Tobold's Blog
Saturday, September 26, 2009
 
Dragon Age Origins

EA Bioware sent me some press material about their upcoming RPG Dragon Age Origins. I have a general policy of always looking at that sort of material, but only writing about it if I think it would be interesting for my readers. While I was generally aware that Bioware was working on a RPG named Dragon Age, I hadn't looked deeper into it. I mean, yeah, Bioware makes good RPGs, and I read the facial animations were good, but otherwise I thought it would be more or less yet another fantasy roleplaying game. But to my surprise Dragon Age Origins appears to be rather unusual: It is a RPG for adults, with an 18+ rating. And apparently that isn't limited to sex and violence, but also to a darker and deeper story than the usual fare.

Now I watched some of the videos, and I'm starting to get excited about this game, even if I'll have to wait for early November before it is released. I'm not a big fan of the blood spatter, but I do like the concept of my character having moral choices in a world which isn't the typical good vs. evil fantasy stereotype. Already having an 18+ label, Bioware even added sex to the game, but hopefully more to make the stories more realistic and believable. And the graphics and animations are really superb.

I'll keep you posted what I think of the game once I actually played it.
- posted by Tobold @ 1:00 PM Permanent Link
Comments:
There's a lot of blood on the webpage. I don't like that either - especially if it's totally exaggerated.

I like some of the stories on the web page, though... I'm too old to get excited yet :)
# posted by Blogger Nils : 26/9/09 13:26
 
I am also looking forward to Dragon Age Origins. I am thinking of preordering it. :-) The combat mechanics also look very interesting.
# posted by Blogger trollverk : 26/9/09 15:00
 
I hope Dragon Age isn't banned in Australia. Sadly we do not have an R18+ rating for games. If it is refused classification then it will not be allowed to be sold in Australia.
# posted by Blogger zaphod6502 : 26/9/09 16:09
 
I almost never preorder games, but I put down money to reserve my copy of this one.
# posted by Blogger Andrew : 26/9/09 17:55
 
I have it on preorder, also really looking forwards to this one.
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 26/9/09 18:30
 
I'll reserve judgment until I see more, but on the whole I steer well clear of anything that claims to be "adult" or "mature". Things that are really suitable for adults don't need to make a feature of the fact.
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 26/9/09 22:01
 
Looks likely to be the best RPG we've had in years. I know the last one I TRULY enjoyed was Mass Effect, in spite of it's FPS nature. Bioware certainly has a track record of RPG winners and this looks quite hopeful. I hadn't paid that much attention to it until you pointed it out, and had to go look at all the videos on youtube.
# posted by Anonymous Graktar : 26/9/09 22:05
 
I was looking forward to seeing this game... Until I saw their trailer.

Blood, sex and rock music by marlyn manson. Looks more like a hack and slash game. Clearly aimed at 16 year old kids yet they put the 18+ sticker on the box.

I can only hope that the game is nothing like the trailer.
# posted by Blogger Carra : 26/9/09 23:18
 
From what I understand it has many of the same game designers as the Baldur's Gate rpg's back in the day and that those same designers have said that Dragon Age will be a "spiritual successor" to them. I certainly hope so, it's been a long time since I played a good rpg.
# posted by Anonymous Ladron de la Noche : 26/9/09 23:46
 
I've been looking forward to Dragon Age Origins for a while now. It's probably the only 2009 game I'm wanting to play extensively. Also, I like that BioWare once more is including a toolset so that game fans can develop their own game extensions.
# posted by Anonymous Raquel : 27/9/09 01:00
 
Sex in games is an interesting one.

I felt Age of Conan was horribly anti-immersive in its attitude to sex. Here you are, playing Conan, who gets laid practically every story, you've got a beautiful whore who will do anything for you and you ask for what? A drop of her blood? Because some wizard told you?

Not very Conan. He would have asked for something a lot more exciting and dealt with any horrible consequences later.

I think sex is ok if it's part of the story (as in most Hollywood films) but I hope it doesn't drive the game too much. Not sure a "pick Option Three and she takes her bra off" fanbase will make for a great gaming community.
# posted by Blogger Stabs : 27/9/09 10:05
 
Afterthought: I wonder, having just watched the movie, if the sex has an option for female players? Or gay?
# posted by Blogger Stabs : 27/9/09 10:09
 
@Stabs, Bioware's last big RPG, Mass Effect, had romance options for both female and male characters. While it was not possible to have a gay relationship, it was possible to have a lesbian one, though they sugar coated it by saying the alien was genderless and just happened to look exactly like a hot chick :p

The point being, I'd be surprised if Dragon Age wasn't the same, and with an 18+ rating maybe even more open.
# posted by Anonymous Graktar : 28/9/09 23:04
 
@Stabs

I believe it has options for both. Gonna go full-gay myself if it allows it ;)
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 29/9/09 20:25
 
I'm feeling an adult version of Oblivion: Elder Scrolls...
with dragons!
# posted by Blogger Inktomi : 1/10/09 04:06
 
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