All 4 Dragon Age Games, Ranked

6 days ago 7

Published Jun 25, 2026, 8:17 AM EDT

David is a Senior Editor at Collider focused primarily on Lists. His professional journey began in the mid-2010s as a Marketing specialist before embarking on his writing career in the 2020s. At Collider, David started as a Senior Writer in late 2022 and has been a Senior Editor since mid-2023. He is in charge of ideating compelling and engaging List articles by working closely with writers, both Senior and Junior, as well as other editors. Occasionally, David also reviews movies and TV shows and writes episode recaps. Currently, David is also writing his second novel, a psychological horror satire that will, hopefully, be picked up for publication sometime next year.

In the world of gaming, the fantasy genre is king. Many of the all-time most acclaimed video games belong to the genre, from foundational efforts like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time to new classics-in-the-making like Elden Ring. The world of gaming has endless possibilities to bring these complex, fantastical, jaw-dropping worlds to life in a way no other medium can, not even movies or television. Many franchises have thrived, including the aforementioned Zelda and the likes of Final Fantasy and The Elder Scrolls, but few are as expansive or lore-heavy as Dragon Age.

BioWare's landmark fantasy franchise, Dragon Age is set in Thedas (a shorthand of "The Dragon Age Setting," initially used as a placeholder), a grimdark world constantly hit by devastating, full-scale demonic invasions known as Blights. Players control four different, fully customizable characters, entering the fray and defending Thedas against countless different enemies. Thus far, we have had four Dragon Age games, two of which are often considered among the all-time greatest entries in the fantasy canon. Which of these titles is the best, though? The answer might seem simple enough, but you might be surprised by what our conclusion is.

4 'Dragon Age: The Veilguard' (2024)

A decade after the release of its seminal predecessor, Dragon Age: The Veilguard finally came out to little fanfare, mixed reviews, and an overall sense of indifference. Set a decade or so after the end of Dragon Age: Inquisition, the game follows a figure named Rook, tasked with finding the rogue mage Solas, who plots to tear down the Veil and restore the Elven empire to its former glory. Along with rogue dwarves Varric and Harding and Tevinter mage Neve, Rook interrupts Solas' ritual, only for two powerful Evanuris, Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain, to escape their imprisonment in the Fade and begin corrupting Thedas. Rook and his companions form the Veilguard, aiming to find the Elven gods before their corruption spreads.

I won't surgacoat it: Dragon Age: The Veilguard is not great. It's not a terrible game by any means, but it simply doesn't compare to the three previous entries in the saga, which is wild considering how much time it took to come out. I won't go into the complicated backstory of its development, since that has already been extensively covered elsewhere; suffice it to say, the game just wasn't worth the wait. The narrative feels rushed and confused, the characterizations are surprisingly superficial (especially Solas and the Evanuris), and the setting seems entirely different from what we had seen before. Scope-wise, it feels limited, especially compared to its predecessor, and in terms of gameplay, it feels like a backwards step with its focus on bullet sponges and oversimplification of the themes established throughout the series. Worst of all, personal choice, once a cornerstone of Dragon Age's formula, is rendered meaningless. Not all is bad, though: the visuals are solid, and the music remains a highlight. Similarly, most of the gameplay is engaging, and the boss fights are probably the toughest in the entire franchise. It's not enough to make Veilguard more than a 6/10 at best, which is a shame, considering how long we waited.

3 'Dragon Age II' (2011)

Hawke and Isabella at Kirkwall in Dragon Age 2

Dragon Age II is the most singular entry in the saga. The prologue happens during the events of Dragon Age: Origins, but the actual plot covers about seven years, during which Thedas' political situation becomes increasingly volatile. This time, players control Hawke, a refugee who arrives at the city of Kirkwall. Across three acts, each one separated by about three years, Hawke rises in power and influence, eventually becoming the Champion of Kirkwall. Meanwhile, the city sinks into further chaos, culminating in the rogue mage Anders blowing up the chantry, kickstarting the Mage-Templar war.

In terms of narrative, Dragon Age II has the saga's most complex one, thematically rich and full of heavy ideas about authority, oppression, desperation, inequality, and freedom. Indeed, this game is almost entirely focused on the socio-political aspects of Thedas, doing a great job of expanding and building Thedas as one of the greatest settings in fantasy. The companions are incredibly compelling, especially the tragic elf Fenris and the mercurial Anders. Yes, the game is the most restrictive of the four, confining most of the action to Kirkwall and feeling slightly claustrophobic at times. However, that hardly matters when the action is so compelling. Dragon Age II is often considered a step down compared to Origins, and it is. However, as a standalone game, it's a riveting exploration of a system on the verge of collapsing, featuring some of the greatest characters in BioWare's catalog.

Collider Exclusive · Middle-earth Quiz Which Lord of the Rings
Character Are You? One Quiz · Ten Questions · Your Fate Revealed

The road goes ever on. From the green hills of the Shire to the fires of Mount Doom, every soul in Middle-earth carries a destiny. Ten questions stand between you and the truth of who you are. Answer honestly — the One Ring has a way of revealing what we most want to hide.

💍Frodo

🌿Samwise

👑Aragorn

🔥Gandalf

🏹Legolas

⚒️Gimli

👁️Sauron

🪨Gollum

BEGIN YOUR QUEST →

You are handed a responsibility that could destroy you. What do you do? The weight of the world falls on unlikely shoulders.

AAccept it. Someone has to, and running changes nothing. BStay by the side of whoever carries it. They shouldn't go alone. CStep forward and lead. This is exactly what I was made for. DIt's mine now. I won't let anyone else have it.

NEXT QUESTION →

Your closest companion is heading into terrible danger. You: True loyalty is revealed not in comfort, but in crisis.

AFollow them without hesitation. I'd rather die beside them than live without them. BRally others and forge a plan to help — strength in numbers. COffer wisdom and guidance. My counsel may save them where swords cannot. DLet them go. Only the strong survive, and sentiment is a weakness.

NEXT QUESTION →

Enormous power is within your reach. Your instinct is: Power corrupts — but only those who reach for it.

ADestroy it. Nothing good comes from power this absolute. BUse it to protect those I love — just this once. CWield it wisely. I have the will and the knowledge to do good with it. DSeize it. I have waited long enough. It belongs to me.

NEXT QUESTION →

What does "home" mean to you? Where we long to return reveals who we truly are.

AA simple, peaceful place — green hills, good food, no adventure required. BWherever the people I love are. Home is a feeling, not a place. CA kingdom I must earn before I can truly claim it as mine. DI lost it long ago. That loss is what drives everything I do.

NEXT QUESTION →

When a battle is upon you, your approach is: War reveals what we are made of — whether we like it or not.

ASurvive by any means. I'm not a fighter — but I'll do what I must. BFight for the person beside me, not for glory or honour. CLead the charge. Nothing inspires an army like a king at the front. DStrike from range, fast and precise — never let them get close.

NEXT QUESTION →

Someone comes to you for advice in their darkest hour. You: Wisdom is not knowing all the answers — it's knowing which questions to ask.

AListen, then offer honest encouragement. Sometimes people just need belief. BGive them practical help — words are fine, but action is better. CSpeak carefully. I have seen much, and I know what counsel can cost. DTell them what they want to hear. Trust is a tool like any other.

NEXT QUESTION →

How do you see yourself, honestly? Self-knowledge is the most dangerous kind.

ASmall and ordinary — but perhaps that's exactly why I was chosen. BDefined entirely by who I serve and love. I am nothing without them. CForged by hardship into something the world has not yet fully seen. DDiminished from what I once was — and consumed by the need to reclaim it.

NEXT QUESTION →

Which of these best describes your relationship with the natural world? Middle-earth speaks to those who know how to listen.

AI find peace in it — forests, rivers, open skies. Nature restores me. BI prefer the earth underfoot — stone, mines, solid and real things. CI have watched the world change for longer than most can comprehend. DNature offers hiding places, cold water, raw fish. That's enough for me.

NEXT QUESTION →

You encounter a wretched, pitiable creature who has done terrible things. You: How we treat the fallen reveals the height of our character.

AShow mercy. Even the most broken souls deserve a chance at redemption. BPity them — but never trust them. They made their choices. CSee them as a tool. Their knowledge or skills may still serve a purpose. DDestroy them before they can cause more harm. Mercy is a luxury we cannot afford.

NEXT QUESTION →

When the quest is over and the songs are sung, what do you hope they say about you? In the end, we are all just stories.

AThat an ordinary person did an extraordinary thing — and came home. BThat I never abandoned the person who needed me most. CThat I was worthy of the crown — and everything it demanded. DNothing. I don't need songs. I needed it, and now it's gone.

REVEAL MY FATE →

The Fellowship Has Spoken Your Place in Middle-earth

The scores below reveal your true character. Your highest number is your match. Even a tie tells a story — the Fellowship was never made of simple people.

💍 Frodo

🌿 Samwise

👑 Aragorn

🔥 Gandalf

🏹 Legolas

⚒️ Gimli

👁️ Sauron

🪨 Gollum

You carry something heavy — and you carry it alone, even when you don't have to. You were not born for greatness, and that is precisely why greatness chose you. Your courage is not the roaring, sword-swinging kind; it is quiet, stubborn, and terrifying in its refusal to quit. The Ring weighs on you more than anyone can see, and still you walk toward the fire. That is not weakness. That is the rarest kind of strength there is.

You are, without question, the best of them. Not the most powerful, not the most celebrated — but the most essential. Your loyalty is not a trait; it is a force of nature. You would carry the person you love up the slopes of Mount Doom if it came to that, and we both know you'd do it without being asked. The world needs more people like you, and the world is lucky it has even one.

You were born to lead, and you have spent years running from it. The crown is yours by right, but you know better than anyone that right means nothing without the will and the worthiness to back it up. You are tempered by loss, shaped by long roads, and defined by a code of honour you hold to even when no one is watching. When you finally step forward, the world shifts. Because it was always waiting for you.

You have seen more than you let on, and you say less than you know — which is exactly as it should be. You are a catalyst: you do not fight the battles yourself, you ignite the people who can. Your wisdom comes not from books but from an age of watching what happens when it is ignored. You arrive precisely when you mean to, and your presence alone changes what is possible. A wizard is never late.

Graceful, perceptive, and almost preternaturally calm under pressure — you see things others miss and act before others react. You do not need to make a scene to be remarkable; your presence speaks for itself. You are loyal to those you choose to stand beside, and that choice is not made lightly. You have lived long enough to know that the most beautiful things in this world are also the most fragile, and that is why you fight to protect them.

You are loud, proud, and absolutely formidable — and beneath all of that is one of the most fiercely loyal hearts in Middle-earth. You don't do anything by half measures. Your friendships are forged like iron, your grudges run as deep as mines, and your courage in battle is the kind that makes legends. You came into this fellowship suspicious of everyone and ended it willing to die for an elf. That is not a small thing. That is everything.

You think in centuries and act in absolutes. Order, dominion, control — not because you are cruel by nature, but because you have decided that the world left to itself always falls apart, and you are the only one with the vision and the will to hold it together. You were not always this. Something was lost, or taken, or betrayed, and the version of you that stands now is the answer to that wound. The tragedy is that you're not entirely wrong — just entirely too far gone to course-correct.

You are a study in contradiction — pitiable and dangerous, cunning and broken, capable of both cruelty and something that once resembled love. You are defined by loss: of innocence, of self, of the one thing that gave your existence meaning. Two voices war inside you constantly, and the tragedy is that the better one sometimes wins, just not often enough, and never at the right moment. You are a warning, yes — but also a mirror. We are all a little Gollum, given the right ring and enough time.

↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ

2 'Dragon Age: Origins' (2009)

The one that started it all, Dragon Age: Origins introduced us to the world of Thedas. The action begins as the archdemon Urthemiel rises, thus starting the fifth Blight. The player controls an unnamed character, a recent recruit to the ancient organization of the Grey Wardens, in charge of defending Thedas against the Blight. The Warden recruits several companions and faces countless Darkspawn on their way to defeating Urthemiel, thus ending the Blight and saving Thedas from further death and destruction.

As the first game in the series, Origins is responsible for setting the tone for the world of Thedas as a whole. It paints a bleak portrait of this ruthless world, steeped in grimdark ideas and sensibilities. The narrative favors combat, but the lore behind the Blight and the overall situation of Thedas also play a strong role, with the game finding the perfect balance between action and worldbuilding. Origins introduced many of the franchise's most iconic characters — Morrigan, Leliana, Alistair, Flemeth — crafting their personalities and making them feel real, intriguing, occasionally dangerous, and always engaging. Sure, the visuals were slightly outdated even when the game debuted, but that hardly does anything to the overall experience. Origins is a near-perfect fantasy experience and the perfect starting point to what would eventually become one of the best and most layered franchises in gaming history.

1 'Dragon Age: Inquisition' (2014)

The epitome of Dragon Age and the ultimate realization of the franchise's greatest ambitions is, undoubtedly, Dragon Age: Inquisition. Set one year after Dragon Age II, the game begins as Divine Justinia V summons a conclave to solve the Mage-Templar conflict. However, the conclave is attacked by a mysterious figure, and the explosion causes a massive hole in the Veil. The sole survivor emerges with a mark on their left hand capable of closing the many rifts that have appeared throughout the land. Together with a small group of allies, the survivor, called the Herald of Andraste by many, reforms the Inquisition and takes action to restore order, as Thedas descends into further chaos.

Inquisition is Dragon Age's most expansive and immersive experience. The game is full of possibilities, allowing us to see more of Thedas than ever before. The game does an incredible job portraying the devastation brought not only by the Mage-Templar war but by multiple Blights and countless smaller conflicts. There is misery in every corner, but there's also the possibility for progress and an enduring sense of hope that everything will work out. Many of the cutscenes are exceptionally cinematic and rousing, particularly near the third act, once the Inquisitor summons the Inquisition's forces to fight Corypheus. Trevor Morris's soundtrack is also a highlight, further adding an epic tone to these large-scale sequences. Still, Inquisition's greatest strength is perhaps its richly layered and dynamic characters, many of which rank among gaming's most iconic creations (Solas, Dorian, Bull, Leliana). Inquisition was the first-ever Game of the Year winner at the Game Awards; today, it remains an iconic effort and the absolute peak of the Dragon Age saga, not to mention a landmark of 2010s gaming.