Dragon Age Origins: Witch Hunt Preview

After getting my hands on Dragon Age 2, there was really only one thing BioWare could've done to get me back into Dragon Age: Origins – make a DLC pack focused on Morrigan. Luckily for me and anybody else who was a fan of the witch, that's exactly what BioWare has planned as the very last piece of downloadable content for Origins.

Occurring around a year after the ending of Dragon Age: Origins, Witch Hunt will give players some perspective on why Morrigan left the party on such a mysterious note. You can either import your hero from Origins or start up a completely new character, but in this case importing a character that had any kind of relationship (friendly, antagonistic or romantic) with her makes the most sense. Dalish Elf Grey Wardens will also experience a slightly unique segment as this story fills in some of the lore surrounding that race.

The search for Morrigan begins after a few rangers spot a woman fitting her description in the woods near Flemeth's house. It's your task to investigate the situation and uncover the connection between her and the Archdemon. Morrigan is on a mission again, but it's not clear what her intentions are and that's where you come in.

Since your original team has disbanded, you'll meet a couple folks along the way to aid you on your journey. To start, everyone is given a Mabari war hound regardless of whether or not the original character had one. Your two humanoid companions are Ariane, a Dalish Elf and Finn, a human mage. Ariane is a no-nonsense kind of gal with a clear goal: find Morrigan and retrieve the book she stole. To contrast her personality, Finn is a book worm that leads a sheltered life in the safety of the Circle of Magi's library.

These three companions will help you fight against an all new enemy -- the Varterral. Massive and gruesome, the Varterral resembles a spider and I freaking hate spiders. This disgusting arthropod will also make an appearance in Dragon Age 2, but it won't sport the same Elvish name and will be known as a Strider instead.

Although I wish I was playing Dragon Age 2 because the combat feels so much better, the dialogue was a real treat in Witch Hunt. There were numerous occasions where I chuckled at some bit of conversation. My favorite was the friendly jab at Harry Potter: "What sort of mages would use owls for pets?" a student at the Circle library mused.

For those wondering, you will come face-to-face with Morrigan during your time with Witch Hunt, though how you handle the situation is entirely up to you. Your dialogue options are dependent on your previous relationship with her, so the experience is customized for your particular Warden.

If, like me, you can't get enough of Morrigan, then you'll be excited to hear that you can play Witch Hunt next week. Set to release on September 7, the last of the Origins DLC will hit the PC, PS3 & Xbox 360 for $7 or 560 Microsoft points.