Sega / Shin Force | Sega/Shin Force > Systems > Microsoft Xbox 360 > Games > Dragon Age: Origins Dragon Age: Origins | Review Reviewed 11.14.2009 Publisher Electronic Arts Developer BioWare Format 1x DVD Origin Import / Domestic Available 11.03.2009 (USA) Exclusive No Platforms X360, PS3, PC Difficulty Adjustable Dimensions 3D View 3rd Person Genre Action / RPG Player(s) 1 Save 34 MB HDTV  720p 1080i 1080p Options Content DL Xbox Live Requires n/a Sound DD 5.1 ESRB M - Mature Importable n/a Introduction      > Dragons, Elves, magic and fantasy -- these elements have the potential to combine for an epic role playing game.  I was very intrigued when I saw that BioWare was creating Dragon Age: Origins.  I had high hopes for this game, especially after my disappointment in Mass Effect being a FPS.  BioWare has a history of worthy RPG's, Knights of the Old Republic being one of my favorite releases.  Enter Dragon Age: Origins, a fantasy third person action/RPG, that is right up my alley. Graphics      > I agree the graphics in DA could have been better, but they do have an unusual artistic approach that grows on me.  On the bright side, the frame rate is always rock solid no matter how many characters and magic spells are active.  Speaking of magic, the spell effects are mostly excellent, especially the lightning ones.  Lastly, the camera angles rarely disappoint and are easy to manipulate. Control      > DA's gameplay mainly consists of explore, talk, answer questions, make moral decisions, watch cut-scenes, accept quests, kill enemies, and manage your party.  I love deciding whether to eliminate someone or let them live, which is one of the many ways DA's storyline can branch.  Battles are real-time, except menu selections pause the action.  You can take up to four characters out on quests (including the main one), each of which is fully controllable.  Everything from moving your character to controlling the camera angle is top notch.  Sound      > One of the reasons I love RPG's is that they tend to have some of the best music in gaming.  DA's soundtrack is certainly above average, yet not exceptionally memorable.  Environmental effects abound and get the job done well.  The voice acting is convincing, although it doesn't appear to feature a high number of actors. Fun      > DA is a highly satisfying adventure that could have been truly awesome as a multiplayer online game.  You'll gladly spend well over 50 hours on this one.  Also, the replayablility is good with such a rich character creation and job specialization built-in.  Not to mention you'll probably want to go back and redo all the character and moral choices you screwed up the first time. Bottom Line      > So I would definitely recommend DA to action/RPG fans everywhere.  The "Warden's Keep" and "The Stone Prisoner" downloads are a decent value, since you get a party storage box and a great party member respectively.  Pray to "the maker" the next iteration will be dubbed "Dragon Age Online".  Ratings Overall: 8.4 | Graphics: 7.5 | Control: 9.0 | Sound: 8.0 | Fun: 9.0 ~Shinobi~ Pictures / Screenshots [ MORE SCREENS >> ] [ << BACK ][ TOP /\ ][ FORWARD >> ] All images and logos are the copyright of their respective company.