Dragon Age: Origins takes us into a mythical world where an evil force known as the Darkspawn have begun taking over the lands with little respect for anyone who stands in their way. They come in the form of goblins, ogres and even dragons. The humans, Elves and Dwarves had once banded together to defeat them with the help of the Grey Wardens, but now the Darkspawn are on the rampage again. The game lets the player join the prestigious Grey Wardens who embark on an epic journey to rid the world of 'The blight', but not without a few bumps on the way. The story doesn't feel entirely original, but Bioware have made it work by taking this into account.

Gameplay:

There are plenty of gameplay elements which will be familiar to those who have played Bioware's other RPGs. The character creation seems fairly standard, but depending on which race you choose, there is a number of different origin stories. This means that if you start a new game, its possible to create a different character and start the game from a completely different location, but with the same end goal. Anyone not familiar with the type of set up here shouldn't worry as the game will guide you through nicely for the first hour or so, descriptions will pop up offering information on certain actions or items, the combat system is introduced right near the start and so is the radial menu, which many will surely recognise from Mass Effect. Pressing the left trigger will bring up a circle menu that pauses the game and offers a number of actions for the player to perform, such as spells, changing equipment etc. and each character has their own menu.

The key to success in combat is more based on efficient party management and not on the players skill with a gamepad. Simply letting the computer do the work for you and controlling just one character will not work well and will get boring fast, it is necessary to choose targets to take down fast and keep an eye for any vulnerable spots in your own party. For hack and slash RPG fans, the combat system may take a little getting used to, not so much to learn but just to accept that it only takes a few button presses, the player doesn't have direct control over the characters actions, the game will automatically calculate how much damage is to be dealt and how much protection your armour gives. In a way this removes the danger of repetitiveness in attacking enemies with button bashing which is present in some games, since story driven RPGs aren't known for their combo attacks. On the other hand sometimes you can just be forced to sit there and watch your character take damage, not wanting to waste items or powers. There are some special abilities that can be learnt through levelling up, such as a knock down move which floors some enemies allowing for a few cheap shots or another which increases damage for a short time. The mage class is of course more reliant on magic than strength, with plenty of spells available. Keeping track of what the other party members are doing during a fight can get a little confusing sometimes, depending on how chaotic the fight is and it's not helped by the fact that the camera view is relatively close, meaning you can miss enemies coming in or party members getting swamped.

The main storyline will take you all over the game world on a variety of quests, but there are also side quests available, however they will not always be to everyone's liking. There seems to be a limit on the variety and originality of these missions, helping out someone who has lost all their possessions or someone who has missing family only gets so much of my sympathy depending on how far they are in the game. As the characters level up, they are awarded experience points that can improve certain attributes, as well as new special attacks or spells. Exploring and side quests will lead to new weapons, armour and items which can also be purchased with silver gained from fallen foes.

Graphics:

When Xbox gamers think Bioware, you cant blame them for also thinking Mass Effect, which has excellent visuals, especially when it was released some time ago. Obviously Dragon Age is from a different studio, but some parts of the game just look awful. For example many of the trees in the distance just look like green cardboard cut outs, with no detail at all. There are no stand out visuals, the character models look good enough from the normal view, but going in closer for cut scenes and the picture isn't so pretty. The model and level design fairs better, grand castles towering over their villages, mythical ruins and vicious looking enemies helps give the game that fantasy world feel, but it's a small positive given that the game is not the prettiest. The ridiculous amount of blood that characters will be covered with after battles that is clearly noticeable in cut scenes, is however, totally cool.

Sound:

There is a lot of dialogue in this game and much of it is high quality, however from time to time there is a character that speaks very unconvincingly, or maybe being chased by an army of monsters isn't a reason to change from a calm tone of voice for some people? The characters in your party will have conversations with each other and depending on their views will either be nice or have digs, which is quite humorous, even though it's hard to imagine people living in the medieval world would have such sarcasm. The soundtrack fits the game well, with gentle ambient music for exploring, faster paced music which clearly indicates enemies nearby and an epic battle soundtrack to match the equally awesome cinematography of the big battle scenes.

Longevity:

If you're the type of gamer who will speak to everyone and get missions from all the locals in distress to get plenty of rewards and someone who will search every chest, then this game will eat up a lot of your time. Some players will also start the game again and play through with a different character or class, which is also a good chance to experience one of the unique origins stories.

Overall:

A great storyline with plenty of twists and charismatic characters make Dragon Age: Origins a memorable experience. The story, which perhaps might not seem so original will progress at a nice pace that can be partially dictated by the player opting to do side quests. The amount of character customisation means that there are lots of different party combinations available so the game can be played from a different perspective in another play through. There is also a vast world to explore that although might not be visually appealing, still manages to suck you in. The combat system may take a while to learn how to use all the options competently, but discovering the features and levelling up is part of the fun. Aside from it looking rough around the edges and a combat system that might not be to everyone's liking, Dragon Age: Origins is an enjoyable RPG experience.