BioWare has released a promotional video introducing Zevran, a lecherous elf set to appear in the studio’s forthcoming Dragon Age: Origins. Though seemingly aligned with a murderous guild known as the Antican Crows, it appears that the Zevran will instead offer his services to the player character.

Dragon Age is the latest sword and sorcery epic from the developer responsible for Baldur’s Gate and Neverwinter Nights… and I couldn’t be less interested. While the studio has delivered some truly enthralling RPGS in recent years, this appears to be BioWare at its least imaginative.

Judging by the material released thus far, we’re being offered a generic fantasy populated with the usual assortment of elves, dwarves, warriors and rogues. The female characters are draped in impractical costumes specifically designed to arouse the lonely and desperate. While some may tolerate (or even celebrate) the archetypes of the genre, I think the studio responsible for Mass Effect should continue to challenge both itself and its audience.

Having said that, BioWare is promising to deliver a genuinely divergent storyline in which players are forced to carefully weigh the consequences of their actions. Storytelling has long been the studio’s strength, so perhaps Dragon Age will surprise me yet.

Look for Dragon Age: Origins on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 this November.

"I knight thee, Sir... Oh dear. Sorry about that."