Dragon Age

[lazygecko]

Dragon Age has been Bioware's pet project since 2004. It's an RPG developed exclusively for PC unlike their previous projects, so there won't be any compromises/"streamlining" in terms of mechanics, interface and other features.

They describe it as the spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate, though without the D&D ruleset. It has all the character/class customization and NPC intrigue from BG2, and in combat the camera seamlessly shifts to a top-down strategic perspective. Also when you create your character you also have to choose its history which determines where the character starts and how the world treats it. Sort of like Seiken Densetsu 3, but probably a lot more elaborate. The game will also have an entirely separate campaign tailored for multiplayer.

Disregard the laughably underwhelming "Ring of the Lords" trailer and check the screenshots instead. You can tell there's a massive difference in style between the 2004 and 2008 shots, they probably reworked it from the ground up which would explain the media blackout since then.

BioWare will be demonstrating some of the compelling features of Dragon Age: Origins behind closed doors at E3, including:

* Epic Party-Based Combat – Dragon Age: Origins will introduce an innovative, scalable combat system, as players face large-scale battles and use their party’s special abilities to destroy hoardes of enemies and massive creatures.

* Powerful Magic – Raining down awesome destruction on enemies is even more compelling as players apply “spell combos,” a way of combining together different spells to create emergent unique effects.

* Deep Customization – Players will develop their characters and gain powerful special abilities (spells, talents and skills) and discover ever-increasing weapons of destruction.

* Your Story, Your Way – With its emotionally compelling story, players choose with whom they wish to forge alliances or crush under their mighty fist, redefining the world with the choices they make and how they wield their power.

* Origin Stories – Players will select and play a unique prelude that provides the lens through which the player sees the world and how the world sees the player. The player’s choice of Origin will determine who they are and where they begin the adventure, as they play through a customized story opening that profoundly impacts the course of every adventure.

Dragon Age: Origins is scheduled to ship for the PC in early 2009. For more information, the latest updates, or to join BioWare’s Dragon Age community, visit http://www.dragonage.com