DLC Details

• Main Title: Dragon Age: Origins
• DLC Title: Leliana’s Song
• Released (UK): 06/07/2010
• Current Price: 560 MS Points
• Estimated Length: 2-3 hours

My Impressions

Going from the subject of Leliana’s song, the betrayal of Leliana by Marjolaine and from what we were told about it in Dragon Age: Origins, you would expect a story set in Orlais and giving a glimpse into it’s culture which could potentially be expanded upon in future DLC or sequel to Dragon Age. Sadly however this is not the case and the DLC comes across as a case of what might have been.

This is because for some unknown reason, rather than having a story set in Orlais which end in Leliana escaping and travelling to Ferelden, we instead have a piece of DLC that is exclusively set in Ferelden with the two main quest locations being a reuse of the Ferelden Market and the Arl of Denerim’s estate.  While the Darkspawn Chronicles could be excused for the reuse of previously visited locations, this is not the case with Leliana’s song given what we thought we knew of these events.

In addition to the disappointment of the setting not being Orlais, I felt that setting the story in Ferelden weakened the story as it made Marjolaine’s actions less plausible especially since she is working with/for someone who hates Orlais. Another weakness to the story was that the impression I got was the main reason Leliana initially joining the chantry was because she thought a statue of Andraste was attractive!

On a more serious note, I was disappointed that we did not get to see her vision that led her to want to join the Grey Warden on his quest. It should also be stated that while I thought the story was a missed opportunity it was still enjoyable if a tad predictable given we knew Leliana was going to be betrayed, imprisoned and eventually escape.

In terms of the “style” of DLC, it is largely more of the same in that it is largely combat based with the exception of the first mission. The first mission while interspersed with combat can best be described as mischief making where you can decide how best to cause trouble in Ferelden market. This is also where the setting hurts since DLC set in Orlais could have been more stealth and dialog based demonstrating how “the game” is played.

Despite my complaints I view Leliana’s song more as a missed opportunity than a bad piece of DLC. While the DLC does contradict what we thought we knew about these events and is more of the same, the DLC is enjoyable to play through and is worth considering buying.

My Recommendation

Consider

A bit of a missed opportunity and a Retcon to what we thought we knew. I just hope there is a reason for this beyond laziness on the part of the developers not wanting to design new locations