DLC Details

• Main Title: Dragon Age: Origins
• DLC Title: Return to Ostagar
• Released (UK): 13/01/2010
• Current Price: 400 MS Points (~$5 US)
• Estimated Length: 1 hour

My Impressions

While I enjoyed playing Dragon Age Origins and was looking forward to the Return to Ostagar DLC. I ended up being disappointed as I found the DLC to be short and to lack originality or innovation and to be overpriced at 400 MS Points.

The first issue I had was actually accessing the DLC from a completed game save since you need to have the epilogue autosave accessible which is an issue if you have gone back to an earlier save in your characters life for some reason as the autosave will be over-ridden and you cant use a post coronation save. This to me seems like poor design on Bioware’s part.

The second issue is the length which at around an hour to completion is about half the length I look for in DLC at this price point as I normally expect it to be around 2-3 hours long like the in comparison not as dissapointing Pinnacle Station DLC for Mass Effect. If it had been priced at 260 MS points I would not have an issue but 400 MS points for 1 hours play is pushing it. The third issue I had is that there is little in the way of new areas as most of where you visit is aside from a bit of relatively minor remodelling the same as when you visited Ostagar the first time around.

The final issue I had was that the DLC was not particularly innovative, while you get a few new pieces of dialog and short cut-scenes, it seems lackluster compared to the launch day Warden’s Keep DLC which while not much longer had a plot that was more gripping and had some minor branches in how it was solved. Unlike Return to Ostagar which is painfully linear and just consists of killing everything.

In summary, unless you want the single achievement for completing the DLC, I recommend you give this DLC a miss until it comes down in price or is a deal of the week.

My Recommendation

Avoid

I am sad to say that this is the most disappointing piece of DLC I have played for a Bioware game, and unless you are an achievement or completionist whore (like myself) it is best avoided until it comes down in price.