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Dragon Age: Origins

I’ve decided to wait until I’m deeper into Mass Effect 2 to comment on it – but my early impressions are very good, I’m enjoying my playthrough.  Today I am going to talk instead about another recent Bioware game – Dragon Age: Origins.  This came came out near the end of 2009 as a multiplatform title.  My opinions on it are based on the 360 version.  I’ve heard that graphically the PS3 version looks sharper, but the 360 is less prone to glitches and runs at a faster framerate.

Dragon Age: Origins is a fantasy RPG, in which players are tasked with destroying a horde of Darkspawn and defeat the Archdemon about to overwhelm the Kingdom of Ferelden.

Different Strokes for Different Folks

You may have been wondering what the subtitle ‘Origins’ was about.  Dragon Age: Origins has plotted a new path for RPGs in that every character has a unique back story that brings him or her into the main plot from wherever the character was raised.  A Human noble begins in the family castle, while a Dalish Rogue will begin exploring ruins in the Brecillian Forest.  There are a variety of backgrounds with their own unique stories, and these teach users the fundamentals of play while allowing for a different experience in each playthrough.  I found myself playing different characters just to see these stories.

In addition, the world reacts very differently to your character depending on who they are.  If you are an elf, humans show disrespect due to the racism towards them that exists in Ferelden.  If you are a Mage, many people show discomfort around you.  Dialogue options change depending on your character’s background to reflect his or her knowledge and experience.  The characters even react differently to your gender, and some of the stories play out differently accordingly.

Very Real Characters

I found myself become invested in the characters in this game.  I found myself caring what happened to the people in this game.  Frequently I watch movies or play games where I can’t even remember the main character’s name.  Not so for Dragon Age: Origins – there are some powerful moments in the game.  The conclusion itself – I won’t spoil anything here – has many possible outcomes, some of which can be very touching.

One thing that I found appealing was the very real presentation of female characters.  These were not your teenager-inspired passive hyper-sexualized characters found in a lot of game – the women in Mass Effect were like real people, with armour that covered midriffs (for the most part).  The women also faced real issues: a woman character is at various points challenged by a male colleague as to her suitability to lead because according to him “women do not fight”.  It was a more mature take on gender relations and speaks well for the future of gaming.

A Game of Choices

The largest appeal to me was the ability to chart you own course as you progress through the game.  Do you want a prisoner released, turned over to the correct authorities, or simply executed?  The choice is yours to make – and there will be unforeseen consequences down the line.  There are countless examples of these throughout the game, and unlike most games they do not place you onto a ‘good’ or ‘evil’ scale, but instead the results of your actions reveal themselves through later events.

In addition to this, there are the countless other decisions to make – your characters can specialize into two areas (out of four per class) such as Berserker or Champion.   You also have all the traditional RPG stuff – choosing armour, weapons, trinkets, stat upgrades, etc.

Gameplay

Of course, all this would not matter if the gameplay was poor.  In DA:O, Players explore the world in third-person view, accompanied by a party of up to three other characters.  You can shift seemlessly between characters to control their abilities, as well as set their tactics for when they are controlled by the AI.  Combat is controlled through a radial menu as well as through pre-loaded slots that allow you to quickly use your ‘go-to’ slots by pressing the appropriate button.  As with most fantasy RPG games, you pursue the main story by completing various quests.  There are also many side-quest that you can follow that range from hiding bodies in the city well to fighting demons.  All in all, the game plays very intuitively and is fun – combat is simple to get into, but can be undertaken in various ways.  In addition, different difficulty levels allow you to suit the game to your game style.

The game is also replayable – I very rarely play a game through after I’ve beaten it.  Since I got Dragon Age, I’ve played through it twice now because the choices you make in the game allow for a different experience.

Conclusion

Dragon Age: Origins is a strong RPG that should be part of any RPG fan’s library.  It also such an entertaining game that even folks who don’t normally play these kinds of games might enjoy it.  I’d rate this game a ‘must play’.