Summary
Downloadable content elicits varying reactions from everybody, from disdain about having to pay extra for more of the game to appreciation for having more content. But whichever way your thoughts on DLC lean, it’s hard to deny that a story-based series likeDragon Agecan benefit greatly.
Dragon Age story expansions and additions have taken players to far-off lands and even far-below lands, even serving as the true connections to the following games sometimes. But among them all, which rise above the rest as the best each game has to offer?
9Return To Ostagar
Dragon Age: Origins
Despite the wildly varying titular origin stories you choose from when creating your character inDragon Age: Origins, every new player feels that same impact when their playthroughs all eventually converge on that fateful Battle of Ostagar that sets off the game’s plot.
The Return to Ostagar DLC let you actually return to the now deserted encampment and battlefield later in the game, and possibly with a certain last-surprise minute party member for some extra. Along with reliving the trauma, you may also find the desecrated body of Ferelden’s slain king, Cailan, and give him a proper burial.Some video game rewardsget really avant-garde, it seems.
8The Stone Prisoner
The darkness and brutality of The Return to Ostagar isn’t the only vibe Origins knows. Sometimes, it also changes things up with a sarcastic golem who resents your very existence. Enter The Stone Prisoner, a DLC that adds the amnesiac golem Shale to your party.
Shale is arguably an essential addition to the game. Her hatred of birds and referral to every sapient being as “it” is charming enough, but she also has her own lore that gets fleshed out wonderfully as part of the game’s main Orzammar quest. If she isn’t already a particularly heavy staple in your party, make sure you bring her along next time.
7Awakening
Unlike the rest of the DLC seen in the game, Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening is a full-fleshed campaign all on its own. It takes place after the events of the main game, complete with a new story and new party members. It almost feels like an officially-created fanfiction.
Awakening actually introduces a couple of critically important elements to the series, notably including the mage Anders, but don’t hold that against it. Kidding aside, he and the Spirit of Justice are party members here before they merge between games to become the twisted Spirit of Vengeance Anders has become in Dragon Age 2.
6The Black Emporium
Dragon Age 2
You know how it is.Character creation in gamesis a meticulous process in which you painstakingly craft the perfect being for your upcoming playthrough of a given game. Once you’re finally satisfied with the result, perhaps hours later, you’re finally ready to begin, only to immediately change your mind once you see your player character in a different light.
That’s where The Black Emporium comes in. Under the watchful eye of eccentric and stationary corpse Xenon the Antiquarian, this enigmatic den buried deep beneath Kirkwall lets you change your appearance in the Mirror of Transformation while also including some shops selling rare items you might find useful. Just don’t manhandle the urchin. He’s not for sale. Find your own.
5Mark Of The Assassin
Does the Dragon Age 2 DLC Mark of the Assassin essentially just serve as a vehicle for Felicia Day to show up in the game? Possibly. Is it still fun? Absolutely. That’s not to say it’s fun in spite of Day’s nimble and lethal elf assassin Tallis. In fact, she’s a pretty enjoyable character.
But this side story is more than just a cameo. It takes Hawke and their party to the bougie Chateau Haine, tasking you with retrieving a relic for Tallis, hunting a wyvern, and at one point chatting up a bunch of rich people. Despite being the worst situation of the three, that last one actually allows for some of the funniest moments in the game.
4Legacy
Legacy is to Dragon Age 2 what Awakening was to Origins. While not quite as robust and expansive as its previous game’s counterpart, Legacy adds a new story to the game which leads directly into its eventual sequel. It’s also got some really fun fights and fascinating additions to the lore.
As Hawke explores a mysterious and deadly plot tied directly to their family, they eventually come across none other than Corypheus, the corrupted ancient magister at the heart ofDragon Age: Inquisition’s story. The battle is tough in Legacy, but you eventually come out victorious, a feat that probably hits harder if you know nothing about Inquisition beforehand.
3The Descent
Dragon Age: Inquisition
If atmosphere and lore are your thing, then you absolutely don’t want to miss The Descent. This DLC forDragon Age: Inquisitiontakes you way, way down into the underground dwarven Deep Roads that theoretically span the entire continent of Thedas. You’re called there to investigate dangerous tremors, but there’s no way you’re prepared for what you ultimately find.
While the dwarves who ask for your help down there know more about the area than you ever will, even they haven’t gone as deep as you do on your journey. You’ll find plenty of creepy tunnels, some of themost breathtaking locations in the Dragon Age series, and a shocking discovery at the end that changes everything even the dwarves know about themselves.
2Jaws Of Hakkon
This is probably the most “traditional” DLC you’ll get in Inquisition. Jaws of Hakkon takes you to the lush forested region of the Frostback Basin. It’s rather similar to most of the big maps you find in the game, but this one has an advantage: it gives your point of contact Scout Lace Harding more stuff to do.
You’ll fight hostiles with oddly paint-centric armor, befriend local mountain folk, and fight a dragon among other things. You’ll also discover more about the Inquisitor who came before you. But most importantly, if you bring The Iron Bull along with you, he and Harding can loudly bond over their love of mayhem. (Also, you can judge a bear.)
1Trespasser
Fans almost unanimously love Trespasser, and for good reasons. It essentially streamlined the experience of Dragon Age: Inquisition into one final story set two years after the final battle. Gone are the intimidatingly vast regions to explore in favor of tightly-crafted locations with much clearer goals. You also get to see a dog.
Trespasser also, most notably, ties directly into thestory of Dragon Agegoing forward. Through the world-spanning magic mirrors known as the Eluvians, you and your returning companions travel all around trying to track down a mysterious Qunari threat, experiencing linear but no less gorgeous locales, and even ultimately decide the fate of the Inquisition itself. No pressure.
