Masterful and captivating
As the title implies, this game explores the origins of the player character and, if you pursue it, the background of many of the party members that flock to you along your various quests. The game is set in Ferelden; nothing is drastically innovative in this new fantasy realm, but the lore has been so lovingly conjured that it is challenging to ignore much of what can be seen as even the most superfluous story telling. The tale follows a faction known as the Grey Wardens as they attempt to stop a horde of monsters, or Darkspawn, from destroying... well, everything. Again, the plot isn't anything drastically original, but, as the saying goes, the story is in the telling, and luckily it is varied enough, supported by enough side-quests to keep even the twitchiest of A.D.D sufferers to take notice, even over some 40+ hours of gameplay!
The main population consists of, the playable, Dwarven, Elven (Dalish [sic.]), and Human races. The 'Origin' that you choose will determine the way in which you interact with the world in significant ways; influencing dialogue trees, and the disposition of NPCs toward you.
What is interesting is that Bioware have streamlined the Class system, which may come as a welcome relief to those of you who felt overwhelmed by the huge choice available in, say, Neverwinter Nights 2. It's now just Rogue, Warrior , and Mage, yet, happily, there are numerous skill trees and specializations later down the road to keep everything feeling fresh.
As you progress throughout the game you acquire more party characters, whom you can both control and interact with. What's truly magnificent about Dragon Age; Origins is that the script, background, and voice-acting for each of these party members make them simultaneously interesting and likeable, not to spoil anything, but when certain party member tries to leave the group you may find yourself begging them to stay, such is the opportunity for emotional investment.
The A.I. does a fine job and is excellently reflective of particular difficulty settings. Enemies cast spells and perform attacks so well that you have to make critical calculations for battles to go in your favour, yet you'll never find yourself at your wits end. Party A.I. Is for the most part good, customizable to the extent that they can be manipulated to fit your own preferences, and if that doesn't suit, then you can take control of them personally. This could potentially have been quite confusing if not for the pause button, allowing you to formulate the best tactics to deal with swarms of enemies.
What can be seen as a let down is that Dragon Age; Origins is not quite at the top of it's game graphically, yet it isn't necessarily a let down either. Large dungeons are reasonably well lit, but the lighting isn't exactly what you would call dynamic, and fire effects are not what you would call spectacular. That said, the colour pallet is still quite violent, and spells are flashy enough to make battles rather colourful without spamming your screen unnecessary hues. Settlements do appear to be areas that are actually lived in, even if the majority of NPCs are sedentary; what some players may notice is that NPCs tend to stare at you during conversations in manner that would be believable if it was merely for a moment; not for the entire conversation.
Though Dragon Age; Origins does have some very minor flaws, it would be impossible to give it anything less than 10/10, so well executed is the blend of story telling and gameplay; it avoids becoming an interactive movie, aka Heavy Rain, yet maintains a masterful tale, that has enough variables, that gamers will want to play through again and again.