One thing that I have always enjoyed about Bioware games is that the moral choices that you make in them have lasting impact in the game. Whether it is the state of a planet, the disposition of NPCs, or the way your party members either applaud or oppose what you do, Bioware’s polished their system to a mirror sheen.
It’s this consequence that presents players an artificial dilemma that makes for a more exciting gameplay experience. What are the results of you not helping someone with a little cash? What happens if you decide to kill assassins instead of questioning them? These and more are the kinds of things that make Dragon Age an increasingly appealing game the more you play it.
Now, I don’t have this problem, mostly because I usually shrug and have no reason not to kill folks for my own benefit, swindle people artfully in order to further my agenda, or otherwise rule over the digital world that is rightfully mine. I create for myself a wonderfully positive world for me, but others don’t have it so easy. That in and of itself, the struggle to understand that the choices you make from character creation onward have impact, is something most games want to have through their storytelling but never achieve. Dragon Age is different in that regard.
The fact that as an elf, I get different dialog, different choices, and different reactions is great, and is a next step in the evolution of whether or not games can make people care about moral choices they make. Layer on top of that a system in which you make morally grey choices and you have why Dragon Age is a great success so far.