Gamer Limit writes: "All in all, Bioware has presented some pretty lukewarm DLC as of late – especially in the case of Dragon Age. For $5, Darkspawn Chronicles single-handedly seeks to dispel the notion of throwaway content, with an “alternate timeline” story that puts you in charge of the evil Darkspawn army, and asks the question, “What if the hero of Ferelden died before he could start his quest?”
Does it succeed in justifying its existence, or would you be better off skipping yet another piece of paid content? Read on to find out."
"Do what I say.
As I cut their throats, I never thought of them in pain. The Darkspawn were an ever-constant threat to my team and I slew them by the hundreds. Throughout Dragon Age: Origins, they were just the generic enemy I was killing to progress. I started to think of them as the filler between story beats.
The Darkspawn Chronicles DLC changed my mind. Instead of being mindless killers, I began to think of them as a people to be pitied. By putting me in the very shoes of the Darkspawn, I was able to see the battle from their side. Playing as a Hurlock Vanguard, one of the elite of the Darkspawn army, I began to feel firsthand what it meant to be under command of the archdemon at all times."
Rob Hamilton writes: "After playing through Darkspawn Chronicles, one of the many bits of DLC for Dragon Age: Origins, I was reminded of a classic science fiction story by the late Fredric Brown titled "The Arena". It concerns a battle between the forces of Earth and an alien civilization only known as the Outsiders. One member of each race are captured and taken to an arena by a mystical higher power because they are so evenly-matched that the result of an all-out war would be the utter destruction of one race, while the winner would be so crippled that they would never recover. The two captives are to battle to the death, with the loser's race being wiped out so the winner's can prosper."
Much like Mass Effect 2, BioWare has released a generous helping of downloadable content for Dragon Age: Origins. Add-on packs, in particular, have achieved great success, as players enjoy new quests, characters and areas. If you need to experience these adventures, use this check list to keep yourself up to speed in the land of Ferelden.
John Artest (RunDLC)
It's just plain not very good.