#19 Dragon Age: Origins played on PS3, released 2009
A great step in the right direction for rpgs. I completed 4 play throughs which is pretty rare for my doing. The best part of the game for me was the group dynamics. The characters are the stars of the game. I loved talking to them at camp, to find out about their background and thoughts on the current situation. The banter between them while exploring really drew me in and made me want to experiment with all the different character combinations. The best thing about it was that it was all believable, mainly because they were ongoing conversations, unlike other games where characters just spew the same few lines the entire game.
The choices you make during the game are very well done too. Not simply good or bad, but situations that really make you think about the decision. The choices had real consequences too. In 1 of my play throughs I was left with only 4 characters at the end. The rest had left me on moral grounds.
The world is well realized, it actually had me interested enough to read all the background info. Quests and dungeons were great with plenty of variety. Cities and villages were all unique with plenty of things to do.
My favorite part of the game was exploring the deep roads. That is the best dungeon experience I've had in a long time. Crossing the bridge deep underground and following the scraps of Hespith's rhyme are the most immersive and memorable moments in gaming this gen for me.
After completing Skyrim I can still confidently say this is my favorite RPG this generation. It's a shame that DA2 is such a trainwreck compared to the first one. My dream game would be a Bioware RPG, DA: origins style, set in an openworld crafted by Bethesda.
