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Tag Archives: Dragon Age: Origins

DLC ruminations

When I first heard of the concept of down-loadable content in console gaming, I liked it; it made sense to use the HDD and internet capabilities of this generation of machines to advantage by offering gamers a way to spend even more time in their favorite games.

However, it’s getting a bit pricey in some cases.

Disgaea 3 is a good example. I love Disgaea as much as anyone, but really, do I look like a rube who wants to spend another $30 or more buying extra characters for my party? Nope. Much as I loved Laharl from the first game, I’m ready for someone else’s story in Disgaea 3. There’s just no way I’ll ever collect all the downloadables for Disgaea 3.

Then there’s the other end of the spectrum (and not the one near SEM Chicago). And by that, I mean that some games keep the amount of DLCs offered down to a reasonable number, but they are price-and-HDD-space hogs!

For example, in Mass Effect 2, I have purchased all the DLC currently available, but I have an original 20GB Xbox360, so I’m already thin on space and each significant mission added in DLC is averaging 0.8 GB of hard drive space. That adds up quickly when you only have eight GB free to begin with.

Heck, Dragon Age: Origins’ Awakening add-on was so massive and expensive, it fit right in on the shelves with new games, and the prices were not that far apart. Yikes!

Top 20 Videogames of the Past Decade #6

6. Dragon Age (PS3, 360)

It’s almost unfair to list a game that came out in the waning days of the decade and rank it right up there with such storied franchises after just one outing, but Dragon Age: Origins is actually the beneficiary of all of Bioware’s accumulated experience over the past decade-plus of creating top-notch videogames, primarily of the RPG genre.

So, while I won’t be including Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire, Baldur’s Gate or Sonic Chronicles in this list, I include Dragon Age because of how dang impressive BioWare’s games catalog is overall, and Dragon Age: Origins is the freshest beneficiary of all that game design knowledge.

Re-embracing their Baldur’s Gate roots, Dragon Age is BioWare’s license-free take on Dungeons and Dragon-style RPG gaming, with a whole lot more experience under their belts. Featuring a vast world, loads and quests and plenty of story, and with generous expansion packs either released or planned, and a sequel in the works already, Dragon Age is a celebration of everything a US-made RPG should be about.

Loads and fun, plenty of length, a great story, top-notch visuals, and many ways to extend the title’s game play and appeal… who could ask for more without mentioning free cell phones?

First hands-on play with Dragon Age: Origins

OK, I know I’m late to the party, pal. But Since I had to get it outta my own pocket change (mostly lint), don’t blame me that EA doesn’t consider my blog prestigious enough to send a review copy to! They’re just lucky I love BioWare even though they are now part of the EA collective…

Anyway, I am pleased to say that even after spending only 30 minutes on the PS3 version of Dragon Age: Origin, I can safely say it’s going to be my favorite console game of the year. And that’s despite the fact that the PS3 version is stupidly limited to 720p resolution even though my TV goes up to 1080p.

C’mon, Sony, pull your head out of your heine on that one! Can’t believe the company that sold PS3 on being “the only 1080p-native next-gen console” is letting so many developers give them 720p max while giving Xbox 360 1080p max on the exact same games. Idiocy!

Despite this, Dragon Age: Origins looks great even at 720p and is one whiz-bang of a traditional RPG. Having picked up tips from Oblivion and Fallout 3, Dragon Age: Origin shifts your origin story based on the character-generation choices you make, but certainly tells a compelling story from the word go.

Now, I can’t say much more just yet being only past the first 30 minutes or so of play, but I can tell you I’m already hooked. Who needs cheap vacations when you have a game like this to enjoy?

Farewell, Nintendo DS!

Tonight, my wife and I bid farewell to our Nintendo DS units and all our DS games. My wife selflessly gave up her PSP a few months ago for some trade-in credit toward a new Xbox 360 unit, because her PSP was broke anyway. We both prefer the PSP library of games and finally decided to bite the bullet and give up our DS habit to get her back in a PSP.

Sure, we didn’t have the extra-fancy Nintendo DSi to trade in with all the bells and whistles and rackmount LCD. But with a chubby DS, a DS Lite and about 16 games, as well as a PS3 game we didn’t care for tossed in for good measure, I hoped we’d at least have enough to get her a PSP Slim.

Well, not only did we get her a PSP Slim for about $110, but we had enough left over to pick up Dragon Age: Origins for the PS3, as well as Shin Megami Tensei: Persona for the PSP, as well! Talk about a nice deal? For me, Dragon Age: Origins is enough to make me forget all about those DS games… Phoenix Wright who? I’m playing BioWare’s latest and greatest, baby!

Dragon Age: Origins fever is spreading

I have a fever; it’s source is not a flu bug, but Dragon Age: Origins, the hot new RPG from BioWare, makers of most things good, RPG-wise, on this side of the ocean.

Did anyone catch the commercial campaign on prime time TV? Looks like EA is really getting behind the BioWare team with a strong promotional push.

It’s about time. Most of BioWare’s titles have always been valuable like loose diamonds; this time, maybe they’ve stumbled across a setting!

What’s so great about Dragon Age?

Well, let’s start with everything.

Like NC short term health insurance, Dragon Age: Origins is a bit of a revelation, if not an outright revolution. It’s from the makers of everything from Baldur’s Gate to Neverwinter Nights to Knights of the Old Republic to Jade Empire to Mass Effect. Talk about a resume!

And apparently the team is putting their all into Dragon Age: Origins. What’s not to like? What’s not to love? It’s going to be a great game with a kickin’ story and awesome graphics. I’m in.

The games I really want

When it comes to this holiday season, I’ve already said that my most-wanted game is Dragon Age: Origins. However, there are more games I’d love to own, though it may take awhile to get them. At least I won’t have to worry about setting off any wireless alarms in my attempts to get them; I’ll be buying them.

One already on store shelves is Uncharted 2. And, of course, the original Uncharted. These games are what Tomb Raider should be, only better.

Cross Edge has been out for a while, but I love my Tactics-style RPGs. This one has characters from five other NIS/Atlus RPGs. A fanboy’s delight.

Borderlands is looking good for anyone who enjoyed Fallout 3. And Demon Souls is the most hardcore action/RPG I’ve seen in quite a while. And I’ve mentioned before my love for Assassin’s Creed II.

That’s not to even mention Mass Effect 2, which should be available in early 2010, as well as Magna Carta 2.

The RPG heat is turning up.

Hungry for a new great game

In the next three months, I intend to buy a new videogame, even though I have plenty to play. Mostly, I’ll do this because I’m hungry for something fresh and a lack of funds or slow trickle of free reviewables are not always great appetite suppressants.

The real question will be, which game should I get? If I restrict myself to games out before the end of the year, there are several real contenders.

I could easily get into Uncharted 2: Among Thieves for the PS3. I also would enjoy Assassin’s Creed II with its gorgeous visuals. I wish Final Fantasy XIII were among my choices.

But in the end, one game stands out among all the rest; Dragon Age: Origins is my top choice for games coming out on either PS3 or the 360. That’s my most-wanted game for the rest of 2009.