Dragon Age: Origins

Game review by Marc Saltzman, Common Sense Media
Dragon Age: Origins Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 18+

Deep but very violent fantasy role-playing game.

PlayStation 3, Windows, Xbox 360 2009
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Parents say

age 14+

Based on 29 reviews

Kids say

age 14+

Based on 12 reviews

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  • Dragon Age: Origins Game: Screenshot #1
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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this game.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Dragon Age: Origins is rated "Mature" and designed for players 17 years of age or older, primarily for its combat-heavy play, which includes plenty of blood spilled by both humans and creatures. The player will also be exposed to some sexual imagery, including bare demon breasts, as well as some coy discussions about sex which involve characters talking about going to their tents for intimate interludes. Note, too, that players are allowed to make decisions that will result in the life or death of many important characters, some of whom might be viewed as innocent. Consequences for evil actions are not always evident. There is also a small amount profanity, though nothing gratuitous.

Community Reviews

Thorulfr
Thorulfr Adult
January 20, 2021
age 14+

Excellent RPG

Dragon Age Origins not only has a great storyline that hooks you in, but also amazing character development. There are multiple outcomes to different choices. Usually I don't care to add in that point if an RPG rather fails to have consequences of words and actions. Here, it's no exaggeration. There are several beginnings, even influences, based on your character's race, class, and even gender. If you love in depth RPG games that are story heavy, Dragon Age Origins is for you. I don't see the issue with someone around their early teens playing this game. Yes, there's violence and gore, but it's not too over the top. There's hardly any language, if you even take the mild phrases into consideration. There's no nudity. When it comes to the sex scenes, it just fades to black and doesn't show anything. I think the only aspect of Dragon Age that a child or early teenager might have issues with are the in-game politics. There's a lot of difficult decisions based around political struggles with different places and the people impacted by them. It could possibly be overwhelming if someone isn't that familiar with politics. Overall, it's an awesome game.
RealReview007
RealReview007 Adult
July 7, 2020
age 16+

Dark, Corrupt and Evil

An excellent game from start to finish. A must own for all gamers. Dragon Age Origins has a timeless story that will hook you into playing more and more. One of the best RPG ever made, this classic game has multiple intros and endings that will surely have you investing some time if you are a completionist. The gameplay which is not hard to learn has some action/strategy involved in it. And the sounds and music of this game is pretty well done. The only setback this game has to offer is that the animation can be pretty bloody and the graphics has a few lags and framerate drops in the middle of the action, though it is still not too bad. Also, the language in this game is close to mature level even if theyre not using profanities. And the combat violence and a few romantic love scenes can offend some over protective adults with children. But all in all, the way this game is put together makes up for all the negative reviews here in CSM. The game is pretty awesome as a dark medieval game that i highly recommend to older teens and mature grown ups.

This title has:

Easy to play/use
Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 29 parent reviews

What’s It About?

Have any plans for the next, say, four months? It could take you that long to tackle DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS, a new fantasy role-playing game (RPG) with roughly 100 hours of gameplay -- not to mention optional downloadable quests that expand the world even further. BioWare's dark, single-player epic features plenty of combat, deep storytelling and adventurous exploration. Considered the spiritual successor to BioWare's own Baldur's Gate, the groundbreaking Dungeons & Dragons-inspired computer game from 1998, Dragon Age: Origins resurrects classic RPG conventions, beginning with the ability to select your protagonist's gender, race (human, elf or dwarf), class (warrior, mage or rogue) and appearance. Depending on your choices, the beginning of the game will play out differently as you watch the story unfold with a cinematic sequence. Other decisions you make throughout the game will also have an effect on the story.

Is It Any Good?

Yes! But this third-person epic isn't flawless. Five years in the making, this RPG shows its age. Compared to many other video games today, the characters, animation and special effects look dated -- but at least it doesn't detract much from the gameplay. Another issue is that you rarely hear your own character speak, as you do in other BioWare games, such as 2007's Mass Effect. This takes some getting used to as your peers talk around you but your character remains silent as you read and select from the dialogue options available. However, this combat-heavy game -- complete with power-ups, huge maps and a great story -- delivers the goods. RPG fans in search of a meaty game with plenty of depth and replayability won't be disappointed with this masterfully crafted adventure that offers a lot of bang for your buck.

Note: The Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC versions of the game are the same.

Online interaction: You can download extra content but there are no multiplayer modes.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether or not parents should be more forgiving about the mature content in Dragon Age: Origins because it's a fantasy game and not based on contemporary characters or familiar locations. Does it matter that it doesn't have a modern city, dialogue, and characters, or is violence always inappropriate for certain ages regardless of a game's time and place?

Game Details

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