ShareThis"Dragon Age: Origins"
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC
Genre: Role-playing
Publisher: EA Games/BioWare
ESRB Rating: M, for Mature
Grade: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
Just when I thought Bethesda Softworks had the upper hand in creating the most stunning and involved RPG games on the consoles, EA came along and shattered my perceptions with "Dragon Age: Origins."
I purposely avoided all the hype leading up to this game. Yes, I heard some initial whispers of greatness, but I remained skeptical of the dragon-themed game because the genre rarely delivers the goods. Being blind to the pre-release hype made experiencing "Dragon Age" that much more fulfilling.
Honestly, the game is too rich in content and game-play depth to properly cover here. What you need to know: You will be hard-pressed to recall another game with as much substance and style.
The game has six possible story arcs, all depending on the character you create. Anything from brawling warriors to staff-wielding mages and more are available, and the three different ones I tried were each unique in how they played. Weapons, spells, items and more will give your character an amazing amount of depth and individuality that grows with every mission and quest.
You'll traverse the mystical land of Ferelden with three other team members, although you can sub in other party members that you meet up with at any moment. This allows for excellent battle sequences when you mix and match the skill sets of your party to unleash damage to your foes. And what foes you shall see! Walking trees, nasty-looking werewolves and, as the title suggests, big ol' dragons await you and want your blood.
The controls can be testy and difficult to navigate during intense battles, but for the most part they work well and give you all the tools you need. Other reports say the PC version is the best quality available. From what I could tell, the only drags on the console versions were some murky graphics.
In any event, adventure and RPG fans would be beyond foolish to miss "Dragon Age: Origins." It offers all the features to be one of the top five games released this holiday season.
"Band Hero"
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PS2 and DS
Genre: Music
Publisher: Activision
ESRB Rating: E, for Everyone
Grade: 3.5 stars
This year is quickly getting dubbed as the Year of Plastic Music (at least, that is what I am calling it). I count "Band Hero" as the seventh band-related game to be released in 2009 under the "Guitar Hero"/"Rock Band" franchises, and at some point you just wonder how saturated this genre is going to get before the appeal begins to wane.
But for now, there is no denying that people love these games, and "Band Hero" is the newest family-friendly release geared to getting tweeners and parents to pick up the drumsticks and guitars and start rocking out. If letting your children jam to Metallica and Nirvana puts the fear of Tipper Gore into you, then "Band Hero" should appeal to you.
The game, for one thing, has much lighter content in its track listing. There are more than 60 songs to choose from, and they all hover closely to the Top 40 variety that should suit parents and younger gamers. Furthermore, the game itself is easier to play so young gamers can join the console-music generation. Players can jump in and out of tracks on a whim, and the difficulty levels allow bands to rarely, if ever, fail. So between the easier game-play controls and the family-friendly track list, "Band Hero" screams accessibility.
If you don't feel like springing for the all-ages-appropriate "Lego Rock Band," "Band Hero" could be a satisfying alternative to help you test your vocals against Taylor Swift, No Doubt, Devo and many others.
(E-mail Chris Campbell at game_on_games(at)mac.com.)
Game On
