Dragon Age: Inquisition

Release Date(s)

18 November 2014 Worldwide

20 November 2014 Europe

18 November 2014 USA

Game Mode(s) single player

Dragon Age: Inquisition is the third installment in the series of role-playing games developed by BioWare. Under pressure of the fans, many of whom were dissatisfied with numerous aspects of Dragon Age II, the developer decided to liken the game to the first part of the trilogy. At the same time, it retains some solutions that have worked in the “second one”, and introduces a handful of novelties.

Dragon Age: Inquisition takes the player yet again to the world of Thedas which after the events of the previous two games has plunged into chaos. The action begins 10 years after the finale of Dragon Age: Origins. Kingdom of Ferelden did not manage to regain full strength after the invasion of Darkspawn (Blight), which was the main theme of Origins, and Orlais is embroiled in a civil war. Meanwhile, mages and Templars are battling all over the continent. Amid this fuss a tear in the border between the realm of mortals and the Fade is created, leading to the invasion of demons. This new threat is to be faced by the politically independent Inquisition.

The players assume the role of the leader of this organization, and their mission is to discover the identity of the person responsible for bringing demons into the world of the living, and to gather enough power to stop the invasion. Character creator not only offers choosing the class (warrior, rogue, mage), gender, the appearance, and the name of the protagonist but also the race (human, elf, dwarf, and qunari). The protagonist is fully voiced.

The main character is accompanied by companions, some of which appeared in the previous installments of the series (e.g. Varric). Not only do they provide invaluable help during combat, but they are also an important part of the story. By talking with them, the player learns their history, motives and goals. What's more, PC’s actions affect how the companions perceive him/her. Romances, which are characteristic of Dragon Age series, are also a very important part of the relationship with the companions. It is also noteworthy that the developers of Inquisition set themselves the goal of showing the interpersonal relationships in a more natural and mature way, which is reflected mainly in modernized sex scenes.

The player often faces moral decisions in which the traditional distinction between good and evil does not work. Some of them are important to the plot and their consequences are not always immediately visible. The possibility of importing saved games allows the Dragon Age veterans to transfer a part of the decisions they made in the previous installment of the series. The people who, in turn, do not have any experience with Dragon Age, and would also like to outline their own history of the world and its inhabitants, can take advantage of the Dragon Age Keep website which was prepared on the occasion of Dragon Age: Inquisition launch and enables the players to generate a customized game save to import.

Apart from the main plot, the player performs side missions and addresses smaller conflicts occurring in Thedas. As the Inquisitor, he or she makes decisions on behalf of the entire organization and thus shaping its reputation and policies towards other groups. Progress in the game not only leads to character development, but also the growing importance of the eponymous Inquisition. Moreover, higher standing gives tangible benefits; for example, an army which can be sent to conquer an impregnable fortress hiding important information. Establishing bridgeheads is a crucial thing, usually in the form of fortresses, in areas of particular importance in order to gain influence and control over the region. What is more, nothing stops the player from expanding his or her keeps and direct their activities (e.g. researches conducted) by managing available human resources.

Because of the scope of the events in Dragon Age: Inquisition, the player travels all over the continent of Thedas. Although the world is not open in the full sense of the word, the locations are much larger and more diverse than in the previous games. Moving between them is done using the world map, and once the PC reaches a place, he or sher can freely explore the area on foot or on horseback. To gain access to the key plot areas, the player must reach an adequate reputation level of the Inquisition, first. To this end, the player must perform side quests, gain the respect of different groups by means of diplomacy, collect magical artifacts, and defeat dangerous beasts.

When it comes to the combat system, the developers tried to reconcile both the tacticians and the action-lovers. The player can issue orders to the party members while in active pause mode or pass the control over them to the artificial intelligence in order to focus on one character and fly into battle directly controlling his/her movement and attacks. The main commands are assigned to the keyboard shortcuts. Enemies are typically present in organized and diverse groups. With the improved AI, they can support each other and react to the situation on the battlefield. All of this requires the player to be observant and to use an adequate tactic.

Dragon Age: Inquisition is powered by Frostbite 3 engine which is known primarily for Battlefield 4. This technology allows creating large open spaces and influence the environment. Not only is it possible to destroy certain elements of the environment, especially during combat, but also to reconstruct them in order to, for example, gain access to previously inaccessible locations. The game has a day-and-night-cycle system, and variable weather which is affecting the gameplay.

Dragon Age: Inquisition PC players' expectations: 9.2 / 10 calculated from 2779 players' votes.

Categories: