Dragon Age: Origin

Normally I'm not a fan of role-playing-games (RPG). The kind of games that starts with customizing the character's features, attributes and class, followed by a lot of dialogues and leveling up process; you'll need to talk with a lot of people to gain information needed to progress and get quests. They just consume a lot of time and unless the game is really good, it's gonna feel like torture. The last memorable RPG I played in a long time was Diablo 2, in 2000. What does Dragon Age: Origin has in common with Diablo? For me it is the great story, random encounters, solid game mechanics and massive area to explore.

It's not the first time Bioware releases a hit. Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights and Mass Effect are just a sample of their highly successful games. However, I never played more than 30 minutes let alone completed any of them. Not that I never gave them a chance. I played the aforementioned games for a couple of minutes and lose interest really quick due to the boring first mission or slow progress. That is not the case for DAO though.

After just 10 minutes of gameplay, I thought that this is just another fail attempt to get me to play RPG. Then suddenly the character's home got attacked by demon hordes; his family murdered and brother lost amidst the entangling battle. The game mechanics was easy to learn but hard to master. Unlike most RPG where you just click around the map hoping to hit something, DAO requires micromanaging the battle with tactics. Heck, you can even let the character finish the fight without you if your tactic is robust enough. They'll choose the spell based on the situation, take health potion when needed and even run if they are outnumbered.

The story is engaging and complex in good way. You are required to make simple good and bad decisions, however the outcome is never as you would have expected. Sometimes the effect is only seen long after the decision was made. An example is: after saving one helpless enemy, he/she may return to assassinate the main character really late in the game. The character's relation with others should also be noted. Since this is an M(mature) rated game, and coming from bioware, you can expect lots of gore and a couple of interesting sexual scene. If you ever wondered how a dwarf and an elf can mate, look no further. You may even get lucky and force a gay elf and human girl to fight for a dwarf's love. It's just hilarious.

All in all, this is a must get game. A 5* game with lots of playtime. A friendly warning, don't get too intimate with Morrigan or you'll get heart broken.