#and then depending on if u like open world or not choosing between da2 and dai

[vanikey]

if i wanted to start dragon age for the first time ever, which game would you recommend?

OHHHH GOSH OK OK UHH

it depends on what you're going for tbh? and full disclosure i have not physically played the first one (and i havent technically played veilguard yet so I consulted my friend the wise dragon age sage @jasonqrace)

Dragon Age Origins: probably the best starting point as it is the first game in the series, introduces the world and gives full world context; HOWEVER, apparently the gameplay is rough and you have to get mods or an old multigen console just to run it

Dragon Age 2: biased bc I love this game so much but probably not the best starting point despite this being the point where stories start being pretty consecutive bc the limited maps and also hawke (the player character) is less customizable than other player characters in the series (like they can only be human and have a set sort of story/background but you can still have fun with it/ur own ideas!!)

Dragon Age Inquisition: I think this was many ppls first game? (myself included despite being interested in da2 first) This one sets up for the fourth game pretty heavily and youll miss a lot of the emotional points/reveals without playing it before the veilguard....gameplay is fire and this one is a large open world if that's ur jam !! lots of player character customization and interpretation

Dragon Age The Veilguard: not entirely sure but character customization in the physical design/sense is so incredible and the gameplay looks really fun and dynamic and also this game is the first where u can be #confirmed trans/nb and they'll address it and use whatever pronouns (only they/them, she/her, and he/him available) but yeah idk abt story wise if this is a good place to start? just bc there are many inquisition references and stuff. I've heard criticism on the writing compared to the first three in the series but I can't tell if that's valid or ppl who had too high of expectations after waiting 10+ years or ppl who are homophobic/transphobic

I can say for at least the first three, the stories are absolutely incredible and captivating!! There's so many decisions that affect everything and everyone which is daunting but it's also so cool and allows for a lot of replayability. For all four of them I can say the companions are a highlight and there are some im actively in love with actually and others i Despise but they're still so nuanced and intriguing

Each one plays differently tho and tbh i think the gameplay improves each time for the most part (as far as i can tell) (I say this bc I am biased to da2 which is more limited compared to dai so objectively I'm not the best person to ask lol)

Sorry this is long and probably doesn't answer ur question but imo they're all worth playing/watching a walkthrough or something

if it helps, i went: dai first, then da2, then watched dragon age origins, and then watched parts of dragon age the veilguard and am planning on playing it soon