Dragon Age: Origins Preview

By Amanda Rivera
February 09, 2009 17:10 PM PST
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After years of building themselves as the storyteller's RPG developer, Bioware returns to its roots with Dragon Age: Origins. The spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate, Dragon Age: Origins will once again crown Bioware as the king of the RPG fantasy epic.

Ask any RPG fan about the best games they've played in the genre, and Baldur's Gate will come up in the conversation somewhere. It's been nearly eight years since we've seen a Baldur's Gate release, and still the game stands strong as a pillar of what all great RPGs should be. It's with bated breath, therefore, that the RPG community awaits what Bioware calls the next-gen Baldur's Gate, Dragon Age: Origins. From our brief hands on session with the game, it appears that Dragon Age: Origins is staying true to its ancestor, while at the same time carving out a darker, deeper path through RPG history.

Choose Your History, Create Your Legend

One of the defining elements in Dragon Age: Origins is the concept of the Origin Story. At character creation the player builds a back story for their character that is uniquely their own. Players will then be able to play through their Origin Story in a prequel stage, spending roughly two hours of gameplay time delving into their character's past. What Origin Story you create for your character affects how they interact with the people around them in the world, and what motivates them as a person.

Each Origin Story selected will affect what quests you are able to take, which people you will have to fight and which you will have to save. A powerful storytelling device placed in the player's hands, the Origin Story provides an element of context that is often missing in RPG adventure titles. In Dragon Age: Origins, we know what kind of hero we are playing because we choose what made them the way they are.

A Dark World. Even Darker Choices

While Baldur's Gate was set in a high fantasy setting, Dragon Age: Origins takes a darker turn, using low fantasy to paint the picture of a gritty world where nothing is easy. Everything about this world is darker; even the interactions with the supposedly "good" races that are more complicated than in any fantasy adventure game to date. Ferelden is a land under siege from an evil so menacing it is known only as the Blight. Its peoples are struggling to band together to save the world they love, despite the tensions between them. The races of this world do not all coexist happily, and players will have to decide how best to deal with these racial biases if they hope to save Ferelden from obliteration.

Decisions have consequences in Dragon Age: Origins, since you are forced to make tough moral choices in order to accomplish your goals. Will you choose to forsake the good of the few in order to spare the many? Will you take the difficult path even if it means hurting those you care about? With Dragon Age: Origins, Bioware is hitting their stride with dynamic storytelling that gives players real control over how the world is shaped through the choices they make.

Combat at Your Speed

There is great evil in the world of Ferelden, and you will have to fight it every step of the way. Luckily you have a party of four hand-picked adventurers that will battle at your side. With the Pause-and-Play system, combat in Dragon Age: Origins can move at your pace. Want to wade through your enemies in real time, or do you prefer to lay out the tactics for each party member individually? All types of gameplay are possible, and each party member has abilities that make them uniquely fun to play. Combat can be a rush in Dragon Age: Origins, since the A.I. allows your party members to intelligently fight on their own while you control one character. On the other hand, if you prefer the slow tactical combat choices, you can play that way with ease.

And make sure you keep all of your party members happy, because in Dragon Age: Origins if your party members don't approve of you, they won't fight with you. The same goes with those you encounter in the world; the Approval System influences who you can interact with and whether those people will be friends or foes. Bribe them if you must, convince them if you can, because in the end you are out to save the world.

When Dragon Age: Origins hits shelves this November, Baldur's Gate fans will once again have another classic Bioware adventure to enjoy. From the brief time we had our hands-on this game, we're sure itching for more. Dark fantasy with moral consequence set against the backdrop of stunning visuals? Bringeth it on.