Dragon Age Flash Game Released, Unlocks Items in Dragon Age: Origins

[Tom Goldman]

Dragon Age Flash Game Released, Unlocks Items in Dragon Age: Origins

The first chapter of the official Dragon Age flash game has been released, and it's way deeper than anticipated.

The Dragon Age franchise just keeps getting better and better, and its flagship entry Dragon Age: Origins hasn't even been released yet. Dragon Age Journeys: The Deep Roads, a free flash game that tells the story of the underground dwarven kingdom of Orzammar, is now available to play and is a much more absorbing experience than I thought it'd be. The game sounded tempting when it was first announced [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/95512-Play-Dragon-Age-In-Your-Browser], but after playing it for an hour or so I'm already hooked.

The Deep Roads is the first of three currently planned chapters, though it is divided up into five sections itself. After well over an hour of playtime, I've beaten the second section and recruited two party members. Upon starting the game, you create a character just like in Dragon Age: Origins, either a warrior, rogue, or mage, and then customize his/her looks and, later, abilities. Movement is similar to Diablo, with players clicking the mouse to traverse each area while collecting loot and items, but the enemies are static and only attack when approached. When you get close to an enemy, the game switches to a tactical battle screen that is exactly like Heroes of Might and Magic's.

Battles have been pretty fun so far, with each enemy having its own unique abilities, including ranged attacks, trap setting, or the possibility to go berserk. Your own characters have statistics, spells, and their unique abilities as well, just like they do in Dragon Age: Origins, along with weapons, armor, potions, and other items to equip and use. The whole experience feels very deep and is definitely worthwhile as an appetizer for Dragon Age: Origins.

In addition, players can unlock three items in Dragon Age: Origins by completing certain tasks in The Deep Roads. Completing a quest unlocks an item that boosts elemental resistance in Origins, answering three surveys about Dragon Age Journeys (that become available while playing) will impart an item that raises elemental damage, and aqcuiring all five of The Deep Roads' achievements will unlock the Helm of the Deep (+2 constitution, +10 mental resistance, +10 physical resistance). When these tasks are completed, the items are deposited into your EA account and unlocked later in Dragon Age: Origins once purchased.

To learn more check out the http://www.dragonagejourneys.com [http://blog.bioware.com/]. This is definitely a must play for anyone into RPGs like Diablo or Heroes of Might and Magic, or just Dragon Age fans that have an unquenchable thirst for anything they can get. Dragon Age: Origins itself is coming to North America on the PC and Xbox 360 on November 3 (in Europe on November 6), and to the PlayStation 3 on November 17 (in Europe on November 20).

UPDATE: BioWare just revealed that the PS3 version of Dragon Age: Origins will also be released in North America on November 3.


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[Katherine Kerensky]

I think I'll go give this a try now.
I'm a bit on the fence about Dragon Age: Origins.
It shows some good points, but I'm not too sure about buying it...

 

[Time Travelling Toaster]

And the fact that it gives extra items and something to do till release.

I'm playing it I never even knew about this till now >.>

 

[Furism]

You need to log on with you EA account to save your progress and unlock the items. Too bad every time I try to, the website is unable to connect to EA authentication server...

 

[Virgil]

I played this for a few hours last night.

Let me repeat that. I played a flash game for a few hours last night.

This is probably one of the best and most complicated Flash games I've ever played. Major kudos to the developers for producing something incredible.

 

[Amnestic]

You need to log on with you EA account to save your progress and unlock the items. Too bad every time I try to, the website is unable to connect to EA authentication server...

Yeah, I'm having the same issue. ;/ Oh well, going to go messa bout with this for ten minutes half an hour all evening anyway.

 

[LTK_70]

I played this for a few hours last night.

Let me repeat that. I played a flash game for a few hours last night.

This is probably one of the best and most complicated Flash games I've ever played. Major kudos to the developers for producing something incredible.

What, haven't you played any Flash games before? Many of those can be good for hours one night [http://xkcd.com/484/].

I played this until I came to the Warden, then I got butchered by the enemy and quit. Bleh.

 

[SharedProphet]

Do the unlocks work for the 360 version of DA:O, too?

 

[Andy_Panthro]

You need to log on with you EA account to save your progress and unlock the items. Too bad every time I try to, the website is unable to connect to EA authentication server...

Yeah, I'm having the same issue. ;/ Oh well, going to go messa bout with this for ten minutes half an hour all evening anyway.

I'm also having that problem. Which is slightly frustrating when you want to unlock some items...

 

[IrrelevantTangent]

You need to log on with you EA account to save your progress and unlock the items. Too bad every time I try to, the website is unable to connect to EA authentication server...

Wait, so does that mean only PC owners will be able to get these items? Because I plan on getting Dragon Age Origins if possible, but only for the Xbox 360...

 

[Amnestic]

You need to log on with you EA account to save your progress and unlock the items. Too bad every time I try to, the website is unable to connect to EA authentication server...

Wait, so does that mean only PC owners will be able to get these items? Because I plan on getting Dragon Age Origins if possible, but only for the Xbox 360...

They might have some sort of feature to log into your EA account and redeem the items on the 360/PS3 assuming that's connected to the net. It wouldn't surprise me.

 

[Ridonculous_Ninja]

I played this for a few hours last night.

Let me repeat that. I played a flash game for a few hours last night.

This is probably one of the best and most complicated Flash games I've ever played. Major kudos to the developers for producing something incredible.

What, haven't you played any Flash games before? Many of those can be good for hours one night [http://xkcd.com/484/].

I played this until I came to the Warden, then I got butchered by the enemy and quit. Bleh.

You got butchered by those guys?

Really?

My healer could use his weakest heal spell and keep my whole party alive.

Plus putting the Warden on Sword and Shield beefs her up so she won't die as quick.

And stealth is broken! Walk off stealth, walk in backstab, repeat. =D

 

[Destal]

You need to log on with you EA account to save your progress and unlock the items. Too bad every time I try to, the website is unable to connect to EA authentication server...

Wait, so does that mean only PC owners will be able to get these items? Because I plan on getting Dragon Age Origins if possible, but only for the Xbox 360...

It says on the game itself that the unlocks are for all systems. They probably just e-mail a promotional code.

The game itself is quite fun though. It gives a little snippet of backstory.

 

[Therumancer]

Seems awesome, going to have to see if I can get it to work when I have a little bit of time.

 

[cainx10a]

wow, I really, really need to stop playing this game. So addictive, the combat is so damn fun.

 

[LTK_70]

I played this for a few hours last night.

Let me repeat that. I played a flash game for a few hours last night.

This is probably one of the best and most complicated Flash games I've ever played. Major kudos to the developers for producing something incredible.

What, haven't you played any Flash games before? Many of those can be good for hours one night [http://xkcd.com/484/].

I played this until I came to the Warden, then I got butchered by the enemy and quit. Bleh.

You got butchered by those guys?

Really?

My healer could use his weakest heal spell and keep my whole party alive.

Plus putting the Warden on Sword and Shield beefs her up so she won't die as quick.

And stealth is broken! Walk off stealth, walk in backstab, repeat. =D

Yeah, I was playing a Dwarf warrior, and I was completely out of mana potions. Or whatever the correctly licenced term for mana in DA is now. I'll try to give that gal a shield...

 

[UsefulPlayer 1]

Interesting I'm gonna check it out.

This is a really nice way to promote the game.

 

[Venatio]

I'm playing a Dwarven Noble, and I have some tips:

1) Whenever you see a chest or stash of equipemnt in front of you save game and loot it so that if what you get isnt to your liking just reload and walk over it again.

2) Also, you can save and reload after every fight till you get the loot you want. I suggest you atleast reload each minor fight untill you get an item of some sort you can sell, the coins are terrible

3) Talk to the dwarf apothecary the the entrance to Orzammar immediately!! She will give you a quest if you talk to her in depth that will end with a potion that will permanently boost your stats. The ingredients are powerups throughout the game, forget to get the quest before getting the power ups and your screwed - in this case mana and stamina replenishing mushrooms. Also, you need the achievment that the quest provides as well. Get the shroom stalks after using the mushrooms, dont sell them, and your golden.

4) There are about 3 vendors in Orzammar, and you'll notice that after everytime you exit the city and quickly re-enter it the Merchants sell different things and replenish their stocks. Do this untill theres something you want to buy.

Thats all I have so far...
If anyone has anything else to add feel free to post

Remember, if you unlock enough achievements in Journeys you can transfer items from your EA Account to your Origins game. But does anyone know if this is for the PC only?

 

[cainx10a]

Wow, battling those Ogres was quite something, specially when they had other annoying Alpha Genlocks with them. Time to beat that game two more times for the last unlock.

Seriously, Dragon Age: Journeys for DS anyone? =D

 

[LTK_70]

Wow, battling those Ogres was quite something, specially when they had other annoying Alpha Genlocks with them. Time to beat that game two more times for the last unlock.

Seriously, Dragon Age: Journeys for DS anyone? =D

Hey, that's actually a pretty good idea, if the flash game were to be refined a bit more.

Those Ogres aren't very hard if you know how to deal with them. Remember the two Ogres at the end of the cave where Martine was? I beat those before I reached the glowing guy, with my dwarf commoner, rogue and mage. You just use pinning shot and suppressing fire, and they're completely helpless. Shoot for the legs (100% hit) and they'll go down easily. And the piles of loot behind that pass are very nice, too.

But it does suck that the game does save your progress in one game, but not your achievements. I got to the end of chapter one, but because I closed the game a few times it only recorded one completed quest. Blah. Oh well, it's not like I'm going to buy DA:O anyway.