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Dragon Age: Origins

EMAIL PRINT ps3

7.5 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 36 critic reviews
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Based on 205 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Developer: BioWare

Genre(s): Role-Playing Game

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Release Date: November 3, 2009

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. 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]

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Giant Bomb

This is definitely not the game for those frightened of the idea of micromanaging a game to the point where a large portion of it will be spent in a pause screen. However, as the sort of guy that has lovingly played an Infinity Engine game at least once every year for the past decade, I can think of no higher praise for this throwback than to say that Dragon Age: Origins leaves me feeling fairly confident I won't need to dig out the classics for this ritual next year.

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100

1UP

The folks at BioWare have shown that they're always looking for ways to make their games better -- each of their RPGs builds upon the previous title. Dragon Age displays this refinement, and while the story may not be completely original, it's told in a way that enthralls and enchants the player. It's the best RPG of the year -- and maybe the best of the HD era.

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100

Cynamite

Truly epic single-player RPG with a compelling story.

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100

GamePro

A spectacular experience from beginning to end, and with an enormous amount of choices to make, cities to visit, dungeons to crawl, NPCs to interact with, treasure to find, quests to complete and crafts to master, I feel pretty confident in saying that Dragon Age: Origins is, without a doubt, one of the most enjoyable and immersive RPG experiences I've had since my Infinity Engine days. [Jan 2010, p.66]

Digital Chumps

For as great as Knights of the Old Republic was in the day, Dragon Age: Origins simply trumps it.

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Extreme Gamer

If you like the thought of Megan Fox on your lap hating A.D.D. kids with you, if you are in touch with your inner nerd, if you are intelligent and can actually pay attention to a story, and if you love awesome things that are truly full of awesomness that last for a million hours, then get Dragon Age: Origins.

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Strategy Informer

Dragon Age: Origins is much more than a game – it’s the glorious revisiting of Bioware’s past and a look at where they are going in the future.

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GameTrailers

When it comes to voice work, though, you can't touch BioWare. The production is great, and astoundingly comprehensive.

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Game Revolution

Even with its graphical hitches and proverbial chinks in its armor, and though the story may not move you by virtue of its resemblance to The Lord of the Rings, Dragon Age: Origins creates a comprehensive story-world that lives and breathes with the best that epic video games have to offer.

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Gaming Nexus

Dragon Age: Origins is an excellent RPG with a great story, an awesome combat experience and definite replayability points.

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ZTGameDomain

Dragon Age: Origins has sucked me in more than most other games this year. I find myself thinking about the game when not playing it, imagining other scenarios and different ways that situations could play out.

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PS3bloggen.se

Dragon Age: Origins should appeal to all those RPG fans out there who believe that a good and compelling story weighs way heavier than the mindless beating of countless enemies. This game might entail the best RPG story there is on the PS3 - and is well worth every one of the 100+ hours you'll spend playing it.

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Playstation: The Official Magazine (US)

The thinking-man's RPG is remarkable for many reasons, but its overbearing scale and variety are the parts that stand out from the get-go. [Jan 2010, p.76]

Playstation Universe

Dragon Age: Origins is a stunning fantasy RPG that will draw people in with its compelling storyline and realistic characters. Aside from the occasional visual hiccup, this is one of the best and most expansive games we have played in a long time.

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TheSixthAxis

A triumph of a game. It has depth and scale which will keep you interested for many, many hours.

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GameSpy

After logging over a hundred hours on Dragon Age: Origins, I still want to continue playing. I want to unearth more of its secrets, to better know its characters, to see how the decisions I make can impact its world, and yes, to see more of its endings. I can't think of a better recommendation than that.

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PSX Extreme

If you can get past the really bland game visuals and a choppy framerate, then in Dragon Age: Origins you will find one of the very best RPG experiences in years. Masterful gameplay mechanics and an amazing story grab you and don't let you go until either a power-outage or sleep deprivation.

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GameSpot

Incredible storytelling, great characters, and exciting battles are just a few of the things that make this fantasy role-playing game so extraordinary.

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GameDaily

Dragon Age: Origins is a fulfilling, involving adventure that is worth picking up. The choices you make for your character, along with the twists and turns that follow, will keep you engaged. Furthermore, the controls are well done, even without the standard PC and mouse combination. This is one adventure you'll keep coming back to for months to come.

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Games Radar (in-house)

High fantasy role-playing at its finest. Its detailed world, memorable characters, meaningful choices, and engrossing combat system makes Dragon Age the sort of game you’ll want to replay from start to finish several times. RPG fans won’t be disappointed by this truly epic adventure.

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GameFocus

It’s clear that Dragon Age: Origins was built with the PC in mind but regardless of that fact, a fantastic story, great cast of characters and expansive world still make this an incredible experience. For those who just want to get into a bloody battle and spend a long period of time enjoying it, they will most certainly not be disappointed.

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GamingXP

Except some mashed textures, this game is the best RPG in a long time!

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9Lives

Dragon Age: Origins is a sturdy RPG, with plenty to do to keep you coming back to the world of Ferelden again and again. Bioware has claimed it is the spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate, but the console version has to admit defeat to the superior classic. Despite several dull patches on the sword, Dragon Age: Origins still cuts the opposition in half easily.

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IGN

Incredibly deep and expansive, Dragon Age: Origins is one of those titles that can easily swallow up dozens of hours of play and keep you coming back for more.

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3DJuegos

Despite its lack of innovation Dragon Age: Origins is the best RPG in 2009. Its great value and addictive gameplay are among its main highlights.

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GamingExcellence

Whatever the game may lack in visual splendor it makes up for with a deep story and pure awesome fun.

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Gaming Target

If you're looking for the best RPGs of the Hi-Def Era, this game certainly ranks near the top alongside Lost Odyssey and Valkyria Chronicles.

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PSFocus

This game is a really good RPG with a few unique possibilities. It’s got a big story, a lot of gameplay and really good audio. Only the graphics aren’t the best we’ve seen on the PlayStation 3 and this version also got annoying frame rate problems. Besides of that, Dragon Age: Origins is a good title.

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IGN AU

It's a delight to give into a fantasy setting with such a dense back story, even if the gameplay still rarely breaks away from conventions established a decade ago.

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Cheat Code Central

If you're a Western-style, fantasy RPG nut, you simply can't go wrong with Dragon Age: Origins. BioWare has outdone itself once again - they've created an RPG masterpiece that more than rivals its competitors, even if it loses its tactical luster in translation to consoles.

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Play UK

Evidence of talent and experience is all over it; evidence of effort is not. [Issue#186, p.76]

DarkZero

As great as it is, there are too many irritations with the combat (and too many unnecessarily drawn-out combat sections) to hail it as a true classic.

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Game Informer

The story and its multiple branches will grab your attention, and the combat – while different in style – delivers plenty of thrills. I prefer the PC iteration, but it’s still good on PS3 and 360, and way better than not playing Dragon Age at all.

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Playstation Official Magazine UK

Then there's the combat, which just isn't fun at all. [Christmas 2009, p.104]

PSM3 Magazine UK

Origins is so concerned with trying to create something complex and epic, it forgets all the basics and ends up a mess. [Christmas 2009, p.76]

Gamers' Temple

The graphics are dated, the battles are like pulling teeth and while there is a lot to accomplish, none of it ever actually borders on being fun.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 7.5 (out of 10) based on 205 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Devin T gave it a4:
This game suffers significantly from too much dialogue. Hours spent talking to peeps doing nothing. When you finally get to a fight, while I like aspects of the combat system, the actually battles / exploring are simply to short. Followed of course by hours more of pointless conversation. I was looking forward to exploring the world, but of course the game is linear rigid and canned encounters. Give me something like good old Diablo on the PS1. I just want to hack/slash, have conversations in passing, and find magic items. Diablo3 can't arrive soon enough.

Tony Y gave it a9:
Epic RPG, the story could have been shorter and this could have had more impact on player. Overall an expereince was really good, if you can't stand Jap RPG but like the gameplay to be similar. You will love this.

Paul R gave it a3:
Don't know why everyone loves this game so much. There is SO MUCH dialogue that you have to sit through, so many pointless conversation trees - so tedious. Sacred 2 is a much better option if you prefer to actually PLAY rather than WATCH. Furthermore, for a game that is supposed to be a "mature" RPG, the costumes on the females are disgraceful, like something out of a cheesy 80s fantasy art calendar. Stupid. Most over-rated game I've ever come across.

Les E gave it a9:
The game was slightly delayed in the UK in order to rectify the framerate issues. Graphically this was better than I was led to believe but not of the best. However the developers wore their Martin/Tolkein etc influence proudly on their sleeves and made no apology for what was a somewhat cliched plot. However the depth of character relations and funny as hell plot twist options (kill Alistair I say), as well as the great romantic entaglements (to me always a highlight of Bioware games) push this to a 9. I'm on my second play

Matthew E gave it a5:
Not sure why everyone loves this game. I love RPG's this style, but this is shoddy workmanship! Bad framerate, crappy character models, and some of the worst graphics for a big-budget game. The dialogue is a joke, and the writing is pretty hackneyed. I love this game formula and that is the only reason it even gets a 5. If I didn't love this type of RPG it would have gotten a 3! Get w/ the program Bioware!

Jared K gave it a6:
I've played pretty much every bioware game in existance, and I've got to say that dragon age comes up short in comparison to every game they've made, save for the original neverwinter nights campaign. The companions are interesting, but the story is bland, and both the combat system and character progession are broken (making the game a chore to play until you're high level and uber powerful).

Tye S gave it a9:
The world is fully realized. The main characters are intriguing. The gameplay, while familiar, is excellently executed. This game will please those who have come to love the Bioware experience and maybe convert some newcomers along the way.

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Dragon Age: Origins

Game Info

Summary

What The Critics Said

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