Dragon Age: Origins

Dragon Age: Origins is a seriously toned fantasy RPG in which the kingdom of Ferelden collapses under the assault of demonic hordes called darkspawn, and the player becomes a member of the Grey Wardens order. The game offers several distinct opening stories right from the start depending on the character's race and background, from a dwarven noble to a city elf, and this choice affects not only the first few hours but reactions from characters much later on. Most of the campaign then revolves around gathering allies, with several paths leading to each major faction, and some decisions ending with an ally dying or turning against the player. Narratively, it's one of the darkest games BioWare ever made.

Combat combines real time with the ability to pause the action at any moment and issue orders to the entire four-person party. On Xbox 360 this is handled through a radial menu and a tactics system where the player sets behavior rules for each companion so they don't heal themselves with the wrong potion or run into area-effect spells. Spells can also be combined, so an oil slick and a fireball create a spreading blaze. The console version had to give up some of the overhead-camera overview offered by the PC version, and technically it's more functional than dazzling, with rougher textures and longer load times. The atmosphere is carried instead by oppressive music, voice acting, and extensive camp conversations, where much of the party's characterization plays out.

The game was received as a return to deep Western-style RPGs at a moment when the genre was shifting toward more action-focused forms, and its system of companion relationships and consequences influenced a number of later titles, including its own sequel, which chose an opposite, faster direction. Today Origins plays slowly and there really is a lot of text, but that's exactly why it works as a fantasy that takes its time explaining its own world. Anyone looking for a classic party-based RPG with morally uncomfortable decisions on Xbox 360 will have a hard time finding a better choice.