Dragon Age: Origins Reader Review

Throughout history, we have sought advancements that would enhance our capability for story telling. Beginning thousands of years ago with the oral tales passed down from generation to generation, we have seen books, plays, films, tv and now, the current pinnacle of story telling, video games.

And no-one does it better than Bioware. You need no more evidence of this than the list of games they have released over the past fifteen years. Baldur's Gate, Star Wars : Knights of the old Republic, Jade Empire, Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age: Origins.

These games are distinguished not because they are graphically the best, nor because they are the most challenging games. These games are so good because they are a medium for telling a story. A story that you are a part of and in later games, a story that you can influence in a variety of ways.

Dragon Age Origins is not the prettiest game I've ever seen. On the Xbox, the graphical deficiencies are more evident than on the PC. There are numerous bugs and glitches that in any other game, would irritate me beyond measure. But the sheer depth and feel of the game means I am so engrossed in the affairs of Ferelden and beyond that the problems this game have escape my notice.

From the very beginning, the story becomes your story. The protagonist is your design, is given the background you choose and, as the story progresses, your choices will impact on the game itself, no matter how trivial or minor they may seem at the time. Choices made can have little or no consequences but they can also influence anything from the direction of a quest to the relationship between the protagonist and one of his/her party members.

This in essence, is what makes Dragon Age: Origins such a great and appealing game. It is a story unfolding that you have immense control over and can direct in whatever way you see fit.

Yes there are problems with this game, but looking beyond the pixels, this is amongst the finest example of story telling ever to grace a games console.

Graphics will be enhanced and games that were once the pinnacle of pixelated evolution suddenly find themselves becoming obsolete and outdated. But epic tales are something that will last for a hell of alot longer.

Dragon Age Origins is an epic story and a fine example of the medium of video games as a platform for an engrossing and entertaining narrative that will kept its audiences captivated for many years to come.