Dragon Age: Origins

I played Baldur's Gate constantly on the PC and when this was announced I was expecting a game that drew me into that extent (I still go back to it today). In the short time I have had this it has not disappointed. I have not stopped playing it and already feel it is going to dominate the coming months.

I decided on the Xbox 360 version simply because that has become my gaming machine of choice. Now while people will constantly go on about the graphics not being as pretty as Mass Effect (which is true) or alot of other new titles out there it is not all about the graphics. The story so far has been great and I am enjoying the returning to the more tactical style of battles rather than shooting constantly like in Mass Effect.

If you are expecting a medieval Mass Effect/Action Game you should avoid this as you will be disappointed. If you are looking for a true role-playing game then this is the way to go.

I find it interesting that others have reviewed this already and cast it off, or made complaints about cut-scenes. Please ignore these reviews. RPG's, in the most part, are played by people who enjoy in-depth aspects of games, and DO want to explore maps and get involved in a plot line. On that front, I can confirm that the plot is excellent, and the maps are there for hours worth of exploration. 20 hours gameplay since release tells me this. Other reviewers seem to have been discontented after only an hour or two....

So. Is the game any good? I laughed a bit at the excellent mish mash of Fable / Oblivion / Mass Effect storyline and gameplay. Even the map of Feraldon looks a bit to similar to Oblivions own map (note the sea and lake areas). The 'mashing an A button to defeat everyone' isn't quite that simple. as that All buttons are used depending on how you wish to attack. Perhaps 'just pressing A' works on easy-level, but not on hard, that's for sure.....

The graphics are quite good in my opinion. They're not as cartton-esque as Fable 2, but they are a step-up on Oblivion. It's not open-world, but there's still plenty to do. In fact, I would go as far as saying this is a Medieval Mass Effect, and an excellent stop-gap between ME1 and ME2. Those moral decisions are still there to be made, which was one of the more interesting features of Mass Effect. The romantic relationships bit is also still there, which made me chortle!

On the 20 hour mark, I can describe Dragon Age as an engrossing encounter, well worth your time if you're not busy shooting things on MW2. It sits well within the RPG genre, and competes for the spotlight as much as anyone.....and yes, I do have another 20-40 hours, and I'm looking forward to them immensely.

This is an excellent game which takes me back to my youth and the days of Baldurs Gate. Already straight from the start this game has me caring about the characters, keen to develope their skills. A really great RPG experience.
But be warned this is not a balls to wall button bashing game, this is a turn based combat very similar to Knights of the old republic or World of Warcraft. The idea is about developing your characters and changing the world around you. Although similar to Mass Effect its not a squad based shooter with a RPG structure and it is not Oblivion. If your old enough to remember Baldurs Gate get ready for its son Dragon Age. If your not old enough, try to keep an open mind, give it time. You never know you might like it.

Awful. This game is such a let down, both in terms of gameplay & graphics, you would not think it was for the 360 more like the PS2. It is like an old PC game converted for consoles. If you are expecting a medieval Mass Effect, like me forget it. This game is constantly interrupted by cutscenes & the graphics are truly awful as is the dull & instantly repetitive gameplay. Totally uninvolving. My advice, wait for Mass Effect 2.

This game has provided 120 hours of fun and excitement and I've still not had enough - absolute genius!