Dragon Age Origins

About a week ago I rented the game Dragon Age Origins from Blockbusters - to be honest I did it just so I wouldn't seem stupid for paying for two Wispa's with a ten pound not - and I got rather stuck into it and as a result I bought it on the very day I had to returned the rented game.

The game is a RPG where you take control of a character of one of three races and of one of three types. The races you can chose from are Human, Elf or Dwarf and the types are Warrior, Rogue and Mage. If you chose to be a Dwarf you cannot be a mage as they are magic resistant as a race.

There are different opening stories for each choices. You can have an opening story of a Noble Dwarf or a Caste Dwarf (a pauper), a Dalish Elf (forrest elf) or a City elf (a servant), a Noble Man or a Mage. These all lead eventully into the main storyline.

The main story is that of the invasion of the Darkspawn into the land of Ferelden and the attempt of those opposing it to defeat it. The main opposition to it is from the Grey Wardens who are a ancient society of warriors, rogues and mages who's sole purpose in the world is to fight the Darkspawn and you are recruited into that society.

You join forces with other characters throughout the game who are you companions who are either Warriors, Rogues, Mages or a War Dog and you can interact with them in you camp and have romantic relations with some of them. The will also give you special side-quests if you get the right amount of approval from them or give them the right items.

You can aquire many different weapons and armour throughout the game, give weapons special charms to give them elemental powers like fire, ice, electrics, etc but I dont think you can do the same to the armour.

You can gain specializations along the course of the game which can give you special powers. You can become, for example, a Templar, a Shapeshifter, a Duelist and others.

Along with the Darkspawn you will also get to face bandits, demons, dragon of all sizes, evil mages and more.

Its the kind of game that jsut sort of draws you into it and I would definatly recomend it to anyone else.

Hadn't heard of it before this thread, but the game's site is here:

http://dragonage.bioware.com/

Checked a few sample pictures out online as well, it all looks pretty involved.

Its rated 18 and I was surprised by the amount of blood in the game when I first started playing it and there some bad language but, strangely for the age rating, that seems to be the only elements that make this game an 18 one.

Bioware apparently based it somewhat on Balders Gate and call it the "spiritual successor" to that series but say its not based on Dungeons and Dragons (having never played the Balder Gate series or Dungeons and Dragons I could not say whether this is true or not).

In truth it reminds me a bit of Fable in that the choices you make effect the world and the people but, like Fable, because there is general story to follow the choices dont change the main plot. I've yet to finish the game so I dont know if you get to see the if the choices you make change anything in the world the games set in.

Bioware had added downloads to this games for more quests and an extra companion and are already working on the sequel.