Mark Plays ‘Dragon Age: Origins’: Hour 11

In the eleventh hour of Dragon Age: Origins, my party battles their way up to the fourth floor of the Circle of Magi tower, only to discover that THIS IS NOT WHAT I THOUGHT IT WAS. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to play Dragon Age: Origins.

Hour Eleven

You know, this game just provides you with so much information. Because of my familiarity with the Fallout games, I’m a big proponent of going into every room and opening every door because I can. That means my Codex is overflowing with secondary information about this fictional world. Generally, I read as much of it as I can, but it’s kind of a lot of work. Still, it’s how I was able to at least complete the first part of the Reaching side mission during this hour. That’s a start! Now I have to head down to the lower floor for something? IDEK? Apparently, there are ~rumblings~ happening down there.

Anyway, what I got out of this and other events during this hour of gameplay was that the game rewards you for paying attention. Even the smallest of actions can have repercussions for the story. If I hadn’t chosen to take Wynne along with me, would I have had the chance to talk to the Blood Mages who were trying to fight back against the Chantry? Probably not. I’d probably just have killed them all without a second thought. Even that story was ridiculously fascinating to me. The Blood Mages are trying to break through their own oppression using what devices they have at hand. In this case, it was blood magic, something that’s normally forbidden. And so I found myself having an argument with Morrigan, Wynne, and this Blood Mage about the tactics of fighting oppression, and this is in a goddamn video game.

And then I met a mage named Godwin who wanted to go back into the closet and I am not sorry that this joke just writes itself. IT’S RIGHT THERE I CAN’T HELP IT.

My perusing also located Flemeth’s grimoire! Now Morrigan basically loves me, and I can’t wait until this game allows me to swear off the main mission so she and I can go off and have femslash adventures all across Ferelden because why not?  Actually, I also want to do that because this game is creepy. Sure, there were these cool moments, but the game design for the Circle of Magi tower gets increasingly fucked up as I go to higher floors. I had to load my last save when I went into that room with the creepy demon who was basically possessing/controlling that Templar to give him true happiness. (OMG IT’S JASMINE.) What the fuck is that thing???? even worse, she absolutely slaughtered my party in fifteen seconds flat, so I thought, “YOU KNOW, I CAN SKIP FIGHTING HER.” So I did. I have no shame.

But beyond that, this setting is unbearably quiet. The Abominations hide in rooms, and there are grisly body parts stretched into elaborate designs all over the place. It’s like you’re traveling into the heart of something gross and disgusting. Even worse, I’m pretty sure that one room suggested that the Abominations were turning Tranquils into monsters. TRANQUILS! WHAT DID THEY EVER DO TO YOU? It’s just so interesting how this story unfolds. I mean, I thought the werewolf/Dalish story was so good that everything else would pale by comparison. But here I am, nowhere near the main plot, and I am having a blast. On top of that, Wynne is like… easily my favorite character all of a sudden? I had a moment on the third floor where I desperately wished the game would provide me the option to turn to her and marry her on the spot. A Roslin/Wynne relationship would be beautiful, yes? WHEN CAN I PROPOSE TO WYNNE?

So I got all the way up to the fourth floor relatively quickly. I think it only took me a half hour of searching the place for all the baddies to slay and to get as much junk as I could find. I courageously swept into that last room to face that final Abomination (OMG HE WAS HUGE), knowing that his little monologue to me was a precursor to our fight.

Wait why is everyone so sleepy.

wait

what are you doing.

no, don’t fall asleep morrigan. wynne, stop it.

what

what the

WHAT THE FUCK.

WHERE AM I.

WHY IS IT ALL DISCOLORED AND SHIT

WHAT

THE

FUCK

WHY IS DUNCAN HERE?!?!? 

OH MY FUCKING GOD I AM DREAMING. I AM IN A GODDAMN DREAM WORLD.

Look, the entire Dalish storyline was utterly fantastic, so I don’t want this to be a criticism of it. It stands perfectly well on its own. It’s brilliant.

AND THIS UTTERLY KICKS THE PANTS OFF OF IT. Well, if a video game storyline could wear pants, you know. I only got about ten minutes in this supremely fucked up dream world, and in that time, I:

• Fought fucked up things.
• I FOUND NIALL!!!
• I WENT ALL PETER PETTIGREW ON THIS GAME AND TURNED INTO A FUCKING MOUSE.

BLESS. BLESS!

I only got far enough to open up the five main areas that surround the center, but by gods, I am going to destroy this place.

My Character Stats

Strength: 22
Dexterity: 20+1
Willpower: 15
Magic: 13
Cunning: 16
Constitution: 18

Heroic Stats

Kills: 114
Damage dealt: 17643
Friendly-fire: 0
Greatest damage dealt: 34
Contribution to party damage: 24
Hit rate: 84
Most powerful foe slain: Abomination
Injuries: 4

Mark Links Stuff

– You can follow me on Twitter and Facebook for any updates and live commentary on upcoming reviews I’m writing.
– You should read this very important post about supporting Mark Does Stuff!
– I’ve started reading The Shoebox Project for Mark Reads, the first fanfic “series” I’ve ever covered! Join me!