Echoing again for the other blog I write for.:)
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2009 has been a good year for PC role-playing games (CRPGs). We’ve had Drakensang and Risen so far, and Divinity II: Ego Draconis is set to be released next month. In between the first two and the latter, BioWare’s Dragon Age Origins has just been released for the PC, Xbox 360 and PS3.
Dragon Age Origins is a new fantasy world created by the talented developers at BioWare who have already proven that as far as CRPGs are concerned, they’re at the top of the heap. The studio has chalked up big and critically acclaimed hits like Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Knights of the Old Republic, and the Mass Effect series.
As high fantasy-esque worlds go though, I don’t think there’s a lot of stuff in Dragon Age Origins that’s new though. There’s the fantasy realm that’s facing the looming threat from an evil horde led by an arch demon that takes the form of a dragon, and all the ‘good’ folk – which comprises elves, humans, magi and dwarves – must ban together under the terms of ancient treaties crafted by a expert and elite warriors caste, the Jedi, whoops, Grey Wardens. Intermixed in the lot and forming a good bulk of the major quests in the game are the player character’s efforts to unite the races together who don’t enjoy the best of relations among themselves.
Truth to tell, you’ve seen it all before elsewhere. But BioWare has become especially proficient in employing the well-established game play norms for games of this genre. There’s plenty of character customization by way of looks, skill and attribute growth, and specialization. And there’s a reasonably large range of inventory items for those of us who’re pack rats, though the inventory system itself could use some work. And the story – conventional as it is – is told through long cut scenes that come off a great script, terrific voice-acting and animation.
There’s also a cast of very well-defined and interesting characters who’ll join up with you, and each person has a back story which at various points when recounted will require a reaction from you as their party leader. Depending on your reactions, their attitudes towards you will change, which can either open up new abilities and benefits, or if conversations go awry or your actions in some other story element upsets them, they could leave the party forever.
What’s especially well-done too is that like Drakensang which I really enjoyed as well, story decisions in Dragon Age Origins aren’t always painted in broad and clear strokes. There’s the aforementioned effect on your party members for instance, and there’s also the fact that many decisions require you to make tough choices between what’s moral and what’s practical, or choosing to side with one key character and offending another important one.
These key defining decisions aren’t just for show either, as decisions you make will have far reaching implications that show up either immediately, or much later on. Of the many CRPGs I’ve played over the years, I can think of only The Witcher as another game which has been able to stretch story-based decisions to the same extreme.
Nicely too is that the first hour or two of a new game depends on the race and class you choose for yourself in new character generation, and while each beginning ties in smoothly with the main campaign, they’re still distinct enough within those couple of hours to warrant several repeated start-ups of new games just to see the different beginnings.
There’s a huge amount of content in the game of about 70 hours with the bulk of time to be spent in the main campaign. There are some side missions that you can also take that’s integrated nicely with the main story. They’re well-worth the time to complete, as in several instances they flesh out further the back stories of your party members, and in turn their attitudes towards you.
The game isn’t especially easy too. Even at the easiest difficulty setting, you’d be pausing combat encounters frequently to issue new and complex orders to your party members. There’s a detailed behavioral script that you can customize for each member too that’d alleviate some of the hand work. Either way, party wipes are very common, but saves and reloads are reasonably quick for at least the PC edition of the game.
Lastly, Dragon Age Origins is available for the PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 though I suggest you get the PC version for better party control, more view options and a more manageable interface. And it’s all to be had for less money than either of the two console versions.
Very highly recommended.:)
(Pictures from Gamespot)
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