Dragon Age: The Golems of Amgarrak Interview

MMORPG.com:

Give us some background on the new DLC – Golems of Amgarrak.

Rob:

Golems of Amgarrak is the next installment of downloadable content (DLC) for our hit dark fantasy title, Dragon Age: Origins. It will be releasing simultaneously for $5 on the Playstation Network and for 400 points on the PC and in the X360 Marketplace. Designed with our hardcore players in mind, it sends the player on an extremely challenging journey into the Deep Roads to uncover the lost secrets of the dwarves.

Ferret:

Rob isn’t joking. Golems is seriously tough. If you played through Origins and thought it couldn’t keep up with your mad skills, then this is the DLC for you. You face a brand new boss who has more than a few tricks up his sleeve, and unless you bring your A-game you won’t last long. Getting the hardest achievement for this DLC is a real badge of honor. Only a handful of BioWarians managed that accomplishment.

Although combat is front and center, Golems of Amgarrak has a tricky puzzle to solve, new characters to talk with and get to know, and an engaging story. All the things you’d expect from Dragon Age. You also can import your character from Origins or Awakening, so you can have further adventures with your favorite hero.

By playing Golems of Amgarrak you can unlock several reward items that show up in Origins or Awakening. It’s a good time to be a Grey Warden!

MMORPG.com:

Does this adventure give some further lore into the Dwarf background?

Ferret:

The dwarves really had their glory days centuries ago. Before the First Blight, dwarves had several thriving kingdoms and the deep roads were underground highways which ran all throughout Thedas. The darkspawn hit the dwarves hard – harder than anyone. When things were their darkest, only Paragon Caridin’s discovery of golems saved the last kingdom of Orzammar from utter annihilation. But after a few short years of golem production, Caridin vanished. And he took his secret of golem manufacturing with him.

Since then the dwarves made many attempts to rediscover Caridin’s lost art of creating golems. There is an old legend – a sort of dwarvish fairy tale – that in a secret laboratory, far in the deep roads, new golems were made. The legend of Amgarrak.

Throughout the DLC you’ll learn more about Amgarrak and its haunting story.

MMORPG.com:

Talk about the golems in the game, how do they play into the storyline?

Rob:

Some secrets are best discovered on one’s own. From a storytelling perspective, however, golems often serve as a mirror that we hold up to the player and to the other characters in the game, both living and dead. Golems are a blank slate, neither good nor evil, but with great potential for either, depending upon the method and their crafting and the task to which they are put.

Ferret:

If legends of Amgarrak are to be believed, the dwarven smiths found new techniques of modifying old golems, all in an effort to make the next generation of golems. Expeditions sent on far patrols in the deep roads occasionally come across strange golems doing amazing things. Some say that perhaps it was left over golem from the Legion of Steel. But others whisper, “Amgarrak.” Certainly if anyone managed to find the Halls of Amgarrak, they should expect some amazing things.

MMORPG.com:

How involved is the Blight in this storyline? They are not mentioned in the trailer, yet we do see some serious looking demons.

Rob:

The Blight is a constant threat, particularly in this, the deepest, darkest corners of the Deep Roads. Again, we want to emphasize that the Golems of Amgarrak is a very challenging quest and not for the faint of heart, particularly when played on Hard or Nightmare difficulty. As for the secret horrors at which the trailer hints, we’ll leave that for only our bravest of players to discover.

MMORPG.com:

Will there be new adventurers available to join you on this quest?

Rob:

Yes, you have come to Orzammar at the request of Jerrik Dace. Jerrik’s brother led an expedition into the Deep Roads to find Amgarrak and the long-lost secrets of golem construction. The rediscovery of such a method would bring great wealth, power and prestige to House Dace but the expedition has not returned and is now feared lost. Jerrik, along with his trusty bronto, Snug, will be joining you in the search for his missing brother. You will find other unexpected companions as you continue on the journey and will need all the help that you can get.

Ferret:

If you ever asked, “I wonder what a dwarven ranger who never went to outside world would summon?” Then the answer is “Snug”. Snug’s a great companion and seriously tough. Unlike many nobles (yes, I’m looking at you House Aeducan), Jerrik seems more concerned about his brother’s welfare than finding Amgarrak. He’s also a hero in his own right, providing excellent support to your character. His dual-wielding skills will be essential to surviving the Golems of Amgarrak. And, as Rob said, there are others to find during the course of your adventure.