DLC Mini-review – Return to Ostagar

After several false starts, the newest DLC for Bioware’s Dragon Age has finally been released on XBox 360 and PC with no word on PS3 yet. Thanks to some poor planning on Bioware’s behalf, the content dropped on January 29th, a mere 3 days after Mass Effect 2. Thanks to these overlapping releases, I’m willing to bet that I wasn’t the only Dragon Age fan that was blissfully unaware of the new content. I’ll let you know if it’s worth the five dollar price tag.

In Return to Ostagar, the player is tasked with returning to the battlefield of Ostagar where a majority of the Grey Wardens were exterminated by the Darkspawn. Arriving on the scene, you find there are no survivors and a lot of Darkspawn to be punished. Along your way, you’ll reclaim the lost arms and armor of King Cailan and Duncan. Not only do these look pretty cool, they are statistically superior to much of the armor in the game.

This is basically where the content stops, however. Ostagar hasn’t changed much, aside from now being covered in snow and in a state of crumbling disrepair. There is one additional achievement to be earned, and all in all the Return to Ostagar mission takes all of 30 minutes if you’re quick about it. For the amount of content, I can’t personally see what caused all the delays.

The price point seems to be on par with the rest of the DLC for the title. 15 bucks will get you a new character and a few new quests and items. 7 bucks will get you a new quest, a storage box, some new powers, and some new items. And apparently for 5 bucks you can just get a new quest and some items. If you’ve already got the MS points burning a hole in your pocket, or 5 bucks is just a trifle to you, by all means add this little bit of spice to your already zesty RPG experience. If not, I would certainly wait for the chance of a sale or DLC bundle to be released on the cheap.