Worth playing. And replaying.
Let's start with the type of game you're looking for when purchasing this game. It's one of Bioware's 2 latest 'big' franchises (Dragon Age and Mass Effect) and a natural successor to the game Baldur's Gate as I have understood. I never played the latter, so I will review this as a standalone. It is definitely a Role Playing Game in a Fantasy Setting. The lore of this setting started with this game, so there is no need to inform yourself with books/comics etc. The game consists roughly out of exploring, combat and dialog.
Before continuing with those 3 bullet points I would like to express my opinion regarding visuals and soundtrack. The visuals are fine : they never have been top notch but they are still looking great. And the game runs very smooth on any recent Windows system with decent hardware. The in-game music is, in my opinion, nothing more than ok. The tracks are frequently repeated, there is no outstanding tune, but they keep the game rolling. If you are looking for RPGs from that time with superb soundtracks, I advise The Witcher or Divinity 2.
Exploring : The 'map' of Dragon Age Origins is not that big, so exploring as in searching for loot takes not much time beside the rest of the game. Regarding the lore of Dragon Age, it's trademarked by Bioware : I myself find it not the most convincing or interesting for fantasy, but it gets a +1 for being very vast and well documented on online wikis, so that players who really wish it, can spend hours studying this work of fiction.
Combat is well presented. Had it not been so, the game would not have become as popular as it is today. The player controls a party of 4 companions and can instruct each of them to move, perform basic attack, special skills ( there are a lot of skills and improvements ) or use items. Combat can be paused at any moment for a more tactical approach. What is nice is that another party combination can have great effect on the difficulty of a fight. Alas, as a result you may find yourself neglecting some of the playable companions.
In dialog, the game is at it's strongest. Characters share opinions at any time, the dialogues excel in being serious, funny or just silly. And this really is an RPG where choices influence the events taking place in the story a great deal; or at least that's the illusion. A fair amount of dialogues is just between party members, so you really end up thinking of them as friends. Or lovers, yes, I can't imagine you haven't heard of this. Romance is there, and characters behave differently according to the choices you make. Their storyline changes accordingly too. The best part is that the game is very generous with excellent voice-casted dialogues and options. Except for the Elves. ### I hate the elves. Their looks, voices, background, it all feels so synthetic to me? See for yourself!
12 gamers found this review helpful