Dragon Age: Origins - Original Videogame Score

Dragons and ancient artifacts are an eternal curse of a cheap fantasy. Well, anyway fantasy is a curse of fantastic literature. The quantity of crap, which is poured on a reader/viewer/player in this particular genre, is beyond all reasonable and not quite reasonable limits. Moreover, after the works by Le Guin, Games Workshop, Sapkowski and HIM nobody talks about originality. At least be kind to compile clichés so as not to hurt the eyes, ears and other parts of the body, which are sensitive to delicate things. Only a few can succeed in it especially in the game industry. How much high-quality and solid fantastic worlds not under HIS license can you remember, dear reader? Not a one and even WarCraft uniqueness is a topic for very epic debates somewhere out the bounds of this review. However, still there’re some brave ones and simply idiots in this world, luckily for us. So, for instance, after a well-made ccollection of sci-fi clichés aka “Mass Effect” BioWare decided to show the world how to make a right fantasy. The fathers of Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights and KOTOR are tired of licensing pressure and they have the full right for it after the above-mentioned titles. So what is the outcome?

It so happened that in Dragon Age’s universe, mechanics and design there’s absolutely nothing new. Besides that, all the elements of the universe, the game itself and all accompanying things are designed on such a high level that the Witcher’s developers will have to work hard when making a sequel. But they are not the only one who will have to do their best; the bar has been raised for all the genre of CRPGs. Music is not an exception either in an overall happy picture. Inon Zur who earlier fabricated rather than wriote music seems to have found his way under the vigilant canadian governance.

The soundtrack doesn’t even try to conceal its purely game nature so as to be more honest with itself and a listener. The record is clearly divided into tracks written from the heart and tracks written of convenience to fill the gameplay with something melodious.



The best what Zur made on the album is a vocal part of Dragon Age. Each and every song of the soundtrack is unbelievably beautiful, tuneful and… atmospheric. It’s so strongly atmospheric that an image of the game universe appears even in a head of a person unfamiliar with the game. Tender play of strings, deep and sensual voice of a minstrel, words in an unknown language, melancholy motive - it’s like a motive and a ballade at the same time. It’s just what a listener, a player and the universe itself need so as to be more convinced. The soundtrack of a polish uberhit “The Witcher” was lacking in it in its times though its universe and the original source were far more predisposed to songs. On the whole judging by the tracklist and simply from the feelings one can notice that Zur was mostly interested in vocal into which a player bumps into already in the menu - in the main theme, which then floats into a touchy but pathos orchestration.

Speaking of pathos… Action themes are great during the game battles but are very dull apart from the game. You can hardly say that they’re talentless. Inon Zur uses a full range of instruments including a sudden play of a harpsichord. And the tracks maintain the atmosphere of the Middle Ages quite professionally. As for the arrangement it’s extremely delicate. But anyway it’s dull and even in the game it bores at times to death. Well there’s room for improvement and a chance to get rid of academic pedantism by the way. Cause it’s hardly appreciated in the game industry.

As for urban and peaceful themes, they delight the ears. They are completely nonintrusive, perfectly suit the game context and can be listened to with a great pleasure apart from the game. Dwarfs’ themes are full of aggressive and harsh wind instruments. People themes are a bit dirty but Ferelden is not the cleanest state on the continent at all. And in elves’ theme (Elves at the Mercy of Men) one can find either a trick or an additional allusion right from Zur. It is nothing but a real klezmer melody. These are the national Jewish motives, moreover it’s a music tradition exactly of European Jews exiled from the Holy Land. That’s quite an allusion to a game race, though a very unobvious one.


This record is a typical BioWare soundtrack - atmospheric, tasty, interesting, deserving to be in a playlist. It’s not without flaws but we are rarely gratified with such nice medieval music. The main thing is that it’s Inon Zur’s new step from a world of clichés to a world of original style, creative research and simply good music. Well, buddy, you hit the right road.