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 (NPCs). 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.
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PS3 vs XBOX 360 Review of Dragon Age (Bioware's KOTOR 2) | | Review Date: November 4, 2009 | | Reviewer: Adventure Fan, | The PS3 version is 17.3% better than the 360 version for 4.2 reasons. The 360 version is 13.7% better than the PS3 version for 2.4 reasons. Which version is better for you will be determined by your saving throw. NO SPOILERS I picked up both versions. I have two identical TVs, one bedroom, one den, both 50" 1080p Panasonic G10s. For this review I put them side by side in the den, PS3 hooked up to one, 360 to the other, and choose the same origin story. I played the PS3, my wife played the 360, we both took the day off of work, a "Bioware Holiday." BIOWARE The Bioware RPG is one of my favorite video game genres. KOTOR 1 is still my favorite story. I played through Mass Effect 7 times. If you like Bioware, you will like Dragon Age. KOTOR 2 GRAPHICS Bioware didn't make KOTOR 2. Until now. Dragon Age's graphics in general look like a last generation game, upconverted to HD. And why should they not? This game was 5 years in the making. Personally, if I could wave a magic wigglestick, I would magically wish the graphics into the year 2069, to play in my PS9 in my flying car. Unfortunately, I live in a condo that doesn't allow wigglesticking. So the choice is (A) Play the Bioware game. (B) Don't play the Bioware game. (C) Eat a cup cake. No one plays Bioware games for the graphics. You play for the CYOA storytelling. 6 COMPLETE CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE NOVELS Dragon Age is 10 Novels long. With 6 unique hero journeys. That can be twisted good or naughty. Warrior. Magic. Thief. Hybrid-Hybrid. Bioware is the only developer on the planet that makes this kind of beautiful uniqueness. This kind of awesomeness only comes around once every few years. Is this flavor of awesomeness perfect? No. Is amateur pornography perfect? No. Sometimes the pacing is off, or the dialogue excessive, but it gets the job done. The job is to experience a genuine human story--even if you're a lesbian elf. Dragon Age is fantastic video game storytelling. And better written than most fantasy novels. BLOOD SPLATTER OR POTPOURRI? I'm going to give Bioware the benefit of the doubt and believe that after battles my characters are splattered with blood and not potpourri. It's hard to tell visually, but I don't think they would censor themselves because this game is, like, totally Mature. GAY SEX - NO NUDITY My wife likes lesbian threesomes. In books. In movies. In video games. In our kids' crayon drawings. She had never played a Bioware game before, but she likes role playing, and I told her Dragon Age has lesbian threesomes. Now, like with most video games, the depiction of sex isn't much more sophisticated visually than taking two barbie dolls and slapping them together. And there's no nudity. Because Bioware understands the genuine human condition--that people make the special love with their cloths on-- even if you're a bi-sexual dwarf. So if you like realisticly-sized breasts well-covered with beige felt bikinis, then you, my friend, are in for a PG-13 flavored treat. CASUAL VS HARDCORE My wife played on easy, I played on normal. If you're an uber-genius, like me, who enjoys micromanagement, obscure RPG tactics, and general strategery... Then prepare to spend a lot of time, with the game paused, in clunky interface menus, because that's how real men play. That's how my grandpappy played his Bioware games, and his grandpappy before him, back when Bioware wasn't even Canadian, when they were still French, and the TVs had 11" screens and were powered by fire--usually dry hickory. So if you want that kind of authentic gaming experiece, you can have it. But if you just want to enjoy the story, crank that menu to easy, slump back in the couch, and unbuckle your pants for a good time. PS3 VS 360 Like with all games, it's a choice between graphics vs framerate. The PS3 has slightly better textures, color saturation, contrast level, resolution. The 360 is less pretty but smoother. The PS3 is the supermodel with arthritis. The 360 is a Ukrainian gymnast. You get to choose who you want to take to bed. But since all you're going to do in bed is talk... It's not such a big deal. Unless you put two 50" plasmas right next to each other, you're not going to see the difference. I'm going to keep the PS3 version (because I like the controller better) and give my 360 copy to my favorite charity FVGFBO that provides fantastic video games for blind orphans. BUY IT, PLAY IT, LOVE IT * UPDATE I have played 115 hours, beaten the game twice, tried three of the six origin stories, watched every sex scene, won every topless hottie boss battle, and found "teh secret nipplz." Personally, I feel this is the best Bioware game to date, the best written video game of all time, and a genuine evolution of the Bioware formula. For those of you fleeing in terror from Adult Content, know that, like in real life, bi-sexual dwarf sex is awkward, optional, and over in less than a minute. You can get through the whole game without "going hairy." |
Ignore the naysayers, THIS is the RPG experience of a lifetime | | Review Date: November 8, 2009 | | Reviewer: Michael A. Weyer, | I am astounded at the backlash against the game, mostly due to the graphics. So it's not incredible detailed and brilliant as people want, so what? KOTOR wasn't exactly top-notch in graphics either but it didn't matter. It was the story and gameplay that counted and that's the same here. From what I've seen, the PC version isn't massively different, a bit sharper but not by that much. What counts is the story and gameplay and man, BioWare have outdone themselves on this. The brilliance is how it overturns the classic cliches of fantasy adventures. Elves aren't superior beings but divided, the city elves second-class citizens in slums while wood elves are wild and considered myth. Dwarves aren't drinking comic relief but hold to ideas of honor while in truth holding to an ultra-rigid class system that keeps the commoners down. And magic is considered something to be feared rather than used. Twists like that give the entire genere a nice kick. As for complaints about how it starts slow, that's tradition for BioWare. Hell, it took KOTOR four or five hours on one planet before things got kicking and same with Jade Empire and Mass Effect. After you get through the origins and to the main story, things take off huge and the game is amazing to play. Each origin is fantastic to see and leads to different experiences and the combat is good too. I admit the PC may have an edge with the birds-eye view thing but this is still a great way to make it work. So ignore those hung up too much on how it doesn't look utter perfection. If you want a game with PLENTY of replaybility, epic story, great characters, good combat and a rewarding play experience, this is it. Bravo to all involved creating it, you've made a true classic. |
Evolution of RPG gaming and Morality | | Review Date: November 11, 2009 | | Reviewer: David A. Purcell, Tokyo, Japan | I am giving this game 5 stars; incredible story, engaging game play and tactics, great voice acting,and characters you grow to care about not withstanding, what sets this game apart, what sets most Bioware games apart, most notably Mass Effect and now Dragon Age, is its approach to morality. The difference between Dragon Age and other notable RPG's is subtle; I invite you to think back to previous offering in this genre. JRPG's such as Final Fantasy series, Tales of Vesperia or even the classic Chronotrigger lacked any real morality decisions, or "Role Playing". The story plays out for you, whether you want it to or not. Almost like content in between cut-scenes. Moving from there, you have games with morality choices that are gaged on a meter with a clear line between good and bad: Bioware's KOTOR is an excellent example. However, with the coming of Mass Effect, and now Dragon Age, Role Playing has evolved to a more natural level. No longer forced to chose between good and evil, it has become possible with these games to actually Role Play a complex character, and in no other game has this been more possible then in Dragon Age. The dialog choices are almost agonizing. My character is anything but black and white. Decisions are not without consequences, whether it be the changing opinion of party members, or the uncovered quests, or even missed opportunities (for example, I killed some one who could have been a party member, I did not know it until I spoke to a friend who played the game differently) Often, the consequences can be brutal; knives in the back cold blooded brutal. This is a true Role Playing Game, that begins to approach a level of engagement never seen before. When I make choices, I do not think,"is this a good, or bad action". I think, "how would "I" handle tis situation?" You are never forced down a path, or forced to join a faction. This game allows one to play in the truly grey area of human nature. For this reason, I give this it 5 stars. |
Incredible Adventure | | Review Date: November 6, 2009 | | Reviewer: WarriorPoet2020, South Carolina | The heart of the RPG is not combat, it is adventure. I think many people miss this when they rag on an RPG for taking too long. Wandering around in Halo can be a little fun, but we all know the real point of Halo is shooting things and watching them go boom and splat. It needs to have incredible graphics to promote that, and it needs to move fast to keep the adrenaline going. Adventure, or purposeful exploration, doesn't need the fast pacing. Story and depth of world are the most important elements. An RPG is supposed to be something you can wander around in for hours. It's supposed to have long dialogues with believable characters. It is SUPPOSED to approximate life to some degree. Most people you'll meet in life CAN talk for hours under the right circumstances. They ALL have stories. The RPG tries to capture this fact so that you can, basically, travel into a fantastic, imaginary land and feel like you went on an actual vacation there. Graphics are good to have, as always, but story and depth are most important. Dragon Age has the story and depth, with much more story than Oblivion and arguably as much depth of world. It has believable characters everywhere you look, and more than enough graphics to allow the world to become real to the player. For the adventurer it is a perfect game. If all you want is a constant stream of combat supported by amazing special effects, then Dragon Age is not the game for you. It is not meant to be. With that in mind, please don't review it on what it's not intended to be. It is an incredible RPG. |
A Stellar RPG | | Review Date: November 11, 2009 | | Reviewer: Potpie55, Everett, WA. 98204 | Ok I would have given this a 4.5 out of 5, but Amazon does not allow 1/2 stars...Because it was Bioware I bumped them up a half star. Ok the down and dirty: Graphics: 8/10 Game play: 10/10 Combat: 9/10 Story: 10/10 Replay value: 10/10 Ok, I have to say that I am a huge Bioware fan and as soon as I saw a fantasy based RPG from them I had to buy it. I was going to play this over the Thanksgiving weekend, but opened it and started playing this straight away. The game has a wide open world, but all the quests and missions keep the game very focused and keeps the game moving. However, if you desire you can wander the world and look around. There is a good balance between story and action that I really appreciate. The game play allows for you to customize your character and other party members to create a war party of your choosing. Characters ranging from mages to warriors, rouges, even a Templar. I have been playing this for a week and have 35 hours into it and I am @ 60% complete. Caveat: I do read every message and try to complete every map and quest. Overall a great game Recommendations: *Use one character as a rouge/archer as you need someone to always open chests, checks traps and shoot the mages at a distance. * Buy the guide if you want to do all the side quests as some of them can get tricky as they have to be done in the correct order. You do not need the book for the main story line quests. Pros *Good story/dialogue *Missions: keep you focused (or you can look around if you want º) *High Replay value * KOTR like combat system (which I love) Cons *Combat gets tricky when in a crowd *Good Graphics, not Great Update: I did recommend the guide to help with the side quests. The guide is mediocre, please read the review before buying... |
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