I have a confession. I knew almost nothing of this game until one of my friends pointed it out to me as one of his most anticipated games of 2009. I looked it up and was less than impressed with the game play visuals I found but when I noticed this game was coming from Bioware, I immediately rushed out to buy this title based purely on Bioware’s track record. I loved the Knights of the Old Republic series, Jade Empire was a great title that I’m still hopeful will get a sequel and of course Mass Effect floored me (Come on ME2).

Dragon Age: Origins gives the gamer the choice of 6 character classes each with its own distinct story arc. In tradition with how we do our reviews here, I won’t be divulging any plot points only to say that every decision you make helps to shape your interactions and who your hero is. I’ve managed to play through 2 of the 6 totally a massive time suck of over 80hrs in my life gone and I can think of no less than 10 different situations I’d like to play out differently to see how it changes things.

This is one of those games that you just have trouble putting down. The story is engaging as are the characters that join you on your travels. I found myself liking something about every single one of them which is what made some decisions all the more difficult because I really wanted all of them to like me but it’s just not possible.

Something else that Bioware has done with a great deal of success in my opinion is amazing DLC support. This is actually something I’d been hoping for more of from companies that make deeply engaging games like Dragon Age. My only concern with the DLC is that I feel they may be a little overpriced for the amount of time you’ll spend playing them. The Stone Prisoner, for example, came free with my game but not all versions will have the free code thereby costing them a whopping 1200 points for what amounted to me as an extra 30 minutes of game play (yes, I actually checked). The forthcoming expansion should prove to be something special if anything I’ve heard of it is an indicator.

While the graphics may not be the prettiest on the market by a long shot, the quality of dialogue (trust me, there’s a great deal spoken here) just helps to tie together a well put together medieval story full of intrigue, sorcery, betrayal and love.

If you’re itching to play a great RPG, look no further than Dragon Age: Origins. This is a must have title for any gamers collection. I’ve spent a ton of time on this game and will no doubt be logging in many more hours in the coming months. I’m more than eager to get my hands on the expansion to see what other adventures await my heroes.

Pros:

• Long game
• Multiple stories keep the game fresh
• Plenty of DLC on the horizon
• Great Story
• Awesome Voice Acting

Cons:

• For the price DLC is too short
• Graphics aren’t the best on the market

Feed Your Console gives Dragon Age: Origins a 9 out of 10