BioWare's signature RPG formula is on full display, and while the approach is very straightforward, it's very rewarding.
I am going to try to keep the Dragon Age II bashing to a minimum, but I am going to say, if you have to play a Dragon Age game, there is really only one choice. This is the actual game. The sequel shouldn't (and in my mind, doesn't) exist in this discussion.
Dragon Age: Origins is one of those games that greater than the sum of its parts. There are a great many things in this game that aren't particularly comprehensive or deep, but taken as a whole, the game has a tendency to mystify and astound. Of course, when comparing this game to more comprehensive free-form RPG's like Fallout or Elder Scrolls, it's easy to think that this game comes up short in some respects. And when looking at this game versus various lite-RPG style games like Fable, it's easy to think of this game as needlessly complicated and contrived.
Both of those opinions are simultaneously true and false. Dragon Age is complex, but only as complex as you want it to be. Yes, it has a lot of elements that feel shallow, but the game has a lot on offer, and serves up a lot of variety.
Basically, the game takes place in a typical fantasy world, filled with elves and dwarves and whatnot. The world is getting overrun by the Blight, a horde of Darkspawn warriors that emerge from underground once every few generations to basically be douchebags and kill everyone. A blight occurs when an ancient dragon emerges to lead them.
You decided your origin story in this game. You pick a race and class, and then you typically have a couple choices as to what your origin story will be. This is actually a bigger deal than you may think. Your race and origin story will drastically change how other characters in the world treat you. What may have been an easy quest as a Dalish Elf may be extremely difficult as a noble Human. Essentially, all these stories converge at a battle between the king's army and the Darkspawn. The king is betrayed, the organization of Darkspawn hunters that you just joined is outlawed by his betrayer, and you set off on a quest to right the wrongs and generally save the day, all fantasy style.
You meet some really cool characters, and like other BioWare games, they're the star of the show. Depending on which characters you have in your party at any given time, they will react to each other, both while walking around, and in some conversations, where they will give you different advice, and sometimes chide each other for their opinions. It's fascinating to see this interplay. Some characters hate each other and refuse to see eye-to-eye. Some feed off each other quite well. It's a joy to watch, and leads to some of the most memorable moments of the game.
The environments are well designed and very straightforward. This isn't Elder Scrolls. You're not stealing silverware, bread, cabbages, and plates. This game is a more traditional explore/dungeon crawl/loot kind of experience. There are chests and containers all over the place that are filled with goodies for you. If you've played Neverwinter Nights or KOTOR or Jade Empire, it's exactly the same. Go into dungeon on a quest, loot said dungeon, kill thing that you were supposed to kill/recover item you were supposed to recover, quest done. It's basic, but familiar. While many quests have a simple formula, they are all very different and some will force you to make some tough decisions, some of which may not sit well with members of your party. It works incredibly well, while still being simple and easy to pick up.
The combat is a combination of real-time strategy and turn based combat, like many of BioWare's other games. Essentially, it's turn-based Forgotten Realms rules. Combat is essentially a series of dice rolls behind the scenes that determine damage, effects, and other actions in combat. You can maneuver your characters and set their actions, or just let them handle it on their own. You can also program the actions of your characters with an incredibly deep and satisfying behavior builder that you can use to set up your party members' battle tactics. It's a good system, but it may be a little boring for those that actually like to swing the sword. This is a more strategic system.
The voice work and graphics really sell the whole experience. The graphics are great looking, with environments looking exactly as you would expect in a typical fantasy world. Forests, towns, dungeons and caves, castles, etc. The game world is a series of minimaps, which actually works to the game's benefit. I'm glad they didn't do this Elder Scrolls style. The way the environments are crafted, they are designed to be explored, and they look wonderful, but they can be cluttered and confusing, because they are designed to be autonomous areas. They really are worth seeing, though. Similarly, the delivery by the game's voice talent is top notch. You can tell when characters are bored, annoyed, frustrated, angry, and sad just from the audio. It's believable and very deep. The game still astounds from a technical perspective.
All that being said, there are a few issues. The menu and inventory system takes a long time to fully understand. I've played through the game twice, and the second time, I remember having to relearn the system and being frustrated by it. Essentially, your inventory clutters up VERY fast, and it can be confusing when trying to find new items to equip. The leveling system is pretty much the same from KOTOR. You select and level skills and specializations, while also putting a few points into over-arching attributes like cunning and strength. It's a straightforward system.
Another issue I had with this game is that the dungeon-crawling doesn't feel as rewarding as in some other games. You walk out of a dungeon with very little epic loot. It's usually a couple items better than what you already had, and about fifty pounds of gear that's worse. What's more, there is an encumbrance system in this game, and you start out able to carry very little, requiring you to buy items that let you carry more. It's not a game-breaker, but it's annoying.
This is an awesome game, and it draws you in with a fantastic story and a set of great characters. This game definitely shows its age, but it still has a magic to it that so few games are able to capture. It's one to have in your collection, and replay from time to time, just to go back to the wonderful world of Dragon Age. I highly recommend that you try this game if you like micro-management and a lot of gameplay depth. This game has the ability to satisfy those that are willing to think a little differently, and who want an intellectual challenge, in addition to a difficult and beautiful role-playing game.