DA:O is BioWare’s return to its roots – a dark heroic fantasy game that combines original storytelling techniques with classic roleplaying.
Origin stories are a major feature of the Dragon Age experience. You choose your origin, and from that starting point, your story begins. You play through your character’s early days, defining his or her background and motivation and begin to learn more about the world of Ferelden from your own distinct perspective. Your choice of origin defines how you will view the world and how it views you. Choose a sneaky, disrespected commoner and you will play a story that focuses around subtle skills and careful wordplay. Choose a noble origin and the world will be much more positive and helpful, but those jealous of your status will not be afraid to take what you have, violently if necessary. More will be revealed on these stories soon…
In Dragon Age, your choices change the world and affect the people around you. Certain situations, storylines, and conversation options will change drastically depending on your origin and your motivations.
Another great Bioware RPG that is not without its flaws. Bioware specialize in story driven RPGs and RPG fans around the world will be familiar with their previous great works like KOTOR, Jade Empire and Mass Effect. Dragon Age: Origins is another great addition to their list of accomplishments although the console versions are not without some significant flaws.
1) The game does not look good despite some great artwork. Textures are dreadful, and some of the environments would not look out of place in a previous generation title.
2) The combat in the console versions has been heavily stripped down in comparison to the PC version. There is no isometric view, which makes accurate spellcasting tricky in indoor areas. You can't queue more than a single action at a time for characters (without spamming on the left trigger). The tactics system (similar to the gambit system in FFXII) is pretty inadequate, which when coupled with the inability to queue more than a single action, makes constant babysitting (especially if you are playing on hard) a necessity.
On a more positive note the story is great, and the game is simply huge. If you are into side quests, you'll find plenty to keep you busy for over 60 hours easily. The game is pretty non-linear in nature and you'll have plenty of opportunity to tackle situations the way you see fit. Unlike one of the previous posters here, I have imported Dragon Age and have had no trouble with the downloadable content. In fact I recommend you get both expansions immediately. The Warden's Keep DLC gives you access to a storage chest which is a necessity (and it's really inexcusable that you need to pay to get something like this), and The Stone Prisoner gives you access to an additional character that's fully integrated into the storyline.
So despite being a pretty lazy PC port, if you're a RPG fan, Dragon Age is definitely worth checking out!
A word of warning for importers! Please beware that although the game itself is region-free, the DLC included with it is not.
So be careful when redeeming DLC codes, as if the PSN/XBL account/email you use to redeem the codes is of a different region to the game, you will be unable to download your free content.
The game itself is brilliant. If you have the choice, you should obviously purchase it on PC as it is a superior version. Either way, DLC or not, you'll definitely get your money's worth out of Dragon Age: Origins
Best RPG of the year, hands down I do not say that lightly. Dragon Age is simply the finest RPG of this year. The story may seem derivative, but only in motif and theme, the actual details are what draw you in, and the details have a breadth and depth that will keep you entrenched for a very rewarding experience. Bioware has once again presented a solid adult-oriented experience that will not let you down.
The combat is a decent approximation of PC style gaming for a console experience. The only thing missing is the eagle-eye perspective which would have been very useful in executing some of the very tactics heavy battles, but even without, the combat is rich and engrossing.
Great story-driven RPG Definitely one of the best RPGs available for the xbox 360. The story is long and there`s a good deal of back story you can discover from exploring. The combat may be a bit lacking for those who want an action based game, but there`s a good deal of depth and strategy involved in the combat system if you care to take some time and figure out how it works.
For those who like a non-Japanese RPG, Dragon Age will be hard to beat.
