Review: Spectacular ‘Dragon Age: Inquisition’ Burns Bright
The most useful item I used while playing Dragon Age: Inquisition?
A bottle of eyedrops.
I
probably should have used a few bottles, actually, because I don’t
think I blinked more than a handful of times during the dozens of hours I
spent saving the land of Thedas from demonic hordes in the latest
role-playing masterpiece from genre kingpin Bioware. Marrying the best
bits from the first two Dragon Age games, it’s a must-have for gamers with plenty of time on their hands.
It’s a daunting proposition for those new to the franchise, though. Inquisition is the third Dragon Age game, and while Bioware wisely tossed together a handy website that
lets you quickly whip through the biggest decision points in the first
two games to set up a “World State” for the new one, you’re probably
best off playing through at least one prior Dragon Age before diving in.
It’s not required, however, as Inquisition
features a standalone story and casts you in the role of a brand-new
character. You’re the Herald of Andraste, the unlikely survivor of a
calamitous explosion that tore a hole in the sky and killed off a
collection of world leaders. That hole was just one of many, and through
these breaches pours a steady stream of toothy unpleasantness. So off
you go, gallivanting across the land as a member of the fact-finding, world-saving Inquisition in
an effort to heal old wounds, unite warring factions, plug up the sky
holes, and find out who — or what — is behind the apocalyptic mess.
It’s
classic Dungeons and Dragons-esque stuff, letting players build a
dwarf, elf, human, or bull-like Qunari hero using a shockingly powerful
character creator. But where plenty of fantasy games let you cast spells
and swing swords, Dragon Age: Inquisition lets you do these things on a scale not seen since the incredible The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
It’s
not an open world, however; each of the game’s many explorable regions
is zoned off from the rest, though they’re all expansive and filled with
enough sidequests, lore, and random encounters to easily blow up a few
weekends. The frustrating linearity of Dragon Age II’s smallish
areas have been ditched in favor of big, unique playgrounds in which to
roam freely. The developers even saw fit to add a jump button,
encouraging you to leap off a ledge and scour the wilderness for
goodies. It’s a bit too clean compared to the glorious messiness of Skyrim, but it’s easily the best world-building we’ve seen yet in Dragon Age.
You’ll
spend the bulk of your time in the trenches, running missions, working
through conversation trees, wooing possible mates, and fighting,
fighting, fighting. The combat blends the fussy, pause-the-action
strategy of the first game with the button-mashy action of the sequel,
and it hums along nicely. Swapping between your four active party
members (pulled from a much larger stable) is quick and easy, though
most of the time you can just focus on your character and let the A.I.
handle your companions.
While
you don’t need to micromanage this stuff, you certainly can (and likely
will). I torched hours tweaking the gear, abilities, and even
artificial intelligence of my party. Learning the ins and outs of each
mage, warrior, and rogue is super helpful when you get into the bigger,
nastier fights. That dragon isn’t going to just let you whack it on the
foot for an hour, you know.
There’s plenty to manage in Dragon Age: Inquisition.
A war table lets you marshal spies, diplomats, and armies around Thedas
to gather resources and open up new areas to explore. As the
Inquisition’s influence spreads, you’ll gain permanent boosts and new
dialogue options. Every ounce of energy you put into this game gives you
something in return, and while it’s a little intimidating at first,
soon enough you’ll find yourself joyfully flopping around in its myriad
game systems like a kid in a ball pit.
Veering
off the main story is so easy, in fact, that it speaks to Bioware’s
trouble keeping the plot focused and sharp. While the game’s huge cast
of characters shines, Thedas’ complicated sociopolitical landscape
occasionally drags the narrative into the weeds. Some of the game’s
brightest moments — and most essential missions — lie off the beaten
path.
Dragon Age: Inquisition’s
sheer size also proves problematic, though I experienced relatively few
glitches playing the Xbox One version of the game (PS4 players have
reportedly had a rougher go). An interface stallout here or there
required me to backtrack to an earlier save. The old “Save early, save
often” refrain definitely applies here.
While it occasionally hiccups, Dragon Age: Inquisition
is, at times, flat-out gorgeous. The creature design is terrific,
recalling enemies from past games but dialing up the look and feel. The
first time you encounter a dragon — in this case, a big, irritated one
flying around, coughing up fireballs — you’ll marvel at its fluid
movements and intimidating presence. Then you’ll die, because it’s a
dragon, and you’re probably not ready for that yet.
You’re
also probably not ready to dive into the game’s multiplayer. Separated
entirely from the solo campaign, it’s a story-free cooperative
dungeon-crawling sort of affair in which you kill enemies and gain loot
and gold. It’s not bad, but it’s not enticing either. It’s a wisp of
weird icing on a 15-layer cake.
Besides,
you’ve got a land to save, a rogue to flirt with, a hole to fix, and a
dragon to slay. Big, meaty, and unequivocally fun, Dragon Age: Inquisition improves upon the first two games in just about every way. Grab some Visine and give it a stab.
What’s hot: Big and pretty; great combat; deep customization; epic scope handled well
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