An RPG classic
Dragon Age: Origins is, in a word, awesome. Think of everything you love (and some things you might hate) about role-playing games, and that's DA:O.
DA:O’s standout feature is meaningful choices and consequences. Consequences can be minor, such as lowering a companion's disposition towards you, while others will affect and even limit your options later in the game. It all feels very natural and dynamic, and often these dilemmas do not have obvious "right" and "wrong" solutions. For instance, when a young boy is possessed by a demon, do you defeat the demon by killing the boy, or by allowing his mother to sacrifice herself in a blood magic ritual? There's no easy answer, and you’ll want repeated playthroughs to see all that the story has to offer (plus the six unique origins story).
The lack of moral certainty is refreshing for this genre because it allows you to play a nuanced evil character, offering role playing choices that are more interesting than the usual "evil guy = jerk" characterization that is typical in many RPG's. It also happens that the morally good choices do not always bring the best rewards, so an evil character isn't at an inherent disadvantage.
DA:O features an epic story that could possibly be criticized for riffing on Tolkien, but then, what fantasy story doesn't? However, BioWare added enough of their own unique twists to the setting and narrative that they can legitimately call it their own. It's clear that they put a lot of time and thought into the world-building, making Ferelden feel more like a real place than a fictional world, and while much of this information is conveyed through codex entries, they’re well worth your time to read to get the most out of your experience.
My only major criticism is that while the combat system is terrifically fun, there’s just a little too much filler combat, but this is easily overlooked since the rest of the game is so stellar.
If you’re a fan of RPGs then this is one you do not want to miss.
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