Dragon Age: Origins E3 Preview

BioWare’s Baldur’s Gate spiritual successor is the subject of yet another E3 preview, and this time it’s over at IGN’s Vault Network.

The demo starts with the player arriving in the ancient ruins of Ostagar, where the armies of Ferelden are gathering to make a final stand against the dark spawn. As the gameplay video is projected onto a gigantic screen, the figures of the two Grey Wardens appear almost lifelike, walking across a massive stone bridge towards the ruins. There they are met by the Ferelden King Cailan, who expresses his delight at the prospect of having the revered Grey Warden Duncan fight by his side, along with his (promising new recruit). A conversation ensues between the player and the King, with the usual multiple-choice type interface appearing on the player’s HUD. The dialogue reveals a naive and over-eager young King, disappointed over his easy victories and longing for a huge battle with an archdemon. As a player, the dialogue choices you make will determine how the story plays out for you. In this particular demo, the player is polite and restrained with the King, mentioning his honest observations to Duncan only after the King takes his leave. Exploring the ruins, he comes across a prisoner in a cage, who asks for his help. All the poor man wants is food and water in exchange for the key which he was caught stealing. The guards did not find the key on him because he had swallowed it, but it has since (come back into his possession). Again, the player is faced with several choices, each one unlocking a different path in the story and some of which will affect future events.