Evolution of a company dedicated to putting the story back into the RPG.
Bioware tells stories, and that is a key component of every game that they make, it's not just the ending, but rather the adventure along the way. In Dragon Age:Origins, your choice of Human, Elf, or Dwarf is only a starting point, because each choice you make impacts your game experience.
Without giving away details, or re-hashing readily available information Dragon Age sucks you in to the story, and doesnt want to let you go. As you are adventuring thru Ferelden you will meet a diverse group of potential companions, and they all seem to have an intriguing story that you'll want to more deeply explore. That's just the tip of the iceberg with your companions, because you'll enjoy seeing how the interact with one another, and I've put together groups with ones who dont care for one another, just to see how things play out.
The story in and of itself isnt anything that is going to shock or surprise fans of the fantasy genre, as it is filled with intrigue, betrayal and some romance. Of course it's not so much the story, but the way it is told, and plays out that make it as special as it is. I cant stress enough what a job Bioware did with the story, as it is their baliwick, it continues to set them apart from the random RPG.
Combat is a mixed blessing. I find it to be enjoyable, but there have been plenty of concerns voiced on the official forums. The standard, normal difficulty on the PC (Consoles levels do not equate to PC) has caused some folks problems, as it can require extensive pauses during combat and micromanagement to be successful. I've seen that concern voiced by folks who are new to Bioware games, as well as some who have enjoyed Bioware games for years. This has not been an issue for me yet, but I've found that I've had to work harder to set up characters tactics. The tactics is essentially your programmable AI for the rest of your group, who to target, what to do, and under what conditions. I suppose this could be seen as intimidating, but the more comfortable you feel, the more successful I think you will be. I've had a blast with combat, but I can see where it could contain some frustration or a learning curve for those not patient enough to explore it fully.
The rest of the game isnt to be shared, it's to be explored. I found myself wishing that like NWN, there would be a co-op, or multiplayer option, but the story doesnt really work that way, and it's okay. There are plenty of options if I want that in a game, Bioware wins big again in my mind, and they deliver a first rate single player RPG, worthy of the hype, and their previous titles. I look forward to more play thrus of this 80+ hour campaign (I really want to see how it plays out with other groupmates, and main character) and I also hope that the Dragon Age world see future expansions, or games, because this wonderfully crafted world needs to be explored even more.