I am currently on my 4th time playing through the game... in a row... with no other game in between (excepting Sims 3 on occasion, but that's also WHILE I'm playing Dragon Age). This is unusual for me; normally I need to play something else before I can go back to a game. Take it as a warning: Dragon Age: Origins is a good game that is highly addictive.
Bioware has a long history of excellent roleplaying games. Baldur's Gate, Planescape: Torment, Icewind Dale, Knights of the Old Republic, Neverwinter Nights, Mass Effect... when Bioware comes out with an RPG, you can expect quality, and Dragon Age: Origins is no exception. While the majority of their previous work was set in settings from either Star Wars or licensed Dungeons & Dragons campaign worlds, Dragon Age takes place in a completely new world called Thedas, specifically in the nation of Ferelden. The game's writers have taken the time to come up with a compelling setting and include considerable detail for the players to enjoy.
The storyline is simple. The Maker created Thedas and the Fade (a place where mortals go when they dream or die, inhabited by both benign and malevolent spirits). In the center of the Fade was the Golden City, where The Maker dwelt until he turned his back on the world out of anger at mankind's sin of worshiping other gods (which may have simply been ancient and powerful dragons; the histories of the setting allow for either possibility). Before he left, the Maker banished these seven gods deep beneath the Earth, below even where the dwarves dwelt, leaving them to slumber. This didn't stop Dumas, the greatest of these gods/dragons, from communicating with the mage-ruled Tervinter Imperium and convincing them to travel into the Fade, find the Golden City, and attempt to usurp the Maker's power. The mages found the Golden City, but upon entering it the Maker spoke one last time, condemning them for tainting the Golden City with their sin. The Golden City turned black, and the mages were twisted into a new creature, the Dark Spawn.
The Dark Spawn returned to the world and hid beneath the earth. Their numbers swelled and they searched for the old gods deep below, all the while fighting the dwarves for control of the depths. Finally the Dark Spawn found Dumas' slumbering form and their taint corrupted the ancient god/dragon, turning it into a new creature: The Archdemon. The Archdemon led the hordes of the Dark Spawn into a Blight that threatened to consume all of Thedas. The dwarven empire was almost overrun, reduced to two main cities. The Blight swarmed above ground and nearly destroyed humanity. The Dark Spawn took prisoners (whether the prisoners were consumed as food or corrupted into new Dark Spawn remained unknown), and even when defeated their blood carried their taint and sickened any who came into contact with, twisting or killing them. All seemed lost until a new group appeared: The Grey Wardens, a collection of Humans, Dwarves, and Elves who had mastered the Taint and gained not only the power to sense the Dark Spawn (and also be sensed by them), but also the power to kill the immortal Archdemon and end the Blight.
The Grey Wardens fulfilled their task and ended the first Blight, but they were unable to eradicate the Dark Spawn. The Dark Spawn retreated back below the earth where only the dwarves needed to face them (indeed, the surface thought they had been destroyed). Again the Dark Spawn searched and found another ancient god, creating a new Archdemon and beginning a second Blight. Again the Blight rose to the surface, and again the Grey Wardens put a stop to it. There have been four Blights since the beginning, and each time the Grey Wardens have destroyed the Archdemon and sent the Dark Spawn into a retreat to the depths of the planet.
Dragon Age: Origins takes place during a new Blight, one that has yet to be fully realized. You play a new recruit to the Grey Wardens who is quickly thrust into the role of defending all of Thedas from the Blight. What type of character you play is up to you. Dragon Age offers several options for character creation. You can choose to play either a human, elf, or dwarf, gaining bonuses to your starting attributes based on the race you select and a couple options of what origin you want for your character. After race you select class, which will define what abilities you gain throughout the game. You may play either a Warrior, Rogue, or Mage; you select different Talents to enable to new abilities to provide some customization to these classes. Later in the game you can select one or two specializations to further customize your character's abilities. After you choose your class you need to select an origin, limited by both class and race and affecting how the game begins for you.
The origins available are nice, but seem limited in number. You may choose either the Mage Origin (all Mages MUST select this origin), Human Noble, City Elf, Dhalish Elf, Dwarf Noble, or Dwarf Commoner. It's a nice number of origins, and certainly having unique play experiences put a limit on the practical number of origins Bioware could include, but it still feels oddly lacking. Why can't you play a human commoner? Why can you only be from two of the multiple dwarven castes? It wouldn't feel so jarring if humans had a choice between the Mage and the Noble origins. Still, of the four origins I've played, each of them have been interesting and fun to play through, and have provided a different perspective on the game each time.
The controls for the Xbox 360 version of the game are simple. You have a basic attack button, as well as 6 "hotkey" slots that you can fill with Talents or Items you commonly use. A radial menu can be accessed mid-combat, pausing the game and allowing you to choose from all options and items. Targeting an enemy is done with the d-pad, and you can cycle through your party members to issue commands, or use the Tactics option to direct the computer on how you want the party member to act while you aren't in control. The allows the player to keep the action focused on one character at a time, while still making certain the other party members are acting the way you would want them to.
As you progress through the game you interact with a large number of NPCs, including the companions who make up your party. Conversations have a large impact on the game, as do certain choices or actions. You can gain and lose companions based on your decisions. In one play through, I chose to work with cult so I could gain access to a specialization they offered to teach me. My actions infuriated one party member so much that she left my party permanently. In another game, one comment turned a potential party member against me and I had to fight her to the death (also preventing me from adding her to the party). So while in the game be careful what you say and do; your actions have consequences.
There are multiple endings to achieve in the game, and the overall storyline is excellent. Bioware has also committed to releasing download content which expands the game as you play. Two downloadable missions were available on release and a third was in the works (and may even be released by now). Your origin affects the rest of the game. You will encounter characters from your origin later on, becoming either your enemy or ally. All of this allows for high replay value from Dragon Age: Origins.
I've enjoyed this game considerably, and I'm looking forward to completing it (again) and going through yet another new origin. I haven't had the opportunity to get any of the downloadable content yet, but I hope to try it soon. If you haven't had the chance to play this game yet, and you enjoy RPGs (especially Bioware's past offerings), I highly recommend checking out Dragon Age: Origins, available for PC, Xbox 360, and PS3.
(ok... where's my money for talking nice about the game? just kidding folks... I meant every word!)
End of Demented Rambling.
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