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Dragon Age: Origins

By GadGet

Amazon.com Price: $29.96 (as of 2010-09-09 21:11:17 GMT) Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

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Dragon Age: Origins
 
Manufacturer: Electronic Arts
Customer Rating:
 
List Price: $29.99
Sale Price: $29.96
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Product Description

From BioWare, the makers of Mass Effect, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and Baldur's Gate comes Dragon Age: Origins. An epic tale of violence, lust, and betrayal, Dragon Age: Origins is a single player role-playing game (RPG) set in a fantasy game environment, and featuring three playable character classes, accessible in the form of three races. In addition, the game features extreme character customization, a new game engine, party-based gameplay utilizing non-player characters and a built-in personal history system for each hero character rooted in a variety of possible origin stories.

'Dragon Age: Origins' game logo
Six possible hero Origin stories available in 'Dragon Age: Origins'
6 possible hero Origin Stories.
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Three character classes and three races available in 'Dragon Age: Origins'
3 classes and 3 races to play as.
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Gritty, brutal action in 'Dragon Age: Origins'
Gritty, brutal action.
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Frightening enemies and bosses in 'Dragon Age: Origins'
Frightening enemies and bosses.
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Party-based combat in 'Dragon Age: Origins'
Party-based combat using NPCs.
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Dwarf city in 'Dragon Age: Origins'
Stunning 3D environments.
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Story
In Dragon Age: Origins the survival of humanity rests in the hands of those chosen by fate. You are a Grey Warden, one of the last of an ancient order of guardians who have defended the lands on the continent of Thedas throughout the centuries. Betrayed by a trusted general in a critical battle, you must hunt down the traitor and bring him to justice. As you fight your way towards the final confrontation with an evil nemesis, you will face monstrous foes and engage in epic quests to unite the disparate peoples of a world at war. A romance with a seductive shapeshifter may hold the key to victory, or she may be a dangerous diversion from the heart of your mission. To be a leader, you must make ruthless decisions and be willing to sacrifice your friends and loved ones for the greater good.

Gameplay
Dragon Age: Origins is a 3D oriented RPG based in a dark, heroic, fantasy realm where moral choices have a lasting impression on the people you meet, the members of your own party and the world around you. The inclusion of subtitle "Origins" in the game's title refers to the six unique origin stories available to new heroes as a new game begins. Each of these has an impact on the player's motivations and his or her experience, and renders a unique prelude, path, and possible ending(s) to the game. There are many different endings to the game based on the origin story of the character and the choices you make as you play through the game. The game features three character classes--warrior, mage, and rogue--and three races of being--Human, Elf or Dwarf--that can assume these classes. Although most game elements, such as weapons, magic, etc., are available to any character, each class and race has different strengths, abilities and affinities which lend themselves to better utilizing different elements.

Dragon Age: Origins is a single player game based on party-based gameplay and combat where the player can join, control and quest with up to three non-player characters (NPCs). Players can also quest alone if they so choose, but with the chance of survival are slim. Convincing NPCs to join you, and treating them well may be necessary depending on the varying sentiments between the player and the NPC, or between the NPC's in the party based on the chosen history written into the origin story accepted at the beginning of the game. This uncertainty allows for a variety of possible dynamics within the party ranging from open hostility, all the way to romance. The game progresses in real-time via a pause-and-play tactical combat system that allows the player to check inventory levels, equip a character, etc. in a slight vacuum. Additional features found in the game include: a combination of a standard loot system and a currency system based on gold silver and copper; advanced character customization functionality; the use of poison, traps and herbalism; dual-wielding skills; and "spell combos," which allow players to chain together different spells to create a unique effects.

Key Game Features

  • BioWare’s deepest universe to date with over 80 hours of gameplay and more than double the size and scope of Mass Effect.
    • Travel throughout dozens of environments and fully immerse yourself in a shattered world that is on the brink of utter annihilation.
    • An epic story that is completely shaped and reactive to your play style.
  • Complex moral dilemmas offering no easy choices.
    • Tailor your Dragon Age: Origins experience from the very beginning by choose from six different origin stories.
    • Decide how to handle complex issues like murder, genocide, betrayal, and the possession/sacrificing of children without the security of a good/bad slider to tell you what to do.
  • Full character customization allowing the player to sculpt a hero in your own image or fantasy.
    • Elaborate character creator allows you to create your own hero unique from anyone else.
    • Shape your character’s personality and morality based on the choices you make throughout the game.
  • Engage in bone-crushing, visceral combat engaging in battle against massive and terrifying creatures.
    • Unleash legendary powers and choose from over 100 different magical spells and skills.
    • Experience the adrenaline rush of brutal combat, beheading your foes or casting spells that make enemies explode from within.

System Requirements:

Minimum Recommended
OS: Windows XP with SP3 / Vista with SP1
CPU: XP: Intel Core 2(or equivalent) running at 1.4Ghz or greater AMD X2(or equivalent) running at 1.8Ghz or greater / Vista: Intel Core 2 (or equivalent) running at 1.6Ghz or greater Intel Core 2 Quad 2.4Ghz Processor or equivalent
RAM: XP: 1GB or more / 1.5GB or more 2 GB (XP) / 4 GB (Vista)
HDD: 20GB
Video: XP: ATI Radeon X850 128MB or greater, NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT 128MB or greater / Vista: ATI Radeon X1550 256MB or greater, NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT 256MB or greater ATI 3850 512 MB or greater, NVIDIA 8800GTS 512 MB or greater, AMD Phenom II X3 Triple-Core 2.8 GHz or greater
Other: DVD-ROM drive for physical disc play; Mouse/keyboard/gamepad for gameplay

Product Details

  • Scalable combat options that let you decide the level of control you have over your party, including NPCs. Issue orders, set your own tactical AI, or take control of any party member to lead the charge.
  • 6 possible playable preludes known as 'Origin Stories' which along with your play, define how your hero character will see the world, how it sees you and sets the tone for the entire story.
  • Travel across the vast and varied lands of Ferelden; from the conspiratorial halls of the last great dwarven city, Orzammar, to the untamed snarls of the Korcari Wilds.
  • Dragon Age: Origins will give you deep character customization options including: class, race, appearance, abilities, and equipment.
  • At the heart of the storm sweeping across Ferelden. Decide the fate of nations, people and, ultimately, yourself. Just remember: for every choice, there is a consequence.

Video Reviews

No video reviews found for this product.

Customer Reviews

Perfect For PC, Still Great on Consoles
 
Review Date: September 7, 2010
Reviewer: Johnathan J. Hartel, Portland, OR
In short, if you have a powerful PC, or one that makes the recommended specs shown in the Product Description, buy this game for the PC. The game renders better, plays better, and has the nostalgia of top down from the Baldur's Gate games that those who played those games would love. The PS3 and 360 versions of the game just don't have as high graphics capacity (dunno why this is a problem on the PS3 but I am sure they made the console ports the same and that's what they get). I owned the PS3 version and then went on Steam and bought the PC version because it is just plays better.

Otherwise, if you are looking at this game, you know who BioWare is, so you are in for a treat of story and character development much like Knights of the Old Republic without the same kind of twist. The Origin stories are great, though none are as vibrant as the Dwarves (and I am not a fan of Dwarves in the least, I am an elf guy). The game provides tons of replayability I got a good 200 hours out of the game before getting the urge to get a change of scenery, but that is quite a bit of game time. Highly suggested, especially if you plan on playing the upcoming Dragon Age II as your save game can effect the sequel (like Mass Effect does for Mass Effect 2)
Easy to jump into, long-term fun
 
Review Date: September 6, 2010
Reviewer: C. Lavoie, North Conway, NH
This is a great game that pretty much anyone can enjoy. The concept of gameplay is not too hard, you don't need to go in depth with team control to play, but you can if you want to, giving this a wider player range. You can play on casual and still get achievements, or play on hard and have quite a challenge. There are so many different options that it almost seems like to fully enjoy every possible story you could play several times with the same exact character and see immense story line changes. I've never been that great at some of the gameplay structure in other RPG's so I came into this not sure how well I could play it but it definately is something anyone who enjoys fantasy games and RPG's will love, regardless of how much gaming experience you have. Most downloadable content also allows you to import your character so it makes it worthwhile to work hard on him/her, but even without the downloadable content it's worth it. I've already played 3 full games from start to finish (including every side quest) and I still want to play more. This is one of the games i've played that has a very high replay value and is well-worth the money. It's also quite impressive how much depth the game has and how much effort the creators put into it. Each character type has a story that goes far beyond the origins part and affects the entire game.

On a side note, the game originally came with a code for 'the stone prisoner' downloadable content, which expired on April 30th 2010, however I bought it and can say it's probably worth the most of all the downloadable content I purchased, the new playable character is a great addition to the party.
Dragon Age gets high marks
 
Review Date: September 6, 2010
Reviewer: uofm1970,
Great game. Music, graphics are top notch. Story line is interesting, lots of room for stragegy. Can micromanage your characters or set parameters and watch them work. Takes some time to understand the story - there is alot to it but with time and patience, it begins to add up. The game can be played easily or you can make it challenging. I strongly recommend it.
Great
 
Review Date: September 1, 2010
Reviewer: flojo,
The game was great to play & received the game in top shape. I'm enjoying it very much.
DRAGON AGE: SHIPPING
 
Review Date: August 30, 2010
Reviewer: Elise E Lewis,
OH MY GOODNESS! I oredered this game on Friday afternoon, August 27, and it is now 4:30est on Monday and my husband just told me it was in the mail box. I'M SURE I will be pleased just as everyone else was. The shipping is AWESOME and I'm sure the condition will be equally the same. I WILL order again!
Very fun RPG for mature audiences
 
Review Date: August 27, 2010
Reviewer: B. Kulczycki,
Very fun game! I loved the way your decisions play out to have an effect in the game, great writing and story line. Would definitely recommend for an older audience due to mature themes.
a review of dragon age on the ps3
 
Review Date: August 27, 2010
Reviewer: horace the worm faced hot dog,
This game is pretty great. I'm about at the 1/2 point although its tough to tell how far you actually are, which is a good thing. The story is great! Even though I'm this far in I'm still discovering new options and controls. For example, I didn't know you could tell your group to hold position while you run ahead until just the other day. The action is pretty crazy. I wish it had the option that the pc version had where you can just set things in motion and just step back.

There is a lot of character interaction as well. I got one chick to fall in love with me and the other one was jealous and everyone is piping in on how its a bad thing. Then the chick that loves me told me to kill her mom! So yeah, pretty crazy stuff happens.

There are tons of rpg like elements too with all the looting and buying and stealing items. There are so many side quests all dependent on who you have in your party and where and when you show up in a place its insane and hard to keep track. Some of the side quests are actually pretty good. Other are so tough your party isn't capable of dealing with them until much later in the game. Like when I actually attacked that chicks mom, she killed us all pretty quick.

All in all, its a good game and I wish the graphics were just a bit better. I think I'm going to have a fun time finishing this game and I might even play through it again in the future although thats a rarity.

this game is ruining my life!
 
Review Date: August 27, 2010
Reviewer: A. Maccrae, new england
OK, so take everything you love about RPG's and games like fable and 2 worlds, then take everything you hate or you find usless about said games, and you have Dragons Age! this game is soo much fun. I didnt like all the nonsense in fable, renting houses, oh oops, Ive used too many recovery items and now Im fat, quick run around and look for celery! It seemed stupid and took away from what was supossed to be a story...kind of. Dragons age takes out all the dumb and gives you an amazing story. Plus, you can change your character and play again but in a different perspective, how cool is that?! Just beware, its very very addicting, please dont blow off work for this game...however temting it may seem!
Why does this game get such good reviews?!
 
Review Date: August 25, 2010
Reviewer: ML,
I am an avid RPG fan, and have been for many years. I love turn-based epics and J-rpgs like the FF series and Shin Megami Tensei, to darker, classic rpg's like Baldur's Gate and D&D.

After much deliberation, and reading such good reviews about this game, even one reviewer calling it "The next Elder Scrolls" (A series which I love) I decided to go out and buy it. This.... Is nowhere near as great as Elder Scrolls, or any other RPG I can think of to date.


The Pros:

Nice Graphics. Really good storyline and spot-on voice acting.

The Cons:

First things first, the character creation screen. Every race just looks like a slightly modified human, even dwarves have the appearence of strange, long-armed human midgets. Eye-brow/Head hair color not matching. I created a character with grey hair, the only available eyebrow color that remotely resembled the hair was this bright, white color, which looks ridiculous during cutscenes.

Horribly linear. You are forced to travel on the very obvious dirt path, with no ability to deviate into water or anything outside of "the ground". Terrible design imo. If a game is made to look lush and inviting, you should be able to walk freely, and truly immerse yourself in the environment, not have to deal with "invisible barriers" that prevent you from even walking under bridges or stepping over 3 inches of rubble.

The menu-system is tedious and annoying, very non-user friendly.

You are given a limited number of bag slots to carry loot, but are given many opportunities to acquire items that appear to have no worth, thus leading to a full pack very early on, but not knowing what to sell or what to keep because of sloppy item descriptions.

Enemies hit too hard and "spot" you before you can even see them. The AI is terrible, and usually results in your party ending up dead. The "tactics" option, which is a similar to FFXII's Gambit System, and yet is nowhere near as intuitive or useful, is again, badly designed.

The amount of dialogue in this game...I cannot describe. There are cutscenes for everything, each with tedious dialogue that has to be "answered" to move forward with the conversation. At first, this feels like fun, but eventually, you just want them to get to the point instead of stopping so you can then press "What happens next?". Sometimes it attempts to pit you against a party member at the expense of their "feelings" for you, if you support the opposing member. No, I just want my party to bloody get along, end of story.

There are some wierd physics in the game, like during cutscenes (one of millions), the heads turn to look at one another in this very robotic manner, even staring creepily at you while someone else is talking. Nice idea, bad execution.


This game is by no means the "Next Big RPG". Not even close. Oblivion set the bar high, and this doesn't touch it.
Ok!!!
 
Review Date: August 25, 2010
Reviewer: Khang Huynh, CA
Oh well, I did enjoy it but the graphic is kinda outdated compared to games within the end of 2009.
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