Dragon Age DLC detailed

By Kyle Orland Published 6 May, 2010

Darkspawn Chronicles to tell new story.

Bioware has announced more details regarding the recently revealed Darkspawn Chronicles DLC for Dragon Age: Origins.

The DLC will reportedly present an "alternate history" for the Dragon Age universe, according to the announcement. In the new DLC, the protagonist from the main game dies during the initial joining ceremony, leaving the Grey Wardens to be led by Alistair instead.

The DLC lets you play as one of the Darkspawn - specifically a hurlock vanguard that leads his fellow Darkspawn into battle. Players that complete the DLC will reportedly will unlock an epic Darkspawn item for the game.

Darkspawn Chronicles will hit Xbox Live on 18th May an sell for 400 Microsoft Points (£3.40/€4.80). Further release details are still unavailable.

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Comments (23) Latest comment 2 years ago

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  • SClaw #1 2 years ago

    I've bought all the DLC for DA so far but even I think they are milking it now.

    From this it sounds like they'll be using the same old locations and character models we've already seen before. Are we going back to Ostagar for the millionth time in this one? Sounds awfully likely, as I can't see them skipping the "play the attack from the other side" opportunity it presents.

    Also, Alistar sucks. He couldn't lead toffee into his idiot mouth.

  • pauleyc #2 2 years ago

    Sounds interesting. No information on the length though? Hopefully it'll be longer than Return to Ostagar or Warden's Keep.

  • Paperghost #3 2 years ago

    the screenshots look like they take place from the final battle - sounds likely, given the "control an army of darkspawn" comments. so replace your army of dwarves, elves and whoever with goblins and demons and that's pretty much what we'll get.

    idea sounds good, but something longer and fleshed out would be better, rather than "enjoy the final battle from a slightly different perspective". ah well.

  • Thamuhacha #4 2 years ago

    After Awakenings, they have got my attention. So I'll definitely check it out.

    As to "Milking it" .... WTF? The game was massive + they keep making new things. Why doesn't everyone do that?

  • ignatiusjreilly #5 2 years ago

    The DLC lets you play as one of the Darkspawn - specifically a hurlock vanguard that leads his fellow Darkspawn into battle.

    Wow, wasn't expecting that! Haven't really been concerned with an of the Dragon Age DLCs, but that has certainly piqued my interest.

  • hiddenranbir #6 2 years ago

    Well it is a good thing that this is a new story but don't think I have the desire to replay the game to use new items that I don't really need to play the game if that is the only primary reward out of all this.

  • metalangel #7 2 years ago

    Oh PLEASE. Recycle some more content why doncha?

    There'll be a little talky bit at the beginning where you can go around and talk to other darkspawn, and have dialogue in ridiculous gravelly 'monster' voices like, "the humans will soon perish, hurr hurr hurr" and "yaaaargh! I shall feast on their entrails!". Then it's off to battle, for an epic clusterfuck just like every other big battle in the main game.

    Your reward will be a valuable item which you'll pawn off once you get back to the main game, to buy lots and lots of injury kits and health poultices because your party members nosh them down like a fat kid eating chips.

  • geeza2020 #8 2 years ago

    metal angel: - sounds like you need to put a healer in your party if your getting through that many poultices and healing kits.

    anyway this sounds interesting, but i have been playing through the game with three characters at once and i think im a little burned out with DA at the moment. Might download this later.

  • Seoh #9 2 years ago

    This could be quite good if it involves the mother and the architect, otherwise is just a big battle controlling darkspawn.

  • anomagnus #10 2 years ago

    Lol, i love the usual internet adage 'milking' it, just because a company puts out another DLC.

    What the fuck do you think every company in existence does, if this qualifies as milking it? Kelloggs has rice krispies AND cornflakes? Those bastards in their suits MUST be milking it!

    A company puts out another DLC. Call the internet police, this MUST be milking it, this a crime!

    You go to ostagar twice. Once during the initial game, and once in a DLC, that you CHOOSE to buy and then CHOOSE to go to.

    As for Alistar leading it, and being useless, thats the point of this dlc. Clearly hes going to loose.

    As Thamuhacha stated, why aren't more companies doing this? Probably because fools like SClaw and others declare the whole process as milking

  • Dizzy #11 2 years ago

    I played Awakening and it was fun. But it was so painful to go back to DA after ME2. I think I am done with the DA DLC.

  • TeaFiend #12 2 years ago

    The DAO DLC was a bit pants though. Both were a bit short and didn't feel like they were worth it.

    I am not counting Stone Prisoner as real DLC.

  • SClaw #13 2 years ago

    I'd rather they made another expansion pack, like Awakening, than wasted time with these little add-ons. That was bigger and better than a lot of full games. Plus it does something you really want; continues the story of your character.

    This adds nothing to what was the best feature of DAO; that being the personal story and the character interactions. All you get from this is some vendor trash reward gear when, almost certainly, you'll have pretty much all the gear you need by now anyway.

  • Moribundman #14 2 years ago

    @Dizzy I was actually pleasantly surprised on doing this, even though I've got to be one of the biggest ME2 nerds around...

    @Teafiend Seriously?! By "both" you mean Awakenings as well as Return to Ostegar?!

    Admittedly Return to Ostegar is on a par with the Normandy crash site mission from ME2 - a nice little fan service but generally inconsequential in the grander scheme of things. Difference being the Normandy mission was free.

    Awakenings on the other hand was second only to the GTA4 episodes in terms of scope, certainly on a par with the Shivering Isles and the better Fallout DLC. Aside from releasing a full sequel I'm not quite sure what would satisfy you...

  • Moribundman #15 2 years ago

    @Sclaw Waiting for something else meaty myself. Admittedly this could be interesting - must be more substantial than RTO and less so than DA:A, and its a bit different. Obviously no transfer of goodies between it and the main game for obvious reasons.

    It would be better if your botched joining actually turned YOUR character into a Hurlock (or Genlock/Shriek) but should be good nonetheless.

    I'm eagerly awaiting the heavily implied large scale ME2 expansion that supposedly has you off doing plot driven missions involving the Shadow Broker... Supposedly soemone dug info out of the code the same way they did with Kasumi.

  • TeaFiend #16 2 years ago

    @Moribundman:
    No, I mean Warden's Keep and Ostegar. Both were a bit short and didn't feel that striking.

    Awakening is a lot bigger than just a normal DLC.

  • metalangel #17 2 years ago

    @geeza: I've got one, it's me, I've got Spirit Healer now so things are a bit better.

  • Moribundman #18 2 years ago

    @Teafiend Hmm. I agree then, although I did feel Wardens Keep was a bit better than Ostegar. And that was free if you bought the Digital Deluxe PC version I believe.

    Awakenings really is well worth it though. Although I absolutely agree with pretty much every reviewer that Oghren was the worst possible character to revive (although I believe that Wynne aside he's the only one that is not DLC, is definitely in your party by the end of the main game and definitely not involved in a romance or potentially dead).

  • ron_aldo #19 2 years ago

    PS3 at all?

  • Eraysor #20 2 years ago

    Unfortunately this suffers from the same problem as the ME2 DLC, in that I finished the game months ago and don't really want to play it through again just to experience these extra bits.

  • sarcasmoidosis #21 2 years ago

    You don't have to play through it again. Neither for DA nor for ME2.

  • metalangel #22 2 years ago

    @sarcasmoidosis: It's still rather dependent on you having a savegame in a position where you're free to travel to a different location. Because I know for a fact that in Mass Effect 1 in the final section (which is rather lengthy) you can't travel on the world map any more, which precludes you from playing either of the DLCs. I'd imagine DA is the same.

  • hiddenranbir #23 2 years ago

    In DA you are able to revisit areas after game is played, but it is utterly pointless since the only place you can go are the DLC areas...which if played are totally out of context considering the main narrative is over. The DLC ends up having very little relevance or importance. The alternate view is good, but the outcome and rewards are only of worth on the main game, so the matter will be if you're really interested in seeing a different view of a situation you're already intimate with or if you want new items which will probably give you an extra point of damage/protection to use.