Game Review: Dragon Age Origins (Xbox)

​For my first game review for this blog, I thought I'd start with a game from one of my favorite franchises, Dragon Age!

I played Dragon Age: Origins around the time it was released in 2009, but I recently played it again. I'm thinking of having another go as we speak! Dragon Age: Origins is the game that first got me interested in RPG. BioWare's been one of my favorite developers since.

If you haven't played Dragon Age: Origins, I'm wondering where you've been for all this time! It's from 2009 so the graphics aren't amazing (they get better as the series goes on), but the game play and story are great. Depending on which character you pick, the story has slight differences tailored to you. It has several "origin" stories for the characters, hence the name. I've played all of them (there's an achievement and its just fun).

Once you've gotten past the origin story and introduction to Ferelden and the plot, you can have a party of four (3 companions and you). Companions can be romanced (but some can only be romanced by certain character types, like human or elf.) Each of the companions has a unique personality and story. When on adventures, decisions you make affect your status with them. If they hate you too much, they can leave. If you max out their love for you, you can romance with them.  I always fall into the trap of romancing Alistair (not sorry).

There are plenty of side quests, including companion side quests. Some of the companions are featured in later Dragon Age games, either by mention or appearance.

The console version of the game features a Mass Effect style radial menu. The open world isn't massive, but it has quite a few locations. For the most part, you can complete quests in whatever order you want until you begin to enter the end game.

There are a few different endings, I won't give details except that some involve living, whilst others involve dying.

Overall: Dragon Age: Origins is an amazing game and I will continue to play it and other Dragon Age series games. If you want a traditional RPG game with a great story, and some ability to affect outcomes, this is the game for you.

Let me know in the comments: What's your favorite game series?

Follow me on Twitter

Follow me on Instagram here.