The week before the release of Dragon Age II tall I could think about is I must replay Dragon Age: Origins. So I booted up Steam made myself a sack lunch and a feeder of water and began that 50 hour journey into the realm of Ferelden. I jumped in selected to play an elf from the tower of magi and immersed into the game. This being my second time through (first time I played a Dwarf Warrior from a noble house.) I already had an idea what to expect. But being what I am a fan of Bioware games and the story that the player controls every time through is just slightly different; set on making new choices and seeing a new side the game I started with playing the mage starting zone. Now for those who haven’t played this amazing series I will try not to ruin too much but what I am going to give you is the basic story. Each Starting zone has its unique story but they all conclude to the same point being a Grey Warden. Grey Wardens are set with the difficult task of saving the world for the darkspawn. Joining the Grey Wardens on the cusp of a major battle you are given your orders and sent on your way. Things go wrong armies are left abandoned kings are killed and you are the last remaining Warden sent with a task to unite all races together and fight the final battle. OK, I’ll admit this last part is a bit weak on the story side but we all need some ultimate evil to kill right why else would we be a hero.
Cast:
The parties in this game consisted of 3 NPCs and then you the main character. The followinf is a list of characters I used in my party.
Warden: This is you I played my Warden as Spirit Healer Arcane Warrior (You specialize in two different skills) I mainly healed by the Arcane Warrior came into effect on rare situations you fight alone
Morgaine: A Mage from the wilds has an interesting view of life. She will also teach the Warden (Mage Only) to shapeshift. She lives with her mother Flemeth an ancient witch who seems to make her name known to everyone. Morgan being on of the opening characters you start with has the potental to make a big impact on your group *Spoiler* Flemth, Morgaine's mother is a power witch who is using Morgaine to further her own life choose to side with Morgaine will have you kill Flemth in her form as a Dragon one of the harder fights in the game.
Alister: A bastard from a royal bloodline hell bent on never taking the lead on a side note he makes a great tanking toon He is also the first permanent companion the Warden receives. Alister being raised knowing who he was choose a different path in life he became a Grey Warden the play at the end of the game can choose to capitalize on Alister's birthright and make him a king one of the many choices that impacts the world.This third spot swapped between two Characters
Leliana: A Rogue/Bard she is a holy woman who is seeking atonement for her past deeds… she makes for a good damage dealer and locksmith but as far as character and views she had a tendency to get on my nerves. She will teach the Warden to be a bard (Rogue Only) I honestly did not keep her in my part to long I went straight to get Oghren but she works with the chantry and can be found in the first refugee town. getting Leliana makes it easier for the play to convince the town to release another companion to you Sten. 
Oghren: A sex craved dwarf who makes all situations amusing and packs a powerful punch. He has a deeply tied story with the dwarven area where he chooses to cast away everything he knows to follow you. To get Oghren in your group you must first complete the entire dwarf zone problem is it is an extremely long zone. You find that the woman Oghren loves is planning on creating an army of golems but in order to do so she has to sacrifice hundred of people you can either choose to fight her or choose to fight the person who is stopping her Oghren will join you no matter your choice.Gameplay:
The gameplay is reminiscent of most Bioware games. Movement is controlled either by clicking with the mouse or by using the W,S,A,D keys. Skills are on an action bar and control by numerals or again by clicking. Commands for the other units are predetermined by their tactics or you can pause, the game by pressing space and issuing commands manually. I tend to lean to using both the tactics and manual commands I spent a good amount of time every time I added a new skill configuring the tactics. Also the game allows the user to prepare for major battles with traps and specific potions. I personally used the traps was never one for specifying fights I had a tactic of taunt and run for big bosses and specific spike on huge groups. A few bosses make the player think creatively to handle the situation.Story:
Outside of the cliché hero must save the world story they did an amazing job on the little details. Choices you make and how you approach your companions each has a deeper story. If you push to talk to spend time with each one of your companions you will be given a broader back story the problem however is getting them to trust you first. Each race you visit to gather forces will all have their own problems that need to be fixed before they will help you and each problem they have is tied to an elaborate story; werewolves, and possessions taking through the darkest reaches of the mind are just a few of issues that plague the land of Ferelden.Overall Rating for this game is a 4/5 it has a great story decent gameplay and a decent look the only thing that keeps it from a 5/5 is the fact that even though as a player I can change the world I still know exactly where the story is going from the moment I pick up the game there is no huge surprise. The journey that gets you there make the game extremely worth playing. 
Dragon Age II: Demo
Now that I have spent an entire week playing Dragon Age: Origins, I am extremely psyched to play Dragon Age II…. And there it is on Steam just calling to me THE DEMO! I quickly downloaded made myself another snack and got ready to see what the kids at Bioware had to offer. Being able to choose from a Mage, Rogue, and Warrior; I decided to select the mage since I just finished the game as a mage I wanted to see if there was any difference in the demo. A quick cut scene sets the stage for the game it appears to take place in the same time period as Dragon Age: Origins. You are put in a premade character and being referred to as the greatest warrior called the Champion. You decimate wave after wave of darkspawn with ease.
From this point other than the amazing graphics and the upgraded UI there have been no real changes to mage. I finished the first section was given another cut scene and where the real story took place. You and your family are running from the darkspawn it is set in the same area as the first story but this time you get to progress your character. This time I got to really see the talent trees. They really did a good job clearing up all the mess and showing exactly where everything progresses to. Finishing the first zone another cut scene happens and you progress more through the story. You are given a hands on of the rogue class (If you didn’t already select it). And that was one of the major upgrades I saw to a class in this game. Rogue actually looks like a class I would like to play they feel comfortable and less annoying then they were in Dragon Age: Origins. Finishing the Demo I was left with an urge for more I booted it back up played it again as a rogue and a warrior and I can tell you the reason why mage just looks pretty in these early stages is because the melee classes feel smoother more evolved. This game has left an impression that the game to come will be what we expect it to be a detailed and amazing game. 