Dragon Age: Inquisition is the latest release in the popular Dragon Age series of games. Developed by Bioware and published by EA, Dragon Age: Inquisition delivers an extraordinary experience across and a massive scale and is sure to delight many fans of the series. Bioware have done an excellent job with the title and have created something truly special.
The game follows on from Dragon Age 2 in the sense that it deals with the aftermath of the rebellion. The game commences with an attack on peace negotiations, leaving only the main character of this game as a survivor, the Inquisitor (that’s you!). Inquisition took inspiration from both Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age 2 in the creation of its combat system. You can either take the quick, auto-attack approach or pause the game and distribute individual tactics and instructions for each member of the team. This allows the player to choose their preference; straight up action or a tactical approach. At higher difficulty settings, the latter will become necessary, but for casual play on normal difficulty, the former is almost always sufficient.
The plot of Inquisition mostly involves you attempting to figure out what happened in the events which caused you to be the only survivor in the attack at the start of the game and while this may sound like a weak story, it in fact proves not to be and establishes itself as an engaging plot which keeps pulling you back for more. Throughout the game, you will travel in a group of 9 playable party members, each feeling like a developed, unique character with their own personality. As you play the game more and more you will get to know your team better, things such as; who is the most trustworthy, who has good sense of direction, which character will provide the best help in completing objectives etc. The point is, each character who accompanies you has been created with their own unique traits, something which makes the game all the better.
Dragon Age: Inquisition is a huge game. The world is made up of many zones which you can teleport between, however, each zone is extremely large and you could easily spend hundreds of hours in Inquisition completing missions, battles and side-quests. The members of your party will also often offer you side quests to complete across the lands of the game, so, if you wish to get the maximum value out of the game, I suggest you accept these missions. Many of them can be fun and enjoyable, leading you through new places you previously missed. Overall, Inquisition is a monster when it comes to content; if you enjoy it, you will get an incredible amount of time from the game.
Inquisition feels a lot more open and free than Origins and Dragon Age 2. The navigation, exploration and conquering of obstacles becomes a central part of the game. This was not the case in the previous games, with the world feeling rather linear. This, again, adds to the overall appeal of this excellent title, making it feel more realistic. No matter where you go within the zones of Inquisition, you will find something to do! Also, all of your decisions as leader of your party feel like they have an impact on the world of Dragon Age. The world is dynamic in the sense that it will change noticeably as you progress through the game.
These made side-quests and optional activities allow you to develop and assist your team in many new ways. Exploring random areas may lead to excellent rewards which can benefit the fighting abilities of your party. Additionally, you have a sub-team of three non-playable advisors who you can send out to deal with problems. All of these events usually result in earning bonuses for your party or revealing new parts of a side-plot. These additional opportunities will delight Dragon Age fans, as it adds even more content to invest time within.
Graphically, the game looks outstanding. The vivid, colourful world of Inquisition is brought to life on the screen, presenting a vast array of unique settings, atmospheres, enemies, allies and structures. Bioware have done an excellent job in creating the visuals. The audio is also great, with music and sound effects fitting the game excellently.
Overall, Dragon Age: Inquisition allows fans to experience the huge, open, free world of the Dragon Age universe in a way they were never able to before. This, matched with a plethora of content and some excellent visuals presents a game which simply must be played. Bioware have created something truly exceptional which deserves much praise.