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Dragon Age: Origins

Also known as: Dragon Age

Dragon Age: Origins – hands-on

It’s swords, sorcery, blood, and bare boobies. Dungeons & Dragons just got dirty…

We reckon Dragon Age’s real strengths will only become apparent when we get to venture out into its world proper and activate a few dialogue trees on the go. Greg Zeschuk has already claimed Origins conjures ‘the spirit of Baldur’s Gate’, so we’re hoping for stellar inter-party banter in which we not only get to romance a couple of choice witchy women, but also lock horns with love rivals and perhaps even come to blows with some of our more tempestuous recruits.

The omens are promising – we’re already digging henna-tattooed, testosterone-fuelled young buck warrior Alistair and super-evil, super-sexy sorceress Morgan. As to whether they’ll match up to legendary Baldur’s combo Minsc & Boo or Knights of the Old Republic’s psycho droid HK-47, only release date will tell.

Given BioWare’s unrivalled reputation in the role-playing arena, we’re also expecting some tricky moral dilemmas to rear up along the way. Greg Zeschuk is adamant that how ‘good’ or ‘bad’ these decisions are will be quite veiled in Origins, encouraging you to mess around with characters’ lives. You’ll also have the additional dilemma of having to manage inter-party squabbles that not only reduce your efficiency in combat situations, but actually threaten to rend your entire party asunder. This sounds deeply intriguing, but that’s all the spoilsport would let slip for the moment.

One thing’s for sure though; when it comes to the quality of RPG-related narrative and dialogue, BioWare aren’t just the best in the business, they’re the best by a country mile. As it stands, Dragon Age Origins is a frustratingly unknown quantity, but having played a little part of it, we can’t help feeling all kinds of excited.

Aug 28, 2009 


 
8 Comments
Order Comments: Newest First | Oldest First
Tymiegie  - 6 months 18 days ago 
I am so excited for this game. I have it preordered. Too bad they didn't decide to use a voiced main character.
UlfGeir  - 6 months 18 days ago 
I decided to buy this one as soon as I heard it was in development. An RPG from bioware in the Baldur's Gate tradition? Complete no-brainer. I can't imagine it being a disappointment.
DeadGirls  - 6 months 17 days ago 
@^ You just don't have a good enough imagination.
Lutrian  - 6 months 17 days ago 
Sounds like it will be similar to a Bioware game in general, in that it will be a pause, give orders, resume system. Console games with this system include the Knights of the Old Republic series which is Bioware for the first, Obsidian for the second. Final Fantasy XII (Square-Enix) also used a very similar combat system.
ShadowedDream  - 6 months 17 days ago 
Seems like a decent game, but its Bioware so it should be pretty good.
cart00n  - 6 months 15 days ago 
I was really looking forward to Mass Effect's gameplay in a classic D&D-type setting, this throw-back to FF-style fighting is... off-putting to say the least. However, I pre-ordered this on Bioware's name alone, and still have faith in them. Hope they don't let me down...

reCaptcha: fleshly tradictions
Jinlung  - 6 months 8 days ago 
From what I have seen this game is going to be awesome. It looks like a polished Baldur's Gate. I can't wait for it to hit stores.
Spybreak8  - 6 months 6 days ago 
Hmm that's interesting, will have to see how critics and gamers a like rate it.
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The Knowledge
Dragon Age: Origins
Dragon Age: Origins

Genre: Role Playing
Release date: Nov 3, 2009
Published by: Electronic Arts
Developed by: BioWare
Multiplayer Modes:
Offline
1 player SOLO
9 AWESOME
Read the review
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