Dragon Age: Origins
Dubbed as the spiritual successor to the Baldur’s Gates series Dragon Age: Origins is looking that it might just be one of the titles of the year. Surprisingly there has been little hype about the game despite the fact that its developer is Bioware. The very same game develepor responsible for KOTOR and Mass Effect – two of the most critically aclaimed rpgs in gaming history.
The Origin part of the title is there for good reason. At the beginning of the game you will have to choose your race and starting location and all the history that comes with it. For example, a Dwarf Noble will begin the game as part of the royal family in one of the Draven cities. This will form the introduction to the game world while also comprising hours of gameplay.
The moral choices of the main character throughout the game will affect the story. The decisions you make while on a main quest to save the world will, for example, decide who becomes king affecting other races and nations around you. The three base classes to choose from are: The Rogue, The Warrior and The Mage which will all be upgraded later into a specialised class.
The game will use a party system similar to KOTOR in that it will feature a main character with up to three active party members. This is looking like one of the deepest rpgs to date and all the combat will be in real-time with the option to pause the game to que up attacks, similar to Neverwinter Nights and Baldur’s Gate. The developers have even gone as far as to compare the realistic fantasy to such works of fiction as George R.R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones and fantasy paintings by artists such as Frank Frazetta. Seriuosly folks, I think this one is a dark horse and could quite possibly nominated for GOTY. I know you may all be waiting in anticipation for Mass Effect 2 but Dragon Age: Origins may just overshadow it unexpectadly.
Hmmmmh, you had me at Dwarf Noble. I think the silly name may not be doing this title any favours, to be honest I didnt even know it was biowares baby!