Dragon Age™: Origins - Ultimate Edition

When I first went into this I was expecting a decent experience and maybe a week or two of fun, butwhat I got was hundreds of hours of gameplay and repeated playthroughs because I can't get enough of this world and the characters. I enjoy all the Dragon Age games in their own way but there is something about this particular game - the charm, the epic scale of the storyline, the Baldur's Gate styled gameplay, I don't know - that keeps this one first and best in my heart. If you like RPGs, especially party-based ones, you won't regret picking this one up. All the DLCs being included is icing on the already delicious cake.

Possibly THE all-time favourite of the PC RPGs I've played. Definitely the one with the most "replay value" of any I've ever owned. I say this as I glance over in amusement at the 2Gb external drive I have which is almost full of saves, custom content, and other odds and ends related to the game. :-D For anyone who wants the DRM-free game, but is for some reason unhappy that it lacks the three in-game items from the "Collector's Edition" of the game, be aware that the DLC file to install those three items is freely available for direct download from BioWare's file server. I'll even give you the URL: http://lvlt.bioware.cdn.ea.com/bioware/u/p/eagames/bioware/dragonage/content/DAO_PRC_PROMO_C2/DAO_PRC_PROMO_C2_1.0.dazip That file will install the items Bergen's Honor, Grimoire of the Frozen Wastes, and Final Reason - the three items that somehow were left out of the "Ultimate Edition" DLC content. After installation, you should have one item in your inventory upon the next load, and the others should be available from Bodan. If the link above isn't visible for whatever reason, you can also find direct download links for all of the DLC for the game by going to the Dragon Age Wiki page and looking for the DLC listing. Down at the bottom of the page, they have provided links to all of the downloads. Luck to you, Grey Warden. May you be successful in your quest.

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.

In a time long ago when the name Bioware still meant something before the creative people left and they started making crap like DRAGON AGE INQUISITION, MASS EFFECT ANDROMEDA and ANTHEM... DRAGON AGE ORIGINS is an epic RPG, among the best ever made, with approx. 100 hours of gameplay with a captivating story, unforgettable characters and an innovative origins character creation, featuring a different beginning for each of the races. The add-on DRAGON AGE THE AWAKENING features another 15-20 hours with an even better story and darker scenery and an interesting adversary. This is dark fantasy at it's best before it got all watered down and packed full of SJW crap in INQUISITION. Sure it isn't perfect, there are your boring fetch quests, some parts are tedious and drag on (the fade levels are probably the worst), but tactical and challenging combat (yes, this game is hard) and an extraordinary character system make up for it all. The graphics still hold up well today - the animations being the weakest part, but you can zoom into the battle and get real close (over the shoulder) or zoom out to a BALDUR'S GATE isometric point of view any time you want. The combat is the usual pausable real-time style and micro management during the difficult boss battles becomes mandatory on any but the easiest difficulty setting. Charging in rarely works out. The protagonist is silent by the way, except for a few grunts during combat. Whether you like it or not comes down to preference. Personally, I prefered Jo Wyatt's and Alix Wilton Regan's voice acting in the sequels (the only good thing about those, and no I never finished either of them because they got boring real quick). If you like fantasy RPGs you probably already own this one. And if you don't, get it now.

This is one of my all time favourite games. If you like true choices, deep characters, a punishing, but also rewarding solid game play, and a good story, you are right here. there is also a lot of replay value in a game already long enough (without ever extending it's welcome).