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. Skyrar
    Sep 21, 2014
    6
    + A lot of customization
    + Decent Graphics for 2009
    + Some likeable characters and a lot of character interaction + good voiceacting + good story execution + long playtime (60-90 hours) - combat fells slow and boring - story couldn't be more generic (chosen hero saves world from big bad evil) - according to bioware "dark, mature" rpg, but if neither feels dark nor mature. Seems    + A lot of customization
    + Decent Graphics for 2009
    + Some likeable characters and a lot of character interaction
    + good voiceacting
    + good story execution
    + long playtime (60-90 hours)

    - combat fells slow and boring
    - story couldn't be more generic (chosen hero saves world from big bad evil)
    - according to bioware "dark, mature" rpg, but if neither feels dark nor mature. Seems more written towards 15 years old boys and girls.
    - Music didn't impress me (bothing outstanding)
    Overall 6/10- decent game with some problems    … Expand
  2. 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
  3. AngusC
    Nov 27, 2009
    1
    The good part of this game is that it runs when you click the icon. Past that it is a relic. The interface was cutting edge at the turn of the century filled in with almost as many cutscenes as final fantasy series about a world which you will have to force yourself to care about. If you play the Dwarf Noble story arch, expect a no win situation after a few hours of play to remove your The good part of this game is that it runs when you click the icon. Past that it is a relic. The interface was cutting edge at the turn of the century filled in with almost as many cutscenes as final fantasy series about a world which you will have to force yourself to care about. If you play the Dwarf Noble story arch, expect a no win situation after a few hours of play to remove your items, especially the DLC items you paid for, and there is no way to get them back. Did I say a few hours of play? No I meant 10 to 20 minutes of running around learning the interface and an hour and a half plus of dialogue that rambles on and that your choices in the dialogue have no bearing on affecting the story or your inevitable exile. This game could have been a dvd and the UI ran by a simple TV remote. It should be 20 bucks to watch as a movie. The archaic baldurs gate/and MMO out there UI is junk for todays gamer. I have forced myself to play through the first 15 levels of a few of the story archs and they are all the same after the 2 hours of initial dialogue and the DLC is nothing to write home about, providing an extra character which should render the Dwarf Story Line of the game useless and a keep which gets you slightly better than beginning armor and 2 merchants who have sets of armor for each of the tiers and some crafting mats. The game can be played on Auto pilot and should be for that fact, any deviations from your parties default tactics and you will be forced to manually control them which would be a good thing if there was any control on the characters, but no its a simple auto attack game that you can program each character to fight specifically. Every few minutes expect 10 minutes of dialogue all repeating dialogue either read or spoken in the Codex or cutscene. Perfect game for people who do not like to control many aspects of the game. Less control than your average mmorg ui. If you are looking for an epic fantasy game, wait for Elder Scrolls 5. If you are looking to play a game that uses a 10+ year old ui with an upgrade to the textures file then this is your game. On my last note customizing your character's class is annoying until you play through the whole game and get it right a second complete play through. If you want to play a specific set of Class Specializations like an Arcane Warrior/Blood Mage you need to know how to find these specs or like my mage you will find them too late and not even use your Specialization before the end of the game. Bioware had a good reputation for games, I have always been happy with them, but this game shows that like all companies, when you get successful you becomes lazy and trying to revive a 10 year old UI by covering it up with new graphics, too much blood that almost never goes away and a tedious ammount of dialogue is just plain lazy. Even if they had tried an action base ui where clicking a mouse button meant something other than activating an icon it would have been 100 times better. This game is no where near the quality that Bioshock or Mass Effect were and I am worried that they will be lazy on the sequels to those great titles and personally I hope there is no Dragon Age: Origins 2 as it will further my belief that Bioware is going the route of so many companies before it and just getting all mighty dollar by any short cut possible.… Expand
  4. 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
  5. EastonReviews
    Jul 7, 2011
    3
    It's actually frustrating to see so many positive reviews, since when did you like unnesisary gore, guys? In this game you slice up random unnesisary creatures in the most disturbing ways known possible, be it sliced muscles, or just gore in general. The graphics are a problem to this, while the storyline is just wrong. It's unreliable, but I did find some interest in the length. TheIt's actually frustrating to see so many positive reviews, since when did you like unnesisary gore, guys? In this game you slice up random unnesisary creatures in the most disturbing ways known possible, be it sliced muscles, or just gore in general. The graphics are a problem to this, while the storyline is just wrong. It's unreliable, but I did find some interest in the length. The originality is fine. But still won't save what the game has turned out to be.… Expand
  6. Zhijn
    Mar 20, 2011
    6
    Without going into to many details. Great voice acting, love the way your character stay in voice character should you be angry, funny or serious. However that alone does not carry a hole game. DA2 is infact incredible repetitive with the method of reusing areas for pretty much everything throughout the hole game, while the environment is very well made and detailed it gets very and i meanWithout going into to many details. Great voice acting, love the way your character stay in voice character should you be angry, funny or serious. However that alone does not carry a hole game. DA2 is infact incredible repetitive with the method of reusing areas for pretty much everything throughout the hole game, while the environment is very well made and detailed it gets very and i mean very boring really fast. Everything from the city to the dungeons are reused over and over and over, very tireing and you are constantly sitting with a feeling that somethings gotta change soon, but it never does.

    Moving on to combat. I got abit of mixed feelings on this one, while i enjoy the faster combat and the class cross combos you can do i absolutely hate the exploding bodies and massive gore that spew all over the place. Fatalities is another thing i liked from DAO but were totally removed from DA2 with exploding enemies. No much strategy in combat either, while you still got the tactical setup for your party there is no strategy to be made on the go, you can still pause and issue orders but you can no longer zoom as you did in DAO. Planning a combat in DA2 isnt to great either anymore considering the game just throw hordes of weak enms at you from all direction making it a total mess for any type of planning. Its clear the combat was not designed for your typical RPG but more of a hack n' slash type.

    Story time. The Hawke start interesting with them fleeing Lothering. Its all a nice setup for well, nothing. After that you just go around picking up side-quests and do main quests with any real story behind you, without any real sens of a goal or any sens of having a villian to fight. They make it clear that its all about Mages and Templars, but your in for a huge suprise when you realize that everything you did getting to the end didnt matter one bit. Every choice you make have zero matter on the world around you.

    Your party. You got a emo elf which is clearly some homage to J-RPGs, a naive elf, a brute ginger female, a pirate whore and a dwarf. You can romance either of em except two. Sadly DA2 have also gone taken a step back here, the romance that had a nice touch in DAO is just blend and dull in DA2.

    Dialog wheel. While i dont mind it to much, its abit to simple. Gone is persuasion, now you get a clear picture of what is what. If a romance option is ready the wheel make it clear with a heart shaped icon. Very simple, maybe to simple (?).

    Bugs and glitchs. Way to many, and that baffles me. Since iv never played a bioware game where so many glitchs and game breaking bugs actually took out the fun.

    Closing. Being a bioware fan and a fan of Dragon Age Origins i say that BioWare did not come through this time around. DA2 is short, unfufilling, lack and sens of purpose with the characters and the hole game have been simplified beyond words, it dosnt feel much like an RPG anymore. I think might have tried to appeal to a to wide of an audience and came up with something that didnt quite work. In short, it feels very rushed like it had a deadline they just barely made.

    I will look forward to Mass Effect 3 and hopefully Dragon Age 3. And i hope BioWares once and for all start improving their sequels, and dont let a deadline or something else get in their way of making a great game.

    My first thought was a solid 7, but after completing DA2 and learning that nothing you do matters it has lost all appeal to me. So sadly, very sadly i give DA2 a 6. =(    … Expand
  7. dragon42301
    Mar 21, 2011
    2
    I am a big fan of Dragon Age Origins and was very disappointed in Dragon Age 2. In Dragon Age 2 there is very limited ability to personalize your character. You can only play human and if you choose a warrior you do not have the option of utilizing two sword as you did in Dragon Age Origins. One of my largest concerns with this game is the lack of being able to read your complete dialogI am a big fan of Dragon Age Origins and was very disappointed in Dragon Age 2. In Dragon Age 2 there is very limited ability to personalize your character. You can only play human and if you choose a warrior you do not have the option of utilizing two sword as you did in Dragon Age Origins. One of my largest concerns with this game is the lack of being able to read your complete dialog prior to choosing a path. They provide two to three words to choose from and at times your dialog does not go in the direction you would like. This alone somewhat ruins the game for me. you cannot choose armor for your companions and instead can only upgrade. Different is not always better. Bioware should have stuck with what they do well, bring a great story to life allowing the player to choose their path. Dragon Age Origins is so much better than Dragon Age 2 on so many levels. Many individuals , including me, are also having difficulty getting the game to play correctly (Check out the Dragon Age 2 forum on their home page). My set up is above and beyond the recommended yet my game will slow down and lock up, especially during dialog. Check out the forums on Dragon Age 2 before purchasing, Maybe they will have a patch out shortly. If there is a Dragon Age three, they lost me at two. I will no longer preorder Bioware games until after I read reviews.… Expand
  8. philthymcnasty
    Dec 12, 2013
    3
    Buggy. I have played a lot of RPGs over the last 20 years. this one is ok. It has a very predictable storyline, and a really stupid chest and lock picking system. The auto save also sucks as well This game did not click with me at all.
  9. JamesB
    Apr 3, 2011
    3
    I really want to like this game, i really do but there is one critical flaw that bioware made. THE GAME IS TO DAM DIFFICULT! There so much good in the game, but the difficulty just makes me hate it so much. Even on easy your gonna have a nightmare trying to win large fights,and by large fights i mean more than 5 enemies at one time. You enter these large fights, your party lasts about 1I really want to like this game, i really do but there is one critical flaw that bioware made. THE GAME IS TO DAM DIFFICULT! There so much good in the game, but the difficulty just makes me hate it so much. Even on easy your gonna have a nightmare trying to win large fights,and by large fights i mean more than 5 enemies at one time. You enter these large fights, your party lasts about 1 minute, your left alone and eventually get piled. You die and you are knocked back about 30 minutes worth of playing. You lose all the xp and items you gained and you have to do it all again.Cant enjoy it, at all. Mass effect was done much better, this just feels half ass compared to the effort put in mass effect.… Expand
  10. 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
  11. 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.
  12. SandorV
    Dec 10, 2009
    0
    cite: "Donnie B. R. gave it a0: Insanely claustrophobic. Mindnumbingly boring conversations. Horribly boring, cliche' story. Terribly boring items. Did I say boring? Almost no customizations. No advancement, generic skills. NO freedom at all (Is this some kind of joke, years after games like Gothic 3 or Oblivion? Playing on 15 x 20m areasy? Loading screens every minute? You gotta be cite: "Donnie B. R. gave it a0: Insanely claustrophobic. Mindnumbingly boring conversations. Horribly boring, cliche' story. Terribly boring items. Did I say boring? Almost no customizations. No advancement, generic skills. NO freedom at all (Is this some kind of joke, years after games like Gothic 3 or Oblivion? Playing on 15 x 20m areasy? Loading screens every minute? You gotta be kidding me. There is absolutely nothing in this game that warrants a good score. No, not even the graphic. A true shame on Bioware, and its reviews are marking the death of independent gaming journalism." i agree at all… Expand
  13. 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.
  14. jayk
    Dec 1, 2009
    0
    40 % of the game is watching cut scenes. 20% is answering multiple choice questions on what to say and how to reply. 40% is running and combat. this is a very slow paced game with invisible walls everywhere. not an open world.
  15. Objectiv3Review
    Oct 10, 2016
    0
    Poor game, lacks true and more classical RPG mechanics like fishing minigames and no rideable mounts, disappointing game. The fanbase also negatively affects the game.
  16. CoolicyIce
    Nov 6, 2009
    10
    Much more story-telling than combat, the combat-part is rather challenging for a person (like me) that has never played similar games by BioWare, but can be very satisfying as soon as I got used to it. The story deserves a full 10 stars, but mostly for the narration rather than teh actual story progression. The story is the usual pattern for the genre, evil forces approaching, must unite Much more story-telling than combat, the combat-part is rather challenging for a person (like me) that has never played similar games by BioWare, but can be very satisfying as soon as I got used to it. The story deserves a full 10 stars, but mostly for the narration rather than teh actual story progression. The story is the usual pattern for the genre, evil forces approaching, must unite all forces and races to repel evil, IMO nothing too refreshing. What this game excels in, however, is the way the story is presented and the way it draws you into the game. It really makes you feel involved with your character and your decisions actually feel important and make an impact to the game-environment. I can only think of very little flaws with the game, and of those flaws only one of them really bother me: the quests can sometimes get a little tedious. You progress through a quest, you go to places A-B-C-D, but you can only fulfill the requirements to a certain extent, and when you're done at location D, it requires you to go back to A, B, C to finish up. The loading times and the walking can get really annoying at times. (to ppl who played the game, i am referring to the mage quest). nonetheless, the game still deserves a full 10/10, and I am definitely going for a 2nd playthrough to try out the alternatives possible.… Expand
  17. 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.
  18. 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).
  19. NielsB
    Nov 10, 2009
    10
    Got this game 3 days ago and while i expected it wouldnt run on my dualcore 2,66, i couldnt wait for a computer upgrade and installed it anyway. I couldn't believe how smooth it ran on high settings for 90% of the time, so 3 days later i'm 10 hours into the game with my human noble warrior. Being a bioware/black isle fan for a long time and having played from baldurs gate 1and Got this game 3 days ago and while i expected it wouldnt run on my dualcore 2,66, i couldnt wait for a computer upgrade and installed it anyway. I couldn't believe how smooth it ran on high settings for 90% of the time, so 3 days later i'm 10 hours into the game with my human noble warrior. Being a bioware/black isle fan for a long time and having played from baldurs gate 1and 2, planescape torment, icewind dale 1 and 2, neverwinter nights 1 and 2, fallout 1,2,3 mass effect and about all other games from them i can say this is another epic gem. The graphics aren't the best we seen this year, but the models are all high textured and have some of the best animations i have seen in a rpg. Some reviewers called the biggest downside of DAO the combat system, but to me it's 1 of the most satisfying of this genre. Bioware did a good move by creating his own combat system rather than a computer version of the D&D rules... the DAO combat system is actualy quite simmilair to that of a MMORPG(especialy WoW) Powerfull spells have cooldowns, and lesser spells can be spammed. Also a nice touch is bringing back friendly fire which is something that was lost after the baldur's gate days, which makes positioning and planning your most powerfull spells more important than just spamming your fireballs into the melee's The warrior class has different skills to specialize into, ranging from 2handed weapons, dualwielding, sword and shield to bows. Again quite like WoW you can learn skills like shieldwall and shieldslams as a tanking warrior to powerfull blows and various damage skills as damage warrior. Overall the combat is very satisfying and requires constant atention rather than grinding groups of lesser mobs, and again thanks to the excelent animations the fights where really cool to watch. Outside the combat there was a amazing story to be told and interesting characters to meet. Too keep it short, this is THE game you want to buy if you enjoyed old bioware/black isle games.… Expand
  20. MattiaZ
    Nov 20, 2009
    9
    Amazing game, it's nothing progressive or totally new think about it as a really refined baldur's gate. There are some bugs, that's why i give it a 9, but the overall experience is amazing. Characters and plot are very well written. I just couldn't wait to start it again once i finished it.
  21. RaxRaxous
    Nov 3, 2009
    10
    Played this as part of "Team UK" during the 24-hour "Wardens' Quest" event in London. Let me be quite clear and say that after 20+ hours of playing it straight I still can't wait to get hold of it and get playing again! It is a true master piece, combining the best elements of Baldurs Gate, Diablo, Fallout, Oblivion, Morrowind, Ultima, Planescape Torment, UFO, etc into a Played this as part of "Team UK" during the 24-hour "Wardens' Quest" event in London. Let me be quite clear and say that after 20+ hours of playing it straight I still can't wait to get hold of it and get playing again! It is a true master piece, combining the best elements of Baldurs Gate, Diablo, Fallout, Oblivion, Morrowind, Ultima, Planescape Torment, UFO, etc into a complete, beautiful, rich and expansive world. The lore is amazing, the characters totally believable, the story engrossing, the effect of your choices truly tangible, the stat / skill / talent system absorbing, equipment and items are detailed and impactful, crafting is streamlined yet powerful, it's amazing in so many ways! I have been playing games for very nearly 30 years and this is definately the peak of all that which I find enjoyable in a game. I feel 10 again, I am so excited for this and ask that you buy and play it, do yourself a favour! You will not regret it!! :-)… Expand
  22. JeffD
    Nov 3, 2009
    10
    After playing only 2 hours. It is one of the few games I cannot get out of my head. I can't wait do get out of work, rush home, and dive into some of the best storytelling I've encountered in a RPG that I can ever remember. Bravo Bioware!!!
  23. NathanW
    Nov 6, 2009
    10
    words escape me for my newfound love of this game. the game is brilliantly panned out, the quests are interesting, and dynamic. each quest can end a variety of ways, and can be finished a variety of ways. its interesting to have the option to listen to the enemy you were slaughtering and decide to hold a meeting between the two agressive parties for a compromise.. the mere fact that there words escape me for my newfound love of this game. the game is brilliantly panned out, the quests are interesting, and dynamic. each quest can end a variety of ways, and can be finished a variety of ways. its interesting to have the option to listen to the enemy you were slaughtering and decide to hold a meeting between the two agressive parties for a compromise.. the mere fact that there are no correct answers, but different shades of everything makes this RPG stand a head above the rest. the only downside i see is the odd combat difficulty, some battles are too easy, some are insanely hard. it feels weird going into the menu to make an encounter harder, or to make an encounter easier. hopefully this is something that can be patched. overall, i recommend this to any gamer who loves a good story, because the story in this RPG is not only intensely rich, but actively interesting.… Expand
  24. 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
  25. 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.
  26. 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
  27. 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
  28. MarkG
    Nov 10, 2009
    6
    The main problem with this game is that it isn
  29. DreeL.
    Nov 17, 2009
    8
    This game has the best beginning portion of any RPG, however, it has too many repetitive combats that may make players get bored quickly.
  30. 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
  31. 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
  32. 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
  33. 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
  34. 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.
  35. 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
  36. Ryan
    Nov 10, 2009
    6
    Fun game dont get me wrong, but i dont see stocking up on thousands of potions and relying on pure luck for ANY of youre melee characters to hit ( i have 100+ attack at 14 on all of them and the best hit % i have is my tank with 65%) as strategic, youre team will generally do whatever the hell they want even with the tatics system you'll find yourself yelling at your screen when a Fun game dont get me wrong, but i dont see stocking up on thousands of potions and relying on pure luck for ANY of youre melee characters to hit ( i have 100+ attack at 14 on all of them and the best hit % i have is my tank with 65%) as strategic, youre team will generally do whatever the hell they want even with the tatics system you'll find yourself yelling at your screen when a tank holding two mobs will for no reason with no "tatics" programming run off to their death chasing god knows what. The difficulty curve in this game is a right angle, you go from able to down enemies to having to suck down 10+ potions (with a healer mage mind you) to even survive a simple battle. AI, hit rating, the challange of simple fights, and aggro managment is in desperate need of repair before i can give this game anything better than a 6… Expand
  37. 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
  38. Kopz
    Nov 21, 2009
    6
    Great game, i don't know what much more to say, i really enjoyed playing the first part of it, but after a while it became quite.. boring.. massive... i had to force myself to play it until the end only because i wanted to see what happened next. great game, but the lack of originality just bored me after a while.. i still preffer mass effect though.. or divinity
  39. RobertW
    Nov 28, 2009
    4
    Slow moving throwback to about 2004. Too much replay required and slow loads make gameplay unfullfilling. I guess I have been spoiled by Fallout 3 and Bioshock.
  40. P.S.
    Nov 30, 2009
    6
    Deep and polished storyline? Yes. Includes critical fight elements where it doesn't make any difference how much and carefully you've advanced? Absolutely. Enemies you could wipe out in a few sword strokes at Level 2 are just as challenging at Level 13, if not more so. Why advance at all, you ask? If you're the kind of player who likes to have every battle possibly be a Deep and polished storyline? Yes. Includes critical fight elements where it doesn't make any difference how much and carefully you've advanced? Absolutely. Enemies you could wipe out in a few sword strokes at Level 2 are just as challenging at Level 13, if not more so. Why advance at all, you ask? If you're the kind of player who likes to have every battle possibly be a challenge, this game is for you. If you spent hours considering your armor and upgrade choices, you've just wasting your time. There are dozens of RPG games that are more fun than this one. It didn't have to be this way. A huge expenditure of resources on a game that's only modestly good, unless you like endless, combat where you never really know what you're facing, until you've faced it.… Expand
  41. DennisW.
    Nov 3, 2009
    1
    The DLC redemption process so completely extracts whatever fun there is in the game and beats with a spiked club until it disappears in to the ground. There are multiple ids, emails, passwords, screen names, account names, etc. to create to get even ONE piece of DLC that you get for FREE with purchase that I am no so angry I have no desire to play the game. And wobetide the person who The DLC redemption process so completely extracts whatever fun there is in the game and beats with a spiked club until it disappears in to the ground. There are multiple ids, emails, passwords, screen names, account names, etc. to create to get even ONE piece of DLC that you get for FREE with purchase that I am no so angry I have no desire to play the game. And wobetide the person who enters something WRONG - there are no error messages - just start over and guess.… Expand
  42. 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
  43. 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
  44. 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.
  45. MarkH.
    Dec 2, 2009
    4
    Yes, it's pretty. Yes, the soundtrack is excellent. Beyond this, it's nothing you haven't already seen or played a thousand times, it's excruciatingly tedious, and I've more often than not found all but one character in the party dead, with the lone survivor running laps around a tree while being chased by an adversary, waiting for my mana or stamina to recharge Yes, it's pretty. Yes, the soundtrack is excellent. Beyond this, it's nothing you haven't already seen or played a thousand times, it's excruciatingly tedious, and I've more often than not found all but one character in the party dead, with the lone survivor running laps around a tree while being chased by an adversary, waiting for my mana or stamina to recharge so I can actually fight. All in all, it's tedious, long, and I'm giving it another hour before I delete it.… Expand
  46. 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
  47. 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
  48. 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
  49. [ANONYMOUS]
    Nov 21, 2009
    3
    By the time I started this game I was already certain that I'd played it before. Why is that? That's because it's practically identical to any other RPG in the genre. The only redeeming quality is that it's decently pretty to look at. The spells however aren't really anything to be excited about. The incredibly linear character development progression is a shame. By the time I started this game I was already certain that I'd played it before. Why is that? That's because it's practically identical to any other RPG in the genre. The only redeeming quality is that it's decently pretty to look at. The spells however aren't really anything to be excited about. The incredibly linear character development progression is a shame. It seems the developers of this game had never heard of a "Skill Tree" Yes, there are options, but they're all in a line. Nothing branches off. This game just took an old concept and tried to beautify it. Mission Accomplished. But it did nothing to improve it on any meaningful basis. If you like games like this, I'd have to recommend Dungeon Siege. It's older, but it's a step up. WAY UP.… Expand
  50. WonderWorm
    Nov 22, 2009
    2
    Compared to Elder Scrolls, Dragon age is very disappointing with its linear closed world. It puts up this facade that makes it seem you have some options and a non-linear game, but the game world is tiny and all paths lead to the same conclusion. The Battle system is really lacking as well, as if they could not decide if they wanted to make an RPG or an RTS/RTT. Although consequently as Compared to Elder Scrolls, Dragon age is very disappointing with its linear closed world. It puts up this facade that makes it seem you have some options and a non-linear game, but the game world is tiny and all paths lead to the same conclusion. The Battle system is really lacking as well, as if they could not decide if they wanted to make an RPG or an RTS/RTT. Although consequently as the critics point out you could spend more time in the pause screen than actually doing anything. Basically this game has nothing new or interesting to offer the RPG genre and that alone would be 5/10. The insanely numerous load screens that fairly often crash and the very dated design polished with fancy graphics 2/10 seems generous.… Expand
  51. JoeSmith
    Dec 13, 2009
    6
    better than the average trash game, yet i cannot understand why so many people give it 95%+ perhaps they did not actually play more than a few hours. mind numbingly repetitive gameplay AND plot, imbalanced skills. It's insanely repetitive - how many times can I clear a room full of bandits/darkspawn with AOE stun, aoe hex, blizzard, tempest, inferno clean up survivors. repeat 10,000 better than the average trash game, yet i cannot understand why so many people give it 95%+ perhaps they did not actually play more than a few hours. mind numbingly repetitive gameplay AND plot, imbalanced skills. It's insanely repetitive - how many times can I clear a room full of bandits/darkspawn with AOE stun, aoe hex, blizzard, tempest, inferno clean up survivors. repeat 10,000 times. Ive played for a few dozen hours and only one battle really stands out as being unique - the one in the village where the undead come out of the castle for awhile, yet that battle was bugged and I had to go find some skeleton that got stuck. Apart from being repetitive, its unbalanced. Some spells are awesome, (aoe stun for 15 seconds that doesnt break on damage???) some are pretty terrible. Its longer than the average EA game, but that doesnt say much when there is so much repetition. Seriously - so far the plot is "you need to get 3 or four groups to follow you. go to them one by one, they'll give you a series of quests, then they'll follow you." Dont believe the hype, this game is very overrated.… Expand
  52. 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
  53. 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!
  54. 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.
  55. 6xdandangp
    Dec 29, 2012
    7
    Decent story, gameplay, and characters. Graphics are fine on PC, but some problems include many glitches and a slow battle system. Overall a very, very good game.
  56. 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
  57. 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
  58. jik77
    Apr 30, 2013
    7
    I, recently, bought the Ultimate Edition on a whim during a sale on Steam. Anyway, this is a heavily scripted Adventure/RPG with some minor combat system and leveling flaws, which at times, can lead to some frustration. Most of the main storyline and some of the characters, side stories, and quests were likable, but the sound and the graphics were a bit on the generic side, yet stillI, recently, bought the Ultimate Edition on a whim during a sale on Steam. Anyway, this is a heavily scripted Adventure/RPG with some minor combat system and leveling flaws, which at times, can lead to some frustration. Most of the main storyline and some of the characters, side stories, and quests were likable, but the sound and the graphics were a bit on the generic side, yet still passable. However, the main problem lies within the combat system. It isn't as reliable, as effective, or as rewarding as it could have been. All in all, the game had some fun moments and was worth playing at a bargain basement price, but I wouldn't consider this a must have RPG at all.… Expand
  59. filippo333
    Nov 1, 2015
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's incredible how much work Bioware put into creating the fantastical world which is Dragon Age. So many little touches such as the comprehensive and detailed codex which allows you to read into the history of the world at the press of a button. Most characters seem well thought out, Bioware has always excelled at character development. Not quite at the level of Mass Effect but a decent runner up with the voice acting for it.

    However, the game is massively flawed by the unrealistic and brutal difficulty level. I've reached a point where I cannot kill this one enemy: Flemeth the Dragon despite being at level 15, which is above the recommended level needed to kill her. I managed to defeat the previous dragon by essentially tricking him by running back and forth between a very specific area of terrain, can’t do that here. I strategize at every moment I can, I try to maximize the ability of all my characters by frequently pausing the game and analysing the situation. Stocking up on potions should not be the answer here; it’s a poor design decision which discourages the very thing the game is trying to teach the player: strategy. The game simply throws too much at the player without even any thought for balance. As a player, you have no idea whatsoever of the difficulty of some of the areas you enter and more often or not end up backtracking after wasting X hours trying to get to where you are. Simply having the areas levelled on the world map would have fixed many difficulty related issues.

    At every encounter involving a dragon or an insane quantity of enemies, I clench my butt cheeks super tight because I know that all the strategy I have learnt means nothing. I can do normal encounters easily without any issues, hell throw a boss in there too it really isn’t a problem. What is the problem is the random erratic difficulty spikes throughout the map for the entire game; it doesn’t even matter if your next location is right near your current one the difficulty level is unpredictable and tiresome to constantly have to battle with.

    Normally RPGs let you know in some way that the area you're in is too high a level for you but not Dragon Age. In addition to this, the game's autosave system is almost non-existent. You better save manually every 5 minutes if you don't wish to drive yourself insane by repeatedly playing the same sequences over and over. I want to play more; but I somehow doubt I can bring myself to when I've tried so hard at growing each of the characters for nothing.

    Oh well, Dragon Age: Origins is a missed opportunity. Unfortunately, if games expect you to repeatedly die in order to "learn how to play" then I say you're likely looking at a flawed game to start with. Games should definitely challenge you but in a fair way by maintaining a fair difficulty curve and preparing you for the road ahead. I’ve never played a game where I have felt like I haven’t increased in power the more I play, it’s very much the opposite and definitely something which makes me feel unexcited and fatigued coming back to it. My advice is to find a better game, if you haven't played Mass Effect then I strongly recommend you do. All three games suffer from none of the issues DA:O does and have even stronger characters.    … Expand
  60. neigenoire
    May 5, 2015
    7
    One of the best RPGs I've played. I find the combat a lot of fun, I only wish there was more of it. You can spend literally hours upon hours simply roaming the towns, talking to NPCs, accepting quests, running errands etc. You don't really get too much action until you get to the Deep Roads. Sure the story is overall good and characters interesting, but at the end of the day the politicalOne of the best RPGs I've played. I find the combat a lot of fun, I only wish there was more of it. You can spend literally hours upon hours simply roaming the towns, talking to NPCs, accepting quests, running errands etc. You don't really get too much action until you get to the Deep Roads. Sure the story is overall good and characters interesting, but at the end of the day the political "intrigue" is kinda boring, as I found myself time and again wishing I was fighting monsters instead of talking or running errands for some dwarf lord. Gaps between longer periods of fighting can be up to 6 hours long, not even kidding. Granted there are a few moments/plot twists that had me genuinely amazed and some of the choices you need to make can be very difficult to do, but overall I think that the story and historical background lack some form of epicness, there's just too much political stuff there I feel. At the same time there are seemingly endless branching dialogue options and almost all of them have unique responses from NPCs, it's absolutely massive. The environments themselves are very restrictive and not interconnected like in open world RPGs. What's nonrestrictive though is the way the game allows you to interact with NPCs - want to be an **** - you can be one. Or maybe you want to be a neckbeard white knight who always does what's noble and right - you can do that. Over time you will grow attached to your characters and will enjoy their random banters as well as their personal stories and dialogues. I only wish there was more gear as my character used 3 or 4 different bows throughout the whole play-through which is a big negative to me because I love gear upgrades and lots of them. Overall this is a great RPG that has its flaws but with patience you'll find that it has more to offer than appears at the first glance. A must-play for any RPG enthusiast for sure!… Expand
  61. Zahrada
    Feb 24, 2014
    7
    I did like this game. The story telling was amazing, the setting as well. The atmosphere was mostly there. I spent about 25 hours with the game. Never finished it. Not sure why the game lost it's appeal, but it just could be something else stealing my attention. My complaints would be about the combat system and the character progression. The game has a few flaws, mostly game-play related.I did like this game. The story telling was amazing, the setting as well. The atmosphere was mostly there. I spent about 25 hours with the game. Never finished it. Not sure why the game lost it's appeal, but it just could be something else stealing my attention. My complaints would be about the combat system and the character progression. The game has a few flaws, mostly game-play related. I also did not accept the additional pay to play content or whatever it was. I don't like the concept of buying a game part by part. The deal should be - a complete game for one money.… Expand
  62. Iluvatar21
    May 3, 2014
    7
    HOW I RATE: 10-9 score: perfect or near-perfect don't exist; 8 score: one of the best games ever. Top score; 7-6 score: great but not one of the best; 5-below score: serious flaws.
    ===========
    This game does everything brilliantly: the story, the pacing, the levels, the gameplay & the visuals, especially if you haven't played a BioWare RPG before or thought they were too complex and boring.
  63. KaienShiba
    Dec 30, 2014
    7
    Loved the story and the game, until the final battle in Denerim, then it goes to hell in a hand basket. Nothing seems to work, spells are drastically weaker even melee seems to be broken and that's on easy. They made 2 patches for it but never fixed the final battle for the city, gave up on it since they put all their effort to DA2 which very few people liked.
  64. mcfry
    Feb 2, 2015
    9
    I am not the biggest fan of BioWare's combat systems, because with them I can hardly catch the perfect balance between real-time and take-turn. Also, the item system and interface is always a little bit tedious. Both are all well enough, though, but since I really think that gameplay is crucial, I can give this game only a 9 - but a fully deserved rating, thanks to its superior capabilityI am not the biggest fan of BioWare's combat systems, because with them I can hardly catch the perfect balance between real-time and take-turn. Also, the item system and interface is always a little bit tedious. Both are all well enough, though, but since I really think that gameplay is crucial, I can give this game only a 9 - but a fully deserved rating, thanks to its superior capability to immerse me into the world and it's characters. It's classy and entertaining - IF you like to spend hours in dialogs, like I do :)… Expand
  65. MenaBanana
    Jun 30, 2015
    10
    One of the best games there is out there. The introduction to different races is one of the most profound elements in any RPG game out there. Bioware at it's best.
  66. ThecriticGoD
    Mar 7, 2016
    8
    It's definetely interesting, the story-line, the interaction with the other characters, the combat system... The only bad thing about the game is that it's way too slow-paced, kinda gets boring at times because of how slow everything happens.
  67. Broyax
    Apr 14, 2017
    10
    J'ai commencé Dragon Age sur 360 et y ai passé une centaine d'heures et si en termes graphiques Dragon Age ne laissera pas d'empreintes indélébiles dans les mémoires (une façon polie de dire que c'est bien moche sur 360 ! et en plus ça ramouille pas mal !), il en laissera par contre pour ses nombreuses autres qualités qui font de lui un grand jeu de rôle : une histoire narrée avec talentJ'ai commencé Dragon Age sur 360 et y ai passé une centaine d'heures et si en termes graphiques Dragon Age ne laissera pas d'empreintes indélébiles dans les mémoires (une façon polie de dire que c'est bien moche sur 360 ! et en plus ça ramouille pas mal !), il en laissera par contre pour ses nombreuses autres qualités qui font de lui un grand jeu de rôle : une histoire narrée avec talent par Bioware, des personnages forts et attachants, une interface bien pensée pour la console, des dialogues nombreux dont l'adaptation VF est un modèle du genre et une durée de vie pharaonesque.

    Après la version 360, j'ai refait Dragon Age avec les quelques DLC (ceux qui s'intègrent dans la campagne) mais sur PC cette fois : l'avantage de la vue aérienne compense l'absence du pad (hélas) mais en même temps, l'interface à la souris est un modèle du genre pour ne pas dire la référence, et belle avec ça. Le jeu est plus difficile que sur 360, un minimum de stratégie et de micro-gestion est nécessaire... un système de combat avec pause toujours aussi passionnant quoi qu'il en soit.

    Graphiquement inégal certes mais dans l'ensemble encore bien agréable ce Dragon Age et nettement supérieur à la version 360. Exigeant également cela dit, le moteur de Bioware accusant ses limtes parfois. La musique est excellente, l'une sinon la meilleure partition d'Inon Zur très inspiré ici. VF toujours impeccable, Bioware et EA obligent. Une poignée de plantages en 92h (PC oblige) mais rien de rédhibitoire.

    L'histoire bien que simple au demeurant est très efficace et les relations avec l'équipe qui compte quelques personnages très intéressants (ah Oghren et Morrigan !) est fort bien menée et les choix ont de réelles répercussions, jusqu'à la fin, jusqu'à ce final absolument grandiose et épique. D'ores et déjà un classique du genre assurément.
    Notes : 10 sur PC, 9 sur 360.    … Expand
  68. Boonie2000
    Jan 14, 2023
    0
    Good story, high quality RPG, these kind of games encourage to play and discover new perls of gaming world
  69. brendo214
    May 22, 2019
    7
    If Bioware wanted to make a game that had both a great story and great gameplay that required strategy, they should've just made this turn-based...
  70. Wivers
    Jul 14, 2018
    7
    The game would deserve a 9/10 or even a 10 if it wasn't plagued by technical issues, it has too many bugs and crashes too often, so -2. Such a shame. Though I wonder if it's not Origin's fault ?
    Bugs I had (vanilla version):
    -Got a cut-scene starting where it shouldn't have. Opened a door, cut-scene at a place where I wasn't near of, battle, I lost, quickload, opened the same door, no    The game would deserve a 9/10 or even a 10 if it wasn't plagued by technical issues, it has too many bugs and crashes too often, so -2. Such a shame. Though I wonder if it's not Origin's fault ?
    Bugs I had (vanilla version):
    -Got a cut-scene starting where it shouldn't have. Opened a door, cut-scene at a place where I wasn't near of, battle, I lost, quickload, opened the same door, no cut-scene I'm in a different room. (the cut-scene was supposed to happen like 5 min later)
    -MANY crashes, especially in Denerim, I eventually found a trick which was to first load a game where i wasn't in denerim (at the camp for example), then to load my latest saved game. If i tried to directly load a game at denerim it crashed 90% of the time.
    -got dialogue issues where the wrong lines were played (wasn't playing the english version, could only concern the french version.)
    -enemy stuck in the stairs
    -my character stuck in the last step of stairs (have to zoom in and out to unlock her)
    -during my final duel with Loghain Mac Tir, I realised that I just had to summon an animal and turn invisible and to win the fight: Loghain would not defend himself again the animal and has no way to found you once hidden.
    -many visual issues, people without bodies or with ever-changing clothes. Weird changing colors.

    French voice acting was mostly ok (except for children's voice which were terrible). The French voice for Oghren was EXCELLENT.

    Still loved the game. I feel like someone asked me to drive a Lamborghini, but the engine doesn't start 1/5 times, the heat-seat is on MELTING-ASS mod during summer and windows won't close during winter, and the speakers only play justin bieber all the time at full-volume ... so yeah, the car is great, it can go fast, sounds good, but the experience you get out of it is not so great.    … Expand
  71. Schism78
    Jul 23, 2018
    7
    A great rpg game, but quite improvable, you have no real decisions that affect the story but the good thing is that you do not need farming to finish it.
  72. Norleft
    Sep 4, 2020
    8
    Nunca me intereso Dragon Age, la saga empezó al mismo tiempo que otras muchas en su época y sabia que este juego se hizo muy famoso y importante en el mundo del videojuego por su primera entrega, pero ami siempre me gustaron otros mundos The elder scrolls, Fable, The witcher... etc.

    Entonces este año decidí jugar a Dragon Age por primera vez a través de GOG el cual me dio un muy buen    Nunca me intereso Dragon Age, la saga empezó al mismo tiempo que otras muchas en su época y sabia que este juego se hizo muy famoso y importante en el mundo del videojuego por su primera entrega, pero ami siempre me gustaron otros mundos The elder scrolls, Fable, The witcher... etc.

    Entonces este año decidí jugar a Dragon Age por primera vez a través de GOG el cual me dio un muy buen port y JODER, he de decir que este título me ha gustado mucho, no es muy innovador respecto a lore y demás ya que copia muchas pero que muchísimas cosas directamente del señor de los anillos, pero el mundo, los textos, personajes y demás te gusten menos o más están hechos y llevados a la perfección.

    El mundo creado aquí es lo mejor que tiene el título, razas, religiones, naciones... y la historia apesar de ser un poco como ya digo del estilo de El señor de los anillos con una batalla final que decidirá el destino de la "tierra media"/ Ferelden, en ningún momento sientes que estas jugando una copia de el señor de los anillos, ya que este juego consigue algo que muchos no logran, y es tener personalidad y sentirse único apesar de tener un referente claro.

    Jugablemente deja mucho que desear incluso para la época en la cual salio, muchas veces es tedioso y el sistema de combate que tiene no es tan profundo ni tan bueno como los juegos de la competencia que habían en su momento de este palo, pero bueno se nota que KOTOR fue su DEMO en el tema jugable y que supieron llevarlo más o menos bien y acercar estos juegos a mucha gente nueva.

    Lo mejor del juego es que apesar de tener un mundo muy interesante y bueno, puedes llegar a tomar una decisión y el guión no va a empeorar ni va a ser peor porque hayas elegido lo incorrecto, al revés, el juego te dará un guión, secundarias y una continuidad a la historia que este a la misma altura que todas las demás, sean caminos malos o buenos.

    Muy recomendado, no he jugado a los siguientes pero uff este juego se ha convertido en uno de mis tops del género.    … Expand
  73. Bottlecaps
    Jun 26, 2020
    6
    Dragon age is a game series iv come to love over the years , but getting through origins is a slog at the worst of times and an outdated but fun mess at the best.

    Story: it is quite easy to get into the story of dragon age , a blight is coming when demons gain enough people confidence and a dragon to attempt to take over the surface world you ( who ever you chose to be i was a rouge    Dragon age is a game series iv come to love over the years , but getting through origins is a slog at the worst of times and an outdated but fun mess at the best.

    Story: it is quite easy to get into the story of dragon age , a blight is coming when demons gain enough people confidence and a dragon to attempt to take over the surface world you ( who ever you chose to be i was a rouge female elf for this playthrough) are recruited by duncan a senior grey warden into their ranks. along with 3 others who die in the joining. now you go off to fight the blight. excel everything goes wrong , the king and duncan die , there is a traitor in the king's court , you were blamed for the betrayal and are now being hunted but also the blight was not felled and its threat still looms over ferelden. it throws so much at you at once but i'll be damned if it isn't exhilarating every choice you make from now on matters to the whole country and much later the world
    Story: 9/10

    World building: as this is the first dragon age game it has to set the groundwork for the world i dont think origins is as good as 2 or inquisition but it does its best , qunari are understated as hell in this game not having horns and are instead just big people, each follower has to do with different parts of the lore , alister is a former templar and grey warden , morrigan and a apostate , wayne from the circle. ect ect , while you are getting to know your companions you get to know the world and that makes it easy to like the world. i like the idea of the blight and how its enough every time to get humanity to stop fighting( mostly) and fight it , magic is something feared but also something someone is born with not sought after making there a fear for mages outside of the circle as teh are connected to the underworld by magic. even the religion is plausible
    World building: 8.5/10

    Graphics: this game came out in 2009 but this game looks older than that feels older than that. focus was put into the story and world sure. in terms of graphics this game has aged like milk . textures are muddy and get lost in themselves , faces are awkward and so are animations , character designs are saved entirely by the art direction , why does blood have o go everywhere on the character models ?
    Graphics: 3/10

    Gameplay: dragon age origins doesn't know what it wants to be ? is it a tactical turn based rpg ? no but it has alot of elements of it. is it an over the shoulder 3rd person action rpg ? no but i think it wanted to be ? the game play is very confused and is stuck between 2 conflicting gameplay styles. not even to do with the rpg mechanics but what level of soom you play at , and depending on the difficulty what type of game this is , easy mode is hard and hard is also hard because you have to play them entirely different. also the events of the story are misleading and you end up at a later part if you follow it past redcliff the first time you are there so it gets frustrating. the actual mechanics are slow , chunky , tedious and somewhat boring. combat is the least fun thing in this game and you do so much of it down long corridor like dungeons that never end
    Gameplay 2/10

    Sound design : actually for all the flak i'm giving this game the voice acting is pretty good , every companion character is interesting and distinct but also likeable and flawed and every performance gets that. the music is great and very fitting , sound effects are obnoxious at times but they aren't just stock sound effects like most games from this era use ( Glares at black ops 1 )
    Sound design: 8/10

    9+8.5+3+2+8=30.5
    30.55= 6.1/10

    every time i start this game i think wow this is gonna be great and by the end i feel like iv been through hell and hate the game because my mind has numbed but the story and characters keep me slogging through. it's not a bad game it's just most of it has aged like cheese outside the fridge    … Expand
  74. Legitplayer
    Aug 2, 2019
    7
    didnt know It was a isometric game with boring combat bought it without looking much into it because of being cheap.
    but surprisingly It has AAA quality cutscenes,dialogues that still hold up to this day interesting companion concept 7/10 worth to play
  75. skaywalker
    May 10, 2020
    8
    для меня это одна из самых любимых RPG.
    Приятная графика, волшебное музыкальное сопровождение, интересный и "живой" сюжет.
    Персонажи, как спутники, так и сюжетные НПС уникальные, заставляют обращать на них внимание и вызывают целую палитру эмоций. Не смотря на "возраст" игры, я перепрохожу ее 4й раз, и мне не надоело) По сравнению с 2 и 3 частью, ситуации выбора здесь ощущаются    для меня это одна из самых любимых RPG.
    Приятная графика, волшебное музыкальное сопровождение, интересный и "живой" сюжет.
    Персонажи, как спутники, так и сюжетные НПС уникальные, заставляют обращать на них внимание и вызывают целую палитру эмоций.
    Не смотря на "возраст" игры, я перепрохожу ее 4й раз, и мне не надоело)
    По сравнению с 2 и 3 частью, ситуации выбора здесь ощущаются глобальнее. Ты чувствуешь себя более участным ко всему происходящему.
    Из минусов для меня - только техническая составляющая игры:
    -в оригинальной origin версии существуют графические артефакты (баги текстур окружения и ландшафта).
    -оригинальная версия имеет проблему с использованием оперативной памяти на современном железе - это проявляется в вылетах и крашах сейвов
    Указанные выше проблемы решаются использованием "пролеченного" .exe из steam mastery.
    ну и русская озвучка) иногда голос персонажей меняется, а фразы произносятся актерами с ошибкой    … Expand
  76. Genek13
    Nov 20, 2019
    6
    Somehow this game was an average for me. All other Bioware games was amazing but this one (and sequel) was forgettable and overall ok.
  77. sulaco426
    Jun 24, 2021
    4
    Its just a Generic Rpg with the typical fantasy tropes. nothing special, nothing new. just the same of the usual
  78. bancandrei
    Mar 28, 2021
    7
    I would categorize this game as a spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate and thus in the not for me category. However, I think it is worth playing for the origin stories alone. The worldbuilding is top notch, truly a great incarnation of the word fantasy.
  79. kezzyhko
    Aug 17, 2021
    9
    ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍
  80. pajiloy_krol
    Jun 26, 2020
    8
    This game has become something new for me. I learned that you can control four characters at once. The game is very interesting and worth playing.
  81. FuzzyPackRat
    Aug 17, 2020
    8
    Story: 9/10
    Gameplay: 8/10
    Music: 8/10 Animation/Graphics: 7/10 *this review is me reflecting on playing this game back in the early 2000s) at the time it came out- it was a big deal for video games and probably the best RPG. This game embodied what it meant for your actions and decisions having consequences or effects on the game. Also one of the few games where you could have a    Story: 9/10
    Gameplay: 8/10
    Music: 8/10
    Animation/Graphics: 7/10

    *this review is me reflecting on playing this game back in the early 2000s) at the time it came out- it was a big deal for video games and probably the best RPG. This game embodied what it meant for your actions and decisions having consequences or effects on the game. Also one of the few games where you could have a player character who has so much agency you can choose to be in a same sex relationship. Full of fantasy and lore- although wordy at times, made the game feel like a real world. However now in 2020 the graphics and gameplay are a bit dated but it's still a good game.

    Takeaways
    Pros: real RPG where your choices effect the game, great for micromanaging looters like me who want to pocket everything, your character can be in a relationship.
    Cons: none for the time it came out, now though there are some newer RPGs to play. But there will be fourth game in this series coming out so if you may be interested in that- playing the past games really help you get the story vibe (or youtube summary vids)    … Expand
  82. shostakn
    Oct 15, 2020
    7
    Summary: As the spiritual successor to BioWare's "Baldur's Gate", one of the most successful role-playing games in the industry, Dragon Age: Origins represents BioWare's return to its roots, delivering a fusion of the best elements of existing fantasy works with stunning visuals, emotionally-driven narrative, heart-pounding combat, powerful magic abilities and credible digital actors. TheSummary: As the spiritual successor to BioWare's "Baldur's Gate", one of the most successful role-playing games in the industry, Dragon Age: Origins represents BioWare's return to its roots, delivering a fusion of the best elements of existing fantasy works with stunning visuals, emotionally-driven narrative, heart-pounding combat, powerful magic abilities and credible digital actors. The spirit of classic RPGs comes of age, as Dragon Age: Origins features a dark and mature story and gameplay. Epic Party-Based Combat – Dragon Age: Origins introduces an innovative, scalable combat system, as players face large-scale battles and use their party’s special abilities to destroy hoardes of enemies and massive creatures. Powerful Magic – Raining down awesome destruction on enemies is even more compelling as players apply "spell combos," a way of combining together different spells to create emergent unique effects. Players develop their characters and gain powerful special abilities (spells, talents and skills) and discover ever-increasing weapons of destruction. With its emotionally compelling story, players choose with whom they wish to forge alliances or crush under their mighty fist, redefining the world with the choices they make and how they wield their power. Players select and play a unique prelude that provides the lens through which the player sees the world and how the world sees the player. The player's choice of Origin determines who they are and where they begin the adventure, as they play through a customized story opening that profoundly impacts the course of every adventure. [BioWare]… Expand
  83. AlexanderY
    Nov 20, 2009
    7
    Erm... It's decent, very entertaining, but not good at all comparing to true classic rpg's. The only more or less good things here is decent storyline (not great, but decent), and rather good dialogues (I expected more of this part tho). This RPG tries to convince your that your choices matter when they really don't. The one very important thing for RPGs is making a range Erm... It's decent, very entertaining, but not good at all comparing to true classic rpg's. The only more or less good things here is decent storyline (not great, but decent), and rather good dialogues (I expected more of this part tho). This RPG tries to convince your that your choices matter when they really don't. The one very important thing for RPGs is making a range of replics that could suit any character alignment-based archetype. This game gets close to this, but still, not enough close. The combat system is a joke. It's very arcade-ish, and veeery easy. I started playing on hard and soon switched to hardcore difficulty setting, and again, found even the hardest setting not difficult enough. Yes, I understand, the devs tend to appeal to casual gamers, but hey, why not make a really hard setting for those who like challenge? The most disappointing thing for me was a RPG system itself. I expected something at least as well-developed as DnD. The character development is absolutely annoying, it's stupid canonic skills and spells. The spells of the magi is the worst joke - blizzard is the same as inferno, just deal diff. types of damage. And all the spells are built like that! Bioware! You're clever and smart guys, be creative, innovative. The same thing goes for potions - protection from this, protection from that, health, lyrium restore... nothing more! where's the unique buffs, maybe shapeshifting and so on? This makes combat soo linear! Still, I'll give the game a 7, and tend to say, any RPG fan should get this, as it's very entertaining despite its numerous flaws. We don't get any high-quality RPGs lately, do we?… Expand
  84. ArshadS
    Dec 11, 2009
    9
    9 because of the camera angles and the number of times you have to pause the game if you want to survive. Other than that the graphics and voice acting is excellent and the Custom character creation is almost limitless. Choices you make might give you something you wouldnt expect from the npc which i felt as a new feel and different from other rpgs.
  85. welltell
    Dec 2, 2009
    8
    Okay it feels like Neverwinter nights... or that some one at bioware took the neverwinter nights game engine and decided to create a better game. Dragon ago is a lot of fun, it would of been better if the graphics were more like what Bathesda did in OBLIVION.
  86. VladimírS
    Dec 2, 2009
    10
    I dont know what to say... it has got something specific like other GREAT RPGs (like gothic, witcher etc). But this has a taste of everything! I recomend it!
  87. StephenS.
    Dec 9, 2009
    9
    Really what I wasn't expecting in this game. There was a great story line between each character you choose and the replay value of this game is extremely high. Endless possibility's with characters, game play and much more. Not much you can't do in this game. Defiantly worth buying.
  88. 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
  89. 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.
  90. 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.
  91. 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
  92. 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
  93. 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
  94. 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
  95. 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
  96. 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).
  97. JohnB
    Jan 8, 2010
    8
    Good game but very buggy. Can rarely play without the game crashing.
  98. GraemeS
    Nov 11, 2009
    7
    Nothing special here... tons of B grade text scripts and C grade voice acting to suffer through. Story was written for 10 year olds. This fantasy setting is been done to death... cant they come up with something new? The zones are all story based so there is no adventuring to be done...might as well be reading a book...zones are small... Combat is a joke... monster placement makes no Nothing special here... tons of B grade text scripts and C grade voice acting to suffer through. Story was written for 10 year olds. This fantasy setting is been done to death... cant they come up with something new? The zones are all story based so there is no adventuring to be done...might as well be reading a book...zones are small... Combat is a joke... monster placement makes no sense... rooms are full of eye candy that you cant interact with... Damn i have finish the thing because i paid good money for it... … Expand
  99. jamess
    Nov 11, 2009
    10
    the game is brilliant, every character is well developed, well voiced and great to talk and listen to. the party banter is some of the best in any RPG. the combat is tactical and challenging, with kick ass death animations. the role playing is deep and multifaceted. the levelling system makes you really think carefully about the choices you make. this is the best RPG since baldur's the game is brilliant, every character is well developed, well voiced and great to talk and listen to. the party banter is some of the best in any RPG. the combat is tactical and challenging, with kick ass death animations. the role playing is deep and multifaceted. the levelling system makes you really think carefully about the choices you make. this is the best RPG since baldur's gate 2. the only thing disappointing about it is the fact that you only have a 4 member party, the characters are just too good to only have 4. morrigan is one of the best female characters in a game for a long time aswell. this people is how RPG's should be.… Expand
  100. johndoe
    Nov 11, 2009
    10
    awesome RPG with lots of things to do this includes sex,chopping of the limbs off,slaying dragons and a good story! def a buy if you like RPGs.
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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.
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  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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