Bioware is a development studio that is well known for its sprawling single player role-playing games, including many set in the Star Wars and Dungeons & Dragons universes. Now, Bioware has made a bold move and released Dragon Age: Origins, an epic dark fantasy RPG set in a freshly created world known as Thedas.

Dragon Age: Origins is described by Bioware as being a “spiritual successor” to Baldur’s Gate II, one of the most revered fantasy RPGs ever created. It features a fully realized world with a complete detailed history, an expansive and immersive storyline, and a multitude of colorful characters. While Dragon Age has many typical fantasy elements, such as magic, elves and dwarves, it is also described as “dark fantasy” – it is not a story about goody-two-shoes heroes overcoming all evil. It is story full of treachery, political machinations, and immoral characters. On more than one occasion, the player has little to do but choose the least of two evils.

The reason that the game is subtitled “Origins” is because player characters have access to 6 unique origin stories, determined by their race and class. The origin stories serve as an introduction to the game world and the background of the character and his or her community. Some characters that appear in the origin stories can reappear throughout the game, either as friend or foe. Some characters are exclusive to specific origins, and can have major effects on the plotline. The origin stories include Human Noble, Dalish Elf, City Elf, Dwarf Noble, Dwarf Commoner, and Mage.

All of the origin stories culminate in the main character joining an order of warriors known as the Grey Wardens. The Wardens are tasked with battling the Darkspawn, a malevolent group of monstrous humanoids who, every few centuries, swell into a “Blight” that threatens to overrun the world. A Blight is brewing as the player joins the Wardens – but it’s not long before a power play by a noble lord threatens the order and plunges the country into civil war. In the aftermath of a crippling betrayal, the player must unite the peoples of Thedas against the Blight and depose the upstart tyrant.

It’s no small order, but you don’t have to go it alone. Along the way, the player will meet a number of deep and compelling characters. There’s Alistair, the wise-cracking warrior with an important secret. Then there’s Morrigan, a sardonic and amoral sorceress who seems to value power above all else. You’ll also meet Leliana, a disciple of the religion known as the Chantry who has a somewhat suspect past. These are just a few examples. You can even recruit a faithful wardog companion.

The player will be faced with a lot of difficult decisions in the course of this quest – and those decisions can all affect how the other party members feel about the main character. If you clash too many times with one of your party members, they may even leave for good. However, if you warm up to one of your party enough, you can enter a romantic relationship with them.

As with most RPGs, combat plays a key role in Dragon Age: Origins. The combat is real-time, but players can pause the action with a button press in order to issue new orders to party members. You can have up to four members in your party at a time, and you’ll have to use each members’ abilities to the fullest to survive some of the game’s deadliest encounters. Preparation also plays an important role, and characters can learn to craft poisons, traps and herbal remedies to help them gain an edge in combat.

• Create your character from among 3 races and 3 classes, then choose from one of six unique origin stories to start your grand adventure
• Advance into 4 unique class specializations per class to further hone your party’s combat abilities
• Battle a variety of enemies in a deep real-time combat featuring hundreds of unique powers, then pause the action for pinpoint strategic control
• Become a part of an epic dark fantasy that will determine the fate of Thedas
• Make meaningful choices that have no easy answers and watch as the consequences play out before your eyes
• Forge relationships with your party members and potentially enter into intimate relationships with one – or more – of them
• Play through well over 60 hours of content with dozens of unique locations and hundreds of fully voice-acted characters