The Dragon Age series has seen its share of ups and downs with Dragon Age: Origins being a great first entry while Dragon Age 2 unfortunately fell somewhat short in some areas. After much anticipation, Dragon Age: Inquisition has been released and looks to right some wrongs while still delivering a thoroughly enjoyable RPG experience.
The story picks up shortly after the events of Dragon Age 2 where tensions between Mages and Templars had reached a boiling point and erupted into a near all-out war. The opening scenes depict a massive magical explosion, which annihilates the members from each faction involved in a peace treaty. There is but one sole survivor of the whole ordeal who happens to be the player’s character.
Branded with a strange mark, the character miraculously has the ability to close the dangerous rifts dotted around Thedas, through which a host of demons are pouring out. However, aside from these rifts, a much bigger one known as the Breach is creating the most panic. Being the only person able to close the rifts, the player character is quickly inducted into the Inquisition, an organisation which seeks to restore balance to the land and subsequently close the giant hole in the sky that is the Breach.
It’s a great premise and features a brilliant roster of characters to add to the experience. The story does feature a number of twists and turns and is ultimately quite memorable due to the superb writing. One of the best aspects of the narrative, however, is the excellent collection of characters that the player will interact with. Each character is fleshed out quite nicely and features some interesting pieces of dialogue, both in the field and back at the base of operations. Listening to party members having conversations is also entertaining, especially when encountering some of the more humorous ones.
Being a BioWare game, players’ choices will impact how the story progresses and ultimately ends. Being an important member of the Inquisition, players will be presented with different choices. Some are easier to make while others may require some more consideration. Choices aren’t always Black-and-White and sometimes venture into the Grey areas. I felt that it was a wise choice as it really causes the player to become quite invested in both the story and the characters.
With only being able to venture out with a party of four, players will have to decide which three party members will accompany them out in the field. Previous games in the series would feature one or two really memorable characters whereas Dragon Age: Inquisition’s characters are so well-developed, that deciding on a party was a challenging experience. It’s this kind of character development that we need to see more of in games.
Dragon Age: Origins’ gameplay was more focused on tactics while its sequel had a more action-oriented approach to combat. Thankfully Dragon Age: Inquisition takes both of these gameplay styles and combines them to create a combat system which truly outshines its predecessors. Combat is still a real time affair when dealing with enemies in the field but the game also offers the ability to pause the action mid-combat and map the actions, target and movement of each character in the party. Holding the attack button advances time once again but releasing it while in this menu will once again pause the action. This feature is a great addition as it allows players to make decisions and develop strategies as a skirmish unfolds. While the classes are still divided into the the three standard options of Warrior, Rogue or Mage, they offer a lot more depth than before. Each class has a selection of sub-classes, each with its own upgrade tree and specialisations. It allows for a substantial amount of variation where different class builds are concerned and leaves the player with more options when preparing to venture into the field.
Exploring Thedas also has its advantages as progression in the main story requires the player to elevate the Inquisitions power or might to a certain point before being able to undertake a new story mission. This forces the player to explore but never actually feels like a chore. Power is gained by many different methods but is mostly obtained by completing side missions. Additionally, it doesn’t hurt that the various areas are fairly large and are a pleasure to navigate. It’s great to know that no matter what you may be doing while exploring, it’s never really in vain as it helps with both building resources contributing to the Inquisition’s strength. It’s something that Dragon Age: Inquisition does well.
The player can also communicate with other factions via their advisors. This is done by sending them on missions via the War Table. These missions have timers attached to them and count down in real time even when the game isn’t being played. Rewards for these missions come in the form of influence, equipment, currency and crafting materials. It’s worth checking in at the War Table as some locations can be scouted in order to obtain new missions to undertake.Dragon Age: Inquisition is the first game in the series to have an online co-op feature. This mode sees players levelling a completely different character to that of the single player campaign. The enjoyable combat is here and even includes the crafting system. Only three classes are available at the start, however, more can be unlocked by playing this mode.
Visually the game is rather stunning. Environments are large and pleasure to look at, even the dark and damp-looking caves. Character models have been really well done and the same can be said for the animation. In terms of audio, the game excels. This is especially true where voice acting is concerned; each character has been voiced exceptionally and tends to convey emotions very well. In addition, the game’s soundtrack has been composed brilliantly.
Conclusion:
Dragon Age: Inquisition is a fantastic game that truly improves on areas where its predecessors may have lacked. The story has been crafted well and the characters are incredibly well-written. Gameplay works well in terms of combat with Inquisition’s system being a combination of both Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age 2’s systems. It’s quite enjoyable and allows for a more tactical approach when dealing with enemies.
In addition to the combat, exploring Thedas is an absolute pleasure as there is so much to see and an large amount of loot to pick up.There are some mundane fetch quests but luckily do not overshadow some of the better side and main quests. Multiplayer can also be a pleasant experience, granted that other players can be found to form a team.
Dragon Age: Inquisition is a must-have for any RPG fan looking for a fantastic story and satisfying gameplay.
Brady Ruiters
