DRAGON AGE ORIGINS

I should preface this by saying I’m a big Bioware fan. Ever since I first threw that copy of Baldur’s Gate that a previous tenant had left behind into my computer, I’ve always been a dedicated support of their games. There’s a lot of little reasons for it, but the biggest reason has always been the writing. I know it is odd to talk about the strength of writing, especially in a fantasy RPG which normally have all the skill and subtle of a dull axe to the brain. However, Bioware has always invested very heavily in their scripting, and as a result, they actually produce NPCs and villains who are remarkable and memorable because of their personalities and impact on the story.

One key difference with Bioware is very early on, they realized that they were writing their games for adults. So most of the juvenile, fraternity level of humour that stands in for wit in most games isn’t present. There’s certainly an adult sense of humour involved, which is in turns wry, silly, sarcastic, sexual and just flat out weird. Characters have a certain sense of the ridiculous, so the more contrived of situations and plot points are often commented on as such.

Rather than fill the world with cardboard cutouts, the NPCs act in a very individual manner, even when the structure of the game has them needing only a single ‘Persuade’ comment to completely reverse their options. One of the unique innovations of Bioware involved the ‘good/evil’ dynamics of play, and the ability to make choices. There are moments and situations in which one is forced to actually empathize with the NPCs and even villains, as you struggle to decide the best path. In most games, it’s simply easier to eliminate anyone you don’t actually need. In Bioware’s games, that’s actually uncomfortable to do, as the NPCs die badly and pleading.

The other thing Bioware has done from the start is sex. Not in terms of full scale pornography, but each game has a romantic element involved, and the jokes aside, it actually does add another level to the story. The party’s individual pasts and current relationships do well to build texture and familiarity in the game in a why rarely found in most games. It was also one of the first to allow for same sex and bisexual relationships, although in the case of the elf assassin Zevran, it’s more challenging to find something the guy won’t fuck.

Overall, it’s a good approach to a fairly standard fantasy. It does nice things to turn normal expectations on their heads (elves as the minority servant class, instead of prancing queens of the dale) and the story is solid enough to be enjoyable without feeling like you’re playing through an updated version of some developers favourite D&D adventures of the early ‘80s. I’m actively enjoying the idea of playing it through twice, which is the real standard for RPGs.

And yes, as is my custom, I play the first time through as the good guy, and the second time through as the evil girl. Because I’m a twisted, bitter misogynistic gamer. But in my defense, I totally nailed the red-headed bisexual ex-nun. I don’t know if that helps me, but it needed to be said.