Cert: 18+
Platform: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC
Genre: RPG
Dragon Age: Origins is a role playing game made by the developers of Mass Effect and billed as the spiritual successor to the popular Baldur's Gate series.
The heroic fantasy game sees players adopt third person control over a party of rogues, warriors and mages of various races as they attempt to fend off a Lord of the Rings-esque threat.
The decisions made in-game have a real impact on the world of Ferelden and the plot is full of numerous dilemmas and "mature themes"; elves for example are regarded as second class citizens.
Dragon Age is a great title for anyone bemoaning the rash of new releases increasingly focused around multiplayer. The first play-through takes around forty hours with the multiple protagonists and endings adding many more on top of this. The developers have already released downloadable content and intend this to be the first of a series of Dragon Age games.
Unfortunately while Bioware has realised a credible world the console version of the game is let down by drab visuals that pale next to similar titles, like Oblivion, and even against it's PC counterpart. Plus the frame-rate slows down occasionally and the AI doesn't always demonstrate its intelligence (i.e. characters not walking where they're supposed to).
Still Dragon Age: Origins is a deeply compelling release that should occupy gamers for months, if they can get past a bad first impression.
Rent or Buy: Buy
Graphics: 2/5
Gameplay: 4/5
Replay Value: 5/5
Overall: 4/5
Reviewed By: Bryan Collins