Immanuel KaiReview: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Founded in 1995, the name BioWare has since become synonymous among the gaming community for the rich plots and unforgettable characters in their games. The Dragon Age franchise, in particular, has enjoyed a love-hate relationship with its fans, especially after an underwhelming sequel devoid of its original level of customization and tactical gameplay. 3 years after that debacle, Dragon Age: Inquisition returns to its roots and adds some nifty bells and whistles.
A History in Blood
It’s important to note the history of the game, since decisions in past games are carried over to your story in the Inquisition. Set in the fictional world of Thedas, death and strife play a constant role throughout the story.
In the first game, you’re in the shoes of a Grey Warden, who must unite the fractured people of Ferelden to stand against the threat of the demonic Darkspawn. The game acts as an entry point to the different factions in the series (Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Qunari) and foreshadows the upcoming conflict between the Mages and the Templars.
Set a year after the Warden fights the Darkspawn blight, Dragon Age 2 takes place in the city of Kirkwall. We follow the story of Hawke as he flees the blight with his family and eventually rises to save (or destroy) the city. Escalating tensions between the mages and their templar keepers eventually force the player to pick a side in the coming war.
Welcome to the New Age
The importance of player choices is immediately apparent when the introductory cut scene brings players face-to-face with the hero of this story, the Inquisitor. There are 4 different races to choose from along with a specific class (Warrior, Rogue, Mage) and backstory. Players can either choose from several ready-made presets or build their character from scratch. Look out for the new playable Qunari race, which boasts a sinewy presence and intimidating horns.
Once you’ve decided on the look and feel of your stalwart hero, you’ll meet the companions who will aid you in combat. There’s Cassandra with her sword and shield, Varric the dwarf with all the suave and of course, the mellow mage Solas himself. Players will encounter other companions over the course of the game.
With an all-out war between the mages and templars on the horizon, the Inquisition is formed as a last-ditch effort to broker peace between the 2 groups and investigate the explosion that blew a hole in the sky in the prologue.
The story itself is no longer constrained to a single continent or city but instead spans across the wide world of Thedas. Players get to revisit places in previous games like Kirkwall and the Kocari wilds but are also be introduced to new areas like the grand city of Val Royeaux. From the untamed wilderness of the storm coast to the high walls of Haven’s Keep, adventure is never far behind the Inquisition.
Take the Old with the New
Perhaps the best part of Dragon Age: Inquisition is its return to the tactical combat camera that was sorely missed in DA2. Players can once again pause battles in real-time and issue commands to the different companions in the party. This gives way to more tactical options like flanking the enemy and various ‘divide and conquer strategies’.
Players aren’t obligated to use this new feature and sometimes it’s just more satisfying to bludgeon your opponents in visceral real-time combat.
Multiplayer is also introduced for the first time in the franchise as players form parties of 4 and play through challenge maps as members of the Inquisition. It’s interesting to note how the game was initially designed as a multiplayer-only campaign, before evolving to the co-op challenge modes at present.
The gameplay itself is reminiscent of the main game, although it has the additional dynamic of having actual players cooperate to fulfill objectives, which is quite compelling. This writer’s only grip is the lack of incentives for the players that carry over to the main campaign.
The new content includes the introduction of mounts (you can ride a cow into battle), a customized home base and an enhanced crafting system.
Dragon Age: Inquisition is nothing short of a masterpiece. Players will enjoy spending hours getting lost in the violent beauty of Thedas as they embark on a quest to save the world or die trying to unlock the dozens of endings to this perilous tale of might versus magic.
Rating: 4/5
Information:
The full technical specifications for the PC version of the game can be found here.
Rating: Rated M18 due to Blood, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language.
Price: US$69.99 as priced on Origin
Operating Systems: PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Images were captured on the PC version of the game with additional screens from Bioware.