Dragon Age: Origins

1. ChrisP.

   Nov 8, 2009

   10

   K first off roger r. could not be more wrong in his analysis of the game. It's not turn based, so please play the game before you start K first off roger r. could not be more wrong in his analysis of the game. It's not turn based, so please play the game before you start giving it horrible reviews. Second this game is not for twelve year olds. If you are twelve years old i would stick with Halo 3 where you'll fit in with all the other mic screamers. Lastly this game is actually very good, if you like the RPG elements of Oblivion you WILL like this game. Nothing is wrong with The Lord of the Rings references they were great movies. So please rent this game if you like RPG's or Bioware I promise you won't be disappointed.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
2. PatJ

   Nov 3, 2009

   10

   Got it yesterday and haven't been able to put it down. The sun came up before I realized how many hours had gone by and all I can think Got it yesterday and haven't been able to put it down. The sun came up before I realized how many hours had gone by and all I can think about at work is getting home to play it some more.… Expand

   • 1 of 2 users found this helpful
4. Nosidda89

   Feb 28, 2011

   10

   I was never a big fan of Bioware at all. In fact, when I first put this game in my 360, I was already having doubts on if this game will beI was never a big fan of Bioware at all. In fact, when I first put this game in my 360, I was already having doubts on if this game will be good, because I tried Mass Effect, which is considered to be Biowares best game, and didn't like it. I admit that the game looked good when I first saw it. A friend of mine decided to let me borrow his copy of Dragon Age, which he later said I could keep with no charge. Thanks Josh. So, why am I thanking my friend for a game by Bioware, a company I never liked? I'll tell you why. Because this game IS AMAZING!!!!! I'll be perfectly honest, Oblivion is one of my favorite RPG's ever, but I think Dragon Age actually beats it. I'm already looking forward to Dragon Age II, it has become one of my most anticipated games on 2011. So since I only have 5000 characters per review, let's get to the game. The most important aspect in any game is, of course, the gameplay. So, how is the gameplay in Dragon Age? Outstanding! It's like a very fast paced version of the Final Fantasy XI battle system, except much more active. You're not hacking and slashing, but it's still a very active system. Don't you worry Turn-Based Haters, this game is not turn based at all. They basically took the turn-based battle system from FFXI, and removed the turn-based part of it. Absolute genius! You can also set techniques to your quick cast buttons, much like setting your items to the C-buttons in Zelda. This makes it easier, because anything that's not set to your quick cast buttons, you can only cast by opening up the ability menu, and selecting it. However, this is quick, and is a great way to pause the game if you need to observe the battle and decide a change in strategy. Of course like any other advanced RPG, you can create your character to your liking. You can choose between 3 races. Human, Elf, and Dwarf. I decided to be an elf. After that, you choose your job. You can choose one of 3 jobs. Warrior, Rogue, and Mage. I decided to be a rogue, because I like sneaking around and being quick. Each job has 4 specializations that you choose from after unlocking them through quests in the game. The rogue specialization I chose first was Duelist, which is a person who can deal very good damage, and is very good at dodging attacks, and is best with dual wielding daggers. I later made Archer as my 2nd specialization, that one should be obvious. But in case you don't get it, it means you use a bow and arrow. Each time you level up, you get points to spend on character attributes to make him stronger. You do the same with your party members. By the way, you don't travel alone, you have a party with you. So obviously, this means you have to keep a well organized party. As far as the story goes, the story starts off differently for every race, but it all leads down to the same story. You become a Grey Warden, a special warrior meant to protect the people from the darkspawn. Of course that's up to you. The game has the same choice system as Mass Effect, so the choices you make will affect you later on, and you can choose to be a good guy or a bad guy. Not only will your decisions affect you later in this game, but they will also affect you in Dragon Age II, so choose your path wisely. In either case though, you have to gather allies from around the world by either helping them solve their problems so they can aid you, or by forcing them to aid you. The only problem with this game is it's difficulty. Casual mode is too easy, but Normal mode is way too freakin hard. It's like the game completely skipped Normal mode and decided to make Normal mode hard mode. Even the hardcore RPG players are usually playing the game on casual mode, because Normal mode is way too hard, it's nearly impossible. One can only imagine how difficult Hard and Nightmare modes are. I have yet to hear of anyone who can play the game all the way through on Nightmare mode. All and all, fantastic game, and it deserves every penny you pay for it. It has to be one of the best RPG's of all time, so if you love RPG's, pick this game up. Mass Effect ain't got **** on Dragon Age! 10/10.… Expand

   • 13 of 17 users found this helpful
5. JonathanW

   Nov 17, 2009

   9

   I can't give it a ten because of the graphics, yet a 9.4 to 9.7 seems fair enough to me. Some elements of the storyline are predictable, I can't give it a ten because of the graphics, yet a 9.4 to 9.7 seems fair enough to me. Some elements of the storyline are predictable, but the maturity level ,presentation, and quality of the story telling makes up for it. Political and social issuses in the game draw out real emotions from within making the game experience more personal. Futhermore, I enjoy the fact that you actually have to set your AI character tatics in some parts of the game in order to pprevent your party from wipping.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
6. SupR_G

   Mar 14, 2012

   8

   I can safely say I have never replayed a single game as much as this one. This is a great game with one of the best, original stories I haveI can safely say I have never replayed a single game as much as this one. This is a great game with one of the best, original stories I have seen since LOTR. While initially I was a little confused in terms of where I was and who was who, it eventually set in and didn't detract from the excellent script. The only thing I disliked was parts of the game play. While I understand it was a traditional RPG, and followed the Baulder's Gate formula, it limited my party to a balancing act and I found without a healer I was constantly underpowered. It had a lot of bugs, and the Xbox 360 version was not as visually impressive as PC, but all in all it was definitely a great experience.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
7. MikelH

   Dec 25, 2009

   8

   Dragon Age: Origins... what a game, really! In all the reviews I read before purchasing my own copy, the main complaint about this game was Dragon Age: Origins... what a game, really! In all the reviews I read before purchasing my own copy, the main complaint about this game was most definitely the graphics. Myself, I still found them really nice, but that's because I am accustomed to Wii and last generation consoles. I just got my 360 recently. Still, as I became acquainted with the 360 graphics, I did find myself grimacing at the horrid lack of sharpness. Some things are downright ugly, which is strange because the exact same areas, like facial hair for example, are so well done in Mass Effect. Strange... graphics are my only real complaint though. The story is incredible. Most fantasy novels, and there are countless ones out there, could not hope to compete with the storyline of DA. DA is like an incredibly epic 6 novel series, beloved and classic, adored for generations for its detail, imagination, and majesty. If you ever wanted to play a game that felt as epic as watching or reading Lord of the Rings, but still felt totally original and not as a Tolkien rip off. You've got it here. Granted, there are huge homages to Tolkein, but the approach to generally stereotyped species like elves, dwarves, even orcs (who are renamed "darkspawn" in this game). These species are reimagined in ways I had never thought of before and was incredibly drawn in and fascinated to see. The world is so real, so immersive (The codex is so huge, so well thought out, that you'll fancy yourself a Ferelden scholar by the time it's over). The darkspawn are generally much more evil and chilling than even Peter Jackson's orcs, and I found them an incredibly chilling foe to face, but abominations are pretty horrifying too. Character development: top notch. You'll love these characters, and some you'll be irritated by, not because of their voice or looks, but because of their actual character. There are multiple gut-wrenching moral decisions that are genuinely difficult to make, that you must think deeply about. Very few companies can make you care about the characters in a game like Bioware do. Great game. Incredible story, characters, imagination, and atmosphere. Absolutely nauseating graphics. I'd say it's worth it.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
8. MaxGayLord

   May 16, 2013

   0

   Just about everything about this damn game is terrible. The story and narrative are one giant cliche, the setting is uninspiring, the music isJust about everything about this damn game is terrible. The story and narrative are one giant cliche, the setting is uninspiring, the music is entirely bland, the characters are quite one dimensional, combat is sluggish, the interface is clunky, the visuals are a mess, level design is utter garbage, but the voice acting is pretty good.… Expand

   • 1 of 11 users found this helpful

See all 157 User Reviews