It seems like this might end up with the same issue Mass Effect had for me: the gameplay is very well done, but the story is so insipid I just can't bring myself to care enough to press on past the first 5-6 hours.

Avrithor

Well, that's the point, isn't it?

Mass Effect is Star Wars without Bioware having to call George Lucas every time they make a decision. It has its own identity now, of course, but that's the original seed.

This is LoTR/DnD without them having to conform to the guidelines of pre-existing universes or proclaim a license.

Moonshadow101

I'm very intrigued by this game (not really this trailer though) but I don't understand why origins is necessary in the title if it the first game in a new IP. Even if they do a prequel game, this game IS the origin of the Dragon Age world. Not only is it generic, it's redundant and unnecessary.

sarcasmOD

Oh, Bioware. You had me at Baldur's Gate.

tralu

Looks outstanding to me, including the voice acting. Picky picky, people. Though I'd care a lot more if this wasn't a PC exclusive. =_=

Kia

Looking forward to this!

EnigmaNemesis

That doesn't look pre-rendered. It looks like the in-game engine for a cinematic.

jayntampa

Haha, that looks epic!

Normally, I'd say "Yawn, no gameplay", but this is BioWare. None of their games have really looked terribly exciting (ME does, somewhat).
Looking at the gameplay of any BW title, it's always seemed dull to anyone who isn't playing!

Plus, it's BioWare! I trust them enough that they don't need to show me gameplay trailers to get my money. :P

Coquiton

Generic fantasy 101.

Hopefully the gameplay / story will make up for it.

weasl

The game looks just as much as a generic fantasy story as Baldurs Gate was. In a good way, all my friends who miss then days when you needed a novel sized manual will probably like this game.

sammfreak

How do you go from coming up with an awesome name like Mass Effect to such a lackluster name like Dragon Age: Origins?

Has that name really not been taken by some other form of media? Numerous times?

Mit

How extremely LotR-y. Also, no gameplay shown = fail. BioWare's going to need to show some really intriguing gameplay to make up for the abortion of a battle system in Mass Effect.

More like KotOR, less like Mass Effect, please. Real time combat with AI-only teammates = fail.

Archaotic

Agreed to all that above me. I just wanna see some gameplay. Why did it get the cheesy subtitle "origins" now? Why is a normal title not good enough these days?

hammerhand

Knowing Bioware though, the story will start out in a lord of the rings standard way and then totally take a turn you didn't expect. By the end of the game you'll probably have that big horned troll guy in your party.

Guild_Navigator

ARCHERS! I'm pretty sure they scream that in LOTR also hehe.

BenKenobi88

Really, these games need some voice direction. Movies find it imperative, but it sounds like the leader there was being voiced on someone's lunch break -- he was just reading from the script.

Give the guy a plastic sword while he's in the booth and get him to yell into the mic (watch the levels and the audio director's ears though!)

If you had to go to war with giant dragon monsters, would you follow the guy who says "For *insert generic fantasy kingdom*!" in such a bleh tone?

Just a pet peeve, especially after listening to the latest Killzone trailer.

Snake726

Yep, the first thing I thought was that it looks like the LOTR: Two Towers siege scene.

LittleBigPlaneteer

Oh noez another genereic LOTR rip-off, where are my space marines!

The_nub_next_door

"fantasy"

;)

cZEAL

We owe a vast majority of what we term "fantasy: to Lord of the Rings. So yeah, it's going to look "Lord of the Ringish".

cZEAL

Blah, another fantasy game...

MountainCool

I'm a bit disappointed with the trailer. But as someone else pointed out, Bioware is good at twisting these seemingly typical plots into something else.

SicariusIV

Scuse me sir but you seem to have my LotR in your Dragon Age.

Majpain007

Wow... I swear this loots more LOTR then the lOTR games. I am ready for a new mmo. After the fail of the recently released age of conan.

Allcars

@Kia:
Somehow I figure it'll hit consoles eventually. Even BioWare can't turn a profit on a PC exclusive in the age of piracy.

Archaotic

Yay Uwe Boll made it on to the dev team!

Heptoid

The graphics (or pre-rendered) cutscene look good.

But, I want to see gameplay.

When it comes to PC gaming, I'm more critical of content and gameplay than I am graphics. I have my PS3 and 360 to push the visual edge.

Right now, Dragon Age, Starcraft II, Diablo III and Spore are the PC games on my radar for 2008/2009.

sascha23

This wouold of impressed me before, but for some reason this made me think.. "boring!"

I guess i've seen this all before. And annoying voice acting isntantly means FAIL after playing some games like MGS.

stargateheaven

@Archaotic: Yes, it would be nice to see some gameplay; hopefully they'll do so at E3.

So, ME was different in terms on gameplay. It wasn't horrible, aside from the AI teammates--those were terrible. I enjoyed the combat system. They could have done more to bring some more excitement around it, but it was still fun.

I still like the KotOR battle system, even though it can be incredibly boring at times.

@Moonshadow101: Unfortunately, Bioware did better with the Star Wars license than with its own IP; though hopefully ME2 will be better.

Phantom6612

I was pretty disappointed when I saw this on TV last night, doesn't tell you anything.

It looks like all of the models are in-game assets however, and if that's the case it'll be a good looking game.

argh

Not a very useful trailer. But it doesn't affect me too much since I know my computer won't be able to play it.

Samos42

@Kia: What would you consider bad voice acting, then?

Snake726

Hmm... now that I've read some comments and watched it a second time it does look more in-game than pre-rendered.

hammerhand

"Origins, however, tells you all that the games focus is not the age (Dragon Age) that is the true focus, but the origins of the character you play."

Sorry about that, I hope you understand what I mean even though I kinda put it out in uglyish.

Should of course be: Origins, however, tells you all that the games true focus is not the age (Dragon Age), but the origins of the character you play.

Harpa

Let me explain the name for all ye who wonder.

Dragon Age: Origins implies that the game takes places during the Dragon Age, where the kingdom of Ferelden resides.

Origins, however, tells you all that the games focus is not the age (Dragon Age) that is the true focus, but the origins of the character you play.

The race and class you pick got a couple of origins to start from, whereas the whole world will treat you differently depending on your origin, or your past, so to say.

Not fully sure how many origins etc will be available but if each time playing through render a whole new story line.... Well, I can kinda see myself as someone who plays this game.

Alot.

Harpa

I was hoping the graphics wouldn't look that good, now I know I can't play it.

That aside, Dragon Age looks like it will do with Fantasy what Mass Effect. Give bioware a fantasy playground where they aren't paying Wizards of the Coast for licenses.

Kounji

it was confirmed by mister Chris Priestley on the forum that this is all made by the engine of the game.

The trailer is very bland... But if this generic fantasy setting turns out like the generic sci-fi setting of Mass Effect i think we will be ok.

PC only gameplay HAS to be awesome.

carbonelli

I'm beyond unimpressed. I want to see what makes this game unique, not what makes it just like .

After all the hype about how they're capable of developing their own IP, they go out and produce the cutscene equivalent of pulp fiction. Fantasy Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew Adventures, not literature.

WTF?

gblock

Spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate? Where can I pre-order?

JocktheMotie

He sounds like a gay elf...

Spiderbait

Maybe the next trailer is going to be lot better ... it better be.

uzivatel

Looks pretty cool, hope it comes to 360 at some point.

smuckersisgood

"Origins"? Trilogy confirmed.

monorailcat

The first thing i thought was "hey, this is demon stone" ... dissappointing...

symphony_of_the_night

@monorailcat: episodic confirmed?

uzivatel

@Spiderbait: have you...met a lot of those?

sarcasmOD

Honestly disappointing, so far.

Caduceus

I will get this, as I love RPGs, a genre that is unfortunately very thinly populated, but the trailer was bland and took too much style from Lord of the Rings, high-fantasy has been done to death on PCs, the epicness felt cheesy and overblown, and the name is lame. Origins? It's better without the, "origins," portion.

SpiralJacobs

It does look generic. Then again, the Baldur's Gate series looked generic at first glance, yet still did the job of drawing you into its world quite well.

mcderek3000

Spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate? The teaser didn't do as much for me as those simple words.

Goiuki4u's avatar has a severe case of Jekyll and Hyde

I had a strange deja-vu with the trailer, something like Lotro mixed with Mass Effect...

And a loud lol @ "spiritual successor of Baldurs Gate"...how you DARE Bioware!

Ariakkan

The Emperor isn't wearing any clothes.

gnugeek

It that is "pre-rendered", this must be for the N64.

Herabec

YAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN.... Bioware should be ashamed at making stuff like this these days; I guess their "scifi department" is just more kickass.

Murdoc

@Murdoc: You're dismissing this game on the video alone? If it even begins to live up to that 'spiritual successor' claim it's going to be excellent. I could show you a fair few scenes in Baldur's Gate that would be as embarassing even for the time, and yet it's still absolutely brilliant.

TearsandScreams

@mcderek3000: Baldurs Gate was set in Forgotten Realms - popular existing fantasy world. I dont se any excuse here, Dragon Age is new BioWare IP.
Not saying the game is going to be bad, its just these two trailers are not exactly what I expected.

uzivatel

@Guild_Navigator: "Knowing Bioware though, the story will start out in a lord of the rings standard way and then totally take a turn you didn't expect."

Knowing Bioware, you will start out as an orphan, gather all available species to your party and by the end you are "revealed" to have über significant past and were destined to do great things. There won't be a single surprise you can't see miles away.

I'm sick and tired of their repetitive stories already. >_< At least Mass Effect was slightly better as it left out the end revelation of your unknown past. It's same as SquareEnix games with main character that doesn't remember his past.

ara

meh

freespeech