Dragon Age: Origins - Ultimate Edition

Game crashes randomly and it's tiring saving after every single little thing knowing its going to crash again. Also there is no controller support even though the console versions obviously support controller. It's a shame because the actual game was enjoyable if it didn't crash randomly.

This version of Dragon Age Origins should not be sold for money and at this point it's basically just an easy scam by EA to make some quick money off of a dead unsupported product.

I don't want to waste too much time talking about the game itself; if you're familiar with BioWare RPGs you should more or less know what to expect: The game has all the hallmarks of a good BioWare RPG, and it's topped off with an interesting and unique combat system called Tactics that makes for strategic and hectic combat encounters. As per usual with BioWare games, the game contains different ways to play your character and interact with the story which makes it great fun... in theory.

In theory? Yes, in theory, because in practice this PC port of Dragon Age is one of the most unstable products I've played on this platform and it will crash frequently, if not every other minute (worst case scenario). I've heard that the GOG version runs better (meaning: it comes with all the community patches and hacks out of the box), but regardless it's a disgrace that EA allows its classic games to rot like this, especially in light of the recent new Dragon Age game coming out; It should be on Steam with proper support out of the box or not be on here at all, in my opinion.

I should also note that regardless of the fixes you apply, the game will always remain unstable and prone to crashing; It's never a question of "if" it crashes, but rather "when". A determined person with a lot of patience could probably play through this, but the point I'm trying to make with this review is that they shouldn't have to be.

Always beware of old games like this on Steam; Many of them haven't seen support in years, if at all, and are not worth your headaches. Check for reviews like my own if you're not sure.

I would love for this game to receive a proper PC remaster, but knowing EA this will probably never happen.

i have loved this game for over ten years and play each of them every year, but Origins is virtually unplayable on PC via Steam and GamePass. console is the best way to play Origins nowadays.
on a side note - i love you Alistair <3

Negative review only because I came across so many crashes when I got to Ostagar and a few before it.
The game itself I remember really enjoying when I first got it on console so shame this PC version has these issues :(

Until I can actually play the game Don't buy unless it's on sale
Can't play without it crashing and that suck's because I really want to play origins(especially after veil guard, Good god we need's this game more than ever)and I personally never had a chance to play it and trying to play it on PC But it kept constantly crashing i can't recommend if I can't even log on it, this game right now is unplayable but if for some reason they fix the game It's 100% worth the time and the money.

Even with mods this game is extremely prone to crashing to desktop, and you run the risk of your save corrupting. It happened to me twice, so yeah.

Also fuck you Bioware/EA for making me pay full price for Veilguard only to have it on sale so soon after release.

I am sure the game is lovely, but it is simply UNPLAYABLE on Steam. Even with unofficial patches and mods I cannot get it to run. It is absolutely scandalous that Steam dares to sell a game this broken.

Dragon Age: Origins is old. Why release an Ultimate Edition with enhanced graphics that only runs when you turn the graphics completely down to prevent crashes? Why pretend you optimized this game for modern computers when you obviously didn't?

I tried to get a refund but was refused because I played longer than two hours. I explained the only reason I have six hours on this game is because I tried to fix this unplayable mess. I spent hours going in and out of the game to fix areas that were not working or graphics that were not loading. And my reward for not being an insta-Karen and returning the game? No refund.

So, lesson's learned:
1. ALWAYS read online whether a game you plan on buying actually works.
2. Just return it if it doesn't, because if you try to fix it yourself they'll use it against you.

Don't buy the Steam version. It's busted. Buy the version on GOG. It's unacceptable that it's being sold in this state.

Despite all the bugs, clunkiness the game stuck to me, to the point where I wanted to complete DLCs and see what it has more to offer a really nice treat and it proves that ever increasing graphic fidelity is not the answer.

This is the REAl dragon age experience, only problem was a simple fix. A patch from nexus mods is required to play past the prologue without lots of crashing.

The only good Dragon Age. And boy is it good. Great characters and impeccable writing. Choices feel like they matter and the story promts investment. I have played this game 10+ times on both PC and Xbox, even years later I can still discover new things here and there.

There are many reasons why everyone loves this game: it's big, it has a great script, a great story, great characters, and the story has completely different outcomes depending on your actions. It's a cornerstone for every RPG that came after it.

cant even play the thing its broken. and before anyone says to just alter the files that is not what i paid for.

Back when games were made out of passion, not a product. we were gifted with gems like this. DA:O stands as one of the last true BioWare masterpieces, created before the departure of magician developers.

This is a game of consequences, particularly when it comes to assembling your party. You can easily miss out on characters like Sten and Leliana if you're rushing or make a mistake. This design encourages players to explore thoroughly, rather than just sticking to the main quest. I recall playing this game in 2011 and realizing too late that I had missed these characters, with no way to recruit them afterward.

It wasn’t about a scenic open world. It was the deeper elements, the music and the feel of the whole setting. Many comments talk about how these aspects made you feel like it was you and your team against the world and desperate odds, and they’re right.

Is it happiness? Is it pain? What is this feeling? This is a game that matures with you as you progress. They don't make them like they used to.

I saw a lot of reviews about how the game doesn't run in modern systems, but I installed it and it ran natively and without any issues on my steam deck. I didn't even have to login to Origin or any other client.

Dragon Age: Origins remains a masterpiece in 2024, with a world that hooks you right from the beginning. It adds its' own unique twists to classic fantasy tropes, creating an experience that feels truly original.

Yes, the visuals are dated by modern standards, but the game’s incredible writing more than makes up for it (And if the graphics really bother you, mods are your friend!). The cast is phenomenal, with every companion offering their own charm and depth. Add in the "Origins" feature, which lets you start the game from different character perspectives, and you have a recipe for endless replayability. It’s thrilling to see how each character tackles challenges in their own way.

The mechanics hold up remarkably well, and combat remains engaging—whether it’s strategizing in real-time battles or luring enemies into cleverly set traps. Exploration strikes a perfect balance, never feeling like a chore. And the darker, grittier atmosphere gives the game a unique tone compared to its sequels, Dragon Age II and Inquisition.

If you’ve somehow missed this gem, it’s absolutely worth diving into in 2024 and beyond. You might need a patch to get it running smoothly, but this information has been readily available for years—so don’t let that deter you. Dragon Age: Origins is a classic for a reason, and it still deserves your attention. I would recommend it 10x if only Steam let me.

10/10 game but the steam version is so broken you can't play without the 4GB patch, not sure about the game from the EA launcher but from what I've heard this game is broken everywhere unless you have a physical copy for xbox 360.

Downside of the 4gb patch is that you can't log into DA keep and work on the tapestry or import your choices to Dragon Age 2, but at least it makes the game playable.

I've tried any number of guides and fixes and patches and still I cannot go more than a few hours without the whole thing crashing down and keeping me from making anymore progress. I wouldn't say I'm very computer-savvy, but I know enough to know that if I have to take so many convoluted steps just to make the thing work then it isn't worth the effort.

One of the best RPG's I've ever played.

Dark Fantasy is the best type of fantasy, and this one does not shy away from being grim.

Where most franchises get better with each sequel
This franchise does the exact opposite where the peak is with the origins

Probably BioWare's last true CRPG. Real-time with pause combat, companions loaded with dialogue, backstories, and personal quests, and just enough lack of hand-holding to make you think for a second or two.

Playing this again in 2024 allows me to see some things a bit more clearly now: 1) The graphics were never really great. Lots of browns and grays here. 2) Party AI is not great, and a FFXII-level gambit system would have been ideal, rather than the barebones format they used here. 3) There is probably too much combat in this game, without enough variation in the types of enemies they throw at you. The game will drag towards the end because you're just fighting so much, but many of the fights are inconsequential.

However, the good still shines through. Complex characters, rich world-lore, and a variety of ways to build your character, both in terms of combat choices and backstories (Origins), is all still really great.

I love the game so far. Super fun! But It's crashing A LOT. You need to save once every 15mins or you wont progress.

Story- 5/5
Characters- 5/5
Gameplay- 5/5
Music- 3.5/5
Graphics- 3/5

Quite simply the best game ever made and my personal favourite with some of the most memorable characters you'll ever meet, the best lore I've ever seen in any video game along with a fantastic story to go along with it.

The real time with pause combat is extremely strategic and satisfying and the only thing you can hold against the game is it hasn't aged gracefully visually.

21.5/25

The game is literally unplayable and keeps crashing the moment it loads after you finish the prologue and no fix works for me. EA should either stop selling the game or fix it but we all know non of that will happen.

DA:O remains a cornerstone of RPG storytelling, delivering a richly immersive world, morally complex storytelling, and meaningful player choice. Its nuanced exploration of themes like power, loyalty, and morality allows players to engage naturally with the narrative, creating a deeply personal and rewarding experience. This is what an RPG should aspire to: intelligent, challenging, and emotionally resonant.

In stark contrast, since this is very hot topic presently, DA:V feels more like a soapbox for propaganda than a true role playing experience. Its forced political agenda dominates the narrative, leaving little room for subtlety or player agency. Instead of presenting complex, multifaceted themes for the player to navigate, it resorts to heavy handed messaging and one dimensional characters designed more to push ideological points than to enrich the story.

The world building in DA:V suffers as well, feeling more like a checklist of modern day issues than a living, breathing fantasy world. Propaganda replaces creativity, with the game prioritising the delivery of its social commentary over crafting compelling gameplay or meaningful character arcs. The result is a hollow and uninspired experience that alienates players looking for the depth and immersion that defined DA:O.

DA:O remains one of the greatest RPGs, a reminder of how games can tackle challenging themes without sacrificing narrative depth or player freedom. Meanwhile, DA:V serves as an unfortunate example of what happens when storytelling is sidelined in favour of pushing an agenda. It’s a disappointing misstep in a once great franchise.

Totally unplayable in its current state. Crashes are common. Save file issues are common. As sad as it is because I love the game, I would recommend against purchasing it.

For what I've been able to play, the game is great. But I cannot play more by the simple fact that the game crashes every time I try to continue the story.

I've tried every single fix given on the Internet, but I haven't been able to stop the game from crashing.

So I cannot recomend it.

I payed 30 dollars for a game only to not be able to read the UI in the slightest. I mean like COME ON. I cant even play the game because the UI is so damn microscopic.

Good back in the day, however plagued by game breaking bugs and crashes, have to resolve to mods to fix, the older the game gets the more neglected it becomes, sad times :(

DO NOT BUY THE STEAM VERSION OF THIS GAME. EA/BioWare didn't bother to ensure that this game is actually functional on modern systems, and the game will crash on startup if you attempt to play it normally. It will also occasionally crash for various other reasons related to modern graphics cards and DirectX, showing how little both companies care about their own backlog that a version of the game sold on Good Old Games DOES work....but not this version.

Skip this, and get it from GOG instead.

Played Dragon Age: Origins autumn 2011 for the first time, played a rogue back then. Now, had a second play-through as a mage, this time including all the DLCs. One reason is that I now finally have all the DA:s to play through, so had to start with this one.

Playing as a mage is most entertaining, I must say. For me, the game has grown old in a good sense, that is, it has not become that much worse as the time has passed. Although this reviewer never had played the subsequent Dragon Ages for comparison. Some hiccups were present. Every now and then the game started to crash, doing it all the time when you load the save. The trick is to verify the game files once again, and then it starts running again. The camera angle gets stuck sometimes, often in a quite irritating angle.

I remember that the game was at least marketed to be the successor of the original Baldur's Gate Duo. It never was that good, especially the lore is less entertaining (but BGs are already based on a known fantasy world, Forgotten Realms, so the comparison is not always fair. The same can be said concerning the Witcher, which is based on and inspired by absolutely magnificent novels!). The lore is still there and good enough, and there are multiple different story lines which you can take, so role-playing is possible.

Worth to play, if you aim to play through the series, would not perhaps recommend at least eagerly otherwise. Got a bit bored with the DLCs, Awakening and Witch Hunt are the important ones. The other ones, maybe excluding Leliana's story, are more or less worthless in my opinion. All in all, good ol' Bioware (though not as good as BG).

This is peak Bioware. Runs great on the Steam Deck. No crashes or bugs. It doesn't have controller support though, so you'll have to spend some time tweaking a community layout to your liking, but it's not as annoying as it sounds. I am really enjoying it so far. This is one of the few Bioware games I missed back in the day and never experienced, so it's scratching a long forgotten itch from my childhood.

So good that even after losing my save in a modding mishap just before the final quest of the game I started over from the beginning without a care in the world. They don't make games like this anymore.

Get the 4GB LLA patch and Qwinns Fixpack for a somewhat stable experience but expect to have to restart the game every so often because the frame rate seems to become choppier the longer the game is running regardless of the LLA patch. Use of a program such as Borderless Gaming is a good idea too because old games like this one don't have borderless window and like to crash whenever you attempt to alt tab from fullscreen.

I also recommend any mod that allows you to respec any character, if you pick the wrong ability or attribute while levelling it can kill your run, and for repeat play-throughs grab the 'Skip the Fade' mod that allows you to skip a particularly annoying segment of the game without missing out on any rewards gained during it. You could also just install the mod anyways as a first time player, literally nothing of value is lost from skipping most of that quest.

I finally finished DA Veilguard on Origin/EA, and return back to DA Origins to heal my wounds after all of my misery. And as I don't own this game on Steam, I just wanted to share my opinion about it, at least in some way. Dragon Age Origin is still great tough as always has been. Nothing changed. And I probably start my 19th playthrough. The last... Oh, who I'm even lying to?! Of course I'll play this game countless times in the future!

So now goes my review of Dragon Age Veilguard.

Crashes a lot but is absolutely worth any annoyances on a technical level for being one of bioware's best games.

this is hands down the best game ive ever played. DA2 is also brilliant, albeit less funded and more rushed. inquisition is different, but still a good romp. DO NOT PLAY VEILGUARD IF YOU LOVE THIS WORLD.

played this game growing up and its still one of the best rpgs ever made. shame its sequels are trash.

came back to play this again (with MODS of course) instead of playing the latest nonsense in the series. The dialogue, atmosphere are so refreshingly adult, dark and complex...where did these storytellers go? There are not in current Bioware for sure.

One of the greatest RPGs ever made. Bioware was one of the greatest studios ever during ME 1-3, Jade Empire. KOTOR, and DAO days, RIP.

Crashes are SO frequent that I can't so much as leave Lothering, not to mention the visual bugs. It's a shame too, because I can tell the writing and world-building is so much more intelligently and strategically thought out than it's Veilguard counterpart.

The OG, The GOAT.
I put so many hours into this game.
This game truly rest upon the highest peak of RPG games.
The modern day games are generic rpgs wearing the skin of the dead corpse of dragon age don't be fooled.

One of the best RPG ever created. Dark, believable world, deep lore, complex plot, plethora of meaningful choices. You can truly be who you want and decide the fate of the world in this game.

DO NOT BUY THIS ON STEAM

Overall yes, get the game if you somehow don't have it already but get it on GOG. Steam version is broken worse than a modern EA game. First you can't even play the actual game until you go thru a whole mod the .exe with LAA and 4GB patch episode, which also has you hunt down an non-encrypted version of the exe, because the one Steam has that you download is encrypted and thus useless to patch to prevent constant crashing. THEN even if all you want to do is have a little visual touch up because old game is old, the entire process of modding this collective migraine isn't worth the time or effort, LET ALONE IF YOU WANT TO ATTEMPT TO MAKE ANY MODS YOURSELF. SO overall advice take the money you would have used to buy it here and instead just buy it on GOG since that version actually runs ok.

Dont buy it on Steam, game keeps crashing and textures are not loading properly. Game on other platforms doesnt have this problem.

Game as for story/gameplay/characters is 6 stars to 5, the last true RPG i enjoyed .
I do not recommend to buy this version because to many crashes that force you
to download 3rd party patches .
Even then crashes still happen ,the product is flawed and it should be either fixed or removed from the market,
this involves EA even Steam ,you sell a FLAWED product to people. 0 stars to you too.

Crashes after reaching first major area about 2 hours in. Tried every fix the internet had to offer. Unplayable.

One of those games where you travel to camp and just sit there, listening to the ambient music.

And while your companions visually stand there, their dialogue and stories while you talk to them at camp sell the game itself.

Leliana's adventures as a bard.

Morrigan's tales of the wild lands, her mother and her philosophies on mages.

Alistair's time at the Chantry, and the secrets of his family.

Sten's customs and stone-like demeanour as he struggles to explain his unique and almost unknown culture.

Zevran's free spirit cultivated in Antiva.

Wynne's wisdom and morality - almost a total opposite to Morrigan in philosophy.

Shale's unique position as a golem with no memory of who she was. Unearthing her history and origins as you converse and travel with her more and more.

Oghren, the drunk. The comic relief. The warrior at heart.

All of this, while that music hums like a lullaby. Music that fills you with sadness. Hope? Questioning whether or not the quest you set out on can even be done.

And that is what I think is missing from most of the recent releases into the Dragon Age franchise. That dark, gritty, bleak tone that is tempered by moments of comedy and even joy.

This game was peak BioWare. And one of the best gaming RPG's to date.

Ever dreamt of babysitting a medieval soap opera? Enter Dragon Age: Origins!

With a cast featuring sarcastic elves, grumpy dwarves, and a perpetually naked Morrigan (oh, those campfire scenes), this game is a relentless rollercoaster of existential crises and dragons with attitude. You'll spend hours slaying Darkspawn, making morally questionable decisions, and desperately trying to get Alistair to shut up about his tragic backstory.

You'll become the kingdom’s hero while simultaneously being its most questionable decision-maker, leaving behind a trail of broken friendships and awkward romantic encounters that you definitely shouldn’t talk about in public

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2685609851

Great game, all time classic. Better in some ways than Baldur's Gate 3 even :D
If you not afraid by old games, try it, it absolutely worth it (On sales)
Dark fantasy with blood, fear, war and good friend Oghren (Literally me fr)

Extremely solid story and tactical gameplay, good companions and dark gritty themes. Beware, later games in this series get more and more 'safe' and aren't as good. Bioware started a downward slide around the time of Dragon Age 2