Review: Dragon Age: Origins on the PC

Greg Tito

PR for Dungeons & Dragons
Sep 29, 2005
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Review: Dragon Age: Origins on the PC

Dragon Age: Origins feels like a different game on the PC.

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Swaki

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Apr 15, 2009
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nice feature, but i cant get the video to work, i think this is the first time ive seen you guys review games on several platforms, i never tried pressing tab in my play trough but i had survival so they showed up on the mini map, and i actually thought it enriched the expirence to search trough places for books or artifacts to help me understand the world, and give me xp.

edit: when i try to watch the movie i get a 303, error#2124.

edit: HUZZAH! i can watch it, by the way loved the "HUZZAH!", definitely on my top 10 HUZZAH list.
 

LostintheWick

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Sep 29, 2009
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I have a pc capable of playing DAO at its high end, but I ultimately decided to go with the xbox version. Why? I like sitting on the floor in front of my tv and I like all of the other nostalgic things that go along with playing on a console.

For some reason, games feel less like a game when I am sitting with a desktop using a keyboard and mouse.
 

obisean

May the Force Be With Me
Feb 3, 2009
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I agree it is a COMPLETELY different feeling on PC, and by that I mean it gets better, though to some that would sound impossible :). This is one of the few games warranting a separate review for the console and PC, and for more reasons than just stability and graphics go.

If you want and idea of the difference, look at the GRAW series. DA:O keeps everything from a designer point of view, whereas GRAW is almost a completely different game. But the game play itself changes so drastically. Same as GRAW the console version is much faster paced and has ass kickery galore. The PC version will feature much slower paced, yet far more strategic game play. Granted in GRAW this all boils down to personal taste as you can't just play it like you do the console version, but in DA:O you can ignore the isometric camera and mid battle pausing and just play it as you would the console version, just make sure you lower the difficulty one notch from the console version.
 

Naheal

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Sep 6, 2009
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Strangely enough, with the increase in damage dealt and the possibility of friendly fire on normal that isn't there on the console version, I'm finding combat actually easier on the PC. I guess a tactical view makes all the difference.
 

Spitfire175

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Jul 1, 2009
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Bioware has been making PC oriented RPGs better than anyone (save perhaps bethesda) and DA:O is no exeption. I remember even some other members of the Escapist team saying that Dragon age should be played on the PC. So I guess PC gaming is still happily dying?
 

obisean

May the Force Be With Me
Feb 3, 2009
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PC gaming is not dying, just being shunned by developers ignorant enough to think that only the PC has piracy problems.
 

DazZ.

Elite Member
Jun 4, 2009
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I think your voice in the video part is better than most of the other video reviews I have seen here.

To put in a crap way, but the best I can, it feels more genuine when you say "huzzah!" than when the "hazzah!" moment equivalent in other videos has been mediocre.
 

ZippyDSMlee

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Sep 1, 2007
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I can take a wild guess the PS3 will have worse wold textures but better character textures unless they got the PS3 development kinks worked out it might not be much of an improvement over the 360.
 

hansari

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May 31, 2009
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Greg Tito said:
If you have a decent enough system to handle the graphics, and if you're reading this you probably do...
Haha!

How demanding do you think this website is on our pc's?
 

Firia

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Sep 17, 2007
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It may just be the youtube quality review video dumbing messing up some of the visual quality being discussed, but the ps3 version looks alot like this. There's no top-down tactical view, but the character models, and what I could distinguish of the surroundings look remarkably similar to this PC review.
 

Slycne

Tank Ninja
Feb 19, 2006
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hansari said:
Greg Tito said:
If you have a decent enough system to handle the graphics, and if you're reading this you probably do...
Haha!

How demanding do you think this website is on our pc's?
I think the assumption is that if you are reading a gaming site. You probably own at least an above average machine.
 
Apr 28, 2008
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Actually, the PC requirments are pretty lenient.

I have the recommended setup word for word, and I can max everything out and have a decently stable framerate (with the exception of being in Denerim, where it flies all over the place)

And my rig is about 2 years old, ancient in PC hardware terms.
 

Ghadente

White Rabbit
Mar 21, 2009
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Is there a reason the reveiw for the PS3 version wasn't included?

i am on the fence on buying dragon age, and a PS3 review would have helped.
 

Epigone

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Nov 21, 2009
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Looks like Baldur's Gate or Icewind Dale with better graphics. I don't think anything can be better than Baldur's Gate 2 Shadows of Amn though...
 

Khada

Night Angel
Jan 8, 2009
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Susan Ardnt > all other reviewers (tho i also like that other dude whos not the chief editor - not that hes all that bad either)

yet to play the game, it appeals to me alot but the one thing thats a big turn off is having to play and control multiple characters. i dont mind having a party at all, i just prefer to not have to do too much with them (other than keep them geared) mass effect is a good example of this, and being from the same developer im hoping that holds true to DA:O

would appreciate if someone could confirm this for me? :D
 

Garaw

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Sep 22, 2009
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Khada said:
Susan Ardnt > all other reviewers (tho i also like that other dude whos not the chief editor - not that hes all that bad either)

yet to play the game, it appeals to me alot but the one thing thats a big turn off is having to play and control multiple characters. i dont mind having a party at all, i just prefer to not have to do too much with them (other than keep them geared) mass effect is a good example of this, and being from the same developer im hoping that holds true to DA:O

would appreciate if someone could confirm this for me? :D
Unfortunately, no. The tactics slots let you program a few nuggets of common sense into them (like healing people who are hurt and chugging mana potions), but for the most part you will have to pause the game after practically every action and tell them to move out of enemy firing range, gang up on that boss, etc. The key to winning a lot of fights is just telling everyone to 'hold position' at the right times and 'pulling' the next pack of bad guys with one character.

It's hard to get over the real-time aspects and start thinking of it as a turn-based game, but it really is. And you'll need to direct everyone.
 
Jan 23, 2009
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Huh, so better graphics pull you out of the game... but no mention about when someone offers you a quest, and then an option IN THE DIALOGUE appears asking you to buy the quest.... Epic review skills there.
 

carpathic

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Oct 5, 2009
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thoughtful and interesting.

Can you still get the armor for ME2 on the xbox if you get the pc version I wonder