Dragon Age combines all of the best things from prior Bioware titles and forms a fun adventure from start to finish.
Written By: xGlenn11x (ThatGameReviewerGuy on IGN)
Review Note: My review for Dragon Age: Origins may contain minor spoilers, though nothing too major having to do with the main plot. Readers, you have been forwarned!
If you have played Bioware's RPGs before, you know they are consistent in their execution of crafting well-balanced games. We saw this with Star Wars on the original Xbox, and we have seen this with Mass Effect this generation. This time, the developers went back to a "Baulder's Gate"-type atmosphere in Dragon Age: Origins. Dragon Age is a dark fantasy epic that pits you in the midst of the Blight, where an evil force known as the Darkspawn are trying to engulf the world in total darkness. You'll gain quite a few interesting companions to join you on your quest, and try to end the Blight once and for all.
Dragon Age does something very intriguing and enjoyable by allowing you to create your character (like most of their previous games) and shaping how the story begins. It is similar to a prologue how you begin the game. When you first purchase the game, you will have three races to choose, ranging from humans, elves, and dwarves. Each one has a "story" about their background. Take for example the human noble, where you are born into royalty, and want to fight as a warrior one day in your family's name. Well, that happens sooner than expected, when a Grey Warden named Duncan arrives, and takes you under his wing after the tragic death of your family. You are sworn into their ranks, and from there, the story takes off, and what a grand and memorable one it is.
The gameplay in Dragon Age is complicated, yet simplified and easy to understand. Bioware doesn't throw a million different things at you and expect you to understand it immediately. If you are familiar with Knights of the Old Republic from the original Xbox and PC, you will feel right at home as both games seem like brothers, in a sense. Dragon Age makes it easy to use spells and skills by using the face buttons, and attacking your enemies is as easy as the press of a button. You can switch between each of the characters in your party, which you can have up to four traveling with you. Dragon Age is an open world game overall, and Ferelden is a beautiful world to travel about. The number of quests are also numerous, and you will almost always find yourself doing something.
I will say this regarding the game itself; it can be difficult for those who don't play many RPGs. Even experienced RPG lovers may want to begin on the normal difficulty, and not jump right in on the "Nightmare" difficulty. I will say this regarding "Nightmare", it can be a real nightmare really quickly and early on. I play RPGs to death, and love them all really, but nightmare is ridiculous. Even the weakest enemies can seem like boss battles, and the first real bosses may seem like the final boss of the entire game. If you plan to play on Nightmare, have patience, and also, don't be afraid to have a separate playthrough on Normal possibly to familiarize yourself with the game and all the situations you will find yourself in. It can be crazy, but Dragon Age will never not feel as fun as any other RPG you have played.
Overall, Dragon Age is a fun fantasy epic. The story is great and well put together, and never really has any dry-spots. The as long as players take the time to really get to know the game, there isn't too much to criticize here. There are a few nagging technical issues here and there, but they are few and far between, such as the obvious drop in frame-rate on occasion. If you are a fan of Bioware, they surely do not disappoint here, and even if you are new to the genre, Dragon Age is a great place to begin. With a sequel out as well, Dragon Age: Origins is a great place to start, and there has never been a better time to explore this epic than now.
Overall Score: 9/10