Dragon Age: Origins

10 Review to this product

• 

  Adventure Fan
  November 4th, 2009 on 12:35 am

  Rating

  The PS3 version is 17.3% better than the 360 version for 4.2 reasons.
  
  The 360 version is 13.7% better than the PS3 version for 2.4 reasons.
  
  Which version is better for you will be determined by your saving throw.

  NO SPOILERS

  I picked up both versions. I have two identical TVs, one bedroom, one den, both 50″ 1080p Panasonic G10s. For this review I put them side by side in the den, PS3 hooked up to one, 360 to the other, and choose the same origin story. I played the PS3, my wife played the 360, we both took the day off of work, a “Bioware Holiday.”

  BIOWARE

  The Bioware RPG is one of my favorite video game genres. KOTOR 1 is still my favorite story. I played through Mass Effect 7 times. If you like Bioware, you will like Dragon Age.

  KOTOR 2 GRAPHICS

  Bioware didn’t make KOTOR 2. Until now. Dragon Age’s graphics in general look like a last generation game, upconverted to HD. And why should they not? This game was 5 years in the making. Personally, if I could wave a magic wigglestick, I would magically wish the graphics into the year 2069, to play in my PS9 in my flying car. Unfortunately, I live in a condo that doesn’t allow wigglesticking. So the choice is (A) Play the Bioware game. (B) Don’t play the Bioware game. (C) Eat a cup cake. No one plays Bioware games for the graphics. You play for the CYOA storytelling.

  6 COMPLETE CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE NOVELS

  Dragon Age is 10 Novels long. With 6 unique hero journeys. That can be twisted good or naughty. Warrior. Magic. Thief. Hybrid-Hybrid. Bioware is the only developer on the planet that makes this kind of beautiful uniqueness. This kind of awesomeness only comes around once every few years. Is this flavor of awesomeness perfect? No. Is amateur pornography perfect? No. Sometimes the pacing is off, or the dialogue excessive, but it gets the job done. The job is to experience a genuine human story–even if you’re a lesbian elf. Dragon Age is fantastic video game storytelling. And better written than most fantasy novels.

  BLOOD SPLATTER OR POTPOURRI?

  I’m going to give Bioware the benefit of the doubt and believe that after battles my characters are splattered with blood and not potpourri. It’s hard to tell visually, but I don’t think they would censor themselves because this game is, like, totally Mature.

  GAY SEX – NO NUDITY

  My wife likes lesbian threesomes. In books. In movies. In video games. In our kids’ crayon drawings. She had never played a Bioware game before, but she likes role playing, and I told her Dragon Age has lesbian threesomes. Now, like with most video games, the depiction of sex isn’t much more sophisticated visually than taking two barbie dolls and slapping them together. And there’s no nudity. Because Bioware understands the genuine human condition–that people make the special love with their cloths on– even if you’re a bi-sexual dwarf. So if you like realisticly-sized breasts well-covered with beige felt bikinis, then you, my friend, are in for a PG-13 flavored treat.

  CASUAL VS HARDCORE

  My wife played on easy, I played on normal. If you’re an uber-genius, like me, who enjoys micromanagement, obscure RPG tactics, and general strategery… Then prepare to spend a lot of time, with the game paused, in clunky interface menus, because that’s how real men play. That’s how my grandpappy played his Bioware games, and his grandpappy before him, back when Bioware wasn’t even Canadian, when they were still French, and the TVs had 11″ screens and were powered by fire–usually dry hickory. So if you want that kind of authentic gaming experiece, you can have it. But if you just want to enjoy the story, crank that menu to easy, slump back in the couch, and unbuckle your pants for a good time.

  PS3 VS 360

  Like with all games, it’s a choice between graphics vs framerate. The PS3 has slightly better textures, color saturation, contrast level, resolution. The 360 is less pretty but smoother. The PS3 is the supermodel with arthritis. The 360 is a Ukrainian gymnast. You get to choose who you want to take to bed. But since all you’re going to do in bed is talk… It’s not such a big deal. Unless you put two 50″ plasmas right next to each other, you’re not going to see the difference. I’m going to keep the PS3 version (because I like the controller better) and give my 360 copy to my favorite charity FVGFBO that provides fantastic video games for blind orphans.

  BUY IT, PLAY IT, LOVE IT

  * UPDATE

  I have played 115 hours, beaten the game twice, tried three of the six origin stories, watched every sex scene, won every topless hottie boss battle, and found “teh secret nipplz.” Personally, I feel this is the best Bioware game to date, the best written video game of all time, and a genuine evolution of the Bioware formula. For those of you fleeing in terror from Adult Content, know that, like in real life, bi-sexual dwarf sex is awkward, optional, and over in less than a minute. You can get through the whole game without “going hairy.”
• 

  WarriorPoet2020
  November 6th, 2009 on 6:22 pm

  Rating

  The heart of the RPG is not combat, it is adventure. I think many people miss this when they rag on an RPG for taking too long. Wandering around in Halo can be a little fun, but we all know the real point of Halo is shooting things and watching them go boom and splat. It needs to have incredible graphics to promote that, and it needs to move fast to keep the adrenaline going. Adventure, or purposeful exploration, doesn’t need the fast pacing. Story and depth of world are the most important elements. An RPG is supposed to be something you can wander around in for hours. It’s supposed to have long dialogues with believable characters. It is SUPPOSED to approximate life to some degree. Most people you’ll meet in life CAN talk for hours under the right circumstances. They ALL have stories. The RPG tries to capture this fact so that you can, basically, travel into a fantastic, imaginary land and feel like you went on an actual vacation there. Graphics are good to have, as always, but story and depth are most important.

  Dragon Age has the story and depth, with much more story than Oblivion and arguably as much depth of world. It has believable characters everywhere you look, and more than enough graphics to allow the world to become real to the player. For the adventurer it is a perfect game. If all you want is a constant stream of combat supported by amazing special effects, then Dragon Age is not the game for you. It is not meant to be. With that in mind, please don’t review it on what it’s not intended to be. It is an incredible RPG.
• 

  Michael A. Weyer
  November 8th, 2009 on 1:00 pm

  Rating

  I am astounded at the backlash against the game, mostly due to the graphics. So it’s not incredible detailed and brilliant as people want, so what? KOTOR wasn’t exactly top-notch in graphics either but it didn’t matter. It was the story and gameplay that counted and that’s the same here. From what I’ve seen, the PC version isn’t massively different, a bit sharper but not by that much.

  What counts is the story and gameplay and man, BioWare have outdone themselves on this. The brilliance is how it overturns the classic cliches of fantasy adventures. Elves aren’t superior beings but divided, the city elves second-class citizens in slums while wood elves are wild and considered myth. Dwarves aren’t drinking comic relief but hold to ideas of honor while in truth holding to an ultra-rigid class system that keeps the commoners down. And magic is considered something to be feared rather than used. Twists like that give the entire genere a nice kick.

  As for complaints about how it starts slow, that’s tradition for BioWare. Hell, it took KOTOR four or five hours on one planet before things got kicking and same with Jade Empire and Mass Effect. After you get through the origins and to the main story, things take off huge and the game is amazing to play. Each origin is fantastic to see and leads to different experiences and the combat is good too. I admit the PC may have an edge with the birds-eye view thing but this is still a great way to make it work.

  So ignore those hung up too much on how it doesn’t look utter perfection. If you want a game with PLENTY of replaybility, epic story, great characters, good combat and a rewarding play experience, this is it. Bravo to all involved creating it, you’ve made a true classic.
• 

  David A. Purcell
  November 11th, 2009 on 1:22 am

  Rating

  I am giving this game 5 stars; incredible story, engaging game play and tactics, great voice acting,and characters you grow to care about not withstanding, what sets this game apart, what sets most Bioware games apart, most notably Mass Effect and now Dragon Age, is its approach to morality.

  The difference between Dragon Age and other notable RPG’s is subtle; I invite you to think back to previous offering in this genre.
  
  JRPG’s such as Final Fantasy series, Tales of Vesperia or even the classic Chronotrigger lacked any real morality decisions, or “Role Playing”. The story plays out for you, whether you want it to or not. Almost like content in between cut-scenes. Moving from there, you have games with morality choices that are gaged on a meter with a clear line between good and bad: Bioware’s KOTOR is an excellent example. However, with the coming of Mass Effect, and now Dragon Age, Role Playing has evolved to a more natural level.

  No longer forced to chose between good and evil, it has become possible with these games to actually Role Play a complex character, and in no other game has this been more possible then in Dragon Age. The dialog choices are almost agonizing. My character is anything but black and white. Decisions are not without consequences, whether it be the changing opinion of party members, or the uncovered quests, or even missed opportunities (for example, I killed some one who could have been a party member, I did not know it until I spoke to a friend who played the game differently) Often, the consequences can be brutal; knives in the back cold blooded brutal. This is a true Role Playing Game, that begins to approach a level of engagement never seen before. When I make choices, I do not think,”is this a good, or bad action”. I think, “how would “I” handle tis situation?”

  You are never forced down a path, or forced to join a faction. This game allows one to play in the truly grey area of human nature. For this reason, I give this it 5 stars.
• 

  Potpie55
  November 11th, 2009 on 3:03 pm

  Rating

  Ok I would have given this a 4.5 out of 5, but Amazon does not allow 1/2 stars…Because it was Bioware I bumped them up a half star. Ok the down and dirty:

  Graphics: 8/10
  
  Game play: 10/10
  
  Combat: 9/10
  
  Story: 10/10
  
  Replay value: 10/10

  Ok, I have to say that I am a huge Bioware fan and as soon as I saw a fantasy based RPG from them I had to buy it. I was going to play this over the Thanksgiving weekend, but opened it and started playing this straight away. The game has a wide open world, but all the quests and missions keep the game very focused and keeps the game moving. However, if you desire you can wander the world and look around. There is a good balance between story and action that I really appreciate. The game play allows for you to customize your character and other party members to create a war party of your choosing. Characters ranging from mages to warriors, rouges, even a Templar. I have been playing this for a week and have 35 hours into it and I am @ 60% complete. Caveat: I do read every message and try to complete every map and quest. Overall a great game

  Recommendations:
  
  *Use one character as a rouge/archer as you need someone to always open chests, checks traps and shoot the mages at a distance.
  
  * Buy the guide if you want to do all the side quests as some of them can get tricky as they have to be done in the correct order. You do not need the book for the main story line quests.

  Pros
  
  *Good story/dialogue
  
  *Missions: keep you focused (or you can look around if you want º)
  
  *High Replay value
  
  * KOTR like combat system (which I love)

  Cons
  
  *Combat gets tricky when in a crowd
  
  *Good Graphics, not Great

  Update: I did recommend the guide to help with the side quests. The guide is mediocre, please read the review before buying…
• 

  Chris l
  November 15th, 2009 on 1:27 pm

  Rating

  There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the Xbox 360 version of Dragon Age Origins, especially concerning it sub-par graphics and less than ideal control system. Reviewers say that the PC version has better textures, a better interface, and faster load times, but let me tell you, it really does not matter. If you give this game your time and effort (it can be complicated and slow at times), you will most definitely find yourself absolutely addicted and immersed. I begin a play session, and am hardly aware as hours breeze by. Xbox players that come to the table with a fair understanding of RPG elements and an unquenchable desire to be consumed by a fantasy world will not be disappointed.
• 

  Koala1356
  November 19th, 2009 on 11:24 am

  Rating

  I’ve been waiting a long time for a really good, immersive, character driven, fantasy-themed RPG for my Xbox, and finally the wait is over with the release of Dragon Age: Origins from Bioware. While it’s true, as other reviewers have pointed out, that the game is not as visually stunning as other games of today, what DA:O lacks visually it more than makes up for in the terms of story. Because that’s exactly what this is: a story, with you as the main protagonist. This is a game for those who like to stop, read, and think before reacting. If you are the sort who prefers to rush into battle, sword swinging without thought at the nearest head, then this is probably not your cup of tea.

  That said, be prepared for a decent share of reading. In typical Bioware fashion, you are the hero of the game, and it’s entirely up to you how you want to play it, driving the story events forward through conversations with other characters. What’s nice here is that every conversation with an NPC is actually SPOKEN. On the other hand, you’ll be reading your own dialog choices in your head, since your character never actually says a word aloud.

  The choices you make have a direct impact on ‘your’ story, and late in the game, it becomes increasingly difficult to choose between doing what’s right, and doing what will bring the most glory and cash rewards. Dialog also impacts the way your companions react to you, including whether they stay with you, or leave your party for good. All in all, your choices throughout determine one of several game endings, as well as the many different and branching paths you will take to get there. Replay value is high, if you want to experience everything, and with a typical time investment of some 50-60 hours from beginning to end, it will likely take you a very long time to discover everything this game has to offer.

  One of the best tips I can give anyone who is reading this and interested in buying this game is to take time out, and read the two prequel novels first, #1 Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne and #2 The Calling (Dragon Age) respectively. Both these books were written by David Gaider, the game’s writer, and will provide you with valuable insights into how the war-torn kingdom of Ferelden was shaped by its past and present heroes. Believe me when I say that reading these two novels before you play the game will introduce you into the world with an emotional attachment that you would not have otherwise, making some of the big, highlighted moments of the game even more shocking and/or grand.

  One niggly point concerning Xbox Live: If you download any online content–be that pre-order items, items gained from playing the web browser DA: Journeys game, or any other downloaded content–you will need to be, and stay, connected to Xbox Live. I lost my internet connection one night, and I could not load a saved game containing downloaded content (in particular, a pair of boots and a ring my character had) because the game could not connect to Xbox Live to verify those items.

  Overall, if you like long, immersive, RPG adventures full of rich characters and dark fantasy lore, and can overlook the last-gen visuals, then this game is most definitely for you. Enjoy!
• 

  D. Sipler
  November 22nd, 2009 on 10:31 am

  Rating

  Really, this game kicks ass so much, hell, I’d be playing it right now but I’ve been wanting to write a review on it for others. Anyone who gives it or has given it 1 star, is most likely nitpicking, or maybe their copy has some glitches in it, I dunno. I haven’t seen or noticed any of the things they’re talking about. This game is like Baldur’s Gate meets Mass Effect with a touch of Morrowind/Oblivion, really, if you’ve liked any of those games then for the most part there’s no reason why you shouldn’t like this. Anytime I play, I end up playing for 5-7 hours, literally, hell, would of kept playing if I didn’t really need to get to bed because I had things to do later in the day. I was only going to play it for 2-3 hours, then give the 360 a rest and then play some GTA Episodes of Liberty City (Lost & Dammed, plus Ballad of Gay Tony), for a while, but ended up playing this for 5 hours, then stopped to make something to eat & other stuff, then played again for 2 hours.

  I dunno who said the graphics are horrible, but they must be half-blind or maybe colorblind, because the graphics of the background and the people are amazing. If you activate Rock Armor (I’m a mage) you actually see little rocks fall off your body constantly, it’s a nice touch. The voice acting in my opinion is top-notch, and the lip-syncing (lips moving correctly when talking) is pretty darn good if you ask me. Every so often when you’re walking around like say in a town, 2 of your teammates might start talking to each other in a conversation, which is a nice touch, not only that, but if you look closely at them you will see their lips move. Some games wouldn’t have that, but this is Bioware, Bioware kicks ass. I could go on and on about the little nice touches here and there, but you should just go buy it and find out yourself.

  Your actions really do have ramifications, I won’t say too much, but if you choose to learn and go the way of “such-and such” at one point, you will actually have to fight 1 or more of your companions, and lose them forever. There’s a few points in the game like this called “Crisis moment”.

  I don’t have Xbox Live and really had no intention on getting it, ever really, but I might have to, so I can get the DLC for this game. There’s 2 already out and 2 more on the way I just read, and I’m willing to bet that won’t be the end. I know nothing about Xbox Live and found out I need a router (around $60 or so I heard) and the Wireless adapter which is about $100, but was told I could get it for less. So yeah, the game must be good if I’m planning on getting on Live soon to get the DLC.

  Now, for the gripes:

  1) Sometimes there are “Random encounters” on the world map when you travel from 1 place to another, which is kinda nice, but can be equally a pain, because sometimes you may have to fight a bunch of dudes including a nasty mage, and if you don’t have the best setup in your party currently (like a good tank warrior, a mage to do damage, and 1 healer) then you’re pretty screwed and will probably die. Also, say you saved at the beginning of where you appear on that explorable map of the Random Encounter, and you did die and reloaded back to that point, you’re stuck, you cannot leave until you get past whatever the encounter is. The only way to exit is on the other side, and that is a bit annoying.

  Because say you don’t have a healer in your group currently, well, a main good healer, you can either keep trying to get past the battle w/o one, or you need to reload a save before that random encounter and rearrange your party members. So, get in the habit of saving very often if you don’t, seriously. I had to reload a save about 10 minutes prior because of that type of situation, and I still had the same random encounter. Some are more common then others, some are rare I read. Point being, either have the best setup all the time or save before you plan on going from 1 point to another on the world map.

  2) Would be nice to have 5 party members instead of 4. Basically, a good setup is a warrior/tank, a damaging mage, a healer mage, and a rouge for backstabbing and unlocking chests. Sometimes I wanna have more magic damaging though, or sometimes I want the Dog, because if you have him search an area, he may find items for you (like gifts that can be given to other members to increase their likeness towards you, or other stuff).

  3) The Combat is good, but for some reason there’s no targeting, at least that I know of, maybe I need to fiddle with the tactics section more, not sure. Basically, what I’ve been doing, and what I think you have to do, is face towards the enemy you want to attack, or cast a spell on. Seems like whenever I’m in battle, all the enemies have a red circle under them, as though they are all targeted, not sure why that is, I guess so you know who are enemies, but it makes it seem like they’re all targeted. You might be able to use the D-pad to change the target, not really sure. It’s not bad but could use some refining imo.

  4) If 1 or more party members die, and you want to bring them back to life, the spell doesn’t “target” 1 of them, it’s an AOE (Area of effect) type of spell, that you can move around on the battlefield. This is all fine and dandy, but, you need to know where your downed comrades are to target them with the AOE. Unless you know where they are, it won’t work. I would of preferred the traditional type of spell that you target with, then later on get a higher spell that revives all downed companions.

  5) (Minor gripe) For mapping spell, skills, or other stuff like bombs as a shortcut to the X, Y, and B buttons, there’s 3 onscreen and then if you press and hold the right trigger you make a 2nd set pop up, for a total of 6. Not enough, lol, maybe for some character classes, but for a mage, 2 sets of 4 would of been better, but what button would be used though? That’s the thing..

  Well, that’s all I guess, I could say a lot more but this is pretty long as it is, and by now I think you should have a decent idea what to expect.
• 

  Brimstone Vomit
  November 25th, 2009 on 6:05 pm

  Rating

  Truly I had much to look forward to when news of a “Dark Fantasy Epic” under the wing of Bioware had graced my ears. ‘Cause hell, who else gave me such convincing characters and dialogues to enrich such vast stories already? Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect were no small feets of organization and voice acting, thus I would be occupied for long sessions, ones that perhaps weren’t spaced apart by any ‘healthy’ standard.

  Then I grasped this game before even the slightest price drop. And so today, having seen a $20 plummet since my purchase two weeks ago, do I feel cheated? Not one bit, I don’t.

  As many positive reviewers would dispel any meaningless libel based solely on visuals, I will too. Surely I feel tricked into thinking I’m playing on a previous generation console (I still own a PS2, after all), but if you were to tell me Bioware had intentionally taken a step back in graphical power, I’d likely believe it. Remembering nearly a decade ago as I played Dark Sun: Shattered Lands in a similar quest to unite a scattered land for war, playing Dragon Age: Origins gave me a heaping dose of nostalgia through both plot and visuals. I’d nearly say this game makes me feel young again, but it’d be a sad proclamation coming from a 23-year-old. Point being, this game is still a beauty, and at least no detail in environment and architecture was spared.

  Still I had felt only slightly let down as I spent my first three or four hours in game. The pieces were scattered about, so much to collect and learn (and holy bejeepers, what a ton of lore it has!) that it felt overwhelming to a point of ‘mocking’ me. It wasn’t until collecting my more permanent party members and stepping into the shoes of a true “(Wo)Man on a Mission” that the utter fascination wouldn’t stay out of my dreams, much less allow me to retire by my usual bedtime.

  Aside from your character’s choice in personal relations with collected party members, you have the joy of listening in on the lovely scuffles and sarcasms between the rest of them whilst exploring. Dialogue is very well-done and convincing, and I daresay it’s largely the abundance of humor and likable characters that keep me from considering this the “dark” fantasy Bioware would have me believe – besides some warm/hopeful music and lack of permanent ‘gloom, doom and despair’ psychology. Sure, the story isn’t sunshine and rainbows, by any means, and the choices made within could certainly plummet the mood more. But in the long run you still have a cast of people ready and willing to laugh and love, coupled with the drive toward a triumphant victory at its end.

  But don’t count me as a Negative Nancy. Even with the obvious technical bunks I’ve found and some mishaps in presentation (as far as my last paragraph is concerned), Dragon Age: Origins is a wonderful experience, one that rather often gave me a sense of accomplishment – and even pride! – with my ability to dramatically change elements in the plot. Oh, the 6 ‘Origin’ stories won’t even give you a minor glimpse of the whole expansive nature, trust me. And when it’s all said and done, I picked up a new race, gender and Origin story the very same night of my first completion. Eight cumulative hours later, the variations haven’t left me bored yet.

  Yes, this is a great game, perhaps even ‘Awesome’ in its most literal sense (awe-inspiring), and I wouldn’t dare take back the $20 price-cut if the Bioware senior directors themselves offered it to me.

  Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a female dwarf ex-noble warrior to nurture…
• 

  M. Grobis
  January 8th, 2010 on 4:14 pm

  Rating

  To preface, this game is not for everyone. I put in 37 hours (though I could have done more side quests) and there is a steep learning curve – the instruction manual took me twenty-five minutes to read before playing, haha – but the depth of the world you are placed in is astounding.

  BioWare holds nothing back with its products, and this can be vividly seen in Dragon Age. Every environment, every item you find, every conversation with a non-playable character is rich in detail. There were several times where I would stop what I was doing to just look at the beauty of my surroundings, from the high ceilings and statues in palaces to the rocky remains of an underground road. Many items in the game merely provide backstory, adding information to your codex. Someone had to write the paragraphs upon paragraphs in “The History of Ferelden,” parts 1 through 10, or the backgrounds of most characters you speak to, and it’s there to let you immerse yourself as fully as you want into the Dragon Age universe.

  The storyline follows the general high-brow fantasy formula but with many twists along the way. You and three party members (chosen from a group of characters you accumulate on your journey) go on various quests in an attempt to unite the different races of Ferelden against an oncoming attack by the Darkspawn. Along the way, you discover that you have a surprising amount of choice in how you gather your troops, or even which groups end up joining your cause. Do you allow a legendary anvil to persist, knowing that it can create “super soldiers” of men trapped in stone, even though those men are now enslaved? Do you take the easy way out and kill a child to save a village? I was amazed at the number of choices I had throughout Dragon Age: Origins and how each of them had implications later in the game.

  Combat consists of regular attacks in addition to special abilities that drain stamina or mana. These special abilities depend on which of the three classes you are – warrior, rogue, or mage. Within these classes are specializations that allow you to get even more abilities. Coupled with the three different races (human, dwarf, and elf) and the six different “origins” (the history you give your character, such as a human noble vs. a city elf), Dragon Age has much, much replay value. This is an RPG, so expect plenty of comparisons between different types of armor, staves, boots, swords, etc. etc. etc. Compared to Mass Effect, though, the inventory was very well-organized.

  Really, though, the thing that got me about Dragon Age was the surprisingly emotional relationships you form with your party members over the course of your adventure. I found romance between characters to be one of the most interesting parts of gameplay, to the point where I viewed talking with my love interest in camp about her past as satisfying as unleashing lighting on enemies during combat. The voice acting is unparalleled and coupled with the excellent writing, I genuinely felt like these were real people in this epic fantasy world BioWare created. This, in addition to the freedom I had to choose how the adventure unfolded, made me feel like I was somehow in a novel, writing in the details between pages as I gradually progressed towards the ending. I’m really living up Dragon Age but this game was everything I had hoped for and more. The ending (the one I got, at least) left me thinking for hours after I had put down my controller. My only complaint is that I want more, haha.

  DON’T play this game if you want a casual gaming experience, a simple dungeon crawler, or lots of nonstop action. This game is long and you really need to dedicate some time to enjoy it. There are some frustrating difficulty spikes, too, which means some parts will take a few tries to get through. Also, it’s a bummer but the console versions don’t have as good graphics as the computer one. For someone who doesn’t have a top-tier gaming computer, though, I found the Xbox 360 experience very satisfactory.

  Bottom line: this game has very deep story, satisfying interactions with dozens of characters with their individual histories, fun combat, and it’s a fantasy world with monsters and dragons. Also, it’s by BioWare, which should be enough to convince you. If you liked Mass Effect, you’ll most likely love this game. Coming from someone who was blown away by ME and even more so by DA:O, get this game.