Dragon Age: Inquisition
I adore this game. It lacks the problems I had with Dragon Age 2 and feels a bit like a return to form. It's a huge game and lets us explore far more of Thedas than previous titles, taking place in both Ferelden and Orlais.
Story-wise, it's great. Seeing the consequences of the previous games in action and learning more about what is actually going on in the world. There's a lot to explore, and having the option to import decisions from the previous games makes it feel like a continuation of your own story.
The Good
- Character creation is much more free, letting you play as any of the four races in the world and having flexibility of class as well.
- The returning characters such as Leliana and Morrigan are fun.
- The companions are brilliant, all well developed and they have their own opinions, agendas and personalities.
- Romance is more realistic: Dragon Age 2 had basically all four romanceable NPCs as bisexual (except for one DLC added one) but in Inquisition, there's a good mix. Some options are straight, some are gay and some are bisexual/pansexual. Which is realistic as it reflects how it is in the real world.
- The storyline: I really like the story, it follows up on the events of the previous games nicely and sets us up for the next game.
- Crafting and enchanting: the new crafting system is great and allows you a lot of freedom in your loadout and character build.
- Exploration: the move towards a more open world is great. Instead of moving between smaller locations on a map, you visit regions that you must explore and secure. They are much larger and it makes finding secrets and hidden treasures a lot more satisfying.
- Morality and decisions: just like its predecessors, you are left to make major decisions that have a lasting impact on the world. You can't please everyone, no matter what, so every choice will have consequences of some kind for someone.
- The War Table and the advisors: I like this mechanic. You can use your advisors to complete small missions that may bring you some kind of benefit and I love how you choose which advisor does the mission. I also love that the outcome will change depending on who you choose.
- Puzzles: there's a bunch of puzzles and things to do, many of them not required to complete the game but fun to explore and worth it for extra loot.
The Not So Good
- A bit tedious: the first area you visit is the Hinterlands in Ferelden and there is so much to do there. So much. It's not made clear in-game that you can leave and come back to the location and you don't need to do everything on your first visit. The kind of people who like these games are often completionists who want to see and do everything. I remember when the game first came out and people took to social media to tell players to leave the Hinterlands because they were spending so much time doing fetch quests there. See this contemporary article for details!
- Combat: the combat isn't great. It's a bit awkward and it can be hard to handle big boss fights. The combination of third person real-time and top-down tactical combat just doesn't work as well as it should.
- Magic: the variety of magic has really been pared down from previous games. And why is there literally no healing magic? Sure, you have a revival spell in the Spirit tree but there's no healing magic at all. The other basic trees are elemental attack spells. The specialisations are pretty good though.
- The lack of healing magic combines with a limited capacity for healing potions. You can carry eight, with the option to add more later. These are shared with the whole party and replenished when you return to a camp or base, or from supply caches conveniently placed before tough battles. This can make difficult battles frustrating for players.
My Thoughts
I enjoy the story and lore of Inquisition a lot. I love the companions and the banter, there are a lot of funny moments alongside all the drama. There are a lot of filler quests that are just tedious and boring to complete, even if the rewards may be worth it. Corypheus is an interesting villain in some ways but I feel like there could be more about him and his motivations.
Still, it gives us enough breadcrumbs to lead in to the revelations we get in Veilguard. Hindsight from completing the latest instalment makes the story of Inquisition that much more interesting. Inquisition certainly leaves us with more questions than answers. It's flawed, but I had a lot of fun with it and I think it's worth your time.
Emi The Cat Lady 💜
Comments
Post a Comment