15 Best Games on Origin You Should Play (2017)

While Steam dominates digital game distribution, Electronic Arts has strategically developed Origin as a powerful alternative platform. Since its 2011 launch, Origin has evolved into a comprehensive digital ecosystem offering online gaming, digital distribution, and digital rights management services. The platform specializes in Electronic Arts’ extensive game catalog while providing exclusive benefits through Origin Access. This premium subscription service delivers unlimited access to the Vault Games library for either $4.99 monthly or $29.99 annually, representing exceptional value for dedicated gamers. Our expert analysis highlights the 15 must-play titles available through Origin that demonstrate the platform’s growing strength in the competitive gaming marketplace.

The Plants vs. Zombies franchise represents one of EA’s most successful intellectual properties, with Garden Warfare completely reimagining the core gameplay mechanics. While the original tower defense game featured 2D strategic plant placement, the Garden Warfare series transforms the experience into a dynamic third-person shooter while maintaining the essential objective of eliminating zombie threats. This genre shift introduces real-time combat mechanics that demand quick reflexes and strategic positioning rather than pre-planned defensive layouts.

Garden Warfare masterfully translates the beloved plant and zombie characters into fully realized 3D models with distinct abilities and combat roles. Players control individual characters in intense team-based battles where tactical coordination becomes essential for victory. The sequel, Garden Warfare 2, significantly enhances the formula with improved movement systems, expanded character rosters, and more diverse combat environments. Despite the cartoonish aesthetic appealing to younger audiences, the sophisticated gameplay mechanics and strategic depth make it engaging for players of all ages. Pro tip: Master character switching during matches to counter enemy team compositions effectively.

The Witcher 3 stands as a remarkable exception in Origin’s catalog, developed by CD Projekt RED while being distributed through EA’s platform due to earlier franchise rights acquisition. This epic fantasy RPG transports players into the richly detailed universe created by acclaimed author Andrzej Sapkowski, blending intense combat with deeply nuanced storytelling. As a genetically enhanced monster hunter known as a Witcher, you navigate political intrigue, moral dilemmas, and supernatural threats across vast open-world environments.

Unlike its more combat-focused predecessors, The Witcher 3 emphasizes exploration and narrative consequences, with player choices generating tangible impacts throughout the game world. The breathtaking visual presentation, combined with emotionally charged combat encounters and meticulously crafted side quests, creates an immersive experience that routinely exceeds 100 hours of gameplay. This masterpiece holds the distinguished record of 251 Game of the Year awards, cementing its status as one of gaming’s greatest achievements. Common mistake: New players often underestimate the importance of preparation through potions and oils before major battles.

The Sims franchise revolutionized gaming by shifting from city management in SimCity to intimate life simulation, allowing players to create, manage, and control virtual people in detailed domestic environments. Since its 2000 debut, the series has continuously evolved, with The Sims 4 representing the current pinnacle of life simulation technology. This iteration introduces groundbreaking emotion and behavior systems that create remarkably authentic virtual human interactions.

The Sims 4 achieves unprecedented realism through sophisticated artificial intelligence that governs character emotions, social relationships, and daily routines. The extensive customization options enable players to design everything from architectural layouts to individual personality traits, providing creative freedom unmatched in the simulation genre. Continuous content updates, expansion packs, and downloadable content have substantially expanded the gameplay experience since its 2014 release. Optimization tip: Utilize the gallery feature to download community-created content and accelerate your world-building process. For deeper strategic insights, check out our Class Guide for character specialization techniques.

Mass Effect stands among gaming’s most celebrated science fiction franchises, with the original trilogy available as a premium collection on Origin. This epic space opera combines intense third-person shooting with deeply branching narrative structures, creating an experience that transcends traditional genre boundaries. As Commander Shepard, you evolve from elite soldier to galactic savior, leading humanity’s struggle against the ancient Reaper threat.

The series distinguishes itself through revolutionary dialogue and relationship systems that make player choices genuinely consequential. Every conversation decision and mission outcome influences character relationships, story developments, and eventual conclusion possibilities. Beyond the sophisticated narrative mechanics, Mass Effect delivers exhilarating combat featuring diverse weapon types, biotic powers, and tactical squad commands. The complete trilogy offers approximately 75 hours of content and has accumulated over 300 industry awards. Strategic advice: Balance your Paragon and Renegade points carefully to maintain crucial dialogue options throughout the series. For comprehensive gameplay strategies, explore our Complete Guide to advanced tactical approaches.

The Battlefield franchise has evolved from respected Call of Duty competitor to industry-leading military shooter, with recent installments demonstrating the full capabilities of DICE’s Frostbite engine. Known for large-scale multiplayer warfare, the series reached new heights with Battlefield 1’s historical setting and technical achievements. The game delivers multiple interconnected single-player narratives alongside massive 64-player online battles across destructible environments.

Battlefield’s signature Conquest mode exemplifies strategic team-based gameplay, requiring coordinated assaults on control points while managing vehicle warfare and class specialization. The Frostbite engine enables unprecedented environmental destruction, dynamic weather systems, and realistic physics that create emergent gameplay moments. Looking forward, the anticipated Battlefield 6 promises to build upon this foundation with enhanced scale and innovation. For weapon specialists, our Weapons Unlock guide provides essential progression strategies. Common multiplayer mistake: New players frequently neglect spotting enemies, missing crucial team intelligence opportunities.

When Titanfall initially revealed its concept, expectations soared beyond the preliminary showcase. While the original installment concentrated exclusively on 6v6 multiplayer engagements, Titanfall 2 introduced a campaign narrative that immediately resonated with the community’s deepest desires. This sequel maintains the core multiplayer framework while integrating an engaging storyline alongside refined gameplay mechanics. Sequels rarely surpass their predecessors, yet Titanfall 2 stands as a remarkable exception that defies this trend.

Pro Tip: Master the slide-hop technique to maintain momentum between wall runs – this movement synergy separates average pilots from elite operators. Avoid the common mistake of deploying your Titan immediately upon availability; instead, wait for strategic moments when enemy Titans are vulnerable or when you need to secure objective points quickly.

For players transitioning to BF6 Class Guide mechanics, Titanfall 2’s fluid movement provides excellent preparation for advanced combat mobility. The game’s weapon-Titan synergy teaches valuable lessons about equipment coordination that apply directly to modern military shooters.

Released in 2013, Crysis 3 represents the pinnacle of the acclaimed Crysis series, a franchise that fundamentally transformed sci-fi shooter conventions. Utilizing the exceptionally advanced CryEngine3, this installment continues the narrative legacy where players utilize a sophisticated nanosuit to confront adversaries within dynamic combat scenarios.

Developed by Crytek, the same studio behind the original 2004 Far Cry, this German team crafted a technical masterpiece. The graphical fidelity was revolutionary for its era, and remarkably, Crysis 3 continues to challenge contemporary GPUs. Players assume control of Prophet navigating a transformed New York City to combat the Ceph, an extraterrestrial species with superior technology. Through its stunning visuals, compelling narrative, and intense action sequences, the game delivers an unforgettable immersive experience.

Advanced Strategy: Maximize nanosuit efficiency by switching between armor and cloak modes situationally – use armor during direct confrontations and cloak for repositioning or stealth approaches. Common mistake: players often overuse stealth and deplete energy at critical moments. The bow becomes exceptionally powerful when combined with tactical cloak for silent eliminations.

Dead Space establishes itself as a survival-horror series centered on protagonist Isaac Clarke’s struggle to defend humanity from enigmatic Markers and their Necromorph creations. The highly customized Godfather engine from Visceral Games renders environments with exceptional clarity, delivering the ideal combination of superb visual presentation and captivating gameplay. The Dead Space narrative unfolds centuries into the future, when Earth’s natural resources have been completely depleted. During this crisis, interstellar travel has been perfected, and planet cracking technology emerges to address the resource scarcity.

Every installment in this franchise contributes unique excellence while maintaining narrative consistency, making the series essential for horror enthusiasts.

Survival Technique: Practice strategic dismemberment – aim for limbs rather than center mass, as this conserves ammunition and increases effectiveness against Necromorphs. Common pitfall: newcomers often panic-fire during encounters, wasting precious resources. Always keep at least one stack of ammunition for each weapon and prioritize plasma cutter upgrades for maximum efficiency.

The resource management skills developed in Dead Space translate well to tactical shooters like Battlefield 6 Complete Guide where ammunition conservation and positioning determine survival in intense firefights.

Role-playing games represent a beloved genre among gamers, and when discussing favorite titles, the Dragon Age series consistently ranks among top responses. Beginning with Dragon Age: Origins, continuing through Dragon Age 2, and culminating with Dragon Age: Inquisition, this franchise maintains best-seller status. The series concentrates on the continent of Thedas, presenting narratives across multiple regions and historical eras.

In Dragon Age: Inquisition, you embody the Inquisitor, charged with preventing global catastrophe. However, your journey involves navigating complex moral decisions. Thedas represents a realm of conflict where factions perpetually clash. Your responsibility involves unifying a team of exceptional warriors and guiding them to triumph. With approximately 90 hours of content, Dragon Age: Inquisition stands among the most comprehensive RPGs featuring a beautiful, interactive open world.

Party Optimization: Balance your team with at least one tank, one healer, and two damage dealers – this composition handles most encounters effectively. Common mistake: players often specialize too early without understanding party synergy. Spend time in the tactical camera during difficult fights to position party members strategically and exploit enemy weaknesses.

The decision-making experience in Dragon Age prepares players for the strategic thinking required in games featuring BF6 Weapons Unlock systems, where loadout choices significantly impact mission success.

Released in 2009, EA’s Mirror’s Edge rapidly became both critically acclaimed and commercially successful, primarily due to its innovative genre implementation and flawless execution. Parkour gameplay represents a niche most developers avoid, given the precision requirements. However, Mirror’s Edge broke conventions by pioneering this genre with its distinctive approach.

Within Mirror’s Edge, an ambiguous government authority strives to eliminate resistance networks where you participate. You control Faith, an extraordinarily agile courier entangled in complex conspiracies and betrayal, with escape dependent on exceptional running ability. The experience unfolds entirely through immersive first-person perspective. While a sequel emerged (Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst), it failed to match the original’s excellence. For running enthusiasts, the exhilaration of synchronizing movement with musical rhythm is familiar, and for parkour devotees, no superior alternative exists within this genre.

This War of Mine, developed by 11-bit studios, presents a wartime survival experience. While most games immerse players through customizable, achievable gameplay, This War of Mine offers a more realistic interpretation centered on warfare’s essence, where death can claim anyone unexpectedly, without justification.

Movement Mastery: Learn to read the environment for optimal routes – red objects indicate traversable paths in Mirror’s Edge. Common mistake: beginners often look down while running, which disrupts flow and momentum. In This War of Mine, prioritize medical supplies and food during scavenging runs, and avoid combat whenever possible as injuries can spiral into fatal situations.

The Need for Speed series stands as the racing genre’s dominant force with staggering global sales exceeding 150 million units. Following several disappointing releases, the franchise is making a strategic return to its foundational principles while introducing innovative new elements. The core appeal lies in the comprehensive vehicle personalization system that enables players to thoroughly customize and modify their vehicles according to individual preferences, a feature that reached perfection in Underground 2 and Most Wanted (2005).

Building upon this legacy, the latest installment introduces an exciting “Heist Mode” that draws significant inspiration from the high-octane Fast and Furious film franchise. Set within the expansive open-world environment of Fortune Valley, racers enjoy unprecedented freedom to select missions, participate in races, and establish dominance across the urban landscape. While the final release may differ from the E3 demonstration, the current build demonstrates remarkable potential for both veteran fans and newcomers alike.

Pro Tip: When customizing your vehicle, prioritize performance upgrades before visual modifications. A common mistake is investing heavily in cosmetic changes while neglecting engine and handling improvements that actually impact race performance. Start with suspension and transmission upgrades to establish a competitive foundation.

Star Wars represents one of the most cherished fictional universes, and the opportunity to experience it through interactive gaming fulfills countless fans’ dreams. This aspiration materialized in autumn 2015 when Electronic Arts launched Star Wars Battlefront, an action-shooter-RPG hybrid that allowed players to command characters from the iconic film series. However, similar to the initial Titanfall release, the first Battlefront notably lacked a dedicated single-player campaign. Battlefront 2 directly addresses this omission by delivering an engaging and immersive single-player experience that the community passionately requested.

The narrative campaign commences immediately following the destruction of Death Star 2 and concludes around the timeframe of Starkiller Base’s demise – an ambitious storyline covering nearly three decades of galactic history. Players primarily assume the role of elite Imperial Commander Iden Versio, though the experience periodically shifts perspective to include control of legendary characters like Luke Skywalker and Kylo Ren. Additionally, the single-player component incorporates space combat sequences reminiscent of those featured in the original game, further enhancing the captivating overall experience.

Strategy Insight: Master character switching mechanics during campaign missions. Many players struggle with adapting to different playstyles when controlling various characters. Practice with each character’s unique abilities in smaller encounters before major battles. Space combat requires different tactics than ground missions – adjust your approach accordingly by prioritizing shield management and power distribution.

The world’s most popular sport naturally features its most acclaimed simulation title – FIFA continues to define football gaming excellence. As tradition dictates, the autumn release schedule brings the latest iteration, FIFA 18, fronted by global superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. This newest edition builds upon the successful foundation established by FIFA 17 while introducing meaningful refinements and innovations.

The game immediately engages players with the continuation of Alex Hunter’s narrative journey, presenting the protagonist with the challenging decision of selecting his ideal club destination. Beyond story elements, FIFA 18 delivers substantially more authentic player animations, enhanced stadium environments, refined stamina mechanics, and improved interface systems, alongside the ever-popular FIFA Ultimate Team mode receiving significant upgrades. While additional features will likely emerge, the current feature set demonstrates substantial progress across multiple gameplay dimensions.

Gameplay Optimization: Utilize the new stamina system strategically by managing sprint usage and implementing tactical substitutions. Many players exhaust their key players early by constant sprinting. The improved HUD provides better information for making substitution decisions – monitor player fatigue levels during matches and plan changes before performance drops significantly. For Ultimate Team success, focus on chemistry building through nation and league connections rather than simply acquiring high-rated players.

SEE ALSO: 20 Best Indie Games for PC You Should Play

Origin stands as Electronic Arts’ premier digital distribution platform, consistently demonstrating its position among the industry’s elite game delivery services. As the exclusive marketplace for all AAA and AA titles published and/or developed by EA, Origin has effectively secured its customer base through quality and exclusivity. The addition of Origin Access subscription service transforms the platform into a formidable competitor to established services like Steam.

These highlighted titles represent the pinnacle of Origin’s gaming catalog. Explore these exceptional games and share your personal EA favorites along with what makes them special in the comments section below. For comprehensive guidance on maximizing your gaming experience, consult our Complete Guide to master advanced techniques.

Platform Pro Tip: Origin Access provides tremendous value for frequent EA gamers, offering early access to new releases and substantial discounts. However, carefully evaluate your gaming habits before subscribing – if you primarily play 1-2 EA titles annually, individual purchases may prove more cost-effective. The service excels for players who enjoy exploring multiple EA franchises throughout the year.

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