Playing the game. Now i'm addicted. Thanks alot bioware.
seconded, buy this game only if you dont mind playing only to find out its 3 Am and you have school tommorow.
Dragon Age.
- Thread starter Ulyaoth
- Start date
seconded, buy this game only if you dont mind playing only to find out its 3 Am and you have school tommorow.
Mulholland
Happy New Year!!!!
I have to admit, I took a chance on Dragon Age seeing that I had never played any bioware game before. But something about this game just made me feel very excited about it before release. Perhaps it was EA's marketing machine that sunk it's hooks into me, but then again I'm also sucker for story driven games. and this game has one hell of a story. For anyone here trying to sort through the hype I'll try to give a brief and hopefully unbiased overview of the game.
The story
I have to say the story in this game is a monumental accomplishment in itself. It is described as high fantasy and from what I understand, borrows heavily from dungeon and dragons lore. I think the best description of this game's story to the layman would be a Lord of the Rings style epic tale. As you explore the world you will also find various journal entries(books, letters, songs, poems) about the world of Ferelden it's creatures, history, weapons and lore. I must say, It truly boggles my mind how much effort Bioware has put into character interaction in this game, the depth of dialogue choices are astounding as you interact with your party and the denizens of Fereldin.
I'll say it right now, if you don't like story-driven games and you don't like medieval-like fantasy with elves and dwarves and magic this is not the game for you.
Gameplay
The controls in this game do take some getting used to, and as a result you may get your ass handed to you in the first few battles as you're figuring it all out. I think I was nearly wiped out by the first pack of wolves I encountered. I am playing on hard and I agree, it is HARD! I keep telling myself after four consecutive party wipes to the same group of bandits or archdemon that this punishment is building character. I don't even want to try this game on nightmare until my second playhrough.
The PC version of the game offers a third person and a tactical overhead view and blends them quite seamlessly via mouse wheel scrolling. As I'm playing the game I like to mix it up by exploring the world in third person mode and examining and setting up my battle plans in tactical mode, only to zoom in again to watch my characters slay all sorts of fantastic creatures close up. Another thing about battle is that the user can choose to pause the game whenever he/she wishes in order too take direct control over thier companions. I must admit I am a compulsive pauser. I almost play battles like turn based combat, micro managing every one of my characters to make sure my party isn't wiped by sometimes lacking computer AI. I am though getting better and beginning to let my party members run more freely in battle using the AI tactics page.
Graphics and Music
This game is not Crysis, it does not render each blade of grass independently, and as a result will not require a top of the line PC to play. The background textures can be a little muddy and the field of view isn't infinite. However, the environments in conjunction with an excellent musical score do have an amazing feel to them. They can make you anxious or feel relaxed and one can tell that bioware did put alot of effort into making the various locations feel real. The characters, weapons and armour in contrast to the somewhat muted background textures are incredibly detailed.
The World
The world in this game fits very with the story and gameplay. Dragon age is not sandbox style so don't expect a Fallout 3 or Elder Scrolls type world. The gameplay at the beginning is somewhat linear, but later gives you many paths to set forth on. The world map consists of many primary locations which are huge in their own right and have sub-sections themselves. You travel between these locations via clicking on a location on your world map and as the area loads you may have a random encounter with NPC's.
Re-playability
With three or four independent origins stories to play through that are at least a couple hours in length this game does have alot re-playability. You can even choose a more noble or more opportunistic approach on the second play through to see how the story unfolds.
Conclusion
So I know you're all thinking mulholland said that this would be an unbiased review but all he says are good things about the game. Well there are some negatives but certainly no game breaking negatives.
What I really despise about this game is certain DLC aspects. There is one thing in the DLC called Warder's Keep that gives the player a chest at camp to store things from their inventory. I have foregone this DLC in favour of a more vanilla version of the game and I must say soon into the game my inventory is full. At times I have to make agonizing decisions on what to keep and what to throw away, never knowing if it going to come in handy later. This can get very frustrating and I think was done purposley to encourage item hoarders to buy more content.
For anyone who loves RPG's and Fantasy but is still sitting still on the fence about buying this one All I have to say is.. get it. No really, get it even at full price of 50 American dollars this game is so worth it. I think I have put about 60 hours into the game so far and I'm only about 30% done. I must admit though in RPG's, I am a completionist I really hate to miss that powerful weapon that was hidden in the Tower that I was just in.
Anyways this is one of the best games I have ever played. And have left alot out of this review. But believe me when I say whether you get it now or on sale later for 30 bucks, I really don't think you will be disappointed.
The story
I have to say the story in this game is a monumental accomplishment in itself. It is described as high fantasy and from what I understand, borrows heavily from dungeon and dragons lore. I think the best description of this game's story to the layman would be a Lord of the Rings style epic tale. As you explore the world you will also find various journal entries(books, letters, songs, poems) about the world of Ferelden it's creatures, history, weapons and lore. I must say, It truly boggles my mind how much effort Bioware has put into character interaction in this game, the depth of dialogue choices are astounding as you interact with your party and the denizens of Fereldin.
I'll say it right now, if you don't like story-driven games and you don't like medieval-like fantasy with elves and dwarves and magic this is not the game for you.
Gameplay
The controls in this game do take some getting used to, and as a result you may get your ass handed to you in the first few battles as you're figuring it all out. I think I was nearly wiped out by the first pack of wolves I encountered. I am playing on hard and I agree, it is HARD! I keep telling myself after four consecutive party wipes to the same group of bandits or archdemon that this punishment is building character. I don't even want to try this game on nightmare until my second playhrough.
The PC version of the game offers a third person and a tactical overhead view and blends them quite seamlessly via mouse wheel scrolling. As I'm playing the game I like to mix it up by exploring the world in third person mode and examining and setting up my battle plans in tactical mode, only to zoom in again to watch my characters slay all sorts of fantastic creatures close up. Another thing about battle is that the user can choose to pause the game whenever he/she wishes in order too take direct control over thier companions. I must admit I am a compulsive pauser. I almost play battles like turn based combat, micro managing every one of my characters to make sure my party isn't wiped by sometimes lacking computer AI. I am though getting better and beginning to let my party members run more freely in battle using the AI tactics page.
Graphics and Music
This game is not Crysis, it does not render each blade of grass independently, and as a result will not require a top of the line PC to play. The background textures can be a little muddy and the field of view isn't infinite. However, the environments in conjunction with an excellent musical score do have an amazing feel to them. They can make you anxious or feel relaxed and one can tell that bioware did put alot of effort into making the various locations feel real. The characters, weapons and armour in contrast to the somewhat muted background textures are incredibly detailed.
The World
The world in this game fits very with the story and gameplay. Dragon age is not sandbox style so don't expect a Fallout 3 or Elder Scrolls type world. The gameplay at the beginning is somewhat linear, but later gives you many paths to set forth on. The world map consists of many primary locations which are huge in their own right and have sub-sections themselves. You travel between these locations via clicking on a location on your world map and as the area loads you may have a random encounter with NPC's.
Re-playability
With three or four independent origins stories to play through that are at least a couple hours in length this game does have alot re-playability. You can even choose a more noble or more opportunistic approach on the second play through to see how the story unfolds.
Conclusion
So I know you're all thinking mulholland said that this would be an unbiased review but all he says are good things about the game. Well there are some negatives but certainly no game breaking negatives.
What I really despise about this game is certain DLC aspects. There is one thing in the DLC called Warder's Keep that gives the player a chest at camp to store things from their inventory. I have foregone this DLC in favour of a more vanilla version of the game and I must say soon into the game my inventory is full. At times I have to make agonizing decisions on what to keep and what to throw away, never knowing if it going to come in handy later. This can get very frustrating and I think was done purposley to encourage item hoarders to buy more content.
For anyone who loves RPG's and Fantasy but is still sitting still on the fence about buying this one All I have to say is.. get it. No really, get it even at full price of 50 American dollars this game is so worth it. I think I have put about 60 hours into the game so far and I'm only about 30% done. I must admit though in RPG's, I am a completionist I really hate to miss that powerful weapon that was hidden in the Tower that I was just in.
Anyways this is one of the best games I have ever played. And have left alot out of this review. But believe me when I say whether you get it now or on sale later for 30 bucks, I really don't think you will be disappointed.
@Mulholland, so you work in Marketing for Bioware?
All right, I know the game is good.
But how buggy is it as of yet?
Normally, I wouldn't dare to play a video game before half a year after release and about third patch...especially time-consuming RPG.
Spoiler :
All right, I know the game is good.
But how buggy is it as of yet?
Normally, I wouldn't dare to play a video game before half a year after release and about third patch...especially time-consuming RPG.
Leonel
Breakfast Connoisseur
I've only had one CTD since playing it really.
Oruc
Reactionary
Spoiler :
Oruc
Reactionary
Spoiler :
so what class/origin are you guys playing with?
i a human noble warrior with a reaver specialization, btw any of you got any romances going on?
Spoiler :
My first was a dwarf noble that got as far as ostagar, currently Im a city elf warrior
Spoiler :
Started with a human noble warrior as far as Ostagar, then restarted with a city elf rogue, now in the town of Redcliffe. Great game so far. On the topic of bugs etc, has anyone had items in their inventory just disappear? This happened to me, but I'm not sure if it was because they were equipped to an ally who because of a plot event, disappeared.
Started as an elven mage and have gotten as far as Ostegar. Loving it so far, not a single crash or problem.
Oruc
Reactionary
Not sure how far you have gotten in redcliffe, but the part where you defend the town was bugged for me. I had to track down one enemy near the waters edge as he had decided to chill out down their for night.
Nope my inventory didn't dissappear. There are some plot points where your stuff is meant to dissappear.
Eat_Up_Martha
Prince
I'm getting constant crashes with DA:O. Can't even play it for more than 20 minutes. Sometimes only a few seconds before a crash.
Heretic_Cata
We're gonna live forever
I would like to know where i unlock the Reaver specialization. Note that i am only asking WHERE - NOT who or how etc. So a short answer like Denerim/Dalish forest/etc would be good. kthxbai
Persue the Urn, past Haven.
Heretic_Cata
We're gonna live forever
I already slaughtered the insane cultist guy. All that is left alive there is the dragon.
GoodSarmatian
Jokerfied Western Male
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2006
- Messages
- 9,408
I got weak and got the game and already finished it as a male city elf rouge (later Duelist/Assassin)
Played about seventy hours for seven days/nights, partly because it's really that good, partly to get it over with while my exams are still far away. I uninstalled it again and hopefully won't touch it until I am done with my exams in February. Then I'll go for a power hungry Arcane Warrior/Blood Mage.
I have to say Dragon Age is the best game that came out this decade, I wouldn't go so far as calling it the best game this century or millenium becasue it -while technically true- sounds a bit over the top.
I feared the "consequences" would be like in Mass Effect where the only real difference was always a short cutscene right after the decision and some trash-talk from the turian guy in the council.
I also liked the pretty comprehensive epilogue at the end. Cutscenes would have been nicer, but I guess there are just too many details and the effort wouldn't have been worth it
I was also a little bit disappointed by the lack of racism directed against me, but I'll have to play it again as a human to see how people will treat me differently.
As for romance I took Leliana because Morrigan was a bit too evil for my taste, but shortly before the final battle (only open the spoiler if you've already finished the game)
I have some questions left about specializations:
I have unlocked all except Blood Mage, Shapeshifter, Spirit Healer, Ranger and Reaver.
I know where I could have gotten Reaver and have my suspicions about Blood Mage.
I thought Spirit Healer and Shapeshifter could be learned from Wynne or Morrigan but Morrigan always declined and with Wynne I didn't even have a dialogue option although their approval was very high. Do they only teach it if the PC is a mage or can you only learn it with manuals ?
I also have no clue where you can get Ranger apart from the manual that Bhodan sells. Maybe I should have made a different decision during the Dalish quest ?
Played about seventy hours for seven days/nights, partly because it's really that good, partly to get it over with while my exams are still far away. I uninstalled it again and hopefully won't touch it until I am done with my exams in February. Then I'll go for a power hungry Arcane Warrior/Blood Mage.
I have to say Dragon Age is the best game that came out this decade, I wouldn't go so far as calling it the best game this century or millenium becasue it -while technically true- sounds a bit over the top.
I feared the "consequences" would be like in Mass Effect where the only real difference was always a short cutscene right after the decision and some trash-talk from the turian guy in the council.
I also liked the pretty comprehensive epilogue at the end. Cutscenes would have been nicer, but I guess there are just too many details and the effort wouldn't have been worth it
I was also a little bit disappointed by the lack of racism directed against me, but I'll have to play it again as a human to see how people will treat me differently.
As for romance I took Leliana because Morrigan was a bit too evil for my taste, but shortly before the final battle (only open the spoiler if you've already finished the game)
Spoiler :
I have some questions left about specializations:
I have unlocked all except Blood Mage, Shapeshifter, Spirit Healer, Ranger and Reaver.
I know where I could have gotten Reaver and have my suspicions about Blood Mage.
I thought Spirit Healer and Shapeshifter could be learned from Wynne or Morrigan but Morrigan always declined and with Wynne I didn't even have a dialogue option although their approval was very high. Do they only teach it if the PC is a mage or can you only learn it with manuals ?
I also have no clue where you can get Ranger apart from the manual that Bhodan sells. Maybe I should have made a different decision during the Dalish quest ?
Legioona
Chieftain
Ever since the game got released I've officially had no life and even with it's flaws I'd still say it's one of the richest RPGs in ages. I could go about this for hours but being tired I'll just quickly list some of the highlights:
Oh goodie questions, hope I can help:
And Morrigan is my Queen.
Spoiler :
Oh goodie questions, hope I can help:
Spoiler :
Spoiler :
Spoiler :
And Morrigan is my Queen.
Leonel
Breakfast Connoisseur
Just finished it on my berkerker warrior, who apparently is adopted as both her parents and her brother are white. 
But oh my gosh this game is absolutely EPIC. The ending and epilogue were awesome and gave me that 80's movie/video game vibe. I felt pretty sad though saying my goodbyes to my companions. Especially Sten who I hoped to have romanced and tutored to him about sweet sweet Nubian love.
My warrior could have taken him! Tough as nails, she is!
I demand Dragon Age: Origins be made into a full length motion picture using 80's animation styles!
But oh my gosh this game is absolutely EPIC. The ending and epilogue were awesome and gave me that 80's movie/video game vibe. I felt pretty sad though saying my goodbyes to my companions. Especially Sten who I hoped to have romanced and tutored to him about sweet sweet Nubian love.
My warrior could have taken him! Tough as nails, she is!I demand Dragon Age: Origins be made into a full length motion picture using 80's animation styles!
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