Dragon Age: Origins

Dragon Age: Origins shows BioWare at its most classic, a dark fantasy RPG that openly embraces the legacy of Baldur's Gate while running on a modern engine. The land of Ferelden faces an invasion of darkspawn, and the player becomes a Grey Warden who must unite the region's quarreling factions, elves, dwarves, mages, and nobility, to stop the archdemon leading the enemy horde. Six different origin stories based on the character's race and background change not only the first few hours but also how the world treats the hero for the rest of the game, giving the whole a notably strong incentive for repeat playthroughs.

Combat is tactical and, especially on higher difficulty, requires pausing, issuing orders to the whole party of four, and sensibly combining spells, where, say, spilled oil and a fireball create a devastating area effect. Character progression is built on attributes, talents, and specializations, gear can be upgraded, and runes can be slotted into weapons. Companions get a lot of attention, their approval, arguments around the campfire, and romances, with disagreement over the player's decisions sometimes leading all the way to their departure or even a fight. Most main quests have several fundamentally different resolutions, and the game isn't afraid to make the player choose between two bad options. Battles take place in both cramped dungeons and open battlefields, and enemies arrive in waves, so party positioning matters before the first blow is even struck.

On PlayStation 3 the game runs with modified controls aimed at a more action-oriented feel while keeping the tactical pause, though managing the party is more comfortable with a mouse. Visually it's more solid than dazzling, but the atmosphere is all the stronger for it: muddy, bloody, and grim, backed by Inon Zur's serious orchestral score. Critics received the game excellently, praising the writing, difficulty, and range of choices. Dragon Age: Origins today feels like BioWare's last great classic RPG before its shift toward action, and that's exactly why players keep coming back to it.