Common Sense Media Review
By Marc Saltzman
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Deep but very violent fantasy role-playing game.
Parents Need to Know
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Dragon Age: Origins
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 19 parent reviews
Parents say that this video game is an immersive RPG with a deep storyline and complex character development that includes moral choices and political themes, making it more suitable for older teens and adults rather than younger children due to its violent content and mature themes. While some reviewers express concerns about the game's intensity and the potential impact on younger players, many agree that with proper guidance, it can serve as a valuable source of entertainment and discussion for mature teens.
- immersive RPG
- mature themes
- moral choices
- complex story
- age suitability
- violence concerns
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 8 kid 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
- Platforms : PlayStation 3 , Windows , Xbox 360
- Pricing structure :
- Available online? : Available online
- Publisher : Electronic Arts
- Release date : November 3, 2009
- Genre : Role-Playing
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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