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. Lone
    Nov 17, 2009
    6
    To start the rating of "6" does not equate to the typical failure associated with gamer site 60%. "5" would be fair, so in this case I felt DAO was overall a good game with some important flaws. This review is after a complete finish at about 58 hours with only about half a dozen minor courier-like quests not completed. Pros: Bioware continues to set the bar for role playing and character To start the rating of "6" does not equate to the typical failure associated with gamer site 60%. "5" would be fair, so in this case I felt DAO was overall a good game with some important flaws. This review is after a complete finish at about 58 hours with only about half a dozen minor courier-like quests not completed. Pros: Bioware continues to set the bar for role playing and character building. DAO has a great variety of characters, both player related and NPC. You are supplied with a wide variety of skills to build around and the game is designed as such that by the end you've created a uniquely competent group of adventurers with a lot of backstory. The majority of the voice acting is excellent and fit the character speaking very well. The environment and level design is engaging and well fleshed out. The Dwarven city and its related content was often beautiful in its scope. And while your path to a goal is fairly linear, as is with Bioware RPG releases, there is enough freedom, action, and circumstance that you dont feel confined by its design. Many locations are logical and you're ok with point A to B because its accomplishing a reasonable goal. Cons: Game play wise, there is a severe lean towards an 'A' team, the optimally grouping of classes and skills you need to use to progress. And forbid you run off or deny a key character into the fold because you may end up with a game breaking lack that others cant fill. For all the customization you do in the beginning, your own character just ends up as a cog that only a few NPCs fit to whether or not you like their personality or want to use them. Some battles are so overwhelming in their balance problems or the difficulty curve suddenly spikes that you play the reload dance until you get it just right (and the load times, even on a high-end PC, can be oppressive in that situation). At times you can hit literal soft walls where you've been led to believe by past experience that you're at level for that area but find yourself in an encounter (it could be the last 99% or even the zone start) that says "No, you cant do this now. Walk away and try again later". There were points Id experienced where I knew Id already completed a more difficult zone or fight and that I wasn't facing a harder challenge but just bad design. You begin to question if being let off the linear leash, even a little, was a good idea compared to this punch in your immersive gut. The story and world of DAO is straightforward fantasy. Do not expect to be introduced to much of anything outside of the typical Tolkien guide book. There is some twist of course and just enough to set it apart. None of that is really a con because it is so often done well. There is some debate about the constant attempts to get your notice of "premium" paid downloaded content. And there is some blatantly in-game deception that is forced on you based on your lack of familiarity in that specific circumstance. I can appreciate the attempt to introduce it in an organic way but not the length to which your led along the crumb trail. Ive played through a large portion of Bioware's RPG library; from Baulders Gate 2, NWN 1 & 2, to the Star Wars KOTOR franchise and Mass Effect. And while Ill repeat that they've continued to raise the RPG bar with DAO again in some respects some important elements gotten left at the wayside. I am a good gamer with a lot of experience and dont expect things to be perfect. What I do not like is pay out $50 (not an easy amount for me to dole out often) to be frustrated and denied a reasonable experience. I pay to be challenged and have an engaging, enjoyable one. By the very end of DAO Id stopped caring about loot or the story. All the past accomplishment, including the rush of a drawn out dragon encounter, just felt empty and I just forced it to be done. By the end I'd really liked to have seen some of that 50 back in my pocket and was curious how much of nearly 60 hours was really wasted on avoidable issues and watching a tribal tattoo spin in circles.… Expand
  2. Jet
    Nov 17, 2009
    10
    Just stopping by to say that DA rocks! If you love old BG series and the witcher, you'll bathe in sunlight in this latest title from Bioware.
  3. ThomasA
    Nov 16, 2009
    6
    Beautifully made, though I do not like the location based map setup much. An open world would have benefitted the game a lot. It has a bit of a "Quake level" type feeling to it. The story is good, though I can't say it really caught on. But that might just be me. Risk/reward ratio is screwy. After four hours of gameplay I have found two or three useful items. I found a thief Beautifully made, though I do not like the location based map setup much. An open world would have benefitted the game a lot. It has a bit of a "Quake level" type feeling to it. The story is good, though I can't say it really caught on. But that might just be me. Risk/reward ratio is screwy. After four hours of gameplay I have found two or three useful items. I found a thief character, I added to the party, but her skill has been too low for most chests so far. Currently my party has been outleved at every encouter for a while now, so that combat becomes very tedious micro management, especially in light of the usually non-existent rewards. It does not feel like accomplishment, but a fight for survival even on random encounters. Another big turn off for me is the bad AI. Actually, there isn't really an AI. Allowing the player to define NPC behavior was a good idea. Requiring the sacrifice of other character skills to improve said NPC behavior must rank among the worst ideas in gaming history. That and the limited selection of engagement options make difficult battles impossible without micro managing every party member. All in all I'm going to delete it after four hours of which only the first two had been fun. This game looks like it has potential, but at least with the path I took (which I think wasn't out of the ordinary) it fails to motivate me due to the aforemention risk/reward imbalance. If you have a lot of time and patience, go for it! If you are looking for some casual gaming fun, stay way! P.S.: No, I am not a n00b. ;-) I did not spent a whole lot of time trying to understand the inner working of the game, but I think if I cannot casually play a game successfully with over 20 years of gaming experience, then it's safe to say this is a game for hardcore gamers with a lot of time on their hands. Yeah, I know, it's my fault I got a job. ;-)… Expand
  4. N.Ja
    Nov 15, 2009
    10
    That game was so fun to play. It brings out again the good game I loved to play Baldur's gate but with nice graphics. Nice history and long play time. it's also nice to be able to play again.
  5. KevinH
    Nov 15, 2009
    9
    It's true there are very few boundaries broken, and the persistent gore is a little silly (but you can turn it off) But it is HUGE - and - polished, there are only a very few glitches in well over 80 hours gameplay. Most of all, nearly all of that 80 hours is a lot of fun, there's not much "filler" (except perhaps the sloth demon level, it's several hours in a blurred It's true there are very few boundaries broken, and the persistent gore is a little silly (but you can turn it off) But it is HUGE - and - polished, there are only a very few glitches in well over 80 hours gameplay. Most of all, nearly all of that 80 hours is a lot of fun, there's not much "filler" (except perhaps the sloth demon level, it's several hours in a blurred "dreamscape", which is a little tedious and is excesively hard on the eye, it almost make me begrduge scoring it a 9) There are only a couple of minor frustrating moments, and in the age of google these are only fleeting. A truly impressive achievement - I hope the DLC lives up to the original game !… Expand
  6. sam
    Nov 15, 2009
    10
    Dragon Age Origins captures the audience with a compelling storyline that triggers the emotions. A combat strategy that puts players in full control and rewards attention to detail. Electronic Arts and Bioware show their experience with one of the best RPG's of the decade!
  7. BradH
    Nov 15, 2009
    10
    Im on my first charachter. Started on hard mode and have made it to level 12 ( out of 16 levels?) but not wwithout getting completely schooled by the tougher charachters. You cannot let your guard down. I stop to read every scrap of storyline and it is very interesting indeed. The information that you get from readin the story will help your results. They accomplished to take a tired Im on my first charachter. Started on hard mode and have made it to level 12 ( out of 16 levels?) but not wwithout getting completely schooled by the tougher charachters. You cannot let your guard down. I stop to read every scrap of storyline and it is very interesting indeed. The information that you get from readin the story will help your results. They accomplished to take a tired genre and make it amazing. Hats off to the creative team. Also very few bugs imho.… Expand
  8. MK
    Nov 15, 2009
    9
    Ok, I ve been playing the game for 8-9 hours straight. The first impression is that it is a solid, well thought out, with good graphics and a very (very) interesting story with many turns in the plot old school RPG. I haven't been this exhilarated with an RPG since BGII almost a decade ago. Some say about the graphics that are dated, in my opinion there is no such issue. I find them Ok, I ve been playing the game for 8-9 hours straight. The first impression is that it is a solid, well thought out, with good graphics and a very (very) interesting story with many turns in the plot old school RPG. I haven't been this exhilarated with an RPG since BGII almost a decade ago. Some say about the graphics that are dated, in my opinion there is no such issue. I find them way better than most recent RPGs out there. Innovations, there are a couple (one is the use of tactics and tactic slots) but not many to make the game a breakthrough in the genre. The gameplay is one of the bes with, old Bioware-Activision top notch dialogues, a very helpful and immersive CODEX (a kind of encyclopedia), almost real characters and a very helpful UI and intuitive interaction menus. All in all, for me, a great and classic game.… Expand
  9. JanX
    Nov 14, 2009
    10
    I was a bit sceptical when I learned that they weren't getting a license for the D&D universe this time, but what BioWare has provided us with here simply blows my mind. I've played every BioWare rpg from Planescape Torment on and the experience of Dragon Age surpasses even Baldur's Gate 2 for me. Yes, it is pretty linear and sometimes I thought to myself "okay, this would I was a bit sceptical when I learned that they weren't getting a license for the D&D universe this time, but what BioWare has provided us with here simply blows my mind. I've played every BioWare rpg from Planescape Torment on and the experience of Dragon Age surpasses even Baldur's Gate 2 for me. Yes, it is pretty linear and sometimes I thought to myself "okay, this would have worked differently without EA" - but the world they created is so vivid and believable you instantly become immersed in it and want to play it again several times with different characters, because it will be a whole different experience depending on your race, class and good/evil alignment.… Expand
  10. sdOK
    Nov 14, 2009
    10
    Simply spectacular. I get very easily bored of tolkienesque generic fantasy settings. And this game is very much in that genre. But Dragon Age is just so superbly executed any minor quibbles are rendered irrelevant. If you like epic fantasy; this is it. Mature, intelligent and exciting. I dont think I have ever been moved by the characters in a game so much. And I would also say as an Simply spectacular. I get very easily bored of tolkienesque generic fantasy settings. And this game is very much in that genre. But Dragon Age is just so superbly executed any minor quibbles are rendered irrelevant. If you like epic fantasy; this is it. Mature, intelligent and exciting. I dont think I have ever been moved by the characters in a game so much. And I would also say as an avid and voracious reader of scifi/fantasy fiction this is the first time that I would say a game could rival a decent fantasy novel. Plus after playing the game to the conclusion with some very long sessions the game ran like a dream. Absolutely no bugs or crashes. 10/10… Expand
  11. RyanC
    Nov 14, 2009
    9
    It certainly sucks you in and never lets go, but I personally never felt the strong attachment to the characters like I did while playing Mass Effect. It's still a fantastic game, and in terms of the actual RPG elements, very likely the best of its kind ever created. It's nothing we haven't seen before, but it's everything that we're used to injected with a new It certainly sucks you in and never lets go, but I personally never felt the strong attachment to the characters like I did while playing Mass Effect. It's still a fantastic game, and in terms of the actual RPG elements, very likely the best of its kind ever created. It's nothing we haven't seen before, but it's everything that we're used to injected with a new life. What could have been a drab, outdated fantasy setting was turned into a fully new and realized world and should absolutely not be missed by any fans of RPGs or good games in general. In a world where Call of Duty and Madden steal the spotlight, it's a breath of fresh air to see a finely-crafted and well-tuned epic appeal to so many.… Expand
  12. TravisRoot
    Nov 13, 2009
    10
    Being one of the most addictive rpg's from story alone created an amazing game, adding on to that with extremely satisfying gameplay i can play this game for hours. Plus the toolset that comes as a free seprate download. this game is a perfect value.
  13. NotImportant......
    Nov 13, 2009
    10
    WoW. i gotta say this game is one of its kind. I have actually never tried an RPG before so this is my first and i gotta say its freaking AWSOM. Iv always Liked Fps games much more than the boring RPG games like Kotor. Iv played it for 5 days almost and Iv only gotten 25% of the game and i usally play 2 hours or something like that. I Recomend this game to everyone even the Fps players :D
  14. ironmike
    Nov 13, 2009
    10
    A game that doesn't "go with the flow": it's very long, difficult and with a story and characters well made...casual players please stay away.
  15. TomB.
    Nov 13, 2009
    10
    An incredible game. At the end of the third decade of PC gaming, a near perfect role playing game was delivered to us gamers. Superb and intuitive game controls (on the PC) combined with a way to tell the stories that I am surprised again and again.
  16. BoBek
    Nov 12, 2009
    8
    This is some crazy shit! You'll need two lives to play this game full and twice, or even more times. Graphic is shitty but - Man! Im playing this about 27 hours and its like 23%!!!!!!!11one The biggest and only for hardcores RRPG
  17. DanielB
    Nov 12, 2009
    10
    This is a real return to form for Bioware. It's hugely reminiscent of Baldur's Gate in gameplay, although I could see it being confusing for people who weren't fans of the genre back then. It's not a simple game, by any means. I really don't understand what people are talking about when they say it's like last gen's graphics; i've got the settings This is a real return to form for Bioware. It's hugely reminiscent of Baldur's Gate in gameplay, although I could see it being confusing for people who weren't fans of the genre back then. It's not a simple game, by any means. I really don't understand what people are talking about when they say it's like last gen's graphics; i've got the settings maxed out on my pc and honestly, it's pretty stunning. Voice acting is really well done, and party members bounce off one another superbly. There have been some lines that made me laugh out loud while playing. Keeping everybody happy is proving to be quite a challenge too, much more so than Mass Effect of KOTOR were. I welcome the challenge; it makes you really consider everything you do much more carefully. Speaking of which, I've been moaning for years the polarity of 'morality choices' in these games. I applauded the initiative to make choices matter, but found the execution lacking. Everything was always 'be good' or 'be evil', with no interesting choices. Bioware have really nailed it in this game. So far, at around 30 hours into the game, I've encountered situations where there is no good or bad choice; rather I've found myself confronted by agonising decisions where there are no right answers, and every choice could conceivably have disasterous outcomes for all involved. The major decisions in this game carry a lot of weight, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how they play out through the rest of the campaign. This is the most engaging RPG i've played in nearly a decade, and although it's not perfect, and definitely not for everyone, it's a comfortable 10 from me.… Expand
  18. LueDine
    Nov 12, 2009
    9
    The story is pretty good, the graphics are nice to look at and overall the game is pretty darn entertaining, infact, I'd say it is almost as good as baldurs gate 2 wich clearly is one of the best story RPGs ever. Clearly a 9 altho the DLCs doesnt belong on the PC, and definitly not when released on the same day as the game is released..
  19. AppleOrange
    Nov 12, 2009
    10
    First on metacritic, but I have to point out some of these reviews are being completely unfair. This game held me attention from beggining to end, it wasn't a game where I EVER felt tired to play. From the gameplay to graphics to story, the game Bioware created is top notch, and will join the league of great games that were created by them. It is definately a must buy. Fans of RPGs First on metacritic, but I have to point out some of these reviews are being completely unfair. This game held me attention from beggining to end, it wasn't a game where I EVER felt tired to play. From the gameplay to graphics to story, the game Bioware created is top notch, and will join the league of great games that were created by them. It is definately a must buy. Fans of RPGs and strategy will extremely enjoy this game.… Expand
  20. DennisB
    Nov 12, 2009
    10
    If you like RPG's buy it! This game is just awesome. At the beginning, i wasn't sure if i should play this game, but the story and atmosphere was that great that i couldn't stop playing this!
  21. Beef
    Nov 12, 2009
    9
    Exceptional scope, writing and character development make this a must own game for any fan of RPGs. The graphics are at times a little lackluster, the difficulty can spike unpredictably and the core gameplay itself offers little innovation but this is more than offset by the experience as a whole. After 30 hours of playing, I have barely managed to complete 1 third of the game.
  22. RandyP
    Nov 12, 2009
    8
    Negatives: Crashes, really long loading screens, and some very trite, tedious quests. Positive: Gripping gameplay, intriguing history and plot. Neutral: Digital actors are well done. Some of them are so well done but annoying you want to kill them, sacrificing the approval rating of your whole party!
  23. JoelC
    Nov 11, 2009
    10
    Great game and i am hardly through it! i laugh reading some of the user reviews here like complaining about the autosave system and how they fail at the simple process of claiming the DLC's. Pay no heed to them, this IS a good game!
  24. BenF
    Nov 11, 2009
    6
    DA:O is technically impressive, but the story falls flat. The writing is lackluster, the story never grabbed me (Played until lv.7) and... I just expected sooo much more. When playing, one gets the distinct impression that it is actually a tech demo for Bioware's newest RPG engine. The spells are flashy, but boring, the difficulty is wildly inconsistent, and the dialog seems stifled. DA:O is technically impressive, but the story falls flat. The writing is lackluster, the story never grabbed me (Played until lv.7) and... I just expected sooo much more. When playing, one gets the distinct impression that it is actually a tech demo for Bioware's newest RPG engine. The spells are flashy, but boring, the difficulty is wildly inconsistent, and the dialog seems stifled. Here's to hoping MassEffect 2 will be an order of magnitude better!… Expand
  25. Volcano
    Nov 11, 2009
    5
    Brian S summarized it best, its a good machinimia, excuse me but when do i start playing, feels like im just guiding a bot through places so he can have fun... utter dissapointment.... btw pausing the game= pausing the fun... this is a good game for ppl who dont enjoy any type of active playing... FAIL
  26. MikeC
    Nov 11, 2009
    10
    Simply the best party based RPG combat ever made, the gameplay is very fun, tactical and challenging (I played on hard difficulty). Combined with excellent characters and a good story, this is one hell of an RPG. The best game Bioware has ever made, even surpassing Baldurs Gate 2 thanks to the improvements in gameplay, and surely one of the best RPGs around.
  27. EricG
    Nov 11, 2009
    9
    DA:O is another great game created by Bioware. The game is rather difficult in the start but as u get use to the tactics and spells it starts to get easier, but once it gets too easy jack the difficulty up and u get back to the challenges u faced back in the beginning. The graphics may not be too great, but the dialogue, gameplay, and storyline make this game a must get for those who love DA:O is another great game created by Bioware. The game is rather difficult in the start but as u get use to the tactics and spells it starts to get easier, but once it gets too easy jack the difficulty up and u get back to the challenges u faced back in the beginning. The graphics may not be too great, but the dialogue, gameplay, and storyline make this game a must get for those who love to play RPGs.… Expand
  28. ChrisB
    Nov 11, 2009
    10
    This game is astounding in every fashion. If you find one things wrong, there are 20 very RIGHT things to counter it. Get this game, and don't listen to the nay-sayers.
  29. AlF
    Nov 11, 2009
    10
    This game certainly has a lot going for it. Between the multiple starting points (Something which I have had a hard time finding in other RPGs), the awesome storyline, and superb work on the gameplay mechanics, I find this game to just be great. However, I will also freely admit that this game does have a few flaws, including some poor, outdated graphics, in particular the first This game certainly has a lot going for it. Between the multiple starting points (Something which I have had a hard time finding in other RPGs), the awesome storyline, and superb work on the gameplay mechanics, I find this game to just be great. However, I will also freely admit that this game does have a few flaws, including some poor, outdated graphics, in particular the first non-background area, and the lack of different types of weapons (I am excluding materials in this case), but then I am just nitpicking. This is a game for all those who miss the good old days of BG and NWN1. If your looking for a good old fashioned turn-based RPG, this is the game for you.… Expand
  30. AlexJ
    Nov 11, 2009
    6
    I deleted this game after 10 hours of playing without any plans on coming back to it, and I seriously fail to realize what makes it so special for everyone. The story is generic BioWare fantasy - you are part of an elite force set out to stop a great evil, and while all the world powers are wasting time on trivial scuffles you are the one that gets to slap some sense into them. Replace I deleted this game after 10 hours of playing without any plans on coming back to it, and I seriously fail to realize what makes it so special for everyone. The story is generic BioWare fantasy - you are part of an elite force set out to stop a great evil, and while all the world powers are wasting time on trivial scuffles you are the one that gets to slap some sense into them. Replace the demons with AI and you got Mass Effect. "Every decision you make effects the story" is cool, but hardly new. The combat system is boring and at times unbalanced... I don't enjoy stunlocking 20 wolves to death. One positive thing about the whole game though is the atmosphere! Like nothing I've seen in any other game... too bad everything else is mediocre.… 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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