Friday 19 / April / 2024
What makes a good role-playing game? Is it a good story, good characters, good graphics or good music?
When you play a good role-playing game, you feel it come alive, so much so that when you make a decision, your conscience points you towards the right thing to do. When you volunteer for a rescue mission, it’s because you want to save those who need your help, not just because it is your next objective.
For all these reasons and more, Dragon Age Origins has to be among the best RPGs to ever grace the genre. The game represents another smash hit by game makers BioWare, who have to be among the best makers of role-playing games. The team that gave us Mass Effect and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic has produced another amazing game that remains a favourite to this day.
Dragon Age Origins is a game that you’ll want to play over and over again, just because it’s so engrossing, and is available to buy on PC and consoles.
The game is set in a fantasy medieval world, and takes place in the fictional continent of Thedas, which is split into a number of nations, each of which has their own unique customs and cultures. DAO takes place mostly in the kingdom of Ferelden, which is based on medieval England, and is still recovering from successfully repelling an invasion and occupation from neighbouring Orlais, Thedas’ largest empire, which is French all the way from the pastel-coloured architecture to their outrageous fashion sense and their oh-so-obvious accent.
While Thedas is home to many civilisations and races that have their differences, there is one that compels all of them to unite and fight as one. Deep underneath the surface live the darkspawn, a humanoid but monstrous race of creatures that rise up in massive numbers every few decades and slaughter the surface dwellers, also known as Blight. While the dwarves who live in underground kingdoms deal with the darkspawn on a daily basis so that the surface kingdoms can sleep soundly, a new Blight is about to threaten Ferelden.
The first Blight began millennia ago, and while the darkspawn brought fear and terror, the Grey Wardens stood against them. Wardens were looked upon in the highest regard, because the men and women that bravely gave their lives to stop the horrors of the darkspawn willingly made the ultimate sacrifice, and with Ferelden about to receive yet another hammer blow, another warden is going to join these hallowed ranks. You.
Players can choose from several origin stories and backgrounds to begin with. Are you, for example, the eldest son of a human noble, who grew up in a grand castle, or an elf, who was raised in the squalor of the slums just a few yards away? You might choose to be a dwarf, one who either had to tough it out on the streets, or who was born and bred to lead.
Once you’ve chosen your character (who, by the way is fully customisable), you can choose what sort of fighter you want to be. You might be a brawler, who is clad in the thickest of armour and fights with an axe that cleaves a bloody path through your foes, or you might be a nimble fighter who prefers dancing with daggers. Then again, you might prefer to work from a distance, as you draw back your bow and thrillingly watch as your arrow meets its intended mark.
You could also be a mage who uses his powers to freeze your opponents, who watch on in horror as your shape rocks around you into a fist, their eyes widening in helpless terror as it hurtles towards them, moments away from shattering them.
If that sounds fun, it’s because it is. Dragon Age Origins is a game you simply must play this weekend.
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The Short and Skinny
Name: Dragon Age Origins
Genre: Fantasy RPG
Produced by: BioWare and EA Games
What it’s about: Millennia ago, brave men and women known as Grey Wardens banded together to stop the world from being swallowed up by darkness. Now, with people’s very existence being threatened again, you join this sacred band of warriors to shine as a beacon of hope against the coming gloom.
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Mac OSX, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Where to buy: Origin, EA Store, GOG Games, Steam Store, Microsoft.com, PlayStation Store, Xbox Marketplace
IGN Rating: 8.7/10
