Dragon Age: Origins

Title- Dragon Age: Origins

Author- Bioware

ISBN Not Applicable

Publication Information- Electronic Arts

 

Plot Summary- The player chooses one of six character options that determine how other characters in the game react to him or her. After a series of beginning stories, the player meets Duncan who leads the player to the Grey Wardens, a group sworn to eradicated the darkspawn. The characters journey a fortress to take a stand against the darkspawn and are betrayed after a long battle; however, the player is saved by a witch. The witch's daughter, Morrigan joins the party and they have to gather forces from a variety of groups with which the Grey Wardens are aligned. Only the player character can decide to sacrifice herself or another of the Grey Wardens to slay the demon responsible for the darkspawn.

Critical Evaluation- This game is very different from the others I've reviewed. It is a fantasy role-playing game. These games have come a long way in the last five years or so with entirely open worlds that allow the characters to do a myriad of things that may or may not be important to the main storyline. In this type of game, it is possible to log literally hundreds of hours on the story and not complete it. Often, once you've made a bad move, you are forced to start the game over again in order to rectify the bad decision you made earlier. Furthermore, in this game, the non-player character's responses will vary depending on the decision the player makes, a relatively new innovation. This game targets a different audience than the first person shooter games. Students who play these games often include women and men as well as kids who prefer fantasy reading.

Reader's Annotation- Demons are invading the world. You are part of an elite team that is capable of stopping them before they destroy the world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcyR9adOuMI

 

Author Information- Not Applicable

Curricular Ties- Not Applicable

Genre- Fantasy, Video Game

Book talking ideas- Not applicable

Challenge issues- None. It is rated M for violence and sexual situations but it's not a school situation.

Interest Age- 15- adult.

Why I selected this piece – This game came out very recently. One of our clubs- Role-playing- talks about it extensively. It also happens to be a game I would enjoy.