Dragon Age is one of the most well-known RPG series of all time. “Soon,” part 4 will be released, but before that, developer BioWare decided to team up with a studio to release a series on Netflix. Dragon Age: Absolution has only 6 episodes, but MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus is absolutely thrilled about it.
When Dragon Age: Absolution was announced, I was even more excited than when Arcane was released. The new series follows the famous role-playing series from BioWare, which I have been playing and loving since the first part, Origins. I have already spent well over 350 hours in the titles.
Since December 9, Absolution has finally been available on Netflix. The series consists of only 6 episodes, each less than 30 minutes long. I watched the entire series in just one evening and was absolutely thrilled.
But I must say right away: The fan of the series speaks from me. Absolution is a really good series, but it can’t compete with the worldwide success of the LoL series Arcane in many respects.
So why do I still recommend the series to you? Quite simply: You don’t have to wait for a new episode every week and don’t need multiple days in a row. Absolution can be comfortably “binged” all at once. However, you really need to immerse yourself in the series.
Here is the first trailer for Absolution:
The greatest strengths of Absolution are also its greatest obstacles
First of all, I don’t want to spoil anything that isn’t already known in advance. So don’t worry, I won’t reveal anything about the story. However, there are three points I want to address because all three make Absolution really good – and block its success.
- 1. The duration is “just enough”
At under 3 hours, Absolution is shorter than many films. Whoever manages to watch a part of The Lord of the Rings can also easily watch Absolution in one sitting. Dragon Age manages to tell the most important things here. At the same time, many interesting details remain mere hints that could have been more. Which brings me directly to point 2 …
- 2. You have to be a fan
Dragon Age: Absolution dives as deeply into the world of Thedas as the games do. At every corner, there is a reference to the games, familiar characters and locations are mentioned.
As a fan, it is a revelation to finally see more of the magical empire of Tevinter, to see the cities and culture in image and sound, and not just from the stories of an NPC. Even some of the murals look just like artworks from Dragon Age.
But that also means: If you haven’t played Dragon Age or haven’t played it for long, you won’t understand the hype and many wordplays. A little quote on that: “I survived things that make the Deep Roads look like a walk in the park.” A strong statement when you know what the Deep Roads are.
- 3. The style is very distinctive
Absolution is an animated series whose style is roughly based on cartoons from the 90s and early 2000s. If you played Dragon Age when it was new, you are probably at the right age for this style to evoke some nostalgia in you.
However, this is not necessarily contemporary anymore. If you take Arcane as a comparison again, the pure quality of Riot’s masterpiece is simply much higher.
I had a great time with Absolution and look forward to the second season. At the moment, still almost a little more on Arcane, just because I know that Dragon Age 4 is supposed to be released “soon”.
Especially the humor got me. Dragon Age: Absolution is quite serious, even bloody, and a bit more adult than Arcane. At the same time, the dark gallows humor of some characters runs through the series, which make jokes at sometimes very inappropriate moments, giving Absolution a macabre, grotesque touch that I rarely see otherwise.
In general, Absolution reminds a lot of a Dragon Age with its characters. The group is somehow wildly mixed, there is a certain character development, and everyone presents impressive skills that you know… if you have played Dragon Age.
Nevertheless: If you have 3 hours free and nothing to do, you should check out Absolution. If you already know Dragon Age, the references are super cool. If you don’t know it, you might get interested.
A somewhat different view is represented by our MeinMMO demon Cortyn:
Dragon Age: Absolution is, in my opinion, rather in the middle of good series adaptations. On the one hand, I found the CGI in the series very disturbing, as it contrasted poorly with the rest of the animation style. On the other hand, “Absolution” was quite poor in animations. As someone who has always followed anime and animated series, I quickly recognize when “simple” work has been done and there are almost still images where only the lips are animated. This is not the case all the time, but it stands out negatively.
Lastly, DA: Absolution is incredibly unfriendly to newcomers from my perspective. If you don’t know the world of Dragon Age, you won’t fully understand a lot in the series. For fans of the RPG games, Absolution is great, but if you watch it with someone who doesn’t know the games, you’ll have to explain something frequently – because Absolution doesn’t explain much itself and may occasionally leave newcomers confused and annoyed.
Therefore, DA: Absolution also doesn’t come close to Arcane for me – neither in terms of animation quality nor in terms of story. A series must – in my opinion – be able to stand on its own. Unfortunately, Absolution could not.
And while you’re at it: Editor-in-chief Leya Jankowski also has a tip or two:
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