Video Game Review: Dragon Age:Origins

I've been feeling a bit down the last couple of days, likely getting a cold, so I decided to pickup the new Dragon Age: Origins game. The version I got was for the PC, though versions for Xbox and PS3 are available.

So far the reviews for the game have been excellent. Which both made me interested, but also cautious. Either this was fantastic or there was just way too much hype. Though the commercials were great, and add to the curiosity. But that's just marketing and not gameplay.

The big questions about the game are

Is it fun?

Does it have great visuals?

Is it open ended?

Is it smooth to play?

How is the sound?

Does the plot work with the gameplay?

Is it worth $50?

Let me answer all of that in the word, Yes. To be specific, I can say having cleared 10% of the game so far that it is addictive. It keeps you involved whether you are a hardcore gamer or just play casually in your spare time.

In terms of the looks, right off the bat you will be impressed. The images are very nearly the quality seen in the commercials. It moves smooth and is almost like a film as opposed to a game. The fluidity of motion of all the characters is very good. And scenes with background characters have high detail, many with character all having original faces and individuality that normally is just cloned. Even scenes of mass numbers of characters, all interacting at once flow and are visually rewarding.

At this point I should mention that you will notice quickly that the theme of the game is in many respects a take on Lord of the Rings. In fact in many ways it is a rip-off of that storyline. But when you get to see the first upclose image of a screaming Hurlock, you just won't care that it just as easily could have been called an Orc. The theme of the game many not be the most original, but then again this is a fantasy RPG afterall.

Another key factor in the game is the question of openendedness. It's something that has become more of a driving force in the industry, and something I always recommend. It adds to the replayability of the game and keeps things fresh.

Dragon Age is not quite open ended. It's more akin to Fable and Neverwinter in that it is open to your choices. By that I mean that most all conversations will provide a tree of choices that you can make in response. Depending on how you answer, and what you did in the past, the response of any character speaking with you can change. Adding to that is the class, race, and other factors found in the game. It's a nice touch and adds to the intrigue of the game.

My character is a Dwarven Noble, or at least he was. And already I can see how a couple of early choices that seemed somewhat neutral at the time, are going to kick me in the butt later on. Such is the nature of the entire game. So no single choice is generally horrible, but they all add up as the game mocves forward. But it does help to create a character that is truely what you wish to embody at the time.

I will further digress to another point of the game. As I mentioned I chose a Dwarven Noble. But there are several choices of race (Human, Dwarf, and Elf), either sex, and a choice of class (Noble or common). This adds a nice bit of diversity. Of course certain classes are restricted from certain races, but that's part of your choice. As you go further in the game it becomes clear that many of the base abilities are open to any class, but the bonuses and specializations are restricted.

Also, the game does a great job of covering the backstory of your character. The start of the game introduces who you are, early choices you make, and how you come to be in the main plotline. This gives you ample time to get familiar with various classes and the game mechanics. Its a simple device that has been used before, but in Dragon Age it works well and really gets you engaged in what is going on.

I've already discussed how smooth the game runs. No major glitches or skips. Moving from zone to zone will require a load screen, but that is relatively quick and otherwise smooth. As for the sounds, well they are spot on. Not too loud and never too mechanical, the sounds work well for what is going on. The voiceovers are a match to the characters, the background sounds make sense and are in the background, The sounds of battle are crisp and mean. Even the fire sounds nice and toasty.

A key point in a RPG, especially in fantasy realms, is the plot. As stated before this took generous helpings from Lord of the Rings (the books and movie not the online game). But the thought behind tying together the various aspects of this game shows through.

Your character makes sense in how they fit into this world. It makes sense the questions and answers they make with conversations. Answers are given that fit the personality and theme of the character and overall story. There is enough not said right away to make you want to know more. And you want to take the time to figure it all out.

From the outset the final battle, which I have not yet seen, is pretty obvious. The television commercial makes it clear that it will be a battle with a Dragon. The question of how you will get there, how powerful you will be, and who will be there with you are not nearly as clear. Plus there are all those pesky consequences of all the things you have said and done earlier to keep in mind.

So to combine the question of fun and whether it's worth $50, I think so. The game will suck up hours of time if you let it. While this is not a game like Oblivion that took months to finish (I think the fastest time was 6 months) it is hardly a game that anyone will finish in 5 hours. Thus in that alone you know you are getting your money's worth. You can see 2 movies in a theater for about the same price as this game. The game will have better acting, better visuals, be more engaging, and last longer than 10 movies, maybe more. Which says a lot of positives about the game and the designers.

And as aforementioned there is the fact that the game is replayable. So if you want to see how a mage, or a female, or an elf, excetra play through you can do so, and still get a unique experience though new eyes. Plus there is downloadable content available for the game already, so the experience can be added onto beyond the in box game (and I believe more will be arriving shortly).

If you are a gamer, Dragon Age: Origins is a game for you. If you love the look and feel of Lord of the Rings and that fantasy theme, this is your game. if you want to make choices and see unique outcomes as opposed to being a pacman, well you get the point.

I recommend this game to all my readers. It's just that simple.

Will 2008 be the year of the Greenskin, Barbarian or Pirate?

The question above does not refer to upcoming movies (of which I’m anticipating Iron Man to be very good) but about the crop of MMO’s coming out this year. Each has a huge back-story to work from. Each has a fanbase that is excited by the prospects of the particular theme of the massive multiplayer online industry. But which is best? Can any of them dethrone World of Warcraft (WoW)?

The answer to both of these questions depends on the player and the expectations they have. Let’s take a look at what they are each proposing to provide.

In Age of Conan, we get a slice of the classic barbarian tales that have endured in comic books/magazines and much later in movies for decades. This one character, and the world he inhabits has inspired movies such as Krull (bad but strongly influenced anyway), 2 Schwarzenegger movies, The Beastmaster and countless copycats in comics (especially Cerebus the Aardvark). The MMO plans to live up to that rich history providing an adult themed game. This one isn’t for the kids.



Finally there is an MMO that has a bit more than the watered down, ultra-kid friendly formats that are the industry today. There is nothing wrong generic MMO’s, and I enjoyed WoW as much as anyone (I had a lvl 54 Dwarven thief among several others), but sometimes you just want more action. You want to really be involved with the fight. And you want to crush the opponent. Lopping of the head of your enemy definitely fits the crushing experience.

The one thing that could be a bit unnerving for some players is the ‘twitch’ factor that is involved in the combat. The reward is that you get to target specific areas of your opponents’ body. The downside is that casual gamers will find this a bit more involved than just clicking a button and watching the results. Then again, that just makes winning a fight all the more enriching when that hit to the leg cuts it off and you win.

Looking at the other side of the coin we have Pirates of the Burning Sea (the first of these 3 MMO’s to be released). Again we go back to the family-friendly, casual gamer friendly format that is so common today. But we are talking about the chance to live out fantasies of being Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow, or Captain Blood for the Errol Flynn fans. Of course since this is family-friendly, I expect many to cry “Why is the rum always gone?”



Beyond the liquor of favor among these sea-faring ruffians, there may not be a lot of depth. Of course there will be a need for shipbuilders and other support characters. But the real action will be getting out to sea, representing either a parent nation or independently, and blasting the deck out of poopdecks of other ships on the waves. Pillaging ports of call is also an option with the naval equivalent of sieges giving you the option to take over the area and claiming it for your own faction.

It’s not the pounding action of Conan, or perhaps even WoW, but it definitely is better than Disney’s miserable foray into the same genre. And you can be sure that it will be ‘twitchless’ fighting. The real question here is, once players have their sea legs will they want to keep going? Personally I just don’t see how this can work.

The last big MMO of the year is Warhammer. Not the 40,000 series, but its fantasy counterpart. Chaos, including corrupt humans, Orcs and undead, fight the forces of good and humanity. A common theme in most RPG and MMO games. But this theme is backed by a hugely popular miniatures gaming system, and looks to take the MMO industry to a new place by having PvP on a huge scale and not just as a raid. It’s a direct and constant struggle of good vs. evil that isn’t secluded or regional but pervasive and right next door.



I think that this fundamental battle, on a constant basis, give a fresh perspective to the genre. Plus there are many fans that are dedicated to growing their faction’s position. If you have never seen the miniatures game I suggest you check it out. People, who spend hundreds of dollars building up armies, and tens if not hundreds of hours painting miniscule details on each figurine, are invested. I’d expect no less dedication in the MMO, and that makes it lively. It’s that fanbase that can give new players a boost and a reason to come back and join the cause.

So which video game will be the big winner? WoW will continue to be the big dog of the yard, but I think Age of Conan will be the runner up. It’s been too long since adult gamers, a growing population, have had anything that satisfies their tastes. Something a bit more sophisticated and darker. A more rewarding experience for the experienced gamer.

But the casual gamers will flock to Warhammer. Name recognition will capture newbie’s, and fans have been waiting for this kind of experience.

WoW may still be the king, but several others are coming up the hill fast. Change is not only a Presidential race campaign speech; it’s a reality of the evolving and growing MMO video gaming genre.