Dragon Age: Origins Reviews

BioWare’s latest RPG release seems to be impressing most everyone, with the latest set of reviews featuring high marks across the board.

PSX Extreme gives it a 9.0/10:

If you can get past the really bland game visuals and a choppy framerate, then in Dragon Age: Origins you will find one of the very best RPG experiences in years. Masterful gameplay mechanics and an amazing story grab you and don’t let you go until either a power-outage or sleep deprivation. The voice acting and soundtrack are first-rate, and best of all, the game is infinitely replayable. I will reiterate that if you’re a multiplatform owner, I highly urge you to get the Xbox 360 version of Dragon Age. But, if you happen to own a solid PC, as well, then go for the PC game – it’s the best of the bunch and has full mod support.

Cheat Code Central gives it a 4.2/5:

There is so much more to Dragon Age: Origins I just don’t have room to explain here. Simply know that there are tons of weapons and loot to find, craft, and coat with poison, thousands of quests to take on, storekeepers to intimidate, and NPCs to persuade. If you’re a Western-style, fantasy RPG nut, you simply can’t go wrong with Dragon Age: Origins. BioWare has outdone itself once again – they’ve created an RPG masterpiece that more than rivals its competitors, even if it loses its tactical luster in translation to consoles.

Common Sense Media gives it a 4/5:

Five years in the making, this RPG shows its age. Compared to many other video games today, the characters, animation and special effects look dated — but at least it doesn’t detract much from the gameplay. Another issue is that you rarely hear your own character speak, as you do in other BioWare games, such as 2007’s Mass Effect. This takes some getting used to as your peers talk around you but your character remains silent as you read and select from the dialogue options available. However, this combat-heavy game — complete with power-ups, huge maps and a great story — delivers the goods. RPG fans in search of a meaty game with plenty of depth and replayability won’t be disappointed with this masterfully crafted adventure that offers a lot of bang for your buck.

Cheat Happens gives it a perfect 10/10:

With Dragon Age: Origins, Bioware has once again solidified itself as the king of the western RPG. There’s really no way of recommending this title enough, with it’s amazing voice work, awesome mechanics and deep story, you’re going to want to pick up this gem of a title.

Grey Wardens provides some early impressions:

Overall the game is an amazing piece of art. From the wonderful music, to the deep story, to the great graphics (opinion here folks, not everyone will experience the same graphics or have the same idea on them), to the way it just doesn’t let you go Dragon Age: Origins is everything I hoped it would be, and more. I can honestly say I haven’t had a game draw me in like this for many many years, and I have played quite a few games in my time.

And Kotaku compares the PlayStation 3 version to the PC version:

Even once I maxed out the graphic settings in the game, the frame rate was still extremely smooth compared to the PlayStation 3 version, and large battles came to life in a whole new way, with a clarity the console version definitely lacked.

So the PC definitely has a leg up on the console version aesthetically. How about functionally?

The PC interface is a world apart from the console version, and if you’ve playing any massively-multiplayer online roleplaying game, it will be instantly familiar. The pair of three swappable shortcuts in the bottom right corner of the console version is replaced with a standard hot bar, where powers, stances, and skills can be slotted just as they are in countless MMO titles. The select button menu is nowhere to be seen, with the PC version instead featuring a row of buttons at the top of the screen, allowing quick access to inventory, your journal, character stats, and the like.