If you’re not already aware, Penny-Arcade runs a charity every holiday season called Child’s Play.  Essentially, it gets fund for hospitals across North America so kids can play games.  This year, CHEO is on the list.

I plan on picking a few items from their list and participate.  It was harder in the past giving away to another city when yours was in need as well but this year it’s obviously easier for everyone.

So let’s get on with it shall we?

Every so often a game comes along and it solidifies/perfects the genre as a whole.  You’ve played a bunch of these games over the years.  X-COM started the strategy group games, World of Warcraft exemplifies MMO games at their best, Batman: Arkham Asylum perfected the combat/stealth genre.  Dragon Age: Origins is the best RPG you will have ever played.

Best?  That’s a heavy word.  What about Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Final Fantasy?  I say they are great games in their own right but they are not role playing games.  Elder Scrolls is a grind fest/sandbox where you can do what you want, when you want but the world you live in is empty because of it.  Final Fantasy is you following a laid out story filled in with 20 hours of cutscenes.  You don’t make any decisions in the game, you just follow the cues.  Fallout is closer though but it’s a social critique more than an RPG.  DA:O however, every decision you make has a long term effect on the game.  The race and class, the partners you have and use, the gifts you bring, the people you kill.  It’s hard to imagine any other game making you the principle player in such a large world.

I finished with my first character last night and that took about 70 hours.  I know that I could play a different character, make different choices along the path and have a completely different 70 hours again.  And then again.  It’s almost rediculous that we’ve reached this point in story telling.  Every coversation has voice actors.  75% of them are above average, 24% of them are flat out amazing.  To the people who say voice acting in games is not a priority, play this damn game and turn off the sound and turn on the subtitles.  This is the future of interactive gaming.

Gameplay is tactical.  On the PC at least, you’ll be pausing, isueing commands, moving the camera, targetting particular enemies and sometimes just sit back and enjoy the ride.  This is not a game where you can just watch though.  You need to be active.  You need to keep an eye for that caster in the corner, the archer hiding behind a barricade, the traps on the ground.  A shooter, this is not (*cough* Fallout).

You all know what makes a good game.  You have your own criteria.  What we all have in common is that urge of “one more before bed”.  Civilization started that feeling and I can guarantee that Dragon Age will keep you coming back for more for a very long time.

I saw this trailer from TGS a week ago but the whole thing was in Japanese.  Now here’s the English version.  Of note:

1) Real dialogue?  Meaningful?  Did Squenix actually spend time on this one?!

2) Real voice actors?  Holy toledo!

I am an avid FF fan, always have been.  FFX is my favorite but the story, ugh…FFXII was better, to some degree.  The last bit was wonky and the voice acting was horrible for half the characters.  This actually shows promise!

Finally Sony is making decent ads!