Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening

There's a new crafting skill too, Runecrafting, and again it feels like it that always belonged. These bonus additions for weapons (and now also for armour) can be created by one trained in the art, although you'll still need to find an Enchanter to get them added. It's well worth it, as the little coloured tiles are a lot harder to come by in this add-on. You can also level up in Vitality (improving health bonuses) and Clarity (giving focus to mana or stamina). Another other smart addition is stamina draughts, allowing the resource to be topped up in the same manner as using a health poultice. To sum up: there's really quite a lot of new stuff.

But for me, the most important new stuff is the characters and the places we're heading. The early revelation that Oghren is the only major companion rejoining you from the first game is something of a shame; my least favourite character was forced to accompany me for the first couple of hours, until I could recruit someone - anyone - else to replace him. That's the odd thing about Oghren: the writers seem to hate him too, making him even more of a vile, irredeemable drunk this time out. However, also joining you from the off is Anders, an apostate magician and thoroughly sarcastic sort. Thank goodness.

It took me a while to warm to Anders, especially in the company of rogue Nathaniel - son of the treacherous Arl Howe - who isn't exactly Mr Positive either. However, I got there, and I got there because of Ser Pounce-a-lot.

I saw a kitten wandering around in Vigil's Keep. Not unusual, but this one could be picked up. Then I forgot about it. A while later I was going through the gifts I had, winning favour with party members, and spotted the cat listed there. So on a whim I offered it to Anders, thinking his refusal might be funny.

Anders fell in love. Anders fell apart. And from then on, he had a pet cat in his backpack, available as an icon on his taskbar. Any time it seemed inappropriate to do so, I could click on that and hear the furious magician start talking in baby gibberish at his adored pet. Fantastic.

As with the main game, you're free to approach the tasks of the principal quest in the order you choose. There's only one major city in the northern reaches of the Arling of Amaranthine: Amaranthine itself. But surrounding it are sprawling regions to explore, each containing enormous stretches of dungeons, story twists, and new potential companions to recruit, reject, or chop up into bits.

Each region hits on a key note from the main game, and in doing so smartly reflects on its themes. The Knotwood Hills lead to an abandoned Dwarven city, Kal'Hirol, while the Wending Wood is home to a particularly cross Dalish Elf. The relationship between mages and the Chantry is perhaps the most discussed topic, in light of Anders' conflict between being on the run and joining an established order such as the Grey Wardens.

In fact, that's the common theme to all those you recruit for the Joining here. Awakening is about reluctant heroes who you might, if things were different, have been fighting against. This darker tone persists throughout.

I'll say nothing of the ending, nor reveal anything that might spoil a surprise. But it's worth noting quite how serious the decisions you're making are. There's one choice you're asked to make very near the start of the game: where do you want to focus the very limited supply of soldiers for the Keep. Defending the city, protecting the surrounding farmlands (and therefore the civilian population), or defending the trade routes? Or perhaps spread thinly between all three? Really, seriously, choose carefully.