Powerful new new characters to utilize. View larger.

New creatures of the dark. View larger.

And creatures of the light. View larger.

Story
For centuries, the Grey Wardens ? the ancient order of guardians sworn to unite and defend the lands ? have battled the darkspawn forces. Legend says that slaying the Archdemon would have put an end to the darkspawn threat for centuries to come, but for all the Grey Wardens' vigilance, somehow the creatures remain. But there is a new spark of hope. You are the Grey Warden Commander and have been entrusted with the duty of rebuilding the order of Grey Wardens and uncovering the secrets of the darkspawn and how they managed to remain. How you choose to rebuild your order, how you resolve the conflict with "The Architect", and how you determine the fate of the darkspawn will be but some of the many complex choices that await and shape your journey as you venture to the new land of Amaranthine.

Gameplay
As with the original Dragon Age: Origins game, the Awakening expansion is a single player RPG in which the path of a player's created hero is determined through a combination of ongoing actions throughout the game and the character's particular backstory, known as an Origin Story. Origin Stories relate primarily to the combination of the chosen race of the character and that individual's socioeconomic status. For example, a player who favors a Dwarfish character may have a variety of options, including the choice of being a commoner or a noble. As the character progresses through the game he will interact with any number of non-player characters (NPCs) who may have a particular opinion of Dwarves which may or may not be altered by the fact that the character is of noble or commoner status. These built-in impressions, blended in real-time with the character's interactions and choices alter the hero's personal path and eventually the outcome of the events of the game. Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening is a standalone expansion, meaning that ownership of the original Dragon Age: Origins game is not necessary for play. That said, players of the previous game are afforded the added benefit of importing their character from the original game to continue that adventure, or beginning anew with a new character and Origin Story.

Key Game Features

• A Stunning World Expanded - BioWare's deepest universe to date just got bigger with an all new area of the world to explore, Amaranthine.
• Unlock the secrets of the Darkspawn and their true motivations.
• Rebuild the Grey Warden order and establish their base of operations at Vigil's Keep.
• All-new Complex Moral Choices - Embark on an epic story that is completely defined and reactive to your play style, allowing players to create an entire experience based on both overall choices made and how complex situations are handled.
• The Varying Influence of "Origin Story" - Begin your character's adventure with a specific socioeconomic Origin Story that will affect attitudes and exchanges with NPCs, creating the possibility of a wide variety of game endings and thus add to the game's replay value.
• New Ways to Customize Your Hero - Experience additional spells, abilities, specializations, and items to further personalize and customize your hero and party.
• Import your character from Dragon Age: Origins or start anew as a Grey Warden from the neighboring land of Orlais.
• Encounter five all-new party members and an old favorite from Dragon Age: Origins.
• Even more Bone-crushing, Visceral Combat - Test your skills against an evolved, intelligent breed of Darkspawn and other menacing creatures including the Inferno Golem, 'Queen of the Blackmarsh' - deadly Spectral Dragon and The Children, a hideous and huge arachnid like scourge.