Dragon Age: Origins Review

Dragon Age: Origins is another classic entry from Bioware. While the company is mostly known nowadays for its sci-fi adventures, this game is an RPG that is firmly in the “swords and sorcery” mode of high fantasy.

According to ardent fans, this franchise was an instant classic that everyone should play. But Bioware has delivered some mixed goods in recent years, making it worth asking whether this game is worth it for new players.

What’s the answer? Keep reading to find out!

A Legacy to Live Up To

Dragon Age: Origins had a lot to live up to even when it first came out. Bioware made a really big splash with earlier hit games like Baldur’s Gate and Neverwinter Nights. But they really became a household name with a string of hit games such as Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect, and Jade Empire.

In this way, Dragon Age: Origins is sometimes a victim of Bioware’s previous successes. For example, the plot involves a character who joins an elite organization and quickly becomes the only hope of saving all living beings from an overwhelming force.

Sound familiar? It should: this was the basic plot to Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect. And the game’s morality system, in which your choices shape your character and the overall story, draws a lot from these previous games.

Fortunately, there is much that helps Dragon Age stand out on its own.

Choose Your Own Adventure

The beginning of the Dragon Age story may vary greatly from player to player. There are three playable races (human, elf, and dwarf), and each race has multiple “origins” (such as “noble,” “mage,” and “commoner”). The result is that there are six distinct backgrounds for characters starting their adventure.

These pair with classes that should be very familiar to fantasy fans, including “warrior,” “rogue,” and “mage.” While there is still plenty of room for specialization, the game is wise to stick to these core classes: it streamlines things in a way that makes the game more accessible to newcomers.

Overall, there is enough diversity of both story and background to allow every player to create the kind of character they really want to play.