Ok, so i've played (and finished) one playthrough of Awakenings, and wanted to give anyone considering buying it the lowdown. As i said in my previous post (and yes, there are SPOILERS):
Originally posted by -Pr-
Spoiler:
The game is set after the story of Dragon Age, not during it, first of all. The Wardens have set up their new base on Howe's estate (a place you didn't visit in the first game), and when you arrive to take up your post as warden commander, you find that the base has been attacked by darkspawn led by one of them that can actually talk. You meet new team members, and even some old ones.so far, im liking it.
The short answer to whether you should buy it or not: If you liked the first one enough that you played it multiple times, then yes, definitely buy this. Awakenings is a TRUE expansion to Dragon Age Origins, in more ways than one.
Now, SPOILERS
The NEW stuff:
Places:
A brand new world map (you're not in a previously unexplored portion of the map just north of Ferelden). While not the largest part by any means (it's just north of Denerim), there are several locations that offer plenty of exploration.
There's Amaranthine. While it's a smaller city than Denerim, it has plenty of merchants, a bar and plenty of quests to keep yourself busy (including some important ones). It also plays a key role in one of the biggest decisions in the game. There's even a chance to meet one of your old colleagues there too.
There's the Warden's new base of operations. It's called Vigil's Keep, and is also involved in a key decision. If you do side quests based on upgrading the fortifications of the Fortress, you can even affect events later on.
There's the Blackmarsh, an old, filthy village with a fade quest that i actually enjoyed (as opposed to the one in the first game). There are TWO very strong bosses in this section, but perseverance will get you through em, and you'll be happier for the experience. Do all the side bits and get some nice black armour. Looks out of place, but has decent stats.
Kal'Hirol is an old Thaig that has been infested with Darkspawn. Now, i absolutely HATE the Deep Roads and Orzammar parts of DAO, but this? I enjoyed this. It's more of the same, but being an expansion, fresh maps mean new stuff to do, plus some gear and a couple of moments that made me lol. Plus, there is some pretty pimp armour that can be got.
Wending Woods: Typical wooded area with trees and an interesting revelation about how the Darkspawn have changed since the end of Origins.
Dragonbone wastes: Near the end of the game. A dragon graveyard, of all things.
People (ill hide the ones that people might not want to know about just yet:
Mhairi: Human sword and shield chick. Decent enough.
Anders: Mage that you meet right at the start. Cocky apostate being hunted by the templars, but they tend to leave him alone once you let him in to the Grey Wardens.
Spoiler:
Nathaniel Howe: The son of the douche from the first game. You meet him early on, and he's a decent rogue. He's apparently better with a bow than blades, but it's up to you.
Velanna: An elven mage chick. Like Wynne, but younger. A complete cow, too. But she's a mage, so if you don't like Anders, she can suffice.
Sigrun: A dwarf girl rogue. Former member of the Legion of the Dead. She's a bit kiddish, but as a dual wielding rogue? She's badass. A mainstay of my party.
Justice: A, well, i'm not going to spoil his origin. He's a sword and shield warrior. Decent tank.
Finally:
Spoiler:
Oghren: Yes, the smelly drunken dwarf from the first game is available as a party member in Awakenings. Did i have him in my party in DAO? No. Did i have him in this game? YES. The guy has the funniest lines, and if you have him in the party with Sigrun, he spends half the time flirting with her in ways that would make Michael Scott cringe. Very funny, and a decent tank as you'd know from the first game.
New features/stuff (that i can think of):
Rune crafting (New Skill): Yes, the runes from the first game can now be crafted. A very, VERY welcome addition to the game. Expensive as hell, but loading up your sword with silverite runes and going after some darkspawn is always fun. There are even new types of runes that increase your physical stats.
Stamina Potions: Exactly what it says, but god, so good.
More new skills: You can now assign skill points to two new categories dealing with physical toughness and stamina/mana. Always nice.
New abilities? Crap. Is what i said when i realised how much new shit there was to choose from. The expansion is not nearly as biased toward magii than the first game, with warriors getting some absolutely amazing new abilities. I played a two handed warrior, and i was effectively taking on crowds by myself that i couldn't have taken in the first game.
New materials? YES. No more ugly dragonbone or red steel armour. You can still use it, sure, but there are two new ones: White Steel (Tier 8, as Dragonbone was Tier 7), and Volcanic Aurum (Tier 9). Volcanic Aurum is like a richer reddish orange, and if you like that sort of thing, then good for you. White Steel, though? Love it. Love it love it love it. No more ugly armour. I will admit that the volcanic does look nice on weapons, though.
I'm not going to do in to specialisations and stuff with respect to the characters in the game, because the game stores now sells the "Manual of Focus" item. For six gold, you get to redo almost ALL of your attributes, all of your skills and talents. It's handy if you hate certain abilities.
There are two new specialisations for each class, though.
They added a nice touch where you can add heraldry to your shield, so you can wear the badge of certain houses/organisations. Not a huge deal, but a nice little thing for people.
You will make a TON of money in this game. It balances out with how expensive some shit is, so it's all good.
What else? Oh yeah, cameos. There are a few. Some are good, some not so much. No Morrigan, though. At all. Even though at one point, i was sure i'd seen her.
So yeah, buy it.