The Dragon Age franchise has captivated the hearts and minds of role-playing game (RPG) fans for over a decade, offering a deeply immersive fantasy world full of rich lore.
Spanning multiple titles, this franchise has become a cornerstone of the RPG genre, known for its narrative and the ability to allow players to shape the story with their decisions. For any new gamer, we recommend playing all the Dragon Age games in order to experience the story as the developers intended.
These games tell such intriguing tales that they no doubt deserve their own movies or TV show adaptations, especially given their popularity nowadays.
Over the years, the Dragon Age series has evolved in both gameplay mechanics and storytelling. They have gone from being set in small playable areas to large open-world environments. Now, the upcoming instalment in this franchise, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, will yet again go back to its linear roots.
Despite being among one of the best RPG video game franchises out there, not many have gotten their hands on these games. Now that the Veilguard is creating a lot of hype, gamers will no doubt want to try the previous Dragon Age games.
From detectives to assassins – even griffons – you’ll need all the help you can get to take down the gods.
Pre-order #DragonAge: The Veilguard at https://t.co/m9QGhR0odA pic.twitter.com/YpRhZRZGYO
— Dragon Age (@dragonage) August 19, 2024
For such gamers, we have listed all the Dragon Age games in order to help them know exactly where to start their journey and how to navigate the rest of the titles.
Here are all of the ‘Dragon Age’ games in order
Dragon Age: Origins
Release year: 2009
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC
This is the first game in this franchise featuring the playable character Grey Warden, who fights the monstrous forces known as Darkspawn and defeats the main antagonist, the Archdemon.
It’s an RPG played from a third-person perspective; it even allows players to customise their Grey Warden to some extent, by choosing from different gender, appearance, race and class options.
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Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening
Release year: 2010
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC
This is a massive expansion of Dragon Age: Origins, and it adds a new campaign that follows the original game’s story.
While the gameplay remains largely the same, players are given the option to either import their original character or create a new one altogether. Importing the character would mean players would retain the ending they achieved in the original game as well as their skills, spells, etc.
Dragon Age: II
Release year: 2011
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC
This proper sequel to Origins is set in the city of Kirkwall, where players assume the role of a refugee called Hawke. Players can customise their character’s gender, looks and class according to their preferences.
It was also a third-person action RPG with tactical combat mechanics and some exploration. Players could take various companions with them on missions and even control individual companions during combat. This game stood out for its incredible companions and how players interacted with them.
Dragon Age: Inquisition
Release year: 2014
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC
Widely regarded as one of the best Dragon Age games, Inquisition expands this franchise’s horizons by being the first-ever open-world title in the series. Players control an original character known as the Inquisitor, tasked with settling the civil unrest in Thedas.
Inquisition allows gamers to build their character from the start and choose their race, gender, appearance, etc. Players can use various mounts to explore the open world and once again interact with NPCs, just as they did in the previous games. Inquisition also received a DLC called Trespasser that concluded it by setting up the next game in the franchise.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Release year: 2024
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
The latest game in the franchise once again lets players customise their protagonist. They can now choose their character’s lineage, class and back story. It is not an open-world game, despite being a direct sequel to Inquisition.
Developers have also shifted from strategic tactical combat to more real-time hack-and-slash-like mechanics. This change will no doubt make this game the most approachable title in the series yet.
While there are not many games in this franchise, each is unique and of high quality. We recommend gamers get their hands on them if they enjoy RPG titles. For more, there are plenty of other exciting titles releasing in 2025 to look forward to.
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(Hero and Featured Image Credits: EA)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
You should play Dragon Age: Origins first.
There are four mainline Dragon Age games.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard is the latest game in the series.
