The "Origins" subtitle of the game's name refers to the Origin Story mechanic. When creating your main character at the beginning, aside from choosing your face and your class, you also choose your race and what position in society you hold. This has a dramatic effect on how people treat you in the game, but also decides what beginning the game will have. As a dwarf, you would start off in the dwarven city of Orzammar and see a different perspective of it were you a Noble or a Commoner. In the same way, a Human Noble would be greeted with respect by many of Thedas' inhabitants, whereas a City Elf, regarded as no more than a slave, would see the ugliness in a lot more people.
This segues right into the conversation system, which is what you'll be spending much of your time doing. There is always someone to negotiate with, to receive a quest from, or threaten with their life, and you are always in total control of your input. At particular points in the conversation, a list of options will appear that you can scroll through, and usually illicit the two extremes of every situation. Despite choosing a voice for your character at the beginning of the game, this only plays in inane comments during battle, but in conversation, s/he is completely mute in voicing your choice, which is a shame compared to BioWare's own Mass Effect, with its excellent conversation wheel creates a much more natural flow of conversation.
This is an important point, considering the game's inclusion of relationships. Every member of your party has a relationship meter that shows how much a character likes or loathes you. This can change between characters depending on your actions in a quest or choices while in conversation with them. For larger boosts, giving gifts to them can heighten their feelings for you, with more thoughtful gifts more appropriate to their personal likes and fancies. Increase the relationship to max and fill other requirements, and the clothes fly off. BioWare has been pushing the adult portions of this game heavily in the marketing, but aside from its serious plot, bloody combat and non-graphic sex scenes, there's nothing very raunchy about it. You'll just see your character in their basic linens, and then a bit of snogging. The characters you can jump inside the tent with vary depending on your gender and certain paths are entirely blocked off depending on your choices in certain dialogue options. With no particular benefits aside from extra skills as their favour increases, it only proves to be a distraction from the main Darkspawn smashing.
One unfortunate aspect of the game is the disparity between the different versions of the game. It's plain that the game was designed as a PC game, particularly looking at the final product. With features such as an isometric camera angle not being in any of the console versions, as well as having a superior UI allowing easy access to more abilities at once, the PC version is the clear choice if the option is available. The console versions are limited to a camera orbiting whatever character you're controlling, and only six abilities can be assigned for easy use in combat by using the face buttons. Loading times can be extremely steep at times, with some lasting about forty seconds. Saving can also take far too long, with ten seconds of seeing it freeze the game screen before letting you get back to the game, and then another twenty before it actually finishes the task. If you happen to enter a cut-scene or a battle at this time, it will force the frame rate to take a hit, which is very unpleasant to witness.
The graphics are also a little below standard - something that, taken with the quality seen in every other aspect of the game, does turn out to be a fault. Environments turn out to be lacking a realistic level of detail, and the character models lack expressive features, and are animated in a very stiff, unnatural way. It's not so bad to an extent that you're revolted by what you see, but it's plain that in the desire to create a game on a large scale with large numbers of enemies, sacrifices were made to the visual component. It's usually easy to forgive, and sometimes you'll even forget about it when the superb orchestral score boils your blood and the sweeping plot drags you into the fantasy.
Dragon Age: Origins is an excellent entry in the role-playing genre. With an engaging story, great characters, tactical yet difficult combat, and deep customisation systems, it succeeds on many fronts to be one of the best RPGs of the generation. BioWare's skill at crafting masterpieces such as this has been long earned, but they still consistently craft experiences that continue to define the genre in all aspects. Anyone who enjoys their fantasy role-playing games should view this game as an essential purchase, and everyone else should give serious consideration.
