Dragon Age: Origins

 PC
User Score
8.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 4891 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4,221 out of 4891
  2. Mixed: 414 out of 4891
  3. Negative: 256 out of 4891
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  1. JonathanM
    Dec 29, 2009
    9
    Absolutely lovely game, I love the choices in most conversations, I love the companions and the dialouge between them on your travels and the story of course buuuut when I started playing the game for the first time I was horribly bored and would probably have quit if I hadn't been so excited for it. After 1-3 hours or so I started enjoying myself and eventualy had awful lot and the Absolutely lovely game, I love the choices in most conversations, I love the companions and the dialouge between them on your travels and the story of course buuuut when I started playing the game for the first time I was horribly bored and would probably have quit if I hadn't been so excited for it. After 1-3 hours or so I started enjoying myself and eventualy had awful lot and the beginnings also became fun. The story and gameplay is great for the most part, even tho the difficulty curve felt wrecked at some parts. This game should absolutely not be rated by anyone who hasn't spent atleast 10 hours playing it.… Expand
  2. NickW
    Dec 29, 2009
    10
    What a great game! there is like 20 diff stories and everyone is just as exciting! i really enjoy playing this game!
  3. ChrisM
    Dec 28, 2009
    4
    After having played the game for a sum total of 5 hours, I was surprised it had not gripped me as I thought it would. RPG's from BioWare are always amazing games but after having recently finished Mass Effect (twice, one after another) I can honestly say BioWare lost the plot here. The graphics were lacklustre, dialogue was completely appauling and contributed almost nothing of real After having played the game for a sum total of 5 hours, I was surprised it had not gripped me as I thought it would. RPG's from BioWare are always amazing games but after having recently finished Mass Effect (twice, one after another) I can honestly say BioWare lost the plot here. The graphics were lacklustre, dialogue was completely appauling and contributed almost nothing of real value and the combat system gets boring after a few hours after which it becomes to feel grind-like. Add this to the extremely linear world (fast-travel map system), common load screens, inability to form an emotional connection with party members (within the first 5 hours I lost atleast 4 through the story, which gave little time to connect or feel for these NPCs). I am bewildered like many other users' as to how this game got rated so highly. It is completely unoriginal and definitely not an all-time great "RPG" by any means. The only redeeming quality of the title has to be voice acting and the origin stories which I found quite interesting, but nevertheless hardly original. If you're expected to soak up to and exceeding 50+ hours in this game it has to be amazing from start to finish and this game wasn't even amazing from the start. Do yourself a favour; if you don't have lots of spare time, aren't a hardcore RPG fan or enjoy having a compelling storyline in your games, stay away from this title! Play another RPG such as Fallout 3 or another BioWare offering of Mass Effect. It will be a much better use of your time.… Expand
  4. MarkD
    Dec 28, 2009
    10
    Best RPG of all time. The writing is beyond spectacular, as is the acting of the voice-overs, and the many, many choices and paths all lead to a a very rewarding game with great complexity and numerous replay value!
  5. JimmyC
    Dec 27, 2009
    10
    very good RPG, but loading times can be frustrating and menus are a little bit cluttered.
  6. HowardJ
    Dec 27, 2009
    10
    The Best Bioware game produced to date. A deep storyline and interesting environments combine to create the best RPG in a long time. Good to see that game developers are willing to put this much effort into game which is not intended to leech money off its players every month (MMOs).
  7. DavidD
    Dec 27, 2009
    7
    This game was OK. It took a long time to finish and got very repetitive by the end. The plot is linear and not very engaging. The design of the maps mean it can take a long time to walk from place to place. The combat is ok (basically the same as BG & BG2) but again repetitive. Tactics were neat but inconsistent. The plot is average with few interesting twists (like with Morrigan at the This game was OK. It took a long time to finish and got very repetitive by the end. The plot is linear and not very engaging. The design of the maps mean it can take a long time to walk from place to place. The combat is ok (basically the same as BG & BG2) but again repetitive. Tactics were neat but inconsistent. The plot is average with few interesting twists (like with Morrigan at the end of the game). Overall a 7.… Expand
  8. JonasH
    Dec 27, 2009
    10
    This game made me believe in Role-Playing Games again.
  9. LeahR
    Dec 26, 2009
    3
    Most overrated RPG of the year. The AI is terrible. Left alone, it will either sit around doing nothing, which means you go nowhere if you've chosen to play a ranged or back-line support class--or else it will rush blindly into enemies, leaving you to perform damage control and clean up behind as it continues to charge forward without pause. If you play on anything above casual Most overrated RPG of the year. The AI is terrible. Left alone, it will either sit around doing nothing, which means you go nowhere if you've chosen to play a ranged or back-line support class--or else it will rush blindly into enemies, leaving you to perform damage control and clean up behind as it continues to charge forward without pause. If you play on anything above casual difficulty, you'll fight the AI every step of the way and end up having to constantly micromanage your party. The game offers "tactics" slots which you can use to assign conditional behavior patterns to NPC teammates, e.g. "Heal yourself if your health gets below X%," yet for some insane reason, you have to spend skill points to unlock these tactics slots. Essentially, you must spend skill points to make the AI slightly less stupid. The tactics also need far more flexibility and generality, e.g. "Use any debuff skill not on cooldown" instead of "Use specific skill X." Because of this, the tactics end up being mostly useless on harder difficulty levels and require you to micromanage the team anyway. On top of these gameplay issues, DAO has a ridiculous amount of dialogue, even by Bioware's verbose standards. It's well-written dialogue, for the most part--but it's still redundant jawing. Too much of the narrative is talked about rather than shown in action. This tendency to tell rather than show has been creeping deeper into each successive Bioware game for years, but it feels like DAO finally crossed the line into self-indulgent writing. Ultimately, the game is simply formulaic: it's the same linear, on-rails RPG with the same linear, on-rails dialogue "choices" which are supposed to give us the illusion of making moral decisions in tense, finely-shaded conflicts. Bioware has been making this same well- (if over-) written, painstakingly-realized, yet ultimately stultifying and narratively-funneled game for years. While playing, I kept thinking how cinematic the game felt, and how much more I would have enjoyed it as an animated film, or a novel. Dragon Age: Origins is a throwback RPG addled by last-gen gameplay and self-indulgent, tedious writing.… Expand
  10. John
    Dec 26, 2009
    9
    Awesome story and combat, The graphics arent that great but still better than average. Totally worth spending your money on.
  11. DanS.
    Dec 24, 2009
    0
    Overrated. Conversation options are merely cosmetic; almost all of them are inconsequential and lead towards the same path. Mindless dungeon crawl with a weak combat system. The antagonists lack depth.
  12. ManuelA
    Dec 24, 2009
    0
    It's decent for the kind of games the industry's been feeding us. The dumbing down is certainly out of hand. This is pretty much a simplified, in all its features, version of Baldur's Gate. And even BG wasn't all that good to begin with if you were to compare it to Arcanum or PS:T.
  13. antoniod
    Dec 24, 2009
    3
    It's only good when compared to games in the crpg category released in recent years. Now, if I were to compare it to Vamp: Bloodlines, Planescape: Torment, Arcanum or Fallout 2 then it was a major disappointment. Especially considering how even Baldur's Gate was done better, a game that's pretty much its predecessor.
  14. StephenM
    Dec 23, 2009
    8
    Definitely has flaws but what a great spiritual sucessor to Baldur's Gate 2. Wow just give it a chance. Even better than Fallout 3 (great game) in my opinion. It will be interesting to see where the mod community takes this.
  15. MattG
    Dec 23, 2009
    4
    good storyline, voice acting, graphics? ok, but the gameplay is what killed the game. Oh look an enemy. "click".. 5 seconds later oh look another enemy. "click" and then theres the boss, lets use tactics and our skills to kill it! oh wait, we only have stun abilities which dont work on bosses... Overall the gameplay was depressing, but i thought it had an epic storyline, i loved having good storyline, voice acting, graphics? ok, but the gameplay is what killed the game. Oh look an enemy. "click".. 5 seconds later oh look another enemy. "click" and then theres the boss, lets use tactics and our skills to kill it! oh wait, we only have stun abilities which dont work on bosses... Overall the gameplay was depressing, but i thought it had an epic storyline, i loved having people at my knees begging for mercy, that was the best part of the game.… Expand
  16. ColinS
    Dec 22, 2009
    6
    For the life of me I can't understanding the glowing press this game is getting, and what seems to me to be people who aren't thinking for themselves lining up behind it. Shocking. The game is in many respects mediocre, tired and lame. It's not horrible, but it is so far away from Balder's Gate attempts at comparison are embarassing. I loved Mass Effect, BG and KOTOR. For the life of me I can't understanding the glowing press this game is getting, and what seems to me to be people who aren't thinking for themselves lining up behind it. Shocking. The game is in many respects mediocre, tired and lame. It's not horrible, but it is so far away from Balder's Gate attempts at comparison are embarassing. I loved Mass Effect, BG and KOTOR. Found NWN I/II to be really solid. This game doesn't live up to any of them, frankly. Boring silly predictable plot, game balancing is bad (lead designers seem to have a strong preference for mages). I thought dialog and voice acting were good/great. Graphics ok, but not great. Not much innovative in the game at all, and even some of Bioware's usual strong points aren't up to standards.… Expand
  17. kungfucat
    Dec 21, 2009
    9
    Its without a doubt, the best rpg ive played in all my life. Great story, beatifull graphics, its not rpetitive, (wich is awsome for an rpg) and if you liked the lord of the ring or games like that, you will love dragon age origin... There is only 2 little things that i got to say about this game, even on easy, the game can be hard for a beginner in rpg's and if you don't have Its without a doubt, the best rpg ive played in all my life. Great story, beatifull graphics, its not rpetitive, (wich is awsome for an rpg) and if you liked the lord of the ring or games like that, you will love dragon age origin... There is only 2 little things that i got to say about this game, even on easy, the game can be hard for a beginner in rpg's and if you don't have an hig end computer and you put the settings on ultra high, welcome to the lags... Also, if you want a non repetitive rpg game, this one is for you. Ive beated the game and i still surprise by all the occasions that i missed, again, wonderfull story...… Expand
  18. CharlieA
    Dec 21, 2009
    2
    I was really excited when I got this game, but it soon faded as the harsh reality of a boring combat system emerged, I tried to play on but to no avail. I really struggle to see why everyone loves this game, sure the graphics are nice, yeah it has quite rich content, but that doesn't redeem the RTS/RPG reject offspring of a combat system, I've mass effect and i thought it was I was really excited when I got this game, but it soon faded as the harsh reality of a boring combat system emerged, I tried to play on but to no avail. I really struggle to see why everyone loves this game, sure the graphics are nice, yeah it has quite rich content, but that doesn't redeem the RTS/RPG reject offspring of a combat system, I've mass effect and i thought it was brilliant, but this was a complete let down tbh.… Expand
  19. AlexF
    Dec 21, 2009
    5
    Old LotR-story, tedious and overpresent combat, half-witted characters, and dull quest design. This game is boring from top to bottom. If you have never played a CRPG before, buy it. Everyone else:Stay away, because you will only find a collection of the most old and ancient fantasy-cliches ever put in a game.
  20. MasonA
    Dec 20, 2009
    10
    I would have gone with a 9.5 on this and you round up right? This is a phenomenal game. I just recently beat it and it is among my favorite games off all time, only better games were morrowind and oblivion. The environment is breathtaking and absolutely captivating. I loved every second I played this game.
  21. PavelZ
    Dec 18, 2009
    10
    For me RPG of decade, possible best then BG2. I can't regret every single minute spend playing this masterpeice :D
  22. DonC
    Dec 18, 2009
    10
    Just stunning. What else can I say? Having played RPGs since the release of Eye of the Beholder, it is really staggering how far the genre has come. Give this one an hour of your time and see how it sticks with you... and suddenly your week has disappeared, spent exploring every nook and cranny of the game world. Worth every penny of the asking price, just wow.
  23. ScottW
    Dec 17, 2009
    8
    An epicly long campain. Be prepared to micromanage. If you're prepared to give this game a good run, don't give up early. It took me about 12 hours of gameplay to get to the point where it was no longer terrible. 40 hours in, I was really enjoying myself. By 80 hours, I was addicted. Reminiscent of a single-player World of Warcraft with more strategy involved.
  24. GarethS
    Dec 17, 2009
    10
    I was tempted to rate this a 9 simply for the reason that I can't see why it would have been difficult to add some kind of online element. I would have liked to have been able to take my rogue character and beat on some of the warrior fans on the Bioware forum for example. Anyhow, it is what it is and it's still one of the best games I've ever played. It has some minor I was tempted to rate this a 9 simply for the reason that I can't see why it would have been difficult to add some kind of online element. I would have liked to have been able to take my rogue character and beat on some of the warrior fans on the Bioware forum for example. Anyhow, it is what it is and it's still one of the best games I've ever played. It has some minor flaws, most notably the strange difficulty spikes at points that arent really meant to be that difficult and the fact that the final battle with the archdemon is actually easier than some of the other battles leading up to it. Ignore the people giving this game stupidly low scores, it's a well crafted game made by the undisputed masters of the genre. When you are playing through a game you have completed for the third time then you know you have had every penny's worth of what you paid for a game… Expand
  25. VinnieS
    Dec 17, 2009
    7
    I have mixed feelings about the game; The atmosphere and environment are pretty damn nice and the world has some rich, if not derivative, details but there are some huge issues with the UI and combat. To talk about its strengths, I'd say that DAO is better than most other 1 player RPGs out there. The music is good, the visuals are great, and it was built with the PC in mind which is I have mixed feelings about the game; The atmosphere and environment are pretty damn nice and the world has some rich, if not derivative, details but there are some huge issues with the UI and combat. To talk about its strengths, I'd say that DAO is better than most other 1 player RPGs out there. The music is good, the visuals are great, and it was built with the PC in mind which is a big plus, these days. The graphics really do deserve some credit: the fire effects look sick and the world is huge and well modeled. I know I always focus on the negatives of these types of games, but that's mainly because if I actually buy a game, then it must have something going for it. Most games I buy have some quality to them that attracts me enough, initially, to drop 50. That said, the game's UI is just not very n00b friendly. I'd need to sit there for like 15-20 min and decide all these default actions for my party members, and they still do some incredibly stupid shit like run into traps and get blown up by fireballs that come off the screen. I think that's the biggest issue with the game. You can either see more of the enemies in the WoW-style view (which makes it hard to click on your partners and issue commands), or you get zoomed out into a half-assed RTS view where you can't fucking see everyone. I know there's a method to queue up actions for each character, but the UI doesn't do a good job of showing these command queues. The AI setting screen also has some issues, as there's no obvious way to add functions (though I am sure one exists). Also, it all seems very specific "taunt if Hero is being attacked BY RANGE" and the same "BY MAGIC" and "BY MELEE." Is there a way to roll this all into: "peel off me asap negros?" Aside from this is the really variable voice acting. I don't know how review sites said shit like "you can always expect amazing voice work from BioWare!" All these guys must be paid off. It seems like "good voice acting" meant announcing "LF Voice actor PST" in the streets of Britain, as every single motherfucker alive has a British accent, and they all sound super unnatural and at many times mouth-breath. It works in some cases, but it gets wearing in a hurry. Another big issue is just BioWare's character development department sucks ass. Human beings in real life have shit like, I don't know, SUBTLETY!?!? Every character in this game is entirely devoid of the notion. The arrogant, cocky king CONSTANTLY boasts about how he's going to go to war and kill a billion people and shit. Yes, we get it, he's arrogant and battle thirsty. For having him say it that often you might as well have him say "Hi, Duncan, I am the arrogant, douchebag king that totally sweats Gray Warden balls." The issue is that there's no ambiguity; in real life it's often tough to read people and realize what they're actually thinking. There is actually uncertainty and mystery to people when you first meet them. You can stereotype, but it's not always how things are. This game thinks it's being subtle but I've seen less obvious behavior in Disney cartoon movies. The last thing I won't really fault DAO alone for, but it's a general trend that I've been noticing that I think ought to be addressed. This whole idea of choices in games. I wrote, 2 years ago, that Mass Effect had a lot of false choices and characters often said the same shit regardless of what you choose. Same deal here. In fact, you often get replies like you said absolutely nothing. The question, then, is simple: WHY BOTHER ASKING ME FOR INPUT? The decision to give you these stupid choices was probably due to amazing games like Metal Gear Solid 4 getting flack for having too much cinema and not enough action. The solution, to BioWare, was obvious; allow the user to FEEL like they're doing something by making them input random nonsense every few minutes that's disregarded anyway. It REALLY breaks the flow of the game, and there were at least 5 cut scenes where an interesting conversation abruptly stopped so I could be ignored after choosing something from 7 long options. Why the fuck do companies think this is a bright idea? I think developers should just make one story, like a novel, that the player experiences. These decision mechanics are always shallow and unimpressive. If you want to give people complete freedom, then do it. Don't just half ass everything for a bullet on the back of the game box. ASK YOURSELF is it necessary? Is it intuitive? And most importantly IS IT FUN?… Expand
  26. AaronM
    Dec 16, 2009
    6
    How this game gets a metascore of 91 I have no idea. Playing this game is a chore. The load times are terrible, the amount of 'errand' type quests they have you doing which involve load screens make it that much worse. The combat is frustrating on normal difficulty unless you're the type to do EVERY side quest possible to maximize your party's level and gear. People How this game gets a metascore of 91 I have no idea. Playing this game is a chore. The load times are terrible, the amount of 'errand' type quests they have you doing which involve load screens make it that much worse. The combat is frustrating on normal difficulty unless you're the type to do EVERY side quest possible to maximize your party's level and gear. People say the gameplay time is at least 65 hours, but I think a large factor in that is struggling through every combat encounter pausing every round to give specific orders to 4 people in your party. Not to mention that most times the party members who suck the most are the most entertaining to have around, and vice versa. So you'll enjoy beating the game with stoic warriors, a dog, and an annoying healing mage. The plot is about as predictable as they come. I kept waiting for the twist, but it never came. Not to mention you are the protagonist for no particular reason. You are the NEWEST recruit, and yet everyone in the country follows your lead like it was god's will. Saving graces for the game are that it was executed with style, depth, decent graphics, entirely spoken dialog and gratuitous sexuality which if nothing else makes it stand apart. If you want to watch your male character do it with a dude, you can make that happen. It'll be weird to watch, but its something you wont get anywhere else.… Expand
  27. NabiguzojeK
    Dec 16, 2009
    4
    I have played for 5 hours only, but nevertheless i'm already getting bored by the game. And rating is failing with time that i have spend on this game, so probably in couple of gameplay hours i will rate the game even worse. In my eyes RPG is not so about weapons or magic that i'm wielding but about my impact to imaginary world and in this game my impact is 0 since everything is I have played for 5 hours only, but nevertheless i'm already getting bored by the game. And rating is failing with time that i have spend on this game, so probably in couple of gameplay hours i will rate the game even worse. In my eyes RPG is not so about weapons or magic that i'm wielding but about my impact to imaginary world and in this game my impact is 0 since everything is preset and you will follow the main qest straight forwardly. Blood and gore are too boring, and i have switched it off immediately since i dont want to be covered with blood constantly. Dog is nice, but it cannot be compared with beloved Dogmeat (Fallout one) On good side, i like wielding the sword, but since this is pure hack and slash (with load of cinematic and stupid dialogs that are useless since story is obvious) Diablo (or any clone) is much better option for gaming 50 euros for this is waaaaay to much… Expand
  28. ColinVD
    Dec 15, 2009
    9
    I think it was a very enjoyable experience. The story was interesting, I found myself talking to the NPCs to learn their back stories. I was a very big fan of the old Black Isle games, and replayed them often. I suppose I am a but of a fan boy, but I like the game a lot. It is just the DLC right at the release kind of chaps my cheeks a bit.
  29. MicheleM.
    Dec 15, 2009
    7
    The storyline is pretty good but after all very predictable. Absolutely nonsense that you need to pay in order to complete an "optional quest". Combat system is not really innovative (like "The Witcher" that has outstanding combat sequencies). Dragon Age just added a meaninglessly quantity of blood to ordinary combat (note: I usually like bloody games!) . Graphics are good, especially in The storyline is pretty good but after all very predictable. Absolutely nonsense that you need to pay in order to complete an "optional quest". Combat system is not really innovative (like "The Witcher" that has outstanding combat sequencies). Dragon Age just added a meaninglessly quantity of blood to ordinary combat (note: I usually like bloody games!) . Graphics are good, especially in cinematics (a little less in gameplay). Summarizing I don't see a real innovation/improvement from NeverWinter Nights serie but I had a quite good time in playing DA (anyway far below expectations).… Expand
  30. CallanR
    Dec 13, 2009
    2
    I am truly mystified by the universal acclaim this game has gotten. The first few hours of the game ARE good, very good even. However the novelty quickly fades as you progress further into the game. The game is totally linear with little to do other than the main 'quest' that furthers the storyline; all but one or two of the side quests are brief, uninteresting and completely I am truly mystified by the universal acclaim this game has gotten. The first few hours of the game ARE good, very good even. However the novelty quickly fades as you progress further into the game. The game is totally linear with little to do other than the main 'quest' that furthers the storyline; all but one or two of the side quests are brief, uninteresting and completely unrewarding. Furthermore the emphasis the game places on the overarching purpose of the main character is bizarre: you are warned of a big bad archdemon and a giant army of evil darkspawn, but these are quickly forgotten as you trudge through boring, uninteresting dungeons/quests for 50 hours in order to 'get ready' to fight the darkspawn army. While playing on hard, the combat is rewarding in the sense that the game is difficult and you will be forced to tweak your tactics for each particular battle, which is a good thing. The problem is that there are really only a handful of skills that are worthwhile, I couldn't imagine playing this game without Cone of Cold. Some skills/spell trees border on unuseable, and with such a slim selection of skills this narrows down your selection quite a bit. The absence of a concrete storyline in the twilight portions of the game is particularly frustrating. While having a direct influence on the outcome on the main storyline/other characters is obviously a must for an RPG, Bioware literally leaves almost everything up to the player in the latter portions of the game. Having a choice is good: giving the player too much choice leaves the experience empty and kind of hollow as you no longer feel like you are immersed in a storyline, rather you are just finishing the ending yourself for the writers. In the end, the game is long, grindy, boring and unrewarding. The items, skills and sidequests are all incredibly bland, and the world has little charm. Some of the characters ARE interesting (Zevran, Sten) while others are cookie cutter characitures and feel completely dead and predictable (Alistair and Leliana, and Morrigan is one of the most awful annoying characters to ever grace video games). The world is filled with red tape, and 90% of the gameplay is in effect waiting as all you are doing for dozens of hours is getting ready gathering an army for one battle sequence that lasts no more than an hour or two. I really wanted to like this game but was sorely disappointed in it.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

3
#3 Best PC Game of 2009
4
#4 Most Discussed PC Game of 2009
4
#4 Most Shared PC Game of 2009

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 67 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 66 out of 67
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 67
  3. Negative: 0 out of 67
  1. Gameplayer Sweden
    100
    If you're into rpgs, or rather if you love roleplaying in general, there's really no need to waste time reading any reviews of this game. The same goes if you regard games like Planescape: Torment, Fallout 2 and the Baldurs Gate-series among the best computer games ever made. Because this game is everything a person like you look for in a game, and so much more. Be aware though, Dragon Age: Origins is not a revolution of the genre, rather it is an evolution, where Bioware has refined everything that made them into a formula as close to perfection as possible. Without a doubt one of the strongest Game of the year-candidates so far this year and a game we will remember with warm feelings many years to come.
    Read full review
  2. PC Gamer
    92
    An outstanding story-driven RPG with fantastic writing, RPG depth and tough tactical combat. It's BioWare's best RPG since Baldur's Gate 2. [Holiday 2009, p.38]
  3. GamingXP
    92
    Dragon Age Origins will keep you in front of your computer for hours! Graphics, sounds and the controls couldn’t be much better!
    Read full review
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