Quote Originally Posted by pablo View Post
But as to your point, what's so great about this game is that it allows you all these possibilities and takes so much of what you do and who you are into account. Kinda like real life. Lots of games give you choices but I haven't come across one where it's been implemented so seamlessly and to such a degree. Like with Redcliffe Village. You can just say fuck it and leave pretty much everyone to their doom or try to encourage the knights and everyone that victory is possible and save as many people as you can during the ensuing battle (I wasn't able to save everyone, so the mayor and a few knights were killed).

The approval system is another genius idea, and because your various companions all have different morals, even if they're all basically "good" people (and things), that makes each decision and interaction that much more gray as opposed to black and white.
I'm not super huge into the gifts part of Origins approval system but I love how each interaction in camp gives you approval or disapproval ratings, depending on how you deal with a situation. I asked Morrigan why she was still there, and even though I told her I wanted her to stay, I got a big ole' negative reaction to that one. And Sten....my goodness, every time I stop to save anyone not vital to a quest, he disapproves! Then you have Shale over here who suggests I should use the Rite of Annulment on the Tower because that would mean I would be the only mage left alive from that particular circle, and think about how great that would be for ME! lol...I love how they each have their own personality and their own beliefs. And I love how, given your interactions with them, they may change to see your point of view or you can mature them through some tough love.

It's great that the game evolves with you and that only lends to more replayability. I could turn around in a week and replay the game as an evil or insane person, and the experience would be vastly different than this one. It's fantastic.