I felt the need to edit this review. It is now the year of our lord 2022. I recently came back to this game for another playthough, and I want to more clearly articulate my thoughts on just how good of a game I think this is.

Dragon Age Origins is what I believe to be the pinnacle of Bioware games. It is the very definition of what a Western RPG should strive to be. The characters are incredibly likable and engaging, the writing is top notch, the story is interesting, and the roleplaying opportunities are unmatched.

I'll fully admit that the gameplay in this game did not age very well. The series has since switched to a full action RPG format, and I'm okay with that. What this game brings to the table, however, is a truly player-centric adventure. It feels like I'm playing D&D with a really good DM. It feels like I'm driving the fate of this world, like my choices matter.

THAT is what makes this game so good. The lovable characters, the storytelling, the romance, it all comes down to YOU. THE PLAYER.

I chose this as my favorite game of all time. Not because I have the most hours in it, not because I find it particularly replayable (though it is), but because this game sticks with you and provides an experience that other RPG's can only dream of. I still quote this game all the time, and I'm sure every other DA:O fan will tell you the same thing.

This game should be held up as an example of how to write a choice-based RPG. And YOU should play it if you are looking for that experience.


<Old Review>
It's 2015 now, 5 years after the release of this game... (Well the steam release at least, i'm not going to bother looking up the official release date) And I still play this game... a lot. Despite Dragon Age: Origins spawning 2 sequels, I always find myself coming back to this one. The textures are bad, run speed is slow, combat takes a while to get engaging but this game is irrefutably the best game in the franchise. Gameplay wise it's extremely polish, allowing for multiple builds and adding new depths of difficulty. Every build has advantages and disadvantages, forcing players to think about where their next skill point should be placed. Dialogue is skippable and the choices are clear and concise, making it easy to judge what an NPC's reaction will be to your choice! However this RPG doesn't use a patronizing dialogue wheel that shows you pictures and says, "This is the NICE option, This is the FUNNY option, This is the MEAN option, This is the option to kill yourself", No, this game knows you're too smart for that and says, "Here's the choices as to what your character will say, NOW ROLEPLAY", Which is an EXTREMELY welcome change from the all too common "Choose your prick" gameplay style. - *cough* Dragon age 2 *cough* - Story wise it's engaging , constantly forcing the warden to make critical choices that will ultimately affect the ending. Graphics wise it's not the BEST, it could be way better, but graphics never really mattered to me in the long run, and the UI looks really good. The characters and their animation can get comically bad sometimes, but it never gets ugly- *cough cough* Dragon Age 2 *Unconvincing cough* - and the character creator is a lot of fun. All in all, Dragon age: Origins is a great game, well worth your time and money.

I felt the need to edit this review. It is now the year of our lord 2022. I recently came back to this game for another playthough, and I want to more clearly articulate my thoughts on just how good of a game I think this is. Dragon Age Origins is what I believe to be the pinnacle of Bioware games. It is the very definition of what a Western RPG should strive to be. The characters are incredibly likable and engaging, the writing is top notch, the story is interesting, and the roleplaying opportunities are unmatched. I'll fully admit that the gameplay in this game did not age very well. The series has since switched to a full action RPG format, and I'm okay with that. What this game brings to the table, however, is a truly player-centric adventure. It feels like I'm playing D&D with a really good DM. It feels like I'm driving the fate of this world, like my choices matter. THAT is what makes this game so good. The lovable characters, the storytelling, the romance, it all comes down to YOU. THE PLAYER. I chose this as my favorite game of all time. Not because I have the most hours in it, not because I find it particularly replayable (though it is), but because this game sticks with you and provides an experience that other RPG's can only dream of. I still quote this game all the time, and I'm sure every other DA:O fan will tell you the same thing. This game should be held up as an example of how to write a choice-based RPG. And YOU should play it if you are looking for that experience. <Old Review> It's 2015 now, 5 years after the release of this game... (Well the steam release at least, i'm not going to bother looking up the official release date) And I still play this game... a lot. Despite Dragon Age: Origins spawning 2 sequels, I always find myself coming back to this one. The textures are bad, run speed is slow, combat takes a while to get engaging but this game is irrefutably the best game in the franchise. Gameplay wise it's extremely polish, allowing for multiple builds and adding new depths of difficulty. Every build has advantages and disadvantages, forcing players to think about where their next skill point should be placed. Dialogue is skippable and the choices are clear and concise, making it easy to judge what an NPC's reaction will be to your choice! However this RPG doesn't use a patronizing dialogue wheel that shows you pictures and says, "This is the NICE option, This is the FUNNY option, This is the MEAN option, This is the option to kill yourself", No, this game knows you're too smart for that and says, "Here's the choices as to what your character will say, NOW ROLEPLAY", Which is an EXTREMELY welcome change from the all too common "Choose your prick" gameplay style. - *cough* Dragon age 2 *cough* - Story wise it's engaging , constantly forcing the warden to make critical choices that will ultimately affect the ending. Graphics wise it's not the BEST, it could be way better, but graphics never really mattered to me in the long run, and the UI looks really good. The characters and their animation can get comically bad sometimes, but it never gets ugly- *cough cough* Dragon Age 2 *Unconvincing cough* - and the character creator is a lot of fun. All in all, Dragon age: Origins is a great game, well worth your time and money.