5 Best Dragon Age Games, Ranked

Dragon Age is a beloved franchise of a series of 28 epic, dark fantasy RPG games, including expansions, content packs, and spin-offs. Developed by BioWare and with releases on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows, OS X, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, it’s time to rank all elf of the Dragon Age games ever made, from 2009’s Dragon Age: Origins to the latest, 2014’s Dragon Age: Inquisition. 

At its core, Dragon Age is a choice-based series of games, taunting your every decision and its impact on the elves, demons, dread wolves, dark spawn, and, of course, the dragon-filled world of Thedas around you. As with most RPGs, Thedas has time and time again needed saving from one sword-wielding and spell-casting hero: you. Each story is different. For the most part, Dragon Age delivers. But the franchise is not without its faults. So, ready, set, go for the five best Dragon Age games, ranked? Let’s get cranking.

5. Dragon Age 2 (2011)

The plot has seldom been an issue with Dragon Age games, and Dragon Age 2 is no exception. Instead, other gaming technicalities that would normally knit Dragon Age games into a nicely wrapped package were disregarded. It’s the kind of nitty-gritty that “with” hardly goes noticed. But “without,” all hell breaks loose.

Dragon Age 2 failed to incorporate gamers’ choices in the outcome of the story such that every decision you make has very little impact on how the story ends. Then the enemies therein jump ship any chance they get. So even if you carefully plan out your gameplay, the unpredictability that followed thwarts all your hard work.  And then there’s the asset and open-world repetitiveness, which frankly is never a “yay” for any RPG game. 

Apparently, BioWare had a stringent timeline to develop Dragon Age 2, but still. Especially given Dragon Age 2 is the sequel to the highly acclaimed first-ever masterpiece game, Dragon Age: Origins. The disappointment was just hard to let pass. These many years later, though, the technical loose screws start to seem less important, as the story writing and fast-paced combat come through the only way Dragon Age knows how. Of course, the graphics are dated now, so do expect some bit of clunkiness while replaying.

4. Heroes of Dragon Age (2013)

Next up among the best Dragon Age games to play is the mobile-only Heroes of Dragon Age. This one is a special spin-off that caught the eye of many at publisher Electronic Arts. Like most trading card games, Heroes of Dragon Age is hardly about the plot and more about the fast-paced rush of strategizing your ideal 5v5 team of Dragon Age heroes against AI opponents.

What’s cool is the single-player “what if” 16 scenarios alluding to Dragon Age‘s most memorable moments in Thedas’ history. It’s a way to step out of the more complex RPG Dragon Age mainline titles and have a leisurely evening playing a stripped-down competitive card game whilst still within the Dragon Age realm. Plus, it’s free-to-play, with the obvious in-game optional microtransactions freemium titles are known for.

3. Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014)

As the years went by, the Dragon Age franchise polished up its craft, releasing an evidently more superior Dragon Age: Inquisition to Dragon Age 2. Think of this latest entry in the Dragon Age series as a combination of all that works well in Dragon Age 2 plus the RPG gameplay that stunned fans the most in Dragon Age: Origins at the very start.

In addition to pleasing-the-eye visuals, the open world is expansive, distinct, and more compelling to want to explore. The plot works even better when all the other RPG basics are on point, restoring the masterful story-crafting skills Dragon Age is known for. Dragon Age: Inquisition also restores character customization, topped off with the return of Qunari as a playable race. And of course, your choices actually matter in how the story develops. 

Not everything works out perfectly, though. Sure. You have a personalized world to explore, but with side quests that feel repetitive and outright hollow, there’s nothing much pushing you to step out of your comfort zone outside of the main quest.

2. Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening (2010)

Dragon Age: Origins: Awakening is, in fact, an expansion to the first-ever Dragon Age: Origins game. However, this expansion’s gameplay is pretty much its own boss, so we’re giving it its own ranking among the five best Dragon Age games. Specifically, the events in Awakening take place six months post-Origins. That said, by being an expansion to the masterpiece that Origins was, Awakening involuntarily earns its right to rank high. 

It doesn’t change much in the mechanics, though it does introduce new characters and classes to create more legroom to play. On the downside, Awakening’s plot is a little underwhelming, especially coming off of Origins. Newcomers may find they have less interest in discovering Thedas. However, diehard players will enjoy the extended gameplay from Origins and the closure that Awakening offers.

1. Dragon Age: Origins (2009)

Dragon Age: Origins lands the top spot among the best Dragon Age games. It’s the first Dragon Age game to enter the gaming scene, presenting the world with the magic of a dark, fantasy adventure fans will come to love for years to come. Above all, Dragon Age knew how to make a show-stopping entry because Origins worked perfectly on all fronts.

The open world is intriguing, what with all the mythical creatures roaming around; elves, demons, dragons, and more. Merge that with a thought-provoking choice-driven story filled with races, politics, and religious ideas. And the icing on the cake: an engaging, intuitive combat system against the vile archdemon.

Dragon Age: Origins is like if Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones had a baby, coupled with the realism, fun, and engaging RPG elements needed to do it right. How excited are you for the new Dragon Age 4, rumored to be released in 2023?

So, what’s your take? Do you agree with our five best Dragon Age games? Do let us know in the comments or over on our socials here.