Dragon Age: Origins

87%
Game Brain Score Based on 17,414 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Dragon Age: Origins Game Cover
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In Dragon Age: Origins, become a Grey Warden and unite the kingdom in the face of civil war and the return of an ancient foe. With over 80 hours of gameplay, explore a vast world and shape your story through complex moral choices. Customize your character and choose from six different origin stories for a personalized experience.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Cloud
  • Ea Origin
  • Gog Com
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station 3
  • Xbox
  • Xbox 360
  • Xbox Game Pass
  • x_box_cloud_gaming
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

87%
Audience ScoreBased on 17,414 reviews
story3,821 positive mentions
stability432 negative mentions
  • story7,775 mentions

    The story of "Dragon Age: Origins" is widely praised for its depth, complexity, and emotional engagement, featuring a rich narrative that allows players to shape their journey through meaningful choices and diverse character origins. Players appreciate the intricate world-building, well-developed companions, and the impact of decisions on the storyline, making each playthrough unique and immersive. Despite some criticisms regarding outdated graphics and gameplay mechanics, the compelling storytelling and character interactions remain a highlight, solidifying the game's status as a classic in the RPG genre.

    • “A legendary dark fantasy story with interesting companions and excellent world building.”
    • “Fantastic storytelling, an amazing world to immerse yourself in, endless replayability, and choices that not only matter but carry over to future titles.”
    • “The story is gripping and it holds up to today's standards.”
    • “The story is very well written and the characters are amusing.”
    • “The story, characters, and the (sometimes difficult) decisions make playing this game a very unique experience.”
    • “The story is captivating, with multiple endings that make every choice you make feel significant.”
  • gameplay2,036 mentions

    The gameplay of "Dragon Age: Origins" is a mixed bag, with many players praising its deep tactical mechanics and engaging story, while others criticize its dated controls and repetitive combat. The game features a pause-and-command system that allows for strategic planning, but some find the mechanics cumbersome and the AI lacking. Overall, while the gameplay may feel clunky to modern players, it offers a rich RPG experience with significant replayability and character-driven narratives.

    • “The core gameplay was a bit overwhelming at first, but it gradually pulled me in with its complex mechanics and strategic combat.”
    • “The gameplay is fun and engaging, the worldbuilding is vast.”
    • “Dragon Age: Origins - Ultimate Edition is a masterpiece of RPG storytelling and gameplay that has rightfully earned a place in my top 10 all-time favorite games.”
    • “I really tried to get into this game; I really went the extra mile to try and role-play along, but the paths this game forces you to take, with some really boring and repetitive gameplay, it just didn't age well at all.”
    • “Unfortunately, the entire middle of the game is purely combat and is the most tedious, mind-numbing gameplay I've encountered in potentially my entire life.”
    • “The gameplay is not groundbreaking, but it is above average, and tactical pausing is the best.”
  • graphics1,832 mentions

    The graphics of "Dragon Age: Origins" are often described as dated, reflecting its 2009 release, but many players find them acceptable given the game's age. While some experience frequent crashes and graphical glitches, particularly on higher settings, adjusting the graphics to medium or lower often resolves these issues. Despite the technical shortcomings, the game's art style and immersive storytelling continue to resonate with players, and numerous mods are available to enhance the visual experience.

    • “The graphics still hold up today, but obviously not the best.”
    • “The graphics are a bit dated, but still do their job well.”
    • “The graphics are good for 2009, but pale in comparison to certain other rpg series (e.g. tes: skyrim).”
    • “For starters, this version on Steam is completely busted on modern PCs. Even with mods and running the game at the lowest possible graphical settings, there's still memory leak issues and semi-frequent crashes.”
    • “Turning the graphics and textures to medium has made this less frequent, but it should've been fixed years ago.”
    • “The graphics have aged and are very clearly an early HD game; however, it has not lost its charm in the slightest.”
  • replayability596 mentions

    The replayability of "Dragon Age: Origins" is highly praised, with many players highlighting the significant impact of character choices, diverse origin stories, and branching narratives that lead to unique experiences in each playthrough. The game offers extensive customization options, multiple endings, and a rich modding community, further enhancing its replay value. Overall, it is regarded as one of the most replayable RPGs, providing countless hours of engaging gameplay.

    • “The branching narrative, influenced by your origin story and decisions, makes each playthrough unique and personal, ensuring endless replayability.”
    • “The story is amazing, the characters are fun and interactive, and the choices matter, making replayability a very big factor.”
    • “With unique starting characters, stories, and classes, no playthrough is the same, offering high replayability.”
    • “The replayability comes mostly from the many different branching choices in-game, which actually matter and impact the story.”
    • “In terms of replay value, it depends on your starting character and it does affect some parts of the story, but overall, the main areas in the game you have to go through are the same.”
    • “The replayability is decent but could get old.”
  • music465 mentions

    The music in "Dragon Age: Origins" is widely praised for its haunting beauty and ability to enhance the game's dark fantasy atmosphere. Many reviewers highlight the exceptional soundtrack composed by Inon Zur, noting its emotional depth and memorable themes that resonate long after gameplay. While some mention occasional issues with volume balance, the overall consensus is that the music significantly elevates the storytelling and immersive experience of the game.

    • “The background music fits the dark fantasy atmosphere perfectly, and the voice acting is exceptional, especially considering the scope of dialogue in the game.”
    • “The ambience is fantastic, but the characters and music are the absolute highlights and what elevates this game into legendary status.”
    • “The music is stunning; while I normally mute most music in my games, Dragon Age: Origins is the exception. It not only adds to the atmosphere, it injects its own array of emotions alongside the storyline.”
    • “The music and sound design is quite messy in this game too; battle music can be deafening if playing with speakers.”
    • “Sometimes the music simply gets on your nerves, since it starts anew when you switch locations and it can get pretty much on your mind.”
    • “The graphics are a trough slop of jaggedness, stiffness, and clipping, and the music is a mostly forgettable blend of generic fantasy songs.”
  • stability445 mentions

    The stability of the game is widely criticized, with numerous users reporting frequent crashes, graphical glitches, and various bugs that significantly hinder gameplay. Many players recommend using mods and troubleshooting techniques to mitigate these issues, but the overall consensus is that the game remains a "buggy mess," particularly on the Steam version, making it difficult to recommend without caution.

    • “Currently able to play this game on Linux thanks to Steam Play/Proton, it runs great.”
    • “There are very few bugs and the game runs great.”
    • “The game runs great, the graphics are near perfect, and the controls aren't too difficult to use.”
    • “It's also quite buggy at times and unless you're willing to tinker with third-party fixes, it'll crash constantly.”
    • “A warning to first-time players: the current version of the game is still a buggy mess and EA hasn't done anything about it, of course.”
    • “The game is a buggy mess on PC, barely playable with crashing, glitches, and visual anomalies.”
  • humor280 mentions

    The humor in the game is a standout feature, primarily driven by the witty banter and engaging dialogue between companions, which many players find hilarious and endearing. The characters are well-written, each with distinct personalities that contribute to both comedic and touching moments throughout the gameplay. Overall, the blend of humor with serious themes enhances the storytelling, making for a memorable and enjoyable experience.

    • “The companions are great, and hearing the banter between them is hilarious.”
    • “The dialogue is so funny!!”
    • “The characters are interesting and the dialogue shared between party groupings will have you mixing and matching to hear the hilarious banter between companions.”
    • “The humor is insignificant or contains humorous glitches.”
    • “You'll sink so many hours into this game that it's not funny.”
  • character development190 mentions

    Character development in the game is widely praised for its depth and complexity, with many reviewers highlighting the meaningful interactions and relationships formed with companions. The branching narratives and player choices significantly enhance replayability, allowing for diverse character arcs and emotional investment in the story. While some critiques mention limitations in character design and mechanics, the overall consensus is that the game excels in storytelling and character development, making it a standout RPG experience.

    • “The story and character development are what make this game stand out more than anything else.”
    • “Character development is top tier.”
    • “The character development is the most in-depth I have ever come across.”
    • “It's too simple, the character development is not interesting, and it's exceedingly easy.”
    • “- character development is quite shallow (more or less at the same depth of the first Diablo...)”
    • “I feel like there needs to be more meaningful character development along the way.”
  • grinding166 mentions

    The grinding aspect of "Dragon Age: Origins" is frequently criticized for its tedious and repetitive nature, particularly in combat and dungeon design. Many players find the lengthy dungeons and frequent encounters to be monotonous, often leading to frustration with micromanagement and inventory management. While some appreciate the tactical depth and character-building opportunities, the overall consensus is that the game can feel excessively grindy and slow-paced, detracting from the enjoyment of its story and world.

    • “A bit grindy... sometimes.”
    • “Side quests are not grindy at all, at least for me.”
    • “If there is no grinding and if side quests are a big way to making XP, then it's on the developers to ensure that the quests are worth your time.”
    • “Unfortunately, the entire middle of the game is purely combat and is the most tedious, mind-numbing gameplay I've encountered in potentially my entire life.”
    • “It's both tedious due to repetitive encounter design and limited enemy variety and lacks the tactical depth other entries in the genre have.”
    • “The combat is frequently tedious, with the mage just having a vastly superior toolset compared to the other classes, and some mechanics are too rarely useful unless you fully build/play around them.”
  • emotional161 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its depth and impact, with players reporting a range of feelings from laughter to heartbreak. The intricate storytelling, well-developed characters, and meaningful choices create a compelling narrative that resonates long after gameplay, often leading to strong emotional attachments and moments of genuine sadness. Many players highlight the immersive interactions with companions and the weight of decisions as key elements that enhance the emotional journey throughout the game.

    • “The game is amazing and delivers an intriguing and heartfelt story with difficult choices along with a great cast of companions. The banter and arguing with each other during downtime and showing their disdain or approval of certain decisions makes them feel more than just wax figures who fight.”
    • “Dragon Age: Origins isn’t just a game; it’s an emotional journey filled with laughter, tears, and everything in between.”
    • “The heartfelt characters, subtle yet impactful music, and absolutely fascinating world design are but some of the traits that really shine in this intimately grand scale dark fantasy epic.”
    • “The story starts a few months after completing the main game's story. You are now the Grey Warden Commander, and you have to remake the Grey Wardens by getting new people to become Grey Wardens. As it sounds pretty cool, in the end, it is a very boring story and kind of lazily written.”
    • “Well, what I got for my Christmas money was bad controls, a boring story, cutaway scenes that last forever and add nothing to the gaming experience, horrible graphics, and you have to create an account with BioWare/EA Games to use the DLC that I paid for with my purchase. And let me tell you, God help you if you already have one of these accounts and have forgotten the password.”
    • “However, despite the ugly character models, bland environments, boring story, and largely uninteresting NPCs, it does have some small saving graces.”
  • optimization158 mentions

    Dragon Age: Origins suffers from significant optimization issues on modern hardware, leading to frequent crashes, stuttering, and poor performance, especially at higher graphical settings. While some players have found workarounds and mods to improve stability, the game remains challenging to run smoothly without extensive adjustments. Despite these technical shortcomings, many still regard it as a classic RPG worth the effort for its rich storytelling and gameplay.

    • “I'm probably giving this too high a score considering how much effort it took to get it to run smoothly, but it's worth the effort if you can be bothered going through all the setup.”
    • “I installed the 4GB patch online and optimized a few other settings, and I have not experienced a crash since. All of this information I got from a few Google searches.”
    • “Despite performance patches and bug fix mods, Dragon Age: Origins can suffer from memory leaks at least throughout my playthrough, resulting in suboptimal performance.”
    • “This game isn't optimized for modern computers at all.”
    • “You will get maybe 10% into the game's progression then start experiencing unavoidable crashes, extremely slow performance, or simply not be able to launch the game at all.”
    • “The biggest problem is that the game is poorly optimized for modern machines.”
  • atmosphere150 mentions

    The atmosphere of "Dragon Age: Origins" is widely praised for its immersive and captivating qualities, drawing players into a dark fantasy world filled with rich storytelling, exceptional voice acting, and a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack. Despite some dated graphics, the game's art direction and environmental design effectively convey a gritty and atmospheric experience that enhances the overall narrative. Many players highlight the game's ability to evoke strong emotions and create a sense of attachment to its characters and world, making it a standout title in the RPG genre.

    • “The background music fits the dark fantasy atmosphere perfectly, and the voice acting is exceptional, especially considering the scope of dialogue in the game.”
    • “The atmosphere, the characters, the writing, the story, everything is as close to perfect as a game can be.”
    • “The atmospheric environments and detailed world-building pull you into the game's universe, making exploration an absolute delight.”
    • “Game is fun and the constant crashes really give it the EA atmosphere.”
    • “The game world is very dark and depressing, and the atmosphere just drips with eerie doom.”
    • “In terms of production value, graphics, atmosphere, writing, voice acting, and so forth, it's actually disappointingly bad, especially when I realized that Mass Effect was released before Dragon Age: Origins.”
  • monetization17 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many users labeling it a "cash grab" that sacrifices quality and gameplay for profit, particularly through the use of full-priced DLCs and microtransactions. Players express nostalgia for a time when games were crafted with care and devoid of intrusive monetization strategies, contrasting it with the current trend of broken releases and excessive in-game purchases. However, some users appreciate the absence of microtransactions in this title, highlighting it as a refreshing return to a more genuine gaming experience.

    • “In an age of monetization, loot boxes, release broken fix later, and investor first; it is refreshing to once again play a game that is bursting with passion.”
    • “Imagine - Bioware, no microtransactions, finished on release...”
    • “Also, no microtransactions or loot boxes!”
    • “Inb4 cash grab remake that makes the writing and gameplay worse.”
    • “But in a similar vein, DAO was created with care and love, before the title became a mere cash grab.”
    • “This game is one of the high points within the history of Bioware and EA, and is within the era of games that gave those companies such a high reputation - before both started sacrificing quality and the concept of a single-player story for shallow, glitch-filled multiplayer and microtransactions.”
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Play time

60hMedian play time
106hAverage play time
50hMain story
106hCompletionist
15-130hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 173 analyzed playthroughs

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