Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014)

It is time now to move on from this game. Can't say I didn't like it; I sunk thirty-some hours into the thing. The story is somewhat dull even though the lore of the universe is absolutely overwhelming. Like, inside EVERY CABIN there are at least 2 enormous books to read (without context, mind you) involving any number of people and places and races and wars whose names are all similarly impossible to remember and whose dates make no sense. I mean I appreciate the effort that clearly went into developing such a robust universe but good lord give me something digestible.

Meanwhile the story itself is just ME1 with less inspired ingredients. The combat is just okay. The fun for me came in trying to optimize my party with the ever-increasing loot horde I was amassing. Eventually, though, this turned into an unrewarding grind where I was just amassing 99% items that were useless to me and always taking up precious inventory slots.

I've realized that at this point I'm only interested in hooking up with party members, which makes me think I'm done with this game.

Capsule thoughts here focused specifically on Dragon Age: Inquisition as I wrote about it in a long conversation along with The Witcher: Wild Hunt. Full conversation link at the end of this text.

2009's Dragon Age: Origins was the first time I felt the BioWare model start to weigh in on me. Don't get me wrong, it's got a fantastic setting and great combat system melded together with complex political and social issues. But the grand narrative, gathering disparate forces to repel the Big Bad, felt especially tiresome that time around as I didn't get around to playing DA:O until after Mass Effect 1 and 2 (and just about anything suffers after 2).

So Dragon Age: Inquisition suffered by comparison and my attempt to revisit it recently tired me out quickly. The connections between my avatar and the rest of the world felt more tenuous than ever as BioWare eschewed most of the complex sociopolitical backdrop for a straightforward "chosen one" narrative. The combat system was similarly streamlined with more bouts than I care to remember involving me holding down one button then - poof - everything was dead. By the time the more complex battles came along I'd already figured out how to game the system to replenish my armor via magic which, again, just involved a lot of pressing the same button down.

Despite my disappointment, there was one act in DA:I that blended the complex background and limited gameplay beautifully. I write of the masquerade ball that occurs toward the end, where you have to overcome the classist and racist perceptions of the upper-crust to secure badly needed support while carrying out a covert raid in the meantime. It's a thrilling sequence that understands the dynamics of power as keeping a strong poker face and making the right friends even if you're struggling to breathe underneath the weight of their bigotry.

Then it just kinda ended on one of the flatter notes. DA2 was flawed, deeply flawed, but the narrow focus allowed complex character growth among the whole cast instead of one or two notable players. As my writing partner put it, he's able to replay DA:I multiple times as a sort of "passing the time" game. To those of you who can, good on you, I just can't join in.

http://www.cantstopthemovies.com/2016/01/emptiness-and-melancholy-in-dragon-age-inquisition-and-the-witcher-wild-hunt/

Finished all three DLCs. They're much better paced than the game itself, and feature some beautiful environments.

In particular, the third DLC is not optional content. It's the true ending of this installment of the franchise and should not have separately sold. For the first and only time in over 200 hours of gameplay, one gets a taste of what it feels like to be the Inquisitor instead of merely being called that.

“I love the name of honor, more than I fear death.” 
> -Julius Caesar

Dragon Age: Inquisition was named Game of the Year by many when it was released. Game Informer, IGN, Polygon, The Escapist, DICE, & many more. It is undoubtedly one of the best games I have had the pleasure of playing, and does so well at continuing the Dragon Age series, making it comfortable to players who are new to the series, but also doing a fantastic job of calling back to earlier games for players who are fans of the first two.

I have played all of the Dragon Age games now, and was very intrigued by how they decided to work the past story into the newest edition. You can actually go online and enter in all of the choices that you made in the previous games, so that the world that you are playing in is exactly as it would be. They introduced a dazzling lineup of fresh faces, but also had the tried and true characters that fans of the series love. The features, stunning graphics, and incredible lore and story make this one of the finest video game experiences available today.

So you can create whatever type of character you like, I was an Elven Warrior of the Dalish this time around. The mechanics of battle took some getting used to, but run very smoothly once you get into the groove. There is a new feature that allows you to stop time and plan out your party’s attacks. I have yet to use this system other than to learn how it works but I can see how it would be advantageous if used against a formidable opponent. You will always have a party of 4 that you are able to change between and use as you like. You will also be able to customize every character from their armor to their weapons, accessories, and abilities. You will gain many allies throughout your journey, who will in turn become playable in your party, or help you in some other way at your main base....

To read the full review please visit https://thewellredmage.wordpress.com/2017/02/23/dragon-age-inquisition/

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