I hear the familiar sound of the dragon's roar as it splashes onto the screen. The title for Dragon Age: Origins lands with a metallic clang just before the start-up menu appears to welcome me in, as though I'm standing in front of the door of a home I know so well. Then, as I watch an intro cinematic that I've seen so many times before, the heavy feeling hanging over me subsides a little for the first time in weeks. We all have those games that we've played so many times that we know them like the backs of our hands. You know, the games that you've spent countless hours exploring until you know its virtual world as well as the streets of your hometown. You learn what enemies lie in wait and how to defeat them, what quests have yet to be completed along your journey, and which choices you'll have to make. You've even committed to memory some conversations and all of the story beats, not unlike the way you know all of the words to your favorite song after playing it on repeat. With … [Read more...] about Returning to Dragon Age: Origins feels like coming home, and it’s helping me navigate through grief