The visuals are technically proficient, but the art design is beyond uninspired.

Fucking kids.

Baldur's Gate's graphics sucked.
Baldur's Gate II's graphics sucked.
Icewind Dale's graphics sucked. 
Neverwinter Night's graphics sucked.
KotOR's graphics sucked.
Jade Empire's graphics were OK.
Mass Effect's graphics weren't great.
Star Wars: The Old Republic's graphics suck.
 
I think there's something of a trend forming here.

Thank god this isn't a Wii thread. Graphics, gameplay... superiority, it's all here.

The graphics are bad? News to me, I thought they were alright. Nothing groundbreaking. But they are still good. People have set there standards way to high when it comes to graphics.

" @Geno: Some are touched up (lol like the fallout 3 isn't even a screen, its a touch up) and some are not, yyou need all from the same imaging source.  Also, DAO is still in development, and the other games are not. "

" @turbomonkey138 said:

" @Bane said:

" @MAN_FLANNEL said:

no "

@MAN_FLANNEL said:

no "

@MAN_FLANNEL said:

negative "

I find your contributions to this topic intriguing and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.  Seriously though, nice job with the one word replies that add absolutely zero to the topic. "

Hmm don't bother mate . If you make a topic that requires thought on GB you get about 30 users who only come on the topic and post shit . Mainly becuase they want extra post count . Its what the influx from others sites to GB did . It brought idiots "

Yeah and that's why I average 2 posts a day.  Good job. "

" The graphics aren't bleeding edge but on the PC they are fine.  New gametrailers vidoes:  http://www.gametrailers.com/video/deathbed-gameplay-dragon-age/58072#      Lighting effects are much better on the PC then what has been seen on consoles. "

Thank god the game has some gameplay to make you forget about "horrible graphics"  unlike 99% of the games being pushed out nowadays.

The day graphics make a game fun, is the day gaming officially dies. Or we can all hope gaming becomes a taboo once more!

I´m a HUGE Bioware fanboy, but i have to admit that the graphics in this game are, well, not spectacular. But this is an RPG, so for me it´s all about the story. And nobody tells a story like Bioware. NOBODY

" Baldur's Gate's graphics sucked. Baldur's Gate II's graphics sucked. Icewind Dale's graphics sucked.  Neverwinter Night's graphics sucked. KotOR's graphics sucked. Jade Empire's graphics were OK.Mass Effect's graphics weren't great. Star Wars: The Old Republic's graphics suck.  I think there's something of a trend forming here. "

To be honest, graphics weren't really a huge consideration when I made the decision to get this game. I loved Baldur's Gate and when I heard this would be something in a similar vein, I knew I would pick it up. I was thinking of picking it up for either the PS3 or 360 for either nerd points or nerd trophies but after seeing the 360 QL, I decided that I would get it for the PC. Even though my PC might struggle a little with this game, the thing that really bugged me about the console versions wasn't the graphics... it was the radial menus and the pause mechanics.  Sifting through radial menus in a game that has tons of menus would be tedious and not being able to keep the game paused after choosing an action would drive me crazy. 
 
I also think this game will drain hours upon hours of time from my life because for some reason I can't explain, this game seems like it'll be refreshing in a "I haven't played a game like this for a while" kind of way.

First of all, don't judge a game based on the graphics. Second, don't judge the games graphics based on screen shots only. Screen shots are often uploaded with average and/or really bad resolution. Watch some of high definition videos instead and/or play the game with good graphic preferences applied. Only then can you truly see how the graphic is meant to be.

The graphics are undeniably less than impressive, and even worse is that the art design is bland to say the least. That said, even if DA:O looked like Uncharted 2 it still wouldn't be for everyone; it all comes down to whether the gameplay is any better than what we've seen in the lame, confused and laughably easy RPG boilerplate Bioware has been churning out since Throne of Bhaal was released (their last decent product if you ask me).

I'm not saying that graphics supersede gameplay, I'm just saying that DAO graphics could be a lot better, and for me personally I think it'll detract from the experience. Epic battles are more than about tactics, they're also about crazy mage spells and well-animated enemies in a well-textured, well-lit/shadowed environment. 

"I'm not saying that graphics supersede gameplay, I'm just saying that DAO graphics could be a lot better, and for me personally I think it'll detract from the experience. Epic battles are more than about tactics, they're also about crazy mage spells and well-animated enemies in a well-textured, well-lit/shadowed environment.  "

Pausing feels very artificial to me. In a bad way.

To those of you bashing the graphics/comparing them to Oblivion: have you used the character creator?  Have you seen actual screens rather than something captured with a camera?  Have you fucking played Oblivion lately?
 
Even on my laptop, which can't pull off highest graphics, the faces alone in the character creator were better than anything in Oblivion/the humans in Mass Effect.  Not to mention they actually had expressions, which both those games seem to lack.  The voice acting also looks top-notch, which Oblivion can't hold a candle to.
 
Then once you take into account that the camera isn't always meant to be zoomed in, I think the graphics look pretty damn good for a massive rpg that has what seems to be a lot going on in the screen at all times.

This thread looks like it came from System Wars circa 2005. 

" To those of you bashing the graphics/comparing them to Oblivion: have you used the character creator?  Have you seen actual screens rather than something captured with a camera?  Have you fucking played Oblivion lately?  Even on my laptop, which can't pull off highest graphics, the faces alone in the character creator were better than anything in Oblivion/the humans in Mass Effect.  Not to mention they actually had expressions, which both those games seem to lack.  The voice acting also looks top-notch, which Oblivion can't hold a candle to.  Then once you take into account that the camera isn't always meant to be zoomed in, I think the graphics look pretty damn good for a massive rpg that has what seems to be a lot going on in the screen at all times. "

The overbite/underbite I set to normal standards. Or at least what I perceive to be normal.  
 
And yeah check out this trailer. Clipping, and a complete lack of character awareness. I'm not sure why they would release this to promote their game:  http://www.gametrailers.com/video/dog-and-dragon-age/58137

It looks fine. And better because it runs faster on less super powerful game machines.

Who cares? They're not terrible.

I really don't see a problem with the graphics.

It's amazing how quickly gamers become spoiled. It looks fine.

You totally are comparing this to Crysis.

The graphics are good enough. Mass Effect looked better, but the frame rate was so bad that I couldn't play it anymore . Maybe the lower graphics will give a smooth frame rate. I'll be happy with that.

I really hate the blood splattering effect. Everything else is fine with me, though. I'll probably zoom out when I get the game.

They arn't the best I agree and could use more polish but I'll still be picking this one up.

So many people have no idea what they're talking about :/

1. Just because a game is older/newer that does not automatically mean it should be graphically better.  It's all about the engine.

2. You used the most boring ass screenshots of DA you could find and threw them up against some high fidelity shots of other games.  

What? They look fine. Man, some people.

Graphics look fine to me.   Half the jpegs in this thread are awful quality, I wouldn't make a judgement call based on that because no matter how good a game looks, if you take a screen shot and then reduce the image quality it's going to look like crap.

I read a review of it in a German PC maginze (Gamestar). They gave it a 9.2.

In one word. A memorable RPG experience. It's the best Bioware game yet. Classic in design and technology. A masterpiece in storytelling and writing. It's essentially Baldur's Gate 2 in perfection.
  
There is no higher praise than that. 
 
Dated graphics. Certainly. Memorable game. Yes.
 
I'm gonna play it 100%. Why wouldn't I? Because of dated graphics... don't be silly.

I didn't think the graphics were bad tbh . I thought they looked rather good .

I think the pause feature is already enough to diminish the epicness of the battles, especially if its needed to be used as often as the previews usually use it. "

they dont look bad, but not great either. i dont see what the big deal is.

" @Abyssfull said:

I think the pause feature is already enough to diminish the epicness of the battles, especially if its needed to be used as often as the previews usually use it. "

Yes, battles are much more epic when they spiral out of control because you can't precisely control multiple people at once in real time.  Oh wait, no they aren't.  The pause function is exactly what makes the battles in this game epic.  This isn't an action rpg, if you want simplistic fights go play Diablo 2 where you can mow down thousands of creatures by yourself.  I have nothing against Diablo 2, but I prefer my rpg fights to be deep and strategic, not a right click spamfest. "

Wow, why don't u pull the tree trunk out of your arse before replying, with dragon age origins and the fact that even the music stops is really what tones down the ''epicness'' for me...and don't go try and make me look like some shallow moron who just likes alot of fast paced explosions and sword clashing. I enjoyed the pause feature in the KOTOR games for example, but the battles had a much more strategic slowdown to them rather than anything epic...god i'm really starting to hate that term now. "

*sigh* No, for several reasons.  The biggest is that changing an engine isn't that simple, and they woudn't be able to support modding.  

Music does not pause

This game has been in development for 5+ years  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_Age:_Origins#Development  , so It doesn't surprise me that it doesn't have all the bell and whistles of more recent games.  
 
I personally don't have a problem with the graphics, it just doesn't seem to have any style.

I think the game looks beatiful in motion. A bit dated on the technical side, true, but nothing the art style, the story and the gameplay doesn't make up to. 
 
:)

The graphics aren't that bad...and even if they were, who cares.  It's the gameplay you want and/or the story.  I'll take a great story and gameplay over graphics any day of the week.
 
I kinda see where you are coming from though, so I can't be all piss and vinegar.  If I had a really nice PC I would want the same, but I do think gameplay and story are more important.  The game isn't out yet so you can't exactly get the final picture until you see the game in action.  Screenshots only go so far.