The long-awaited Mass Effect trilogy remaster has finally arrived in glorious, updated graphics and quality of life changes, but another game deserves the same treatment. BioWare's Dragon Age: Origins has long been considered a classic RPG from the same era as the first Mass Effect game. With all the great updates we've seen the first Mass Effect get as part of the trilogy's facelift, it would be great to see the same done to this RPG fantasy masterpiece.
The Dragon Age franchise is still ongoing, with each story standing alone within the same world, so it wouldn't make sense to remaster several games as they did with Mass Effect. However, Origins is unique and beloved, with plenty of DLC and replayability to make it worthwhile. People have already been waiting and speculating about the Grey Warden's return; maybe BioWare should give it to them.
Dragon Age: Origin's story and gameplay still hold up today. It's an epic tale of rebuilding a legendary order, the Grey Wardens, to help a Kingdom in need and fight against an ancient evil known as the Darkspawn. There were tons of choices to be made across the game, and even character background and race influenced dialogue and how situations could potentially go down. It's a game with storytelling like many isometric RPGs but done in 3rd person, a rare combination that made aspects like immersion and exploration more exciting. With so many different paths to discover, the story alone is worth revisiting, and areas would like great with upgraded textures and graphics like the overhaul ME1 received.
While some combat isn't quite up to modern standards with older AI, a little slower pace and more basic class systems, it does hold up overall. Its real-time strategy style, programmable teammates, equipment and weapon systems are all on the same level as games like Pillars of Eternity and Baldur's Gate 3. After Dragon Age II, the series went in a different direction combat-wise, aiming for more of an action feel with a hint of strategy, making Origins vastly different from other titles in the franchise. Rebalancing spells and skills, making combat a little quicker and tweaking AI would go a long way. Origins would greatly benefit from some small changes and fit right in with similar modern titles while still being a remaster.
It’s also quite a long game unless you barrel straight to the end, Breath of the Wild-style. There are a lot of roads to take or not take and even more with all the DLC. Like Mass Effect, DA:O received a ton of promotional items, as well as extra content and even a companion. Many were exclusive to certain pre-orders, where the game was purchased or whether another game entirely was purchased. Awakening, in particular, was almost a whole expansion that took place after the campaign. Remastering all of it and finally including it all in one package would be incredible to fans of the series and especially this original title that started it all.
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