BioWare has been pretty tight-lipped on Dragon Age: Origins, the spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate, but gamers can now dive in; they're here! But some preamble, first: the game, due early next year, is set to bring the developer back to its roots (after some fantastic 'modern' endeavours with titles like Mass Effect, Jade Empire, etc). This game is said to host a 'mature story' as well as gameplay. Ray Muzyka, co-General Manager and CEO of BioWare and VP of Electronic Arts (there's a workload) says they're all about going back to where they came from:

“We’re thrilled to be returning to BioWare’s fantasy roots, with Dragon Age: Origins representing the culmination of over a decade of experience. Dragon Age: Origins is a dark heroic fantasy that doesn’t pull any punches. Our fans are in for the most emotionally intense gaming experience we’ve ever created, and we hope to surprise them with just how dark and gritty it gets!”

They'll be demonstrating many features of the game behind closed doors at E3 (which starts tomorrow), so you should expect some solid previews in the coming weeks. But, for now, a feature list:

• Epic Party-Based Combat – Dragon Age: Origins will introduce an innovative, scalable combat system, as players face large-scale battles and use their party’s special abilities to destroy hoardes of enemies and massive creatures.
• Powerful Magic – Raining down awesome destruction on enemies is even more compelling as players apply “spell combos,” a way of combining together different spells to create emergent unique effects.
• Deep Customization – Players will develop their characters and gain powerful special abilities (spells, talents and skills) and discover ever-increasing weapons of destruction.
• Your Story, Your Way – With its emotionally compelling story, players choose with whom they wish to forge alliances or crush under their mighty fist, redefining the world with the choices they make and how they wield their power.
• Origin Stories – Players will select and play a unique prelude that provides the lens through which the player sees the world and how the world sees the player. The player’s choice of Origin will determine who they are and where they begin the adventure, as they play through a customized story opening that profoundly impacts the course of every adventure.