morrigan and all the answers I sought, is completely pointless. The book Ariane must find becomes a footnote, despite it becoming her entire reason for venturing out, and Finn's motives are basically (I needed some fresh air.) The entire hour, give or take ten minutes, leading up to the final stunning encounter with Morrigan are passable if slogging through them actually meant something. But it does not because that stunning moment never happens. The end is interesting, and just seeing Morrigan felt good, but it only raises more questions and completely invalidates anything that led up to it.
You can finish Witch Hunt in around 90 minutes, but that's 90 minutes you should devote to Dragon Age: Origins' other, better DLC. Even Morrigan herself seems bored by the whole thing, displaying little of her signature sneering wit in the precious few moments she appears onscreen. The main game is, at its core, fun to play, and so you may still squeeze some amusement from the simple battles and appreciate the obscure hint of events to come. But even the most fanatical Dragon Age enthusiasts will come away bewildered by a brief and hollow addition to a universe that surely must have greater mysteries to reveal than this.MMO Gamer Chick no score.
There were plenty of things to like, of course, such as the companions. Your trusty Mabari hound rejoins you for this adventure, as well as two new characters: Ariane the Dalish elven warrior and Finn the human mage. They both grew on me, tough-as-nails Ariane who is actually quite adorable and charming, and Finn with his over-the-top sense of humor. Between the two of them, you have enough funny banter to last a lifetime. Many other humorous gems are scattered throughout the content, if you care to look.
Regardless of how I feel, I'm not sorry I purchased Witch Hunt. Like it or not, it did bring closure Bioware's own brand of strange and messed up closure, maybe, but it's still closure. I hate to be cryptic about it myself, but in the end, whether or not Witch Hunt delivered all that it promised really depends on who you ask. Only read on if you don't mind spoilers.
