Summary
The Hero of Ferelden is the legendary first hero ofDragon Age, a Grey Warden whose mantle many players don to this day. This first game’s popularity is well-founded:Originsis a story that has something new to offer for gamers looking for a highly replayable dark fantasy. This game paved the way for RPGs in many respects, not the least of which is how much of theWarden’s character is up to players, and what kind of hardships and relationships shape a person.
The unique build ofOriginsallows players to roleplay saintly or vicious Wardens and goes above and beyond with the unique way it establishes the Warden’s backstory. Although the story ofOriginsis epic enough with its focus on the Fifth Blight, it’s also about all the friends, enemies, and secrets the Warden meets on this journey. As gory as it is witty, this game is adark hero’s tale unlike any before itthat’s certain to delight any who gives it a chance.
1Fate Is A Bloody Thing
Respecting & Joining The Wardens Are Worlds Apart
While there are elements of The Chosen One trope inOrigins, it does the dark fantasy genre proud by painting thehero’s role as both necessaryand deeply unenviable. Many Thedasians admire the Order, but the Joining is often fatal, and its brutal effects are for life.
Players take up the mantle of the hero not because they’re reluctantly forced to by a superior or because of some ancient prophecy. It’s aquestion of life or death, and the heroic circumstance is that no one else is there to get the job done.
2A Legacy For Future Heroes
The Warden’s Background Has Long-Term Social Implications
The Inquisitor’s origin impacts how players roleplay their character accepting their role, andHawke’s class significantly impactshowDragon Age 2unfolds. The Warden, however, has the unique option to forge a legacy based on which origin players choose.
All the origins are offered certain choices, such as the Dark Ritual, but some endgame results and several future references are directly tied to specific origins. While this won’t change the plot ofOriginsor subsequent games, it does changehow the world remembers the Warden.
3The Taint Has Upsides
Dreaming With An Archdemon Is Great For Strategy But Not Sanity
The darkspawn and the archdemons are among the most fascinating denizens of Thedas, and their unnatural origin is a point of fascination for players. As a Warden, players are naturally encouraged to learn more about some of the deepest mysteries of Thedas.
How darkspawn organize and propagate, and their lost history, is relevant to defeating them but thanks to Blights and politics, the Order is not in great shape when it comes to disseminating relevant information. It’s up to the Warden to learn from every encounter.
4No Thaigs Unturned
No One Else Can Forage Into Darkspawn Territory Like A Warden
This may not be every origin character’s ideal future, but the Warden certainly has the combat advantage in overrun and forgotten ruins, especially in the Deep Roads. Ancient thaigs arefull of lost history, and there’s the matter of learning more about darkspawn.
The information the Warden gathers is perpetually relevant to Thedas so long as darkspawn and archdemons exist. The difference between the Hero of Ferelden and other members of the Order is mainlylocation and opportunity, but the contribution is no less valuable for players curious about this dark mystery.
5A Hero For Noble Sacrifice
The Warden Can Die For The Cause
If the Warden is the one to land the killing blow and the Dark Ritual is ignored,Originsoffers the grimmest ending as an option for players who want their Warden to go out with style. The Hero of Fereldenwill be remembered appropriatelyif players choose this ending.
Not every hero’s tale has to be tragic, but it certainly has an angsty appeal for players who wish to explore themes of noble self-sacrifice, especially those roleplaying devout and selfless Andrastians or rude survivors who only intend on living long enough to save everyone.
6Rebuilding The Wardens
The Wardens Went The Way Of The Orlesians In Ferelden
The Inquisition is impressive, and Hawke can also excel in leadership if the player so chooses. With the Warden, however, players have a bad situation foisted on them, and instead of guidance, it’s up to them to build theOrder’s presence in a hostile land.
7Companions For The Ages
Origins Is The Game That Got Diverse Romances Noticed
Dragon Ageis wildly famous for its companion lineup for many reasons, from party banter to its salacious encounters.Originsproved there’s a strong market for fleshed-out RPGs with diverse romances.
While the romances are excellent, there’s far more to what makes the Warden’s experience so rewarding.Originsalso excels at portraying strong platonic bonds. Some ofthe Warden’s friendships are iconicprecisely because their design didn’t include romance.
8The Many Faces Of Thedas
Six Origins & As Many Cultures
Originsis true to its name and starts as a completely different game with every origin. These aren’t simply different flavors of the same quest, either. Every Warden has a different reason for joining the Order, and meanwhile, players get a glimpse into verydifferent layers of Thedasian cultures.
The unchosen potential Wardens are all scripted into the game as well, although only the character chosen by the playersurvives their origin. This lendsOriginsan unprecedented continuity in weaving together the disparate timelines of who the Hero of Ferelden could have been.
9Darkspawn Expert
No Other Warden Has Seen Quite This Much
Much is learned about the Blights and darkspawn inOrigins, and a lot of the field research legwork is thanks to the Warden’s efforts. The lack of useful information goes further back thanLoghain rejecting the Order’s presencein Ferelden, and as players will learn, this knowledge is the difference between life and death.
Despite the political issues, it’s clear that the threat that the Grey Wardens stand against is very real, and not even Loghain argues that. The Order’s presence anywhere may be historically fraught, but the Grey Wardens at Weisshaupt would do well to be half as intrepid or as impressive as the Hero of Ferelden, and players experiencing this epic comeback will find themselves inexorably invested inDragon Age.
