Dragon Age: Origins Review

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Dragon Age is the latest game from BioWare. BioWare considers this game to be the spiritual successor to the Baldur's Gate series, and after playing it I have to admit that they might be right. You will have the opportunity to create your own character, go through an origin story, in which each race has a different experience. You will also meet different characters along the way who may join you in your task of defeating the Blight.

Graphically this game has its moments of looking aged, and there are other moments when it looks like a brand new current gen game. The character designs are all unique, and the different areas across the map all have a very distinct look. The over-world map of connecting dots is a bit of a letdown, but when you've got to put in a minimum of 50 hours some may be thankful that that's all it is.

One of the strongest pieces to the game has to come from the fact that EVERY character is voiced in the game. Your not going to be cheated out of any conversation, no matter how insignificant it may be. The music also is spot on. I do like the fact that the music will turn into a more battle oriented style when combat is occurring.

The controls in this game make it obvious that this game is probably superior on a PC, but the 360 controller gets the job done with radial menus. There are times where the controls feel akward especially when you're trying to quickly switch between weapon sets, but overall you get used to how the controls work and its starts working beautifully.

So you start from nothing and then you get picked up by an organization called the Grey Wardens. You are tasked with helping defeat the Blight. Only Grey Wardens can deal the final blow, as they now the secret to it, but you're also going to need the help of the dwarves, elves, magi, and humans to all you to attack the main leader, the Arch Demon, a fiery dragon. Through your journeys you'll see that your decisions no matter how little can influence your current party members. If you choose too many "incorrect" responses a character may decide to leave your group. Now of course there is a system in place to bring them back into your good graces, that is of course before they are close to leaving, and that is giving them a gift. Some gifts are just for a specific character, other gifts can be given to anyone. You may also find that you can have a romantic relationship with one of the characters that you have to choose from for your party. My character had a very steamy relationship with the Witch of the Wild.

This is a solid game from start to finish. There are numerous quests to take on, and the story line is strong enough to endure. If you are a fan of RPGs, loved Baldur's Gate, or this game has caught your attention, then what are you waiting for. Go get this game. My one bit of warning about the game is that once you start you may have a hard time pulling yourself away from it until you complete it. This game gets a 9.2 out of 10.

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