User Reviews

1. Review Date: 2009-11-23

   OH, I waited and waited for this game in eager anticipation. The trailers were soooo cool and it was being called the "spiritual successor" of the old PC Baldur's Gate games. To me that meant we were finally going to get an epic RPG aimed at an older audience with lots of in depth story telling and lots of fun hacking and slashing. What did I wind up with? A very pretty game that I was, initially, very excited to play. But as the days dragged on I realized that for every 5 minutes of fighting there are HOURS of dialogue and reading to do. Don't get me wrong, I think that predominately Hack & Slash RPGs are a boring waste of time.... but this game is just on the other end of the extreme. There are no random encounters (well, there are... but they are limited and many are triggered by things in the game so how is that a random encounter????) so there is a finite number of monsters and enemies to contend with. Most of the time you are running around talking to people, hoping that you don't say the wrong thing and make someone angry. The game is pretty linear, though you can do lots of side quests to keep things going longer. However, there are so many side quests and the menu that keeps track of all of that is so crappy that doing the quests is kind of a pain in the butt. When there is fighting, it is often totally unbalanced.... I am playing a warrior and often the battles were ludicrously easy and over in seconds or, alternatively, they were so difficult that I would get angry and have to walk away from my PS3 for a while. The combat tactics that you assign to your party members is decently done, but there is no "dead" or "unconscious" status that you can choose to trigger your Healer to bring a dead character back to life. If anyone knows how to make that work, please enlighten me because the strategy guide is NO help. Which reminds me, the strategy guide suffers from the same afflictions that the game itself suffers: Pretty to look at and time consuming to navigate. The ONLY thing that it is truly helpful with is figuring out which gifts to give your party members and how to work it so that you can hook up with them. I'm despondent over how this game turned out. I don't even think I'll play it to the end... it's just so BOOORING. Pretty, fun at first, but ultimately: BORING. I yearn for another game like Diablo or the Baldur's Gate games. We have beefy consoles now... where are the PC quality games???? Why did the good RPGs have to go online only???
   
   If you are an RPG fan, you will buy this despite any negative reviews. I know I would. The game just looks far too promising. But trust me... you will be bored eventually. And you will get frustrated.
   
   Oh, one more thing: you can choose to play one of six "origin" stories so you would think that the game has awesome replay value, yes? Well, you'd be wrong. Most of the game is the same no matter what character you run with and I, for one, will NEVER sit through all of that dialogue more than one time through. And before anyone makes a snarky comment- I have a handful of friends that have this game also and they are playing different origin stories so that's how I know the game is pretty much the same for all of them even though I haven't even finished the game ONCE. And among my friends, my younger brother is the ONLY one that wasn't bored stupid. He loved it. I don't get it. At all.
   
   User: Bianca
   Rating:
   Summary: Spiritual Successor of Baldur's Gate (PC) this is not
   Helpful Votes: 0
   Total Votes: 0
   

2. Review Date: 2009-11-22

   I was frustrated with this game at first because after completing quests in Orzhammar, a "glitch" ocurred. I have read that this happened to others because if you talk to the wrong characters during those quests, the game will get buggy and you will have to restart. I became very frustrated as by ths time I had already raked in hours of game play, but I played the game though again, this time making sure to also save at many points in case I encountered any trouble and also making sure I only spoke to the correct characters this time.
   
   Suffice to say, I was able to finish the game in two days of almost non-stop playing and was satisfied with it; I also got the bonus feature quests and am waiting for the next ones to come out. I do like this game (almost) as much as Oblivion; actually, the graphics are much better than Oblivion if I may make note here. The game was relatively short for me in comparison to Oblivion but still worth the price. I would say that both games are just as good as one another in different ways.
   
   My favourite aspect of the game was the rich storytelling and the feeling of "immersion" that is created by good storytelling. For those jaded folks who prefer cynical stuff, I would not recommend this game, even though there is lots of wry and dark humour in Dragon Age, it will not appeal to those with unsophisticated tastes. It is more likely a game for the true RPG RPG/dark fantasy enthusiasts who is a bit more mature. This isn't a game for kids or people who just like to play "shooters."
   
   I also like how one's character can influence the other characters and gain skills all the while, including steamy romance. This is something novel and kind of fun actually, I thought it was interesting and hope to see that again in the upcoming sequels.
   
   
   User: Dancing Ganesha
   Rating:
   Summary: Rich Storytelling and Characters; Great RPG
   Helpful Votes: 2
   Total Votes: 2
   

3. Review Date: 2009-11-21

   I would recommend this game to anyone that wants some good escapism. You can get caught up in the moments of the game and look at the clock and it's been a couple of hours. It also is great for the people that love to explore every inch of a world. The areas are vast and different and you do feel like you have traveled to some other place. My favorite part of the game is how you feel a part of it. By creating your character and then interacting with all the different characters, where your choices change how the game plays, you get a sense of that your actions have gotten you to a certain point and you are even responsible. The graphics are decent, the combat is OK, and the character management is nice, cause you can change almost anything whenever you want to. There is a lot to figure out in the interface, but it doesn't take too long. I also do not find the game to be predictable, events happen fairly quickly sometimes and what is done is done, and you may not have wanted that to happen or wish you could change the outcome somehow. I have not tried the expansions yet, but the fact that they are being created will only contribute to the game for sure
   
   User: D. Findlay
   Rating:
   Summary: Just a lot of fun
   Helpful Votes: 2
   Total Votes: 3
   

4. Review Date: 2009-11-21

   I usually prefer games like these, however this game falls far short. Quite frankly it is boring. I picked it up expecting to have a morrowind or fallout 3 experience. There is nothing unique or charming about Dragon Age. After a few hours i turned it off and downloaded an expansion to fallout 3. It's awesome, fun and addicting.
   
   User: tom cullen
   Rating:
   Summary: Not even close to morrowind or fallout 3
   Helpful Votes: 3
   Total Votes: 12
   

5. Review Date: 2009-11-21

   I see Dragon Age as a prime example of higher production value and more progressive technology leading to the creation of a less interesting experience. I am sure to be a representative of a minority voice in my dislike for this game as it compares to its "spiritual" predecessor Baldur's Gate, but then as others feel compelled to praise I feel a compulsion to express my grievances.
   
   Four things negated my enjoyment here. The characters are limited and unpleasant: a giant who mysteriously murdered an entire family and whose reasoning skills are aggressively weak (he constantly complains that your path is illogical when it is abundantly obvious that it is the necessary course), a Playboy Bunny version of Joan of Arc who is also an assassin, a sarcastic and indecisive knight, a bisexual elven assassin, an aging mage, a crass alcoholic dwarf and a cold atheistic wild child. The story this motley crew moves through is a boring 'demons are invading the world' scenario which leads to a lackluster final confrontation. The path the story follows is extremely linear and feels much more limited than the maps of Baldur's Gate. And the constant use of cut scenes and Leisure Suit Larry mini games are an enormous distraction from any kind of immersive or explorative atmosphere the game could have had. I all comes off restrictive and adolescent to the extreme. But then this is progress I suppose.
   
   For me Dragon Age was a good seventy hours worth of silly postmodern soap operatic soft-core porn satire masquerading as an immersive fantasy RPG. A serious waste of time. Better to read some Tolkien or take a walk in the woods.
   
   User: christopher
   Rating:
   Summary: Sex, Drugs and Dragons
   Helpful Votes: 3
   Total Votes: 6
   

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Editorial Reviews

From BioWare, the makers of Mass Effect, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and Baldur's Gate comes Dragon Age: Origins. An epic tale of violence, lust, and betrayal, Dragon Age: Origins is a single player role-playing game (RPG) set in a fantasy game environment, and featuring three playable character classes, accessible in the form of three races. In addition, the game features extreme character customization, a new game engine, party-based gameplay utilizing non-player characters and a built-in personal history system for each hero character rooted in a variety of possible origin stories. 6 possible hero Origin Stories. View larger. 3 classes and 3 races to play as. View larger. Stunning 3D environments. View larger. Spell combining abilities. View larger. Story In Dragon Age: Origins the survival of humanity rests in the hands of those chosen by fate. You are a Grey Warden, one of the last of an ancient order of guardians who have defended the lands on the continent of Thedas throughout the centuries. Betrayed by a trusted general in a critical battle, you must hunt down the traitor and bring him to justice. As you fight your way towards the final confrontation with an evil nemesis, you will face monstrous foes and engage in epic quests to unite the disparate peoples of a world at war. A romance with a seductive shapeshifter may hold the key to victory, or she may be a dangerous diversion from the heart of your mission. To be a leader, you must make ruthless decisions and be willing to sacrifice your friends and loved ones for the greater good. Gameplay Dragon Age: Origins is a 3D oriented RPG based in a dark, heroic, fantasy realm where moral choices have a lasting impression on the people you meet, the members of your own party and the world around you. The inclusion of subtitle "Origins" in the game's title refers to the six unique origin stories available to new heroes as a new game begins. Each of these has an impact on the player's motivations and his or her experience, and renders a unique prelude, path, and possible ending(s) to the game. There are many different endings to the game based on the origin story of the character and the choices you make as you play through the game. The game features three character classes--warrior, mage, and rogue--and three races of being--Human, Elf or Dwarf--that can assume these classes. Although most game elements, such as weapons, magic, etc., are available to any character, each class and race has different strengths, abilities and affinities which lend themselves to better utilizing different elements. Dragon Age: Origins is a single player game based on party-based gameplay and combat where the player can join, control and quest with up to three non-player characters (NPC). Players can also quest alone if they so choose, but with the chance of survival are slim. Convincing NPCs to join you, and treating them well may be necessary depending on the varying sentiments between the player and the NPC, or between the NPC's in the party based on the chosen history written into the origin story accepted at the beginning of the game. This uncertainty allows for a variety of possible dynamics within the party ranging from open hostility, all the way to romance. The game progresses in real-time via a pause-and-play tactical combat system that allows the player to check inventory levels, equip a character, etc. in a slight vacuum. Additional features found in the game include: a combination of a standard loot system and a currency system based on gold silver and copper; advanced character customization functionality; the use of poison, traps and herbalism; dual-wielding skills; and "spell combos," which allow players to chain together different spells to create a unique effects. Key Game Features BioWare’s deepest universe to date with over 80 hours of gameplay and more than double the size and scope of Mass Effect. Travel throughout dozens of environments and fully immerse yourself in a shattered world that is on the brink of utter annihilation. An epic story that is completely shaped and reactive to your play style. Complex moral dilemmas offering no easy choices. Tailor your Dragon Age: Origins experience from the very beginning by choose from six different origin stories. Decide how to handle complex issues like murder, genocide, betrayal, and the possession/sacrificing of children without the security of a good/bad slider to tell you what to do. Full character customization allowing the player to sculpt a hero in your own image or fantasy. Elaborate character creator allows you to create your own hero unique from anyone else. Shape your character’s personality and morality based on the choices you make throughout the game. Engage in bone-crushing, visceral combat engaging in battle against massive and terrifying creatures. Unleash legendary powers and choose from over 100 different magical spells and skills. Experience the adrenaline rush of brutal combat, beheading your foes or casting spells that make enemies explode from within.

Product Details

1. Scalable combat options that let you decide the level of control you have over your party, including NPCs. Issue orders, set your own tactical AI, or take control of any party member to lead the charge.
2. 6 possible playable preludes known as ‘Origin Stories’ which along with your play, define how your hero character will see the world, how it sees you and sets the tone for the entire story.
3. Travel across the vast and varied lands of Ferelden; from the conspiratorial halls of the last great dwarven city, Orzammar, to the untamed snarls of the Korcari Wilds.
4. Dragon Age: Origins will give you deep character customization options including: class, race, appearance, abilities, and equipment.
5. At the heart of the storm sweeping across Ferelden. Decide the fate of nations, people and, ultimately, yourself. Just remember: for every choice, there is a consequence.