Dragon Age: Origins

El_Guapo

Mar 10, 2011

10

I was inspired to visit this site after witnessing the absolute mockery that is DA2. What the hell happened? As soon as I got halfway through the ridiculous demo, I immediately started a new DA:O campaign. =) You know the old saying, you never realize what you've lost til it's gone. Well, the multi-character party, tactical combat-based, story-driven RPG is gone. I don't know howI was inspired to visit this site after witnessing the absolute mockery that is DA2. What the hell happened? As soon as I got halfway through the ridiculous demo, I immediately started a new DA:O campaign. =) You know the old saying, you never realize what you've lost til it's gone. Well, the multi-character party, tactical combat-based, story-driven RPG is gone. I don't know how many decision trees I have left in DA:O, but they're gonna have to last me until the rightful successor to DA:O comes along.… Expand

polluxcastor

Mar 10, 2011

9

It's not Baldur's Gate, but it is a very good game. Although slightly long-winded in places (by which I don't mean 'long' but 'lacking in variety') the negatives are far outweighed by the positive. Highly recommended.

NotkerBiloba

Mar 9, 2011

10

I'd give this a 9, but there are too many 0's from people who just don't like RPGs, and don't like tactical combat. This is an RPG with tactical combat, and a story. Would you rate a lamp as zero because it's not a blender? That's absurd. If you want to run around and shoot things, play something else. There's nothing wrong with games like that. Yes, you definitely cannot trust theI'd give this a 9, but there are too many 0's from people who just don't like RPGs, and don't like tactical combat. This is an RPG with tactical combat, and a story. Would you rate a lamp as zero because it's not a blender? That's absurd. If you want to run around and shoot things, play something else. There's nothing wrong with games like that. Yes, you definitely cannot trust the AI to control your companions effectively on higher difficulties. I pause repeatedly during combat to give each minion a command, so that the timing of all spells and other actions is right. The thought of having to aim at things in real time and get good at reacting to on-screen events with well-timed and -placed mouse clicks -- not interested. It may not look as good as Oblivion or whatever (never played), but it's way the hell better than NWN2, the previous title I played. Not every choice affects outcome, but when the game ends, you will get to read what became of the different characters, towns, etc. The characters are rich, though interaction with them through conversation is by no means necessary. I could see where people would give it a point or two lower because the graphics aren't as good as X or the AI isn't as good as Y, but it's very good at what it purports to be, and any reviews you read that rank this game below about 7 are unjustified and misguided.… Expand

Pilkingtube

Mar 9, 2011

10

A formidable juggernaut of the RPG world, an instant classic. The story has well over 100 hours of gameplay, lore and side-quests alongside a believably written cast featuring Kate Mulgrew and Claudia Black lending their voices as the witches of the wilds. (Also, it is unusual that a lot of the 0 reviews are actually for the sequel, Dragon Age 2, maybe in their blind rage these people areA formidable juggernaut of the RPG world, an instant classic. The story has well over 100 hours of gameplay, lore and side-quests alongside a believably written cast featuring Kate Mulgrew and Claudia Black lending their voices as the witches of the wilds. (Also, it is unusual that a lot of the 0 reviews are actually for the sequel, Dragon Age 2, maybe in their blind rage these people are just reviewing anything with Dragon Age in the title and giving it a 0?)… Expand

blacksmith

Mar 9, 2011

3

I've been a big fan of Bioware ever since the first Baldur's Gate game out. It truly saddens me to see them release this pile of crap. There is nothing I like about this game. The graphics look like the game could've been on the PS2. The combat and whole gameplay has a derpy feeling in it. The story is aimed for babbies. Deleting negative reviews, really now Bioware?

Phokus

Mar 8, 2011

10

One of the greatest RPG's ever made. I'm playing it a 2nd time around and it gets even more enjoyable after you've played it through once, believe it or not.

Killiconn

Feb 25, 2011

10

Awesome game, one of the few I have logged over 40hours in. 120 and counting. Love the combat system. People have complained about the AI but that is what the tactics menu is for. Being able to pause game and micro manage everything is one of the best parts though!

Crext

Feb 23, 2011

10

+Good Story
+Good Character development
+Good Graphics
+Good Voice acting
+Good Options
+Good Challenge
+Good Character creation
+Much diversity
+Very Original

-Might be Hard for Inexperienced gamers.

FirstRait

Feb 20, 2011

1

What a completly horrible interface. Worst possible combat ui ever! If your a fan of being attacked by things you can't see because of the terrain overlapping the enemy and the ui unable to rotate it then this is the game for you! Anything remotely close to the Baldur's Gate combat ui would have been preferable. I bought this game due to the high rating and am stunned that so many findWhat a completly horrible interface. Worst possible combat ui ever! If your a fan of being attacked by things you can't see because of the terrain overlapping the enemy and the ui unable to rotate it then this is the game for you! Anything remotely close to the Baldur's Gate combat ui would have been preferable. I bought this game due to the high rating and am stunned that so many find this not only an acceptable game, but a good one.… Expand

KingWormy

Feb 19, 2011

3

I wanted to go this far and write a review to let people know to stay away from this game, like most of you I read the reviews and gave this game a chance, I must say this game will make you pull your hair out, got pretty far in the game and it was not even fun, you spend most of your time dying, trying different strategies to defeat your opponents, what makes it so hard is AI is soI wanted to go this far and write a review to let people know to stay away from this game, like most of you I read the reviews and gave this game a chance, I must say this game will make you pull your hair out, got pretty far in the game and it was not even fun, you spend most of your time dying, trying different strategies to defeat your opponents, what makes it so hard is AI is so horrible, people here aren't lying its really bad, midway through the game and Im still wondering when Ill get some armor to compensate on some battles where I fight 20 enemies at once or an overblown boss. I suggest you buy this game when its 10 dollars and spend the rest of the money on beer just so you'll manage to ignore all the flaws in this game. Buyer Beware.… Expand

Anca

Feb 17, 2011

10

Since Baldur's Gate and NeverWinter Night ... I was waiting for a worthy successor.
When i ordered Dragon Age first time, i was a little bit impatient. When i got the game, i was like a child.
The game mechanics themselves aren't really innovating, graphisms are not wonderfull, but ambiance, in game scenario, different possibilities, choices, and endings are really greats. To shorten mySince Baldur's Gate and NeverWinter Night ... I was waiting for a worthy successor.
When i ordered Dragon Age first time, i was a little bit impatient. When i got the game, i was like a child.
The game mechanics themselves aren't really innovating, graphisms are not wonderfull, but ambiance, in game scenario, different possibilities, choices, and endings are really greats.
To shorten my critic, i just can say that this game is one of my favorites.
I'm waiting impatiently Dragon Age 2 !… Expand

level250geek

Feb 2, 2011

3

I wanted to like this game, I really did. However, I had the same experience with this game as I did with Mass Effect. After about 10 hours, I felt like I was just playing Knights of the Old Republic all over again. However, this game's major saving grace was that the storyline was much more interesting and involved; it's typical dark fantasy stuff, but it had an interesting spin byI wanted to like this game, I really did. However, I had the same experience with this game as I did with Mass Effect. After about 10 hours, I felt like I was just playing Knights of the Old Republic all over again. However, this game's major saving grace was that the storyline was much more interesting and involved; it's typical dark fantasy stuff, but it had an interesting spin by including a nod to real-world Middle Ages politics in the form of an all-powerful church and the existence of slave labor; that bit of mythology was interesting. However, after over 30 hours of play, I stopped caring. Novel ideas were quickly abandoned and there were no new narrative developments or interesting new characters after a while; in fact, there was one character who was so incredibly boring I just kicked him out of my party. Add this to the fact that, despite some new narrative spins, DA:O still managed to implement every single fantasy RPG cliche (not to mention well rehashed BioWare plot devices) into the first two-thirds of the game. As for the game play, I grew tired of a camera that never seemed to be where I needed it to be and AI partners that either never did exactly what I wanted them to do. BioWare threw in a clunky tactics system that was supposed to allow for fine-tuned combat strategy, but it was too complicated to be useful and never really translate into any useful AI actions for me. Not to mention that the endless dialogue trees never felt like they had any actual impact on the game, nor did I ever feel as if my character had any true personality. I really don't understand why this game got the incredible reviews it did and why people love it so much; it's a tired, recycled template with some new modifiers and prettier graphics slapped on it. Time would be better spent reading George R. R. Martin.â… Expand

AuraxMark

Jan 24, 2011

8

Dragon Age:Origins is a unique but quite narrow game. The game has no aspect of free worldness, Fallout 3 is a great example of a free world game. Nothing like it. It is the only shortcoming in the game. I hope in Dragon Age 2, Bioware will create a more creative game and they should really take after Bethesda. In conclusion, Dragon Age is a very good game as the main story is veryDragon Age:Origins is a unique but quite narrow game. The game has no aspect of free worldness, Fallout 3 is a great example of a free world game. Nothing like it. It is the only shortcoming in the game. I hope in Dragon Age 2, Bioware will create a more creative game and they should really take after Bethesda. In conclusion, Dragon Age is a very good game as the main story is very compelling and lucrative.… Expand

moocow

Jan 14, 2011

4

Very big let down. I should let you know I have never played any othe RPG other than Chrono Trigger (SNES) and Final Fantasy VII (PS1). PROS: The voice acting was incredible for a few characters, and I loved how characters within the party interacted with each other. The conversations were witty and modernized, the humor was not stale at all. The variety of the quests was predictable, butVery big let down. I should let you know I have never played any othe RPG other than Chrono Trigger (SNES) and Final Fantasy VII (PS1). PROS: The voice acting was incredible for a few characters, and I loved how characters within the party interacted with each other. The conversations were witty and modernized, the humor was not stale at all. The variety of the quests was predictable, but still entertaining. I enjoyed the storylines much more than I expected I would due to some of the criticisms here. CONS: Coming from first person shooters, I like to play games in real time and even on normal difficulty some of the combat was impossible to perform in real time in order to survive. The fact that most crowd damage spells are friendly fire capable means that you have to position your party well...something that is impossible in real time. "Tanking" does not work, your party will still head straight for the enemies and your "meat shield" pretty much whacks away with useless damage done. Chain-chugging potions to stay alive or restore mana is extremely boring and demotivating. "Tactics" scripting does not work at all; it is a result of very poor AI in the programming. You may enjoy this game it you are familiar with the genre, but expect frustration and displeasure if you like to play games in real time.… Expand

oldthymegamer

Jan 11, 2011

10

Absolutely the finest single-player RPG in the history of the genre from the groundbreaking combat to the intense and richly detailed storyline. Every instant of the game is skillfully voice acted by professional actors, with several characters voiced by major celebrities.Although the combatants in your party are already skillfully scripted with advanced AI, you can dip into their tacticsAbsolutely the finest single-player RPG in the history of the genre from the groundbreaking combat to the intense and richly detailed storyline. Every instant of the game is skillfully voice acted by professional actors, with several characters voiced by major celebrities.Although the combatants in your party are already skillfully scripted with advanced AI, you can dip into their tactics and lay out in very fine detail what you wish them do in a variety of situations, allowing you to fully customize their behavior. It was sleek, streamlined, good looking, hyper-detailed and a thoroughly enjoyable romp through over 100 hours of gameplay per playthrough. a big 10 from me.… Expand

guipow

Jan 2, 2011

10

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Great and fabulous game! I have played it at least 3 times, doing all possible quests, always as a mage... i love being a mage. But now i'm playing as a human noble, and it is fantastic!!! i have all dls'c and awakaning has sucha nostalgic feeling, makes em get deeply evolved and missing the original game!!! i realy got evolved and touched by the game story and gameplay is marvelous!!! nice graphics... the only problem is that the main character should speak like in mass effect!! well, have fun, it's realy worth the try!!… Expand

VonCarlsson

Dec 30, 2010

7

If you're into action RPG at all this game will keep you busy for several hours. It features, playable races: Humans, Elves and Dwarfs. It only got 3 classes to choose from, but once chosen you can further specialise the class by choosing sub-classes. Each race offers a 30-minute long pre-quest, which makes you feel involved in your character. The graphics isn't stunning, but it's goodIf you're into action RPG at all this game will keep you busy for several hours. It features, playable races: Humans, Elves and Dwarfs. It only got 3 classes to choose from, but once chosen you can further specialise the class by choosing sub-classes. Each race offers a 30-minute long pre-quest, which makes you feel involved in your character. The graphics isn't stunning, but it's good looking. The controls are good, even though it's available on console as well.

The game comes with a few flaws that drag down the over-all score. For instance, the game will become gradually more sluggish, that can only be solved by restarting the game. The game can crash at random occasions, so you have to save often. The combat is not very engaging, it feels as if you do the same thing over and over. And the travel system is annoying to use because you will, virtually every time you fast-travel, be attacked, so travel takes much more time that it would have to.

To sum it up, it's a good game that is worth buying, however keep in mind the flaws, especially the one about saving a lot.… Expand

Itsapaul

Dec 26, 2010

8

I applaud the effort Bioware, but this is not a "Baldurs Gate 3" like you wanted it to be. Only 3 classes? Really? Sure they can do different things and have different buttons, but specialities are not classes onto themselves. This really felt like getting back to my rpg roots with an isometric view and pure strategy winning the day, but it's far from perfect. Mages are by far theI applaud the effort Bioware, but this is not a "Baldurs Gate 3" like you wanted it to be. Only 3 classes? Really? Sure they can do different things and have different buttons, but specialities are not classes onto themselves. This really felt like getting back to my rpg roots with an isometric view and pure strategy winning the day, but it's far from perfect. Mages are by far the best class after you pick your tank, and the signature rogue ability of finding traps can be anyone's ability, so they're left with opening locked chests which never give you anything cool. The story seems a little too close to Dungeon Siege 2 for me to call it amazing, but you really do want to keep playing to see what happens next, and the fact that the various endings are usually far from "and they lived happily ever after" means I actually enjoy seeing what happens.… Expand

thunderbug

Dec 23, 2010

10

Firstly this is the best fantasy RPG ever released, it has its problems but none of them take away from its epicness.

Gameplay The gameplay, which is instantly familiar to anyone who has played Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic which itself it another Bioware wonder, is based around a team of 4 controlled in a semi real time manner, meaning the game is based of a background clockFirstly this is the best fantasy RPG ever released, it has its problems but none of them take away from its epicness.

Gameplay
The gameplay, which is instantly familiar to anyone who has played Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic which itself it another Bioware wonder, is based around a team of 4 controlled in a semi real time manner, meaning the game is based of a background clock which is sometimes refered to as ticks, so for instance your character may swing there weapon every 4 ticks. you choose one of 3 classes which each have the own starting story to expllain how they got the start of the game. the biggest complaint i have seen is that your ai partners are sometimes a bit slow, however there is a option to give them custom tactics and set parameters for activating moves, changing targets, when to use items etc. Some people who clearly missed the point say that bioware just couldnt be bothered to script the ai itself, where as i say that they have given the ai the ability to the basics of there build such as a healer healing but they have also constructed a command input system that will allow you to set up a custom team just as you like. if u cant be bothered with this ai is perfectly capable. The gameplay is smooth and easy to maintain control of with a zoom feature from over the shoulder to a battlefield view, which is this kind of game is possible the most useful feature ever i cannot praise the zoom featue enough. But should the combat get out of hand u can just hit space and pause the game give your team the commands to help tip the balance and then unpause as you watch your actions lead your team to victory ( lol i sound like a roman general/nerd). When your not fighting you will be talking to NPC's or exploring, your repsonce is not spoken instead you select it from a list of responses, but all major and some non major characters have full diologue in other words the only things you have to read are a few lines at most. The characters are voiced beautifully and the actors give some amazing performances worthy of any voice over movie. Should be the reading type then you can hunt for entries to the codex which is basically a history of dragon age book, and will tell u all about the extensive backstory and lore of the game.

Graphics Well what can i say but WOW, i have a high end gaming machine hooked up to a 32 inch Hd-TV and the game looks absolutly amazing, to anyone with a good pc ignore the console versions of this game its much better on with added depth from the modding community but more on that later. The characters both major and non major look stunning., with great facial animations and movement. In combat all enemies look stunning and without spoiling anything some of the early cinematics are just jaw droppingly good. The animations in general are top notch with anything from swing a sword to waving goodbuy looking awesom. My personal faveorite part though are called death animations and these are basically random when fighting most enemies with a few exeptions and your character will kill the target in some sort of cool way, especially on the bigger monsters/creatures you fight they are a joy to watch. Linear Vs non linear This game is not fully open ended, such as fallout 3 or the eldar scrolls oblivion, but i have never had a problem with scripted games. This game gives the impression of a go any where do anything which is my opinion is harder to do than a big game world full of trees. All it means is that the bits that you see are beautiful to behold the dwarven cities being right up my street. At the game time though the game is no so linear as to force a player down a path and there are many to choose from esepcially when choosing to help/kill weather to be good/evil etc.

The modding community
2 words "amazingly epic", so many well done mods out and a great community to ask for help should you need it. The modders on sites like dragon age nexus are masters of the craft and should be hired this second by a company such as bioware. Bioware themselves are pretty clever giving an easy way to install/remove mods from your game. Conclusion
Going into this game i was not sure as i am not the biggest fan or these kinds of combat systems but i have eaten my words with my foot in my mouth, it blew me away. Not once during this game have i ever felt stressed. I have enjoyed every minuite of playing this game, and being a game with 50 hours+ in one play though and having completed the game around 9 times (yes im sad but it should tell u how good it is lol ), it is alot of time. I know i said at the start of this review there are bad points and well erm i suppose i should mention one, erm............ errrrrrrrr..................hmmmmm well i cant think of any :P oh yeah it consumed a lot of my time lol. i would have mentioned the story in detail but no enough words, so i will simply say that which ever way you take the story its epic.… Expand

10Crumra

Dec 6, 2010

9

Hacking down enemies and fighting an evil demon spawn; sounds like a generic role-playing game. Dragon Age Origins is anything but ordinary because of the depth of its story, the highly interactive environment, and the complexity of the non-player characters. Created by BioWare for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, Dragon Age Origins is a fantasy RPG that was at the cutting edge of videoHacking down enemies and fighting an evil demon spawn; sounds like a generic role-playing game. Dragon Age Origins is anything but ordinary because of the depth of its story, the highly interactive environment, and the complexity of the non-player characters. Created by BioWare for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, Dragon Age Origins is a fantasy RPG that was at the cutting edge of video game technology when it was created and an inspiration for a whole new breed of video game. Before the game began I was able to select my characterâ… Expand

ShellsOTF

Dec 6, 2010

6

Before Dragon Age, I never played fantasy games, or third-person RPGs. Heck, I even avoided 3rd person games in general. Fantasy games just seemed too â

KulakxRatings

Nov 26, 2010

6

I found this game a bit dissapointing. It is deffinatly a genereic kotor game experience. But it is nothing like baldurs gate. I felt that this game has been far too scripted and that it was like guiding me along the way where in baldurs gate. you had to do everything on your own. The games acting and graphics and scenarios were very well done. But it is nothing more than a generic rpgI found this game a bit dissapointing. It is deffinatly a genereic kotor game experience. But it is nothing like baldurs gate. I felt that this game has been far too scripted and that it was like guiding me along the way where in baldurs gate. you had to do everything on your own. The games acting and graphics and scenarios were very well done. But it is nothing more than a generic rpg that should have been better.… Expand

mccoyjf

Nov 21, 2010

10

This is an excellent game. Lots of fun over many, many hours. I've played many RPGs and I think this is as good as they come. The characters have distinct personalities and interact with each other in interesting ways. The game world is absorbing and fun to explore. The combat system is excellent for those like me who enjoy managing my character's actions for best effect.

arkangel

Nov 5, 2010

1

I bought this game because of the rave reviews and because I loved Oblivion - I naively imagined that the role-playing fantasy genre would have developed a good deal further in five years. Instead, I felt I'd gone back in time, not forward - Dragon Age felt more like my old Amiga games than a state-of-the-art PC game. I gave up after a few hours - never to return.

Shaitan87

Nov 2, 2010

10

This is one of my favorite games. Extremely interesting story, with a lot of replayability. I ripped through it, and then instantly started again, one of the only times I have done that on any game.

lindethier

Nov 1, 2010

10

I loved this game, same style gameplay as KOTOR. The combat was fun to watch, and I really was able to get into the storyline. The dialogue was very well done IMHO. This was one of my favorite games now, and will always have a spot on my hard drive (except for alot of the DLC, most of it was done very poorly)

yogibbear

Oct 22, 2010

9

Great RPG. Amazing customisation of how you want your party members to respond to different situations. Once you start getting some levels into you and your party and opening up tactic slots the game becomes a LOT of fun as you can set all their tactics up to deal with most situations allowing you to just concentrate on how your player wants to fight and then jumping over to your otherGreat RPG. Amazing customisation of how you want your party members to respond to different situations. Once you start getting some levels into you and your party and opening up tactic slots the game becomes a LOT of fun as you can set all their tactics up to deal with most situations allowing you to just concentrate on how your player wants to fight and then jumping over to your other party members if something extraordinary is going on and requires specific potions/buffs. Lots of choices to make throughout the game that DO change the experience enough to allow at least 3 different playthroughs. Really interesting environments, good enough graphics. Sounds and atmosphere are spot on. I guess i'm taking a point off for minor graphics issues and some annoyance at some story arcs. This is easily made up for with the multitude of side quests allowing me to get 80 hrs out of my first playthrough with this almost perfect game. Play it if you want to enjoy the best of modern RPGs out there.… Expand

Birdb00t

Oct 21, 2010

10

The best. Ever. Sure, game preference is entirely subjective, but I cant help but feel that the negative review scores this game received were provided by people who never actually played the game. From the start, it's clear that the world of Thedas is an epic place, with conflict, nuances, and thousands of years of history. Likely you disagree, but don't believe the gamers giving thisThe best. Ever. Sure, game preference is entirely subjective, but I cant help but feel that the negative review scores this game received were provided by people who never actually played the game. From the start, it's clear that the world of Thedas is an epic place, with conflict, nuances, and thousands of years of history. Likely you disagree, but don't believe the gamers giving this game a poor score. Beyond being a sublime game, dragon age origins pushes the boundaries of emotion, choice, and freedom within gaming. DAO doesn't simply faithfully receive Baldur's Gate II's mantle of best game out there, it rips that mante from BG2's cold, dead hands, then uses it as a weapon to single handedly enslave every other game in existence.… Expand

kram789

Oct 16, 2010

10

This is a great game. First the interface is easy to grasp and intuitive. Second, the combat is enjoyable for those who are into more than just hack and slash. The story is very good, but as with all RPGs that only lasts the first play through. The romance aspect continued to be intriguing for many plays. I have done guy on girl, girl on girl, and both in the same play (but you haveThis is a great game. First the interface is easy to grasp and intuitive. Second, the combat is enjoyable for those who are into more than just hack and slash. The story is very good, but as with all RPGs that only lasts the first play through. The romance aspect continued to be intriguing for many plays. I have done guy on girl, girl on girl, and both in the same play (but you have to choose). Three complaints. One is that after the first play it would be great if the dialogue could be bypassed. I use the escape key but it would be nicer if it could be bypassed even faster. Second, the "treasure" just does not measure up as you move up. Often times you are just picking up junk. Alternately, get rid of the pack limit so we don't have to chose. Also, change the loot function so we can just take everything at once. The multiple and egregious clicking does not add anything to the game. Those are minor flaws and they often exist in the best games. This is a best game. You will get how to play this game right away and you will enjoy it through the end.… Expand

Tubie

Oct 2, 2010

1

I could not get into this game, no matter how hard I tried to like it. The game graphics are horrible to look at even on max settings, the battle is slow and boring, the story might be good but i just could not deal with the other issues to get into it.

LordKinoda

Sep 21, 2010

9

Dragon Age is definitely one of the best games I've ever played. But I'm a huge fan of lore for a universe. As long as it has tons of great backstory, you'll have grabbed my attention right off the bat. The lore is amazing, as is the story. Sure it's kind of a "hero's journey" type of story, but that's not a bad thing. There are plenty of origin stories to partake in, each one lasting atDragon Age is definitely one of the best games I've ever played. But I'm a huge fan of lore for a universe. As long as it has tons of great backstory, you'll have grabbed my attention right off the bat. The lore is amazing, as is the story. Sure it's kind of a "hero's journey" type of story, but that's not a bad thing. There are plenty of origin stories to partake in, each one lasting at least a few hours. If you're not a fan of cut scenes, and dialog, and story, then this game is NOT for you. And by extension I'd say no RPG out there is, because they all have tons of dialog and character interaction. RPG's are more about story and the characters in them, than about combat mechanics. I love the characters in the game, they truly come alive with their voice actors. Morrigan (Claudia Black) in particular is the jewel of the bunch. The combat is sort of like the gambit system from FFXII. If you haven't played that game you won't know what I mean. You basically get lines of "tactics" for your characters to follow during combat. (E.G. 1.Cast this spell. 2. Perform this action 3. Target this specific enemy first.) This system makes it so you don't have to micromanage every single character during combat, which can be tedious IMO, although some do enjoy doing so. Is the system perfect ? No. But it CAN and will work if you give it a chance, on any difficulty. What some people don't realize is that you must change the tactics for certain battles, because they no longer apply to that specific challenge. You really only need to do some major tactics swapping for boss battles though. A good solid tactics base will work for almost all the regular enemy types. One also has to take into account that you must have a tank, healer, and damage dealers in the party. It's basically like an MMO. One character has to hold most of the damage, another heals everybody, and the rest dish out the punishment. There are plenty of combinations to choose, and no you are not limited to being the healer or the tank with the main character. The graphics are pretty good, but not cutting edge. They are certainly better than older games, but also not as good as others that came out around the same time. Hopefully this will be addressed in a big way for the sequel. My biggest gripe about the game is the silent main character. This part of the game is seriously old school, especially for BioWare who created the conversation system in Mass Effect years before this game even came out. It's great that they are switching this for the sequel, but that doesn't help the original. However, this could, and may still be fixed with the mods for the game. This aspect is easily the saving grace for the game, and what propels it above the console versions by miles. The modding community is certainly active, and the mods plentiful. Everyday new ones are created. They enhance the game in a multitude of ways. Visual effects, new armor and weapons, new characters, items, and even quests. They're not all top notch stuff, but there are more than enough that are. The official DLC is also great. It's nice to see that BioWare is finally sticking to it's guns in regards to DLC. They've released a good amount for this game, and most of it is awesome. A few of them aren't all that, but they're decent. Good thing is, you don't have to own them all in order for them to work. They're each separate on their own. So in closing, would I recommend this game ? Most definitely. If you're into story, character interaction, and tons of amazing lore you will love this game as much as I do. The combat mechanics are passable and can be plenty fun. But if you want an action centric, balls to the wall, in your face type of gameplay you are seriously mistaken on your choice of genres. RPG's are not for those types of players. Hope I wasn't too longwinded, and that this helps somebody else decide to pick up and enjoy this amazing game… Expand

Necro

Sep 14, 2010

10

The game introduced old school RPG to this modern day when lots of teenager play FPS and other action oriented games. Despite of the trend, the game managed to score high on many review site and that is big achievement for Bioware. It is a shame that DA:O scored lower than Mass Effect though. Even though they are both great, they have same amount of flaws. I guess its because ME2 is moreThe game introduced old school RPG to this modern day when lots of teenager play FPS and other action oriented games. Despite of the trend, the game managed to score high on many review site and that is big achievement for Bioware. It is a shame that DA:O scored lower than Mass Effect though. Even though they are both great, they have same amount of flaws. I guess its because ME2 is more about action and not strategy and roleplaying. For those who admire traditional RPGs in the past, this game is for you.… Expand

Xgrubbs

Aug 26, 2010

8

Great, great game i have nearly nothing bad to say about it. I enjoyed this game from beginning to end but then again i value storyline over everything else and with all the DLC and the expansion i loved this game. haven't enjoyed a game this much since Diablo 2 first came out. Only bad thing is the combat system would prefer to just play myself instead of pausing every 3 seconds to tellGreat, great game i have nearly nothing bad to say about it. I enjoyed this game from beginning to end but then again i value storyline over everything else and with all the DLC and the expansion i loved this game. haven't enjoyed a game this much since Diablo 2 first came out. Only bad thing is the combat system would prefer to just play myself instead of pausing every 3 seconds to tell my team what to do (tactics if used correctly help but lets be honest you still had to pause multiple times to figure out wtf to do). I forgive the combat system however and simply state dragon age 2 here i come.… Expand

iburnaga

Aug 24, 2010

0

Generic is generic. If you're into RPGs and just want something fluffy go for this. If you want something new with an interesting and not at all cluster%&$# battle system go someplace else. If you've played a Bioware RPG just go somewhere else, you've played this game you can know the story within the first two seconds and you even know how it's going to end. I give this game a 0 out of 10Generic is generic. If you're into RPGs and just want something fluffy go for this. If you want something new with an interesting and not at all cluster%&$# battle system go someplace else. If you've played a Bioware RPG just go somewhere else, you've played this game you can know the story within the first two seconds and you even know how it's going to end. I give this game a 0 out of 10 for being cliche and generic to the point of madness, having a battle system with both fake difficulty and being totally lacking in tactics for a tactical rpg and minus further points for character options that literally have no effect at all on game play.… Expand

MattM

Aug 22, 2010

9

This is one of the best RPGs I've ever played. Sadly, many Bethesda fanboys will rate it as a 1 or 0 simply because it does not have the exact same aspects and gameplay as a Bethesda game. I know I will get many "not helpfuls" for this but I'm gonna go ahead and say it. Oblivion is garbage. Complete and utter trash. It has the worst leveling system of any game I've ever seen and the combatThis is one of the best RPGs I've ever played. Sadly, many Bethesda fanboys will rate it as a 1 or 0 simply because it does not have the exact same aspects and gameplay as a Bethesda game. I know I will get many "not helpfuls" for this but I'm gonna go ahead and say it. Oblivion is garbage. Complete and utter trash. It has the worst leveling system of any game I've ever seen and the combat is boring and repetitive. The story is also more cliche than even this game. Fallout was a little better, but Bethesda is not the topic at hand. This game has excellent combat, hundreds of possible conversation permutations, a story that might not be the most original, but is at least somewhat compelling, and for the most part, good voice acting. Some people dislike the combat, which is understandable. This is not a game that can be played in real time. If you want to be successful in this game past the easy difficulty, then a very good amount of time will be spent in the pause screen queueing up attacks for your 4 party members to carry out at once. Each fight feels a little different and must be tackled with a strategy appropriate for the enemy you're facing. As stated earlier, the story itself is rather cliche, but the characters and the game world make up for it. The only thing that I could possibly see as a negative is the lack of an outside world to roam around in, which isn't always a bad thing, and should be expected from a bioware release. Travel is basically instant, and you always end up going where you originally intended to go. Oh yeah, @RichardS, no. Just because YOU cannot play the game above the easy difficulty setting does not mean this game is incomplete. "Babysitting your team" is how the game is designed. You are not playing one character, you are playing four. The description of the easy setting even states "best for players who expect to play in real time." If you can't handle that, I guess you're simply not intelligent enough for this game. It's not the developer's fault you wasted your money on a game you're too stupid to play.… Expand

HonestJoe

Aug 21, 2010

9

This is one of the best story driven RPG's ever released. The great strength of this game lies in its immersive story and compelling characters. Bioware has created an epic fantasy world that draws you in from the opening scenes and holds you up till the final credits and beyond. The sound track is hauntingly beautiful and sets the mood wonderfully.
The weakness of this game is that theThis is one of the best story driven RPG's ever released. The great strength of this game lies in its immersive story and compelling characters. Bioware has created an epic fantasy world that draws you in from the opening scenes and holds you up till the final credits and beyond. The sound track is hauntingly beautiful and sets the mood wonderfully.
The weakness of this game is that the game play does not quite match up quality wise to the story. The graphics, while not horrible, aren't overly impressive either. The combat can get repetitive after a while and the AI can be buggy in places. And it's almost too easy even on higher difficulties. Despite these flaws I found it to be a highly riveting game. It's like an epic fantasy novel that you can play instead of read. If your the kind of person who can get lost in a good book for hours on end, then Dragon Age: Origins is a must have. If however you play RPG's strictly for the combat and item collecting, you may be disappointed with this title.… Expand

xFireize

Aug 17, 2010

0

Wow! This is like the most overrated game of all time. The game looks unfinished and yet the publisher has released some DLCs and even an expansion! There is still so much space for improvement! The bugs haven't even fixed! When the game released, I was like.. "Man, this game looks awesome.. Gotta buy it someday!". I waited for the game to have some discount on steam because $50 was tooWow! This is like the most overrated game of all time. The game looks unfinished and yet the publisher has released some DLCs and even an expansion! There is still so much space for improvement! The bugs haven't even fixed! When the game released, I was like.. "Man, this game looks awesome.. Gotta buy it someday!". I waited for the game to have some discount on steam because $50 was too much for a student to buy a game. A couple of months later, I got the game for 33% off, and I believe it is still not worth the money. It is a huge disappointment.

The tactics system is Final Fantasy XII's gambit system rip-off, but it's not even better. FFXII was released like 4 years ago, but the system is still better.

Storyline is pretty linear with boring small branches (boring side quests and stupid conversations and stupid sex scenes). I did not feel any freedom of exploring in this game. I played for like 80 hours and was always waiting for the good part, but it never came. It's not worth restarting.

You can't even play the ranger class because of the freaking pet bugs. That is so annoying!

This game is just a wow! I do not understand why this game has 91 metascore.… Expand

Higher_Standard

Aug 17, 2010

0

I don't know what the deal with this game is. I can't play it at all on the easiest difficulty. Even when I do the ai is so retarded that you have to sit and hold their hand while spamming pause constantly. This should not have been labeled rpg, but small scale rts. I also don't understand how they make this game so reliant on tactics and such then throw in so many solo moments.

F.D

Feb 18, 2010

7

It has been a while since I could appreciate a good game and all the depth it offers. I can honestly say that I've played this game 4x times now, a very fun experience. The storyline is captivating and I felt like doing every side mission also. There are a few downsides to the game also - Graphics seem a bit outdated in comparison to Mass Effect ( feels rushed ), but this can be It has been a while since I could appreciate a good game and all the depth it offers. I can honestly say that I've played this game 4x times now, a very fun experience. The storyline is captivating and I felt like doing every side mission also. There are a few downsides to the game also - Graphics seem a bit outdated in comparison to Mass Effect ( feels rushed ), but this can be remedied by downloading player mods which tweak out most of the graphical downturns. Also your own character does not give a voice reply in conversations, which takes away from the game a bit more and the dialogue in general is not as cool as it is was in Mass Effect but these are just minor faults that I'm hoping that Bioware will tweak out in their next release of the Dragon Age series. Overall it is a very fun game for people who enjoy rpg games with a nice storyline.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful

JimH

Feb 14, 2010

9

I had been disappointed by the last couple rpg's put out by Bioware. Neverwinter Nights 1 was so bland, NWN2 was a little better with the return of party based play. The combat in Mass Effect was so terrible I was disgusted I spent even 15 bucks on it. Dragon Age blows them out of the water. The combat is terrific and demands careful thinking and different tactics battle to battle. I had been disappointed by the last couple rpg's put out by Bioware. Neverwinter Nights 1 was so bland, NWN2 was a little better with the return of party based play. The combat in Mass Effect was so terrible I was disgusted I spent even 15 bucks on it. Dragon Age blows them out of the water. The combat is terrific and demands careful thinking and different tactics battle to battle. If you're hoping to control only your main character and let the AI handle the others ala kotor or nwn1 FORGET ABOUT IT! If you love the care needed in BG2 and managing every character carefully this is the game for you. I couldn't get enough of the constant challenge. Furthermore I was very impressed that every single piece of dialogue in the entire game is spoken and voice acted very well. Several NPC interactions had me laughing out loud. Yes, many of the conversations are long but you won't hear me complaining about more game. My only complaint is that the rogue class seemed useless, although that is only after my first play through. In fact I would never use them at all, instead using a mage, mage, tank, tank line up and ignoring locked chests. Overall, the quests were well varied, the plot was great, the combat was near perfect, the graphics were terrific and my expectations were exceeded. Bravo to Bioware for a return to form.… Expand

8 of 10 users found this helpful

DmanG

Feb 14, 2010

8

An Incredibly deep story driven game. It will probably not appeal to 2 hardcore RPG audiences. The first are the Diablo/Korean-RPG, grind-fest, fans, as this game has no grinding, enemies never re-spawn, and once you clear an area, that's that. This adds a HUGE additional challenge, as XP points are as valuable as rare items, and leveling must be taken with great care. I hate An Incredibly deep story driven game. It will probably not appeal to 2 hardcore RPG audiences. The first are the Diablo/Korean-RPG, grind-fest, fans, as this game has no grinding, enemies never re-spawn, and once you clear an area, that's that. This adds a HUGE additional challenge, as XP points are as valuable as rare items, and leveling must be taken with great care. I hate grinding more than anything in the world, so I loved this "feature". The other people who will probably not like this game are the hardcore D&D fans. Much of the nuances of D&D are not in this game, and for me that is welcome. I don't think walking empty fields in games like Oblivion and Fallout 3 is fun, granted that every once and awhile you find a "cool" hidden area or side quest, its not worth the time, for some mundane quest with little to nothing to do with the storyline. Every quest in Dragon Age, down to the leveling "Request Board" quests, are expertly crafted into the main plot and often branching. No, there are no find the +16 mace in the randomly generated dungeon with the same enemies you have been fighting for the last 120 hours...and I'm fine, no I'm ecstatic, about that. I play a game to enjoy it, but to complete it in a "timely" fashion, so I can move on to the next game. For me, games like Diablo and Neverwinter nights cheaply increased there length with pointless side-quests or by including equally mundane multiplayer, and I don't understand how they can be fun other then by the mind trick they employ, of using a gauged-reward system (similar to what you find with slot machines in a Casino). Dragon Age trims the fat, and while there is plenty to explore, a after-work gamer will still be able to beat it (for the first time) in a month or 2 and probably a month if you want a second go...which for me, is perfect. But don't get me wrong, this isn't halo were you can beat the game with your eyes closed, on the normal difficulty the game is challenging and will require you to think, which I really enjoyed. I logged 45 satisfied hours at my first run, and after beating some of the new games that are out. I will most surely give it another go. 3 major problems though. 1. the DLC sucks, i got all 3 and they were all a waste of money, they are also integrated into the main game so much that you feel almost as if you "have" to do them...they are all skip-able. 2. To many pointless NPC interactions, half the time you can give 2 different responses and get the exact same answer, I'm not a real "role-player" maybe if you are one, this makes the game more "realistic" but for me, it was just annoying. 3. The game has memory leaks, if you sit for a long session the loading times get longer and longer and longer, this is fixed by a restart of the game, but an annoying problem never-the-less Highly Recommend for any normal gamer like me, who enjoys a well thought out, well put together game for (I can't after reading the other reviews on here emphasize this enough) NORMAL people.… Expand

12 of 12 users found this helpful

CaseyL

Feb 13, 2010

6

This may be a good RPG in its own right, but what really marred the experience for me were the constant references to this game being the next Baldur's Gate. The Baldur's Gate series is the best RPG line ever made, and, come on, DAO is definitely no Baldur's Gate. Baldur's Gate threw you into a world and told you to figure it out on your own; DAO simply feels too This may be a good RPG in its own right, but what really marred the experience for me were the constant references to this game being the next Baldur's Gate. The Baldur's Gate series is the best RPG line ever made, and, come on, DAO is definitely no Baldur's Gate. Baldur's Gate threw you into a world and told you to figure it out on your own; DAO simply feels too scripted. Sure, you have choices, but it does not carry the feel of freedom and consequence that was so prevalent in Baldur's Gate. Play DAO if you want a fun RPG experience reminiscent of KOTR, but do not try and fool yourself into thinking that this is the next Baldur's Gate.… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful

mikeF

Feb 11, 2010

3

I am not sure who are the professionals that rated this game but they were paid off if they rated it any higher than 3. The game is just a choose your own adventure of dialogue. The combat was an after thought in the worst way possible. On the first playthrough i set it to hard and 20 minutes into the game i had to put it on nightmare to see if it was any more challenging. Sadly it I am not sure who are the professionals that rated this game but they were paid off if they rated it any higher than 3. The game is just a choose your own adventure of dialogue. The combat was an after thought in the worst way possible. On the first playthrough i set it to hard and 20 minutes into the game i had to put it on nightmare to see if it was any more challenging. Sadly it wasn't as the AI is appears to be programmed from games 20 years ago. Compound that with the ability to chain chug potions and you have a game that's not even remotely as tactical as they say it is. Reminded me a lot of Diablo 2 just with a bunch of dialogue. How much does it say for a game when you can setup the IN GAME AI and watch it beat itself on the hardest setting???… Expand

2 of 15 users found this helpful

HannahT

Feb 9, 2010

10

Beautiful, from the individual personalities scripted to each important NPC and party member to the highly varied backdrops of each area this game and all it's aspects were given love and care by it's devs. Game of the year in my opinion 'cause I doubt it will be topped!

1 of 1 users found this helpful

GordonF

Feb 8, 2010

4

Dragon Age: Origins was a very disappointing game for me. I played most of the good RPGs and I played this because the fan community recommended me to do so. I had high expectations since Bioware made the best RPGs this far. This game is just dull. First of all, conversations are boring and you can even curse someone's mother without any serious consequence. Of course some party Dragon Age: Origins was a very disappointing game for me. I played most of the good RPGs and I played this because the fan community recommended me to do so. I had high expectations since Bioware made the best RPGs this far. This game is just dull. First of all, conversations are boring and you can even curse someone's mother without any serious consequence. Of course some party members may disagree with you, but you can always give them a ring or pendant to make them feel better after you forced them to slaughter innocent puppies. Party AI is ridiculous. Forst I started a warrior but my team hardly survived without healing. Okay then I started a healing (wtf?) mage. I ended up being a healbot of my fellow NPCs. If I dared to shoot a fireball or something like that, all mobs started to attack me and if I unfortunately went down, only the limited amount of healing potions could save my little lemmings. Turning AI on/off didn't help much. So you might call me gay but I died a lot. I didn't know first that this game has a console version, then after 3 hours of gameplay I became suspicious... "hey... this game is dumb and primitive... it must have a console version." And yes, I was right. Nowadays PC games become more and more dull, they lack original ideas. Of course they give us spectacular graphics (in case of DA:O I could argue) but on the cost of story, excitement. If this is the future of PC gaming I think I'd rather buy a dog, or hang myself.… Expand

4 of 24 users found this helpful

PaulS.

Feb 6, 2010

10

An incredible game. The combat is perfectly balanced and requires tactical thinking, and the multitude of skills you can choose for your characters combined with the easy swap-out of party members creates a huge variety of options in how you approach each battle. The plot, writing of the characters, voice acting, and presentation are among the best of any game I've ever played - only An incredible game. The combat is perfectly balanced and requires tactical thinking, and the multitude of skills you can choose for your characters combined with the easy swap-out of party members creates a huge variety of options in how you approach each battle. The plot, writing of the characters, voice acting, and presentation are among the best of any game I've ever played - only other Bioware games are in the same league. Best of all, unlike many role-playing games, in this game you actually play a role - your choices have a believable impact on every encounter, and though you aren't free to enter every house or visit every hilltop, you ARE free to play exactly the kind of character you would want to be. It's a thought-provoking and memorable artistic experience, as well as a polished and challenging tactical game. Top-notch.… Expand

5 of 6 users found this helpful

JonathanB

Feb 2, 2010

6

The production value of this game really shows through the phenomenal visuals, music, and voice-overs. Unfortunately, the combat mechanics, lack of any multi-player functionality or toolset, along with a rather predictable story, leaves much to be desired with this game. Additionally, the DLC content is somewhat intrusively advertised ingame. It's not a bad game, but it seems rather The production value of this game really shows through the phenomenal visuals, music, and voice-overs. Unfortunately, the combat mechanics, lack of any multi-player functionality or toolset, along with a rather predictable story, leaves much to be desired with this game. Additionally, the DLC content is somewhat intrusively advertised ingame. It's not a bad game, but it seems rather lacking compared to BioWare's past RPG in terms of RPG content.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful

JamesG.

Feb 1, 2010

10

This game is amazing! i think it should be said that it matters if one has played this masterpiece on a console or pc. i've tried both the ps3 and the 360 versions. the ps3 framerate was horrid. the 360 textures were non existant so the emersion factor important to rpgs fell short. and in both console versions the combat felt awkward if not slightly impaired be lack of options. i This game is amazing! i think it should be said that it matters if one has played this masterpiece on a console or pc. i've tried both the ps3 and the 360 versions. the ps3 framerate was horrid. the 360 textures were non existant so the emersion factor important to rpgs fell short. and in both console versions the combat felt awkward if not slightly impaired be lack of options. i played for a while then grew bored and traded it at gamestop. then i got my computer. it feels like im playing a completely different game! Graphics: wonderful story: deep and engrossing and the combat !? WOW! deep strategic challenging but rewarding. pc owner, must buy! console gamer, rent it or wait for a price drop.… Expand

11 of 14 users found this helpful

CaseyD.

Jan 29, 2010

9

It took some time to start enjoying this game. Once I got the hang of it, I couldn't stop playing it. The story is solid, the graphics are great, and best of all I feel like I got my money's worth. Good job BioWare. Looking forward to the expansions!

5 of 6 users found this helpful

FrancisC.

Jan 29, 2010

3

Dragon Age has the most annoying control and combat system of any RPG I have played. Also It's almost hard to call it a game with all the stupid conversations with NPC's that are far far far to longwinded. The game world is also far to rigid as to where you can and can't go, it's so terribly scripted. A major disappointment. You are much better off with an open free Dragon Age has the most annoying control and combat system of any RPG I have played. Also It's almost hard to call it a game with all the stupid conversations with NPC's that are far far far to longwinded. The game world is also far to rigid as to where you can and can't go, it's so terribly scripted. A major disappointment. You are much better off with an open free flowing game like Oblivion.… Expand

6 of 34 users found this helpful

Gyrolin

Jan 27, 2010

2

After completing Dragon Age: Origins, I was sorely disappointed. The high reviews made the game seem like it would be something innovative or new, when it was really just a cheap Neverwinter knockoff with no multiplayer or campaign editor. Below is my breakdown: Pros: Party members have diverse personalities Good voice acting Challenging Mildly interesting story Decent NPC After completing Dragon Age: Origins, I was sorely disappointed. The high reviews made the game seem like it would be something innovative or new, when it was really just a cheap Neverwinter knockoff with no multiplayer or campaign editor. Below is my breakdown: Pros: Party members have diverse personalities Good voice acting Challenging Mildly interesting story Decent NPC interaction(Though way too much of it) Cons: Unoriginal concept Controls not intuitive Poor gear system(lack of decent upgrading system) Repetitive questing Inventory system makes selling a pain Very linear after the 'origin' quests Not enough options for party tactics Leveling up was unrewarding Crafting system is poor Way too much talking to NPCs Limited skills planned for Fighters/Rogues Prestige classing was pointless Shameless DLC plugs everywhere throughout the game Graphics sub-par for what was advertised Boring all the way through The cons list can go on and on, but I have to stop at some point. As hard as I've tried I really cannot come up with any more pros than are listed. The reason that I gave this game a 2 is that at the end of the 25 hours it took me to beat the game, I felt that all the time had been wasted. This is the first time I've played a fantasy RPG and not enjoyed myself in the 15+ years I've been PC gaming. My personal opinion is that DAO is a no buy/no play. If you respect what little free time you have to play games, just stay away from this one.… Expand

2 of 9 users found this helpful

Isphiris

Jan 24, 2010

10

The best modern RPG I ever played ! Many possibilities, complete story and background, each action count in your quest ... what else? Congratulation to Bioware for this wonderfull game.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

kenneths

Jan 24, 2010

6

The game itself is GREAT! but its realy messed up on pc-steam .i bought Dragon age: origins digital deluxe edition, but i dident get the DLC's ,i have tried everything i can think of to get the DLC's but nothing worked. i give it rating 6 beacuse of that.

0 of 1 users found this helpful

Macca

Jan 24, 2010

9

I tend to review games I play once I've played about 50% the way through. I reserved my judgement on DAO until I completed it. The first thing i'd say is that this game is definately the best RPG on release at this moment. With a few more games coming out here in 2010, fans of this genre are in for some good times, and if you haven't yet played this game then you really I tend to review games I play once I've played about 50% the way through. I reserved my judgement on DAO until I completed it. The first thing i'd say is that this game is definately the best RPG on release at this moment. With a few more games coming out here in 2010, fans of this genre are in for some good times, and if you haven't yet played this game then you really should. Graphically, if you have a high end card and a halfway decent CPU then you are in for a visual treat. I played 50% of this game on an 8800gtx and the last 50% on an ATI 5870. The difference between the two allowed me to max out my screen at 1920x1200 and also max out all the settings in-game and whack on some AA. The game looked amazing. Not to say the ageing 8800 couldn't handle it, because it could, but I had to play it in 1680x1050 and lower some of the settings. The game has a main storyline which is a bit Lord of the Rings, but without the rings, and the mass of orcs replaced by Darkspawn, which in essence are the same kind of thing, basically marauding humanoids hellbent on wiping out humanity, which is kind of ironic. To achieve your goals you will have to take part in a series of subplots, which in themselves are rather epic in scale. Tie this in with a large dose of sidequests and you will soon find yourself overwhelmed with quests in your log. So, where does DAO drop from a 10 to a 9? Well, as i'm sure others have mentioned, sometimes the sidequests are very "chorelike" and you can find yourself quickly being taken away from the main objectives you want to achieve for large chunks of time. If you become addicted to the game and play for 5-6 hours solid per session, you could end up sporadically feeling that you haven't achieved much in the session. I myself, played some days like that, and other days I would play for an hour or two, and some days I'd leave it alone completely. When coming back to it, I would feel refreshed and ready to plough on. As for difficulty, playing the game on it's default level is a real challenge for many players i'm sure. Being an old timer myself, and having played too many RPG's to list, I found the challenge on the default setting just right. I died in places I expected to once stepping into a fight I knew were going to require a learning curve to beat, and once beat, I felt a real sense of achievement. Fortunately the combat mechanics in DAO are very well implemented. The tactics you can give to your team are in depth, and the game provides easy to use setups should you not want to spend time mastering your own tactics for each character. The game comes with DLC that you can purchase for a reasonable cost, and if you didn't get the deluxe version that comes with most of it, then buying it is definately something you want to do, especially Soldier's Peak which provides you with a chest for storage. From start to finish, Dragon Age Origins is a masterpiece on the PC. It has very few technical issues (at least on my machine), and plays smoothly. A definate recommendation.… Expand

5 of 5 users found this helpful

GabeT

Jan 23, 2010

1

The only appeal of this game is the extensive story line, but I found that after about 6 hours of game time I'd gotten in maybe 10 combat encounters. The only reason to play this game is to see the storyline to it's conclusion, but sadly interest in that goal is lost long before that. Unless you are a fiend for boring NPC cutscreens, stay the hell away from this game.

0 of 8 users found this helpful

JasonW

Jan 22, 2010

4

I am so sorry I didn't like this game. Perhaps it's bc I got the xbox 360 version, perhaps it was bc it has been so long since I've played a good fantasy rpg that my sights had been set too high. Either way I stopped playing this game after the third time I feel asleep. Twice I nodded off during dialog, but the last time I was in combat and it was so boring I found myself I am so sorry I didn't like this game. Perhaps it's bc I got the xbox 360 version, perhaps it was bc it has been so long since I've played a good fantasy rpg that my sights had been set too high. Either way I stopped playing this game after the third time I feel asleep. Twice I nodded off during dialog, but the last time I was in combat and it was so boring I found myself unable to keep my head up. I never fall asleep playing a game, and it was the middle of the day, not like I had been up playing till the wee hours of the morning. As a matter of fact I dozed off after having only played the game for 30 minutes! I love rpgs, they are my favorite genre, and until this game I've loved every Bioware rpg they have produced. I spent hours searching every nook and barrel in Baulder's Gate, Icewind Dale, and Torment. Played through the xbox version of Baulder's Gate 1 and 2 single, then multiplayer. I even played through Mass Effect 5 times!! I'm sorry I don't like this game. I really wanted to.… Expand

2 of 13 users found this helpful

NikolayP

Jan 20, 2010

10

BioWare did it again. Truly an art piece. It reignited my passion for gaming. For this I thank you. And for all of you who find this game very difficult just switch it to easy, but not waste a gem like this.

5 of 7 users found this helpful

MikeM

Jan 19, 2010

5

Many parts of this game are worth a 9 or 10, but the major flaw with this game [and the reason that it's overrated] is that the enemy AI is completely lame. You can very easily do 'gamey' things to the enemies, like attack half of them and leave the other half of them standing there. Some people might enjoy 'tricking' the 'enemy' but for me it breaks the Many parts of this game are worth a 9 or 10, but the major flaw with this game [and the reason that it's overrated] is that the enemy AI is completely lame. You can very easily do 'gamey' things to the enemies, like attack half of them and leave the other half of them standing there. Some people might enjoy 'tricking' the 'enemy' but for me it breaks the game. I know that 'pulling' enemies is part of other games, and even some of the old school RPGs that this one is inspired by, but for me this was one of the fatal flaws of those games. And in the here and now, with all the time and money spent on what could have been a great game, it's a shame that you can pull 3 baddies and leave the other 7 of them standing there staring into space. I expect good things from dragon age 2 if they can fix that crap. Don't waste your money. Incidentally, the game industry trend of outrageous over-ratings continue.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful

MichaelD

Jan 19, 2010

10

I really enjoyed this game - currently playing through a third time. Well worth a look. Note: I played the PC version. Also this game does deserve its age rating - it's a kids game.

0 of 1 users found this helpful

VargreX

Jan 19, 2010

10

There are enough good votes on here that explain in depth why the game is good, so Im going to avoid that and point out the negative things people have said about the game. If you look through them all, you'll notice that most of them seem to have been written by someone around 10-12 years of age. This is not a game for the young. Its an adult game, complex in story and plot. It take There are enough good votes on here that explain in depth why the game is good, so Im going to avoid that and point out the negative things people have said about the game. If you look through them all, you'll notice that most of them seem to have been written by someone around 10-12 years of age. This is not a game for the young. Its an adult game, complex in story and plot. It take a lot of thought to get through. Playing on easy, the AI IS easy. That's how its supposed to be. But knock up the difficulty to hard or nightmare and you've got a serious challenge on your hands. The people that have written negative comments on Dragon Age should stick to games they know: Mario Kart and the like. The combat system is excellent, if you know what your doing. If you let your characters loose and dont bother trying to micromanage their attacks/ spellls, your going to lose. A lot. Thats part of the game. Getting deep into it, what everyone does. Graphics are beautiful. Those that complain, id like to ask what they consider to be "good" graphics? There are some instances where the characters feel a bit "robotic" but the voice acting and the story more than make up for any glitches in the graphics. Story wise, its long, intense and interesting. Yes, there is a lot of dialogue. But you can skip it, just by hitting escape, if it gets that monotonous. Ive also heard complaints about the over-use of gore. Well, turn that off in the options and you dont have to deal with that either. Sex? Nudity? Well, there isnt any. During the "sex" scenes the characters are shown in positions of holding and caressing, not in flagrente delecto, although their are mods that you can get to remedy that. Its far from the violent porn that these idiots claim. Some people are never happy, and the better something is, the more they want to tear it down. While I've read a few viable complaints about the game, most of them are from juvenile miscreants who wouldnt know class and skill if it came up and bit them in the arse. This game is not for the idiotic people that spend their time playing Halo and Half Life2. Its for thoughtful people that are just as happy with a good book as they are with a good game. And Dragon Age is just that; an excellent book that you control the outcome of. If you have a brain, and enjoy using it, then get Dragon Age, you will not be disappointed. ((the one complaint that stands out, or rather the one good thing in a list of complaints. It seems to me that its the torchholder for the rest of these naysayers..."I did like one thing, having people begging me on their knees for mercy. That was the one good thing about Dragon Age." That quote seems par for the course for those that gave a negative review. Those are the people that DONT like the game. Go figure.)… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

CrowBar

Jan 19, 2010

10

This truly is the best RPG thats come out since the original Bards Tale for the Apple IIe. The control you have over the characters is extreme, and I suppose for some that might not be a plus, but for myself, and obviously thousands like me, it's not only a plus but an integral part of the gameplay. I love being able to micromanage my characters, from their equipment to their attacks This truly is the best RPG thats come out since the original Bards Tale for the Apple IIe. The control you have over the characters is extreme, and I suppose for some that might not be a plus, but for myself, and obviously thousands like me, it's not only a plus but an integral part of the gameplay. I love being able to micromanage my characters, from their equipment to their attacks and spells and where and when they move. Bioware has always done an excellent job at game developing, and Dragon Age: Origins is probably the best game yet. Limited bugs on release, my one complaint is their lauded DLC. They claimed that DLC would be forthcoming on a regular basis, and so far the only thing that we've yet to see is a short campaign to get the Wardens Keep back, and a constant delay in their next, "Return to Ostagar." They have announced the next in the series already, "Dragon Age: Awakenings" which is all well and fine, but it's not released until March and "RtO" was supposedly slated for the "Holiday Season" and then the 5th of January, which are both long past and still no word for when they plan on getting it out to us. Ive given the game a 10, but if you throw in the DLC id drop the rating to an 8. They are certainly dropping the ball on that part of the game.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

DochoK

Jan 18, 2010

10

Incredible game. The story is a little cliche but it is originally presented. The combat tree for each character allows your to build one according to your style of play and still manage to beat the game, unlike some other RPG's where for example using bows is a suicide.The best feature of the game though are the characters - unlike many other Bioware or EA game this time the Incredible game. The story is a little cliche but it is originally presented. The combat tree for each character allows your to build one according to your style of play and still manage to beat the game, unlike some other RPG's where for example using bows is a suicide.The best feature of the game though are the characters - unlike many other Bioware or EA game this time the characters feel alive. You have to listen to them, learn their character to please them. The dialogues between them are hilarious. I advice everyone to found them and read them over internet (as you can't hear them all in one play). At first glance the game is just another Bioware RPG - when you start to play it you will learn that it is not exactly that but something MUCH MORE.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

MikeH

Jan 18, 2010

8

One thing is pretty clear to me after reading most of the user reviews in which the score given was 4 or under; the person doing the reviewing in most cases wanted a simple MMO, or a hack-n-slash no brainer, and has no idea what goes into making an RPG deep and meaningful. Nor do they have any idea of what it means to be objective as a reviewer, which really has nothing to do with whether One thing is pretty clear to me after reading most of the user reviews in which the score given was 4 or under; the person doing the reviewing in most cases wanted a simple MMO, or a hack-n-slash no brainer, and has no idea what goes into making an RPG deep and meaningful. Nor do they have any idea of what it means to be objective as a reviewer, which really has nothing to do with whether or not the game suits your personal tastes, yet none of these mmo and/or console generation fanboys seem to understand that simple concept. The fact is that Dragon Age is a very well made game, with a few minor bugs and glitches that would be expected in a release of this size. The combat system resembles a Baldur's Gate/NWN hybrid, but puts a simpler spin on the more complex DnD rules that were used by DA's aforementioned predecessors. This is not to say that combat doesn't require some micromanagement, because it does, and combat throughout is not meant to be rushed into mindlessly, guns blazing. This isn't God of War, it's an actual RPG, tactical thought will be required. Anyone turned off by that notion shouldn't be playing the game to begin with. Bioware does a great job in getting back to what made the genre itself so powerful with past titles, and created an RPG that is a ROLE playing game, not a ROLL playing game. This game features less min/maxing and damage meter watching, and focuses more on story and deep meaningful character development. Whether you like that or not depends on your own tastes as a gamer, but if the past is any indicator of success, the deep and ongoing story will be what truly continues to drive the franchise, beyond just this opening act. One thing that continued to surprise me during my time with this title was the codex, as simple a concept as it is, the depth of the lore and backstory is unparalleled in any recent undertaking, even by Bioware. Anyone who has played video games in the last decade has most likely heard of Bioware, and anyone familiar with their previous titles knows that dialogue will be a focal point of the game. Traditional multiple choice response interface follows, but the game does begin to make you feel as though your responses, as well as your actions will ultimately have an effect somewhere down the line in the story. This may not always be the case, but even the fact that this is a possibility makes the experience a much more conscious and relevant one. The game is not perfectly realized however, as level design does see a bit of staleness, and graphics feel very dated. These things do not detract from the experience as much as they would with smaller caliber titles however, and the scope of story and development still shine through the dull exterior colors. It would have been nice to see a bit more item variation within the game as well. Crafting becomes dependent on a very few important reagents, rather than having the more complex and powerful craftables require more work. There is too much in this game to go over at once, but these were just a few of the more relevant points of note. Overall, if you truly enjoy a story driven RPG, and you aren't put off by a lot of dialogue or combat micromanagement, this game is absolutely worth your time, and despite it's long playtime with all the side quests, will keep you coming back to get your money's worth for multiple plays through and future DLC and expansions. In a very thin and watered down gaming market, this was an actual bright spot, a shining beacon of hope for a genre that is being killed by the disposable MMO and the typical console gamer. One of the best new titles of 2009.… Expand

5 of 5 users found this helpful

KannedFarU

Jan 14, 2010

4

I think this game was overrated. It feels like I'm playing KOTR all over again, and to be honest I never really liked those games. I don't get any thrill out of pushing a button and watching my characters do all the work. That's what separates this game from Mass Effect really. The character progression and story telling is interesting but none of the endings are really I think this game was overrated. It feels like I'm playing KOTR all over again, and to be honest I never really liked those games. I don't get any thrill out of pushing a button and watching my characters do all the work. That's what separates this game from Mass Effect really. The character progression and story telling is interesting but none of the endings are really good enough for me to waste my time saying the right things. I'd almost rather have the storyboard pre-written. As far as gameplay goes I found the camera to be very frustrating at times. When you're in RTS mode the camera is stationary but can be difficult to select certain characters without pausing the game and moving it ever so slowly into position. So I find that selecting while in 3rd person was easier. This was not the case as selecting a character in 3rd person mode even when clicking and dragging caused the camera to fly over to the newly selected character. It seems to have failed at being an RTS and failed at being a 3rd person RPG. There are times where the game becomes entirely too frustrating. I believe that for an enjoyable experience the average user should be able to survive every encounter on their first try, where as in this game you tend to get ambushed a lot and die, only to have to try 3 different strategies while the game nags you to turn down the difficulty setting. Money in the game is scarce, so if you want the best equipment you usually have to substitute it for junk you pick up from monster drops just so you can spend all of your hard earned cash purchasing elfroots so you can create enough health potions to make it through the next dungeon. I know the solution to health potions should be get a healer, but the healer abilities in this game suck. They don't heal for many points. Towards the end of the game my warrior had a 37 constitution and the healer couldn't even fill 1/4th his health with the best healing spell. The health potions were really the only way I could drag myself to the horrible ending. Mass Effect had similar moments but I think the healing system was much better balanced and moving and shooting made survival more skill dependent rather than dice roll. Other than the healing issue, the spells were another big issue. Everyone who loves to play as a mage will find that only the beginner spells are useful as most of the higher level magic has lots of splash damage that will hurt your own teammates. Since health is a very limited resource to begin with, unlocking the higher level attack spells was pointless because every encounter where you would want to use splash damage was against warriors that were guess what, standing right next to your teammates, sometimes even right next to the spell caster >:O. The story here isn't anything to get excited about. The game literally copied the style of the LOTR movies even down to Dwarven architecture. The same old type cast (The Dwarves dug too deep and got bum rushed by demons) stories are told. Also I didn't see a NewGame+ which is always a big deal for me when I play RPGs. I always loved playing Crono Trigger from the beginning but with the characters I left off with. This allows me to really explore the characters abilities without having to look for something to kill at the end of the game with nothing to do to kill time. What can I take from this game that's good? Well the game has a lot of movie references which at times are fun to keep an eye out for. I haven't found a lvl cap in the game @ 21 though I'm sure it's there (Should never be a lvl cap on single player games :P). Though I felt the environments were kinda copied stylistically they were very beautiful and fun to explore. The quests required you to read the dialogue rather than get a quest pointer and off you go without any real clue as to what you're doing. This made the game more immersive. Building relationships with your party members was actually challenging at times. You really had to pay attention to how the characters acted so you would know how to talk in front of them and to them. I take Morrigan for example, she's kind of cynical and tries to do lots of things to her own benefit. When I tried to be nice to her, she would tend to dislike me more because I'm concentrating more on her than myself. This was a good feature as it made the characters seem more like real people than shoddy cardboard characters with one purpose in the whole game. I really felt like this game should have been balanced a little better, and that every single spell/ability had a specific use for some point in the game. Another EA title feels entirely too rushed to me, and I was ready to give them a second chance hearing that they changed management and fixed all their problems. EA needs to stop accumulating companies and cutting their budgets, let the developers make the game not the publishers.… Expand

2 of 12 users found this helpful

TommM

Jan 14, 2010

9

Terrific RPG. Great writing, story-telling, voice-overs. More than enough to keep you busy for nearly 100 hours. For the people whining that you have to "create your own combat," these are the same people who cry when they don't have enough control. I love being able to macro my player and characters to fight exactly the way I want them to. I guess it's just too complicated for Terrific RPG. Great writing, story-telling, voice-overs. More than enough to keep you busy for nearly 100 hours. For the people whining that you have to "create your own combat," these are the same people who cry when they don't have enough control. I love being able to macro my player and characters to fight exactly the way I want them to. I guess it's just too complicated for some people. Very highly recommended for true D&D type RPG fans.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful

IvanG

Jan 14, 2010

10

This is one of the BEST RPGs out there. And i need to say again that this is not a game like fallout, world of warcraft that you rush in and kill all NPC's in a room, this is a TACTICAL game you need to use tactics to survive. The best feature is to pause the game and plan the tactics of every character. A MUST HAVE

5 of 6 users found this helpful

OrwellGeorge

Jan 13, 2010

10

If you like deep RPGs with great character development, lots of chances to role play, and have the patience to take things slowly and figure things out then this game is for you. Disregard the negative reviews here as they seem to be from people who don't understand great storytelling, got confused by the tactics system, didn't read the manual, loved the heavy metal in the If you like deep RPGs with great character development, lots of chances to role play, and have the patience to take things slowly and figure things out then this game is for you. Disregard the negative reviews here as they seem to be from people who don't understand great storytelling, got confused by the tactics system, didn't read the manual, loved the heavy metal in the trailers, want to hate something popular to be cool, hate reading, hate problem solving, hate people who have girlfriends, are upset with the way their lives have gone, are not well educated, have never read a book in their life, enjoyed Avatar, believe Boondock Saints is great film making, whine a lot, are spoiled brats, get into long forum debates regarding XBOX vs PS3, spend hours of their day wondering how X company could ruin their lives by releasing X game, or simply have a taste in games akin to a brain dead cow. If none of this sounds like you, then I can almost assure you that you will enjoy this game. It's the best RPG in the last ten years, don't miss it.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

DanD

Jan 13, 2010

8

I fully enjoyed the playthrough of this and felt more like I was taking part in a movie than playing a game. The cinematics were pretty amazing and the storylines were fun and entertaining. The skill trees for the different classes were where the game was weak. The Mage class certainly had a good number of choices to customise the style of mage you wanted, but the warrior and rogue were I fully enjoyed the playthrough of this and felt more like I was taking part in a movie than playing a game. The cinematics were pretty amazing and the storylines were fun and entertaining. The skill trees for the different classes were where the game was weak. The Mage class certainly had a good number of choices to customise the style of mage you wanted, but the warrior and rogue were very limited. I found that about half of my skillpoints were useless and wished there was something better I could have put the points into. The general skills were mostly useless and disappointing. Trapmaking takes too much effort and buying all of the recipes is too expensive, then collecting all of the ingredients... Poison is even worse because if you don't have poison skill you can't apply poison - ie: can't have 1 person in the group that makes the poison and hands it out. Even then, the poisons do so little damage and last such a short time that they aren't worth it. If I had to rate just the skills, I'd give a very low score, but the graphics and storyline were quite entertaining. Oh specialisations... Also half of them are useless, but I liked how once you unlock them, you can use them in new games without re-discovering them.… Expand

7 of 8 users found this helpful

Bjorn

Jan 11, 2010

8

Dragon Age is a great game with a few flaws. It has a great story, a lot of choices that are not just black and white, but complicated enough so you keep wondering if you chose the right thing long after the choice was made. (even if they usually don't affect the game play significantly) The weakness in dragon age belongs to the combat parts, which are designed with threat like most Dragon Age is a great game with a few flaws. It has a great story, a lot of choices that are not just black and white, but complicated enough so you keep wondering if you chose the right thing long after the choice was made. (even if they usually don't affect the game play significantly) The weakness in dragon age belongs to the combat parts, which are designed with threat like most MMOs. (Wrong in my opinion the enemy should be trying to kill the party, not toy around because someone screams at them). Also the targeting system tends to lose targets when making changes and I gave up trying to design scrips halfway through the game, and instead resorted to pausing 80% of each fight. There's also a number of magic spells that are so powerful it's almost ridiculous (freeze the boss for ~20s, yes he can take damage, of make boos immune and freeze him for ~30 with a 35 sec cool down) The good side of fights them is that combat is challenging and will force you to truly explore you option even on normal difficulty. They are also, for being a RPG, refreshingly varied.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

RyanB

Jan 11, 2010

10

Dragon Age Origins is one of those kinds of games that when you look at it, you go "Oh hey, Bioware makes great RPGs". But DAO surpasses the expectations that many gamers have, with its gritty realism in difficult sequences, it's lack of moral compass, amazingly well thought out combat system, and its superb RPG elements. It leaves near nothing to be desired, and Bioware is Dragon Age Origins is one of those kinds of games that when you look at it, you go "Oh hey, Bioware makes great RPGs". But DAO surpasses the expectations that many gamers have, with its gritty realism in difficult sequences, it's lack of moral compass, amazingly well thought out combat system, and its superb RPG elements. It leaves near nothing to be desired, and Bioware is determined to make it even more of a hit with the new expansion pack on its way later this year. The almost constant flow of addons produced by Bioware is also a big plus for many of us gamers, as well as the many player-made mods. Overall, it is an amazing game, and will be the epitome of RPGs for years to come...unless Bioware releases something better :P… Expand

5 of 6 users found this helpful

GregS

Jan 10, 2010

0

It has most of what makes a great RPG. The story is interesting, the voice acting is good, and I loved manipulating everyone to my own ends in the beginning as a mage. However, this game is completely and utterly broken for one reason - the combat. It plays similar to a WoW clone sans actual people controlling your allies, and it works about as well as it sounds. To attempt to fix the It has most of what makes a great RPG. The story is interesting, the voice acting is good, and I loved manipulating everyone to my own ends in the beginning as a mage. However, this game is completely and utterly broken for one reason - the combat. It plays similar to a WoW clone sans actual people controlling your allies, and it works about as well as it sounds. To attempt to fix the problem of having all these abilities at your allies' disposal and no humans to give them orders (unless you pause the game and micromanage every single action of your allies), Bioware has essentially copied the gambit system from FFXII, and that works about as well as it did in that game. Which is not at all. While there is an obvious advantage to scripting your allies' AI to suit your own purposes, even with scripts that should have had my allies fighting the sames things as I was, they acted retarded. Apparently, it makes more sense to spread to the four corners of the world where you can be picked off easily than to fight in one group. What could have been a great game has had all its potential destroyed by the absolute worst AI I have ever seen; AI even worse than that of Call of Duty 4 and Medieval II: Total War.… Expand

2 of 12 users found this helpful

KennethR

Jan 10, 2010

10

Out of dozens and dozens, this is one of the few 100 hour games I played to the end, and the only one I played twice in a row to the end. I had to say something...the criticisms are mostly wildly off target. I'm a professional writer, and this is the only game where I played long scenes just to hear the dialog and get the backstory. Micromanagement? Yeah, but you can still win just Out of dozens and dozens, this is one of the few 100 hour games I played to the end, and the only one I played twice in a row to the end. I had to say something...the criticisms are mostly wildly off target. I'm a professional writer, and this is the only game where I played long scenes just to hear the dialog and get the backstory. Micromanagement? Yeah, but you can still win just by making quick guesses. No graphic sex? Duh, read the label it reads "Partial Nudity". It's obviously a PC game? You Xbox and PS don't know what a relief it is not to have some dumbed-down version of a game made to suit those who don't have a mouse. One day, we'll actually be able to type letters in. (Again) The biggest con is the load times...I have RAID, without it, there's occasionally enough time to make a quick sandwich. Small potatos.… Expand

17 of 25 users found this helpful

Peter

Jan 10, 2010

8

Enjoyed this one as much as KOTOR. But graphics are not up to date and theres a lack of cutting-edge content to rate it a 9 or 10. Oh ... and there should be more unique weaponry to loot. A coherent and solid game, but nothing more.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

Tom

Jan 10, 2010

5

I've played about twenty hours of the game and I' ve done playing Dragon age for good. Very poor story, badly told, unimaginative conversations that are taking place in small villiages with few npc, and about none worth speaking to. The story is again about a *big* danger coming from the *dark* army of undead - again - because it is the very background we had in Neverwinter I've played about twenty hours of the game and I' ve done playing Dragon age for good. Very poor story, badly told, unimaginative conversations that are taking place in small villiages with few npc, and about none worth speaking to. The story is again about a *big* danger coming from the *dark* army of undead - again - because it is the very background we had in Neverwinter Nights. And the point to consider it as a good one - for the makers is that (and not for the players) - the events are so big - that they keep the designers from from the need of creation of a complex world for us. We have a lot of small areas filled with monsters, and a newly born hero who's gonna destroy all the evil lurking in all the places of this simplified world. We have a lot of cinematics inspired by the 'big movies' - like the Lord of the rings - that are okay, but in reality - ale a simple bonus for a rather hollow thing. Therfore there are conversations with your 'teammates', that are stupidly boring, boring beyond the boundaries of imagination. We have an option of making sex with your frend from a party. We've got also some good things in this game. The system - even it is no D&D - is really good, at some points; there are nice, interesting skills, that you may develop. It may have some weak points - there is no depth in the - for example - creation of powers of your mages, but in the and it is so entertaining, that I could call it interesting. The is dog - that you may treat as a teammate, that has his own skill tree - and the dog is really superp - with really nice animations. The graphics are not that bad. In the end I feel that a game is rather decent. Not to mention Planescape: Torment, and the depth of this kind of game, Dragon age is not even half of the Baldurs Gate. This is obviously not a game of the year, or month it is just very overrated one. What we really have here is Neverwinter Nights 3.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful

ScottN

Jan 9, 2010

9

This is, without a doubt, one of the greatest games i have ever played. That being said, it is not without fault. The tactics system, while incredibly customizable, is rather clunky; even with tactics in place, sometimes i will see a warrior off in a corner twiddling his thumbs. There are so many glitches that are exploitable to break gameplay as well: you can be level 20 before even This is, without a doubt, one of the greatest games i have ever played. That being said, it is not without fault. The tactics system, while incredibly customizable, is rather clunky; even with tactics in place, sometimes i will see a warrior off in a corner twiddling his thumbs. There are so many glitches that are exploitable to break gameplay as well: you can be level 20 before even leaving Ostagar with a min/max build where you take points from other stats and pump them all into one choice stat. The difficulty level is also a bit odd...it spikes. You can smash your way through a dungeon with no issues, try to leave, and get annihilated by a random encounter with a small band of Darkspawn within 3 seconds flat. The overall difficulty is not an issue, it's the spiking up and down and up and down incessantly. But all of this can really be dealt with and ignored, and the captivating storytelling and tactical combat merge to create one of the greatest fantasy epics in video games in recent years.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful

laengsiL

Jan 9, 2010

9

This game is damn epic! Of course it has a few bugs or w/e but still the best RPG I've played so far. It's just so big, it makes TES IV look like shit :D SO many possibilities you really can't discover everything, but that's what makes it such an epic game!

1 of 3 users found this helpful

GaryR

Jan 9, 2010

4

Too many bugs, I have had to restart more than once, or use other means to get around shoddy programming.

1 of 11 users found this helpful

InfinityEnginne

Jan 9, 2010

10

More than worthy successor to the amazing Baldur's Gate series with great character-development and huge amounts of very well (and often funny) written dialogues. Without any doubt one of the richest and most complex microcosms ever created.

11 of 15 users found this helpful

JohnB

Jan 8, 2010

8

Good game but very buggy. Can rarely play without the game crashing.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

MichaelN

Jan 8, 2010

4

I'm not sure whether people are still bursting with love from Bioware's previous efforts, but this game is nowhere near a 9, much less above a 7. Fans of slow dungeon crawling, where reading endless amounts of text and stiff, turned base combat is everyday fare might enjoy SOME of this game, but the rest of us will rip our hair out in frustration. AI is nonexistent, the graphics I'm not sure whether people are still bursting with love from Bioware's previous efforts, but this game is nowhere near a 9, much less above a 7. Fans of slow dungeon crawling, where reading endless amounts of text and stiff, turned base combat is everyday fare might enjoy SOME of this game, but the rest of us will rip our hair out in frustration. AI is nonexistent, the graphics aren't worthy of a $50 game, and the controls are terrible. The camera is forced to follow you around, which in turn forces you to use W, A, S, and D to move, since clicking the landscape to move is impossible with a frantic camera moving every time you turn an inch. Lastly, the story has been done a million times, the "mature" themes come off as a joke, and the dialogue takes forever. The cutscenes are almost as bad, but at least you can skip them. If you are looking for a game that plays or feels anything like the trailer for this, look elsewhere. If you are looking for a boring, sluggish game with graphics from three years ago, this is for you.… Expand

3 of 17 users found this helpful

JoeP

Jan 7, 2010

10

The character personality for most of the companions is unmatched compared to other games. Although the game can be very difficult, with enough strategy you can defeat anything. I also like the idea of mod-able games like Fallout 3 where you can see fan made mods which unlocks 10 times more content that developers can ever make for free (if given time).

0 of 1 users found this helpful

OliverS

Jan 7, 2010

10

This is a positively engaging, beautiful and epic game. While unashamedly retro, you can make it as deep as you want. If you want to pause between every fight and manage your team's AI, you can. But if you want the computer to deal with AI and play in real-time, you can also do that. But the real shine in this game is from the dialogue, depth, amount of choices and just purely how This is a positively engaging, beautiful and epic game. While unashamedly retro, you can make it as deep as you want. If you want to pause between every fight and manage your team's AI, you can. But if you want the computer to deal with AI and play in real-time, you can also do that. But the real shine in this game is from the dialogue, depth, amount of choices and just purely how engaging it is. If you want to play a game purely for fun, maybe not so much for you. But this is like reading a fully interactive novel where you can explore every facet in any amount of detail. I realise many find this boring simply because story and dialogue are not so important to them. But that is really where this shines :D.… Expand

5 of 6 users found this helpful

HenkR

Jan 7, 2010

10

This game has urged me to make my first post on this website. The reason behind this: I had to up the number on this game! This game is the first game in about 10 years that finally gave me the same feeling as the Baldur's Gate series of Planescape Torment gave me: of sheer and utter pleasure. Now i admit to the fact that this game is in fact not for everybody. Moreover, it's This game has urged me to make my first post on this website. The reason behind this: I had to up the number on this game! This game is the first game in about 10 years that finally gave me the same feeling as the Baldur's Gate series of Planescape Torment gave me: of sheer and utter pleasure. Now i admit to the fact that this game is in fact not for everybody. Moreover, it's very likely that most of u won't even like this game. I mean, read the ra(n)tings of some people below me. The reason for this is that Dragon Age was defeloped as a (semi) hardcore squad-based rpg that closely resembles D&D. The fact that the game is rather hardcore shows in the way u have to use a variety of tactics, pause a lot, personally command your companions and actually think about the actions u make in this world. U can't expect to stomp through this game, u have to take your time, let it grow and make sure u spend a shitload of time tinkering your squad and gear (especially on higher difficulties) Because seriously: the AI ain't bad, you're just supposed to do it yourself. Just pause, reposition your squad, pick the abilities they need to use and just do it yourself. This is no diablo, this is baldur's gate revisited! The game doesn't do shit if you don't do it yourself and some people (like me) love the fact that you are truly in controll. Heck, it's either command or die and i love it.… Expand

5 of 6 users found this helpful

ErikT

Jan 7, 2010

10

This is one of the greatest RPGs ever to grace the PC platform. It moves from strength to strength with the characters and story taking centerstage. All the things that matter such as combat system and world lore etc. are all top notch, but the part that really surprised me was the emotional impact of the characters. Excellent writing and perfect voice casting. Bioware are the undisputed This is one of the greatest RPGs ever to grace the PC platform. It moves from strength to strength with the characters and story taking centerstage. All the things that matter such as combat system and world lore etc. are all top notch, but the part that really surprised me was the emotional impact of the characters. Excellent writing and perfect voice casting. Bioware are the undisputed kings of computer rpgs. Mass Effect II, here I come!… Expand

3 of 4 users found this helpful

Jargo

Jan 6, 2010

10

Hands down the best game I've played in a good deal of years. The writing is great and the voice talent that went with the writing is not only appropriate but well picked. It challenges the player's intellect and beliefs in a way similar to how Mask of the Betrayer did. It really makes you think about what you're doing if you take the game seriously and read the text. Hands down the best game I've played in a good deal of years. The writing is great and the voice talent that went with the writing is not only appropriate but well picked. It challenges the player's intellect and beliefs in a way similar to how Mask of the Betrayer did. It really makes you think about what you're doing if you take the game seriously and read the text. It's one of those games that when you're done you are sad it is over because you feel attached to the world and feel you could do so much more for the world in that setting.… Expand

6 of 7 users found this helpful

BrandonM

Jan 5, 2010

10

One of the best RPG's in the past 10 years!! Right there with Mass Effect, Baldur's Gate 2 and FFX (could have been better if we didn't have to read all the dialogue).

0 of 0 users found this helpful

Rukam

Jan 5, 2010

10

this is definitely one of my favorite games of all time so far cant wait to c more updates and the demo for dragon age orgins 2

1 of 5 users found this helpful

TravisH

Jan 4, 2010

10

Pros : This is the best game I have played in some time from the gamplay and graphics to the amazing storyline that makes you stay up till just 2 hours before you have to go into work just so you can find out what happens next! I can't say enough good thing about this game, the only true way to understand is to play it. Cons: This game is Amazing for PC but it was obviously made for Pros : This is the best game I have played in some time from the gamplay and graphics to the amazing storyline that makes you stay up till just 2 hours before you have to go into work just so you can find out what happens next! I can't say enough good thing about this game, the only true way to understand is to play it. Cons: This game is Amazing for PC but it was obviously made for PC and won't be the same on console. Also the game as some replay value but after the initial race quests at the begining the storyline is the same for all races/classes except for different dialog later in the game.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

NathanA

Jan 4, 2010

4

This game is absolutely terrible. The companion AI is so bad as to make the game practically unplayable without pausing the game between EVERY action. I literally had warriors sitting there doing nothing while my mage character took a beating from all the monsters. The so-called morally ambiguous dilemmas are absolutely terrible. In real life, many situations have a clear "right" This game is absolutely terrible. The companion AI is so bad as to make the game practically unplayable without pausing the game between EVERY action. I literally had warriors sitting there doing nothing while my mage character took a beating from all the monsters. The so-called morally ambiguous dilemmas are absolutely terrible. In real life, many situations have a clear "right" decision, which usually conflicts with what you want to do. Hence, the dilemma. In Dragon Age, there are no right answers. No matter what you do, you end up feeling like a jerk because you screwed over virtual people. The cutscenes are waaaay too boring and numerous. Thankfully they are skippable. If they weren't, this game would have a negative score. I have to admit that I am more of an action RPG fan. I was hoping this would be playable as a decent action RPG to tide me until Diablo 3 comes out, but apparently I was wrong. The AI is simply too terrible. From the screenshots it looked as if it would play rather like an RTS, but it's too hard to click on your units in the middle of battle. I guess you could click on the pictures to select them but that requires moving your mouse outside of the battle zone. This seems like it would be a pretty fun game if it didn't have so many issues. Honestly I can't believe the reviewers rated it so high. I think the user reviews much better reflect the quality of the game, since it has a VERY VERY VERY limited appeal. I played this game for 2 hours and can't stand it anymore, I'm uninstalling it from my computer. I was going to rate it a 0, but I CAN see how it would be appealing to some people, so I decided to go with a 4.… Expand

2 of 10 users found this helpful

PrudiiS

Jan 3, 2010

8

Ok its long i mean really really really long. I mean i just finished my first play though with a time of 91 hours and i did not even do all the side quests. This truly is an immersive game yet despite this it reminds me so much of SW: KotOR I and II. Sure dialogue options change things and it seems like things are changed but when you think about it the over all plot is not changed its Ok its long i mean really really really long. I mean i just finished my first play though with a time of 91 hours and i did not even do all the side quests. This truly is an immersive game yet despite this it reminds me so much of SW: KotOR I and II. Sure dialogue options change things and it seems like things are changed but when you think about it the over all plot is not changed its just like the dark light ending of KotOR. No matter which you follow Malak still dies. They try to sell the game by saying you control what happens. Well you don't you control the how, why, and when. For example this play though i will go to see the dwarfs before i go to the capital city. And you have to micro manage everything and be careful. I learned this on the first boss. I kept charging right in and dieing over and over again. You have to double and triple cheek your tactics settings or you die.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

RichardS

Jan 2, 2010

0

I want to like this game, there is so much to this game and it could be great but sadly bioware released an unfinished product and left it up to YOU to script the AI. In order to play anything above easy you have to babysit your entire team because if you don't they'll run backwards into walls, blast you in the back with their spells, or the rogue will constantly try to tank and I want to like this game, there is so much to this game and it could be great but sadly bioware released an unfinished product and left it up to YOU to script the AI. In order to play anything above easy you have to babysit your entire team because if you don't they'll run backwards into walls, blast you in the back with their spells, or the rogue will constantly try to tank and the tank try to sit off in a corner somewhere and play with his thumbs. Bioware placed a tactics page in the game, which is script sets with sugar-coated labels on them so it doesn't look like script sets. The Preset script sets make the AI about as retarded as the AI on Halo, leaving it to you to do bioware's job scripting the game's AI. I am sorry, but no matter how good a game is the company has no right to release a product unfinished and leave it to the consumers to complete their job.… Expand

10 of 59 users found this helpful

VireV

Jan 2, 2010

10

One of the best RPGs I've ever played. Great graphics, gripping story, lots of choices and very fun combat.

6 of 9 users found this helpful

MichaelL

Jan 1, 2010

6

Where to start... The first 10 minutes of the game seriously made me mad and forced me to stop, but soon after I picked up my controller and began playing again. I own this game for PC and The Xbox 360. First of all, theres a HUGE difference between the two, not only does the PC Have better graphics and such, but there is MUCH less lag and a few options the consoles didn't have, but Where to start... The first 10 minutes of the game seriously made me mad and forced me to stop, but soon after I picked up my controller and began playing again. I own this game for PC and The Xbox 360. First of all, theres a HUGE difference between the two, not only does the PC Have better graphics and such, but there is MUCH less lag and a few options the consoles didn't have, but I myself am I console man. Ive heard this game on the PS3 is unplayable due to horrid lag and such, but on the 360 it wasn't much different. The cutscene's lagged, considerably. Not so bad on some and horribly on others. And during cutscenes on the PC and 360 the graphics looked very foggy, even wooden. The voice acting was GREAT, for about, 5 Characters? A few important characters were fortunate enough to receive great voice acting, and the rest... Well not so much. The game itself has decent graphics, but its no Fallout 3 or Oblivion graphics-wise. The gameplay itself will suck you in at first, but 3-4 hours into the game, it gets VERY repetitive. You'll find yourself using the same button combination's over and over. Also the combat and movement is bugged, and the anti-aliasing on the models was done terribly, minor graphics glitches are present EVERYWHERE and take much away from the game. Theres even glitches that can screw-over your story-progression. The storyline itself is very good though, I will admit the lore and such were nicely done, the codex was a nice addition. It took me a good.. 4 Days Real-Time to play through this game the first time with 21 Hours logged on my level 21 Warrior. I didn't do ALL the side-quests, but I did a fair-amount. There actually isn't that many side-quests to do to be honest. In terms of an RPG this game IS NOT. The combat is turn based, even though Bioware did a decent job of masking it, and the variety of things to do is very limited, and at times forced. It didn't feel like an RPG, its just a progressive-action game with a few choices here and there and an economics system. And heres what destroyed me, once you beat the game, say goodbye! Unless you have a previous save, which the game doesn't warn you to make or anything, your Screwed! All you can do once you beat it is play DLC you haven't finished, or sit in the party camp, thats it, sorry kids. Not to mention the combat is insanely hard at times on normal. The Hard and Nightmare difficulties are impossible without some sort of cheating. I found myself changing the difficulty to Casual at times, and even then dying. Overall, on first impression, this game may seem great, but it has a lot of wasted potential. Its mostly hype, and you WILL be let down, it gets 6/10 by my mark, and only because the storyline and lore were so good.… Expand

1 of 5 users found this helpful

DuaneD

Jan 1, 2010

8

Good; very good! Not perfect, by any stretch, but what is? All in all, very enjoyable.

3 of 4 users found this helpful

RevlynT

Jan 1, 2010

10

Anything less then 8.5 is an insult this game is truely one of the best game releases from 2009-2010.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

DickS

Dec 30, 2009

6

I have only put about five hours of playtime into the game but felt the need to warn everyone that the game is incomplete. There is a "Tactics" Section that lets you customize the ai of your companions. Bioware has basicly left it up to you to script the ai yourself using an interface that is about as friendly as a psychotic baboon on speed. This would be okay if bioware actually put in I have only put about five hours of playtime into the game but felt the need to warn everyone that the game is incomplete. There is a "Tactics" Section that lets you customize the ai of your companions. Bioware has basicly left it up to you to script the ai yourself using an interface that is about as friendly as a psychotic baboon on speed. This would be okay if bioware actually put in some half decent script sets to start you off. But the AI presets get the lemming award every time i engage in battle.… Expand

2 of 5 users found this helpful

ElishaH

Dec 30, 2009

10

I got this game for christmas and I think it will keep me occupited for seval christmases to come. Dragon age is a very addictice and interesting game to play and has a lot of replay value. The game is made by bioware, which made mass effect and making mass effect 2 and baldur's gate. If you liked mass effect and baldur's gate the you will for sure like dragon age. There's I got this game for christmas and I think it will keep me occupited for seval christmases to come. Dragon age is a very addictice and interesting game to play and has a lot of replay value. The game is made by bioware, which made mass effect and making mass effect 2 and baldur's gate. If you liked mass effect and baldur's gate the you will for sure like dragon age. There's already downloadale content for it and i am sure there will be a lot more in the future. Also if you are in to rpg's this is one to chack out. The game has little bugs and i havn't spotted one yet in the 10ish hours i've played. The game has 100 hours of gameplay value. Great game.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

JoeE

Dec 30, 2009

6

I was misled by all these reviews. There is one major thing that I didnt read in any of the reviews. There is waaay too much dialog in this game. You will spend much of that game listening to dialog and chosing multiple choice questions. It reminds me of those old MUD games where youre faced with options such as "would you like to move north?". Ive spend 8 hours on the game, and atleast 6 I was misled by all these reviews. There is one major thing that I didnt read in any of the reviews. There is waaay too much dialog in this game. You will spend much of that game listening to dialog and chosing multiple choice questions. It reminds me of those old MUD games where youre faced with options such as "would you like to move north?". Ive spend 8 hours on the game, and atleast 6 of them were running between NPCS and listening to dialog. There is not enough action. You will get 10 minutes of action for every 2 hours listening to dialog. If I wanted to watch a movie or read a story I would read a book or watch a dvd....… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful

ThaneP

Dec 29, 2009

5

This game does not deserve the high rating advertised, game play is very linear with long lulls, world interaction is canned and character development is very limited.

0 of 1 users found this helpful

BradG

Dec 29, 2009

9

I think its important to put the game into the proper context. To contest some of the negative user reviews and forewarn potential buyers, you're not buying something akin to Diablo or The Elder Scrolls here. Dragon Age follows the tradition of relatively linear, but well told role playing adventures like Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, etc. Be prepared for a complex story I think its important to put the game into the proper context. To contest some of the negative user reviews and forewarn potential buyers, you're not buying something akin to Diablo or The Elder Scrolls here. Dragon Age follows the tradition of relatively linear, but well told role playing adventures like Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, etc. Be prepared for a complex story and great character development (in terms of loot, stats, and stories), not a big free-roaming world or endless waves of monsters to click on. There are plenty of side quests and places to wander off the beaten path, but the game generally keeps you focused on the central plot. With that in mind, Dragon Age is a truly epic game. Bioware have gone from developing excellent games in other people's universes to producing equally excellent titles with completely new worlds to support them. If you can stomach some serious micromanaging and almost as much dialogue as gameplay, don't pass this title up. Its the best RPG I've played since... well... the last Bioware title.… Expand

5 of 5 users found this helpful

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