Nothing spells role-play in an RPG quite like choosing a set background for your character. My love of this particular feature began in Dragon Age: Origins, with the elves, dwarves, and humans each having their own unique personal histories that were partially influenced by the classes you picked for them. Not only did this immediately flesh out your Grey Warden and allow you to experience different openings to the game, but it also influenced how the wider world and its people viewed and reacted to you throughout. Mass Effect also did something similar through Shepard's pre-service history; letting you decide from pre-set origins that laid out how their story began and what notable events shaped them before their adventures aboard the Normandy.
In fact, it's become a mainstay feature in many of BioWare's RPGs that's always spoken to me – allowing me to immerse myself in the fantastical setting and really embody different characters. All these years later, I find myself once again appreciating much the same about Dragon Age: The Veilguard thanks to the different factions you can choose for Rook. From the way it presents me with unique dialogue options, to hearing a myriad of remarks or responses from others about my affiliation with a particular group, the factions offer up the kind of immersive role-play experience I first fell in love with in Dragon Age Origins.
