Dragon Age: Origins Summary
BioWare’s Dragon Age: Origins is, aptly, the first title in the developer’s high-fantasy RPG series. The game can trace its development back to 2002 and was conceived as a dark-fantasy spin on the Mass Effect series that the developer was also working on at the time. Additionally, BioWare intended Dragon Age: Origins to be the spiritual follow-up to the developer’s previous CRPG titles such as Baldur’s Gate and Neverwinter Nights.
Alongside BioWare’s previous work as a developer, Dragon Age: Origins takes inspiration from the written works of JRR Tolkien and George R. R. Martin. After 7 years of development, Origins was released in 2009 for PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. A version for MacOS followed shortly after. To date, Origins has amassed more than 3 million copies sold and spawned two sequels as well as several DLC expansions.
Origins was met with considerable acclaim upon its release for adapting the Mass Effect formula to a traditional fantasy RPG setting and its strong writing and story. Additionally, Origins won several ‘Game of the Year awards and other accolades the year of its release. It is often cited as the fan-favorite of the Dragon Age series and one of BioWare’s last deeply complex CRPGs.
Dragon Age: Origins Premise
Dragon Age: Origins is a third-person RPG with action-heavy combat and a rich narrative. Players assume the role of a Warrior, Mage, or Rogue from one of three different races and backgrounds. The story takes place in the realm of Ferelden, which happens to be on the verge of a Civil War. Eventually, the player character becomes a Grey Warden, a sworn protector of the realm who operates outside royal command. The Grey Wardens are all that stands between Ferelden and the Darkspawn, a race of malevolent creatures who enter Ferelden from The Fade.
Combat in Dragon Age: Origins can be played from an over-the-shoulder third-person perspective or switched to a “top-down” tactical view reminiscent of classic CRPGs like Baldur’s Gate. In addition to slaying several different types of enemies, Origins features numerous important non-combat scenarios. In these sections, players use their skills of persuasion toward influencing the realm of Ferelden. Dialogue trees during conversations offer options for how players respond, and these responses affect how other characters in Ferelden perceive the player character.
Like many other RPGs, as players fight enemies and complete missions they will level up. Leveling up results in the allocation of stat points into a variety of skills and abilities. Players have substantial freedom in how they build out their character and their companions. The companions the player has will approve or disapprove of the player based on their moral choices. Similar to Mass Effect, Dragon Age: Origins features a morality system that tracks the player’s actions. In addition to leveling up the player character’s strength and skill, players have the choice to venture down one of three different morality paths.
Dragon Age: Origins Main Characters
The world of Ferelden in Dragon Age: Origins is populated with a rich cast of characters. In addition to the player-created protagonist, there are several companions that accompany you on your journey. Further, there are also some compelling villains and side characters. The main characters in Dragon Age: Origins include:
Allies
- Player Character: The hero of Dragon Age: Origins is the player-created protagonist. This character can be either male or female and one of three different races. Additionally, the player can choose one of three classes for their character to determine their skills and abilities. Regardless of how players craft the main character, the hero of Origins is appointed as a Grey Warden and sworn to push back the impending Darkspawn invasion.
- Alistair: Alistair is one of the player’s main companions and a fellow Grey Warden. His sense of humor and reluctance toward his duties as a Grey Warden provide levity to the story of Origins. He is the first companion that players will have join them once their main quest begins.
- Morrigan: Morrigan is a powerful witch with somewhat questionable morals. She is also one of the first companions that will join the player and is a powerful ally.
- Leliana: Leliana is a member of the Ferelden Chantry and also a skilled Rogue. Her kind demeanor and piety belay her skills as a gifted spy and combatant.
- Duncan: Duncan is the Grey Warden who recruits the player character and serves as a mentor during the early hours of the game.
Enemies
- Urthemiel: Urthemiel is the reincarnated Old God from the Tevinter Imperium who controls the Darkspawn horde threatening Ferelden. As the titular evil dragon in Dragon Age: Origins, he is the game’s primary antagonist.
- Loghain Mac Tir: The secondary antagonist to Urthemiel, Loghain is a former war hero who has devolved into madness. He is seeking to use the impending Civil War and Darkspawn invasion as a means to sieze power and eliminate the Grey Wardens.
Games in the Dragon Age Series
Starting with Origins, BioWare’s Dragon Age series continues to be the studio’s premier high-fantasy RPG series. It sits alongside Mass Effect and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic as one of the best Western RPGs of all-time and has produced multiple sequels. To date, the games in the Dragon Age series include:
- Dragon Age: Origins (2009)
- Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening (2010)
- Dragon Age II (2011)
- Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014)
- Dragon Age: Dreadwolf (In Development)
Dragon Age: Origins Cheats and Secrets
Dragon Age: Origins joins the ranks of many other games with both PC and console ports as only having enterable cheats on the PC version. Still, there are a number of exploits and secrets that console players may find useful.
Dragon Age: Origins Cheats for PC
To enable the Command Console, players will need to complete the following steps:
For Windows
- Make a backup of any game files before attempting so as to not lose access to the game
- Make a shortcut to the game’s .exe file (this file should appear as Dragon Age/bin_ship/daorigins.exe. If the file isn’t visible, make sure to enable hidden files for viewing)
- Right-click the shortcut and select “Properties”
- Add the command line parameter -enabledeveloperconsole
- Open the keybindings.ini file (this should be located in My Documents/BioWare/Dragon Age/ Settings/) and find the following line:
OpenConsole_0=Keyboard::Button_X - Change the line to:
OpenConsole_0=Keyboard::Button_Q - Now save the file and launch the game using the shortcut created in Step 2. Press Q while in-game to bring up the Command Console.
For Steam
- Right-click on Dragon Age: Origins in the Steam library
- Select “Properties”
- Enter -enabledeveloperconsole in the text box under “Launch Options”
- Open the game and press the tilde (~) key to open the Command Console
| Cheat Code | Effect |
| runscript zz_addparty NPCname | Add party member by name. |
| runscript zz_addapproval X <amount> | Add to a companion approval rating. X = companion. |
| runscript addtalent [number] | Adds the talent or spell corresponding to the number to your character. |
| runscript zz_addparty | Allows player to break the party companion limit. |
| runscript pc_immortal | Enables God mode. |
| runscript healplayer | Heals player/party. |
| runscript killallhostiles | Kills all hostile creatures in the area. |
| runscript chargen | Goes to the Origin screen. |
| runscript selectparty | Goes to the Party Select screen. |
| runscript zz_dropparty | Removes the entire party. |
| runscript zz_talk_nearest | Talk to the nearest NPC. |
| runscript zz_pre_strategy | Teleports player and party to Duncan’s fire in Ostagar. |
| runscript zz_pre_demo2 | Teleports player and party to Ostagar. |
| runscript ai off | Turns off NPC AI. |
| runscript zz_money <amount> | Adds the specified amount of copper. 1,000 copper = 1 gold. |
| runscript addxp <amount> | Adds the desired amount of XP. |
Dragon Age: Origins Cheats and Secrets for PS3 and Xbox 360
Item Duplication Glitch
Any stackable item in the inventory can be duplicated using an in-game exploit. Place the desired item into the Junk category and then visit any vendor. Select the “Sell” option, select the item, and press Y+A on Xbox 360 or Triangle+X on PS3. If it worked, the items will duplicate. If not, simply buy the items back and try again.
Free Specialization Books
Players can buy the Specialization Books that vendors sell and immediately get a refund while keeping the Specialization, making them essentially free. When you find a vendor that has a Specialization Book you want, save your game and then buy the book. You should see a message appear in-game that says “Specialization Unlocked”. Now load the file that you saved before buying the book. The Specialization remains unlocked and you have both the book and the gold spent on it.
Dragon Age: Origins Cheat FAQs
Does Dragon Age: Origins have cheats on console?
No — only the PC version of the game has enterable cheats.
How do I enable cheats in Dragon Age: Origins?
Depending on which version of the game you have for PC (Steam or Windows) there are specific steps needed to follow to enable the Command Console. Please use the steps outlined above in the Cheats for PC section.
How do I get infinite gold in Dragon Age: Origins?
On PC, players can simply use the console command codes to instantly put as much gold in their inventory as desired. On console, players can use the Item Duplication Glitch to duplicate and then sell valuable items.