Dragon Age Inquisition Review

After three previous installments (and a torrent of downloadable content), all good in their own way, BioWare has finally launched their latest RPG – Dragon Age Inquisition.

Dragon Age Inquisition
Developer: Bioware,EA
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360, PC
Pegi Rating: 18

But in a time when one will have no difficulty in finding a good RPG, Inquisition really needs to beat the lot in order to maintain Dragon Age as one of the best RPG series of the last decade. Does it do that? Let’s find out.

Okay, of all the games I have played, this one is the largest. Largest, in terms of campaign gameplay time as well as in terms of the size of the in-game world.

Thedas, the fictional continent where all games of the Dragon Age series take place, is filled with different places to explore, different people to meet, different items to loot and collect, different side quests to complete and so on, but quantity does not necessarily mean quality, right? Well, it really depends on how you play the game.

The map is divided into smaller regions, each with its own unique geographical features and environmental settings, and this never lets the gameplay get boring or stale. It’s not just the environment but even the story, though not the best thought out, that goes at whatever pace you wish it to and depending on your decisions can go zipping fast or just irritatingly slow.

The game throws your character smack in the middle of a chaotic situation where you are marked as some chosen or marked one (which is of course typical RPG jabberwocky) and are asked to establish and lead a team of ‘Inquisitioners’. And here starts your journey of epic proportions.

One of the aspects that you will find particularly distracting about Inquisition is the sheer number of side missions that it showers upon you as you make your way through the humongous map, and frankly there are so many of them that you could just get lost among them and loose track of time.

So what really decides the amount of time you take to complete the campaign is how much time you choose to indulge in interacting with the NPCs, closing rifts, exploring new areas and completing side quests, and each and every of these interactions are rewarding in their own accord.

The gameplay mechanism is typical RPG but still very well executed. Every decision you make, big or small, seems to have a repercussion some time or the other in the campaign. The decisions you make can decide your relations with NPCs, the strength and number of you allies and in general, can decide the amount of power that you have at your expense at any point of time.

The concept of having a ‘Base Camp’ and a kingdom map that lets you make strategic decisions about which places to explore, where to send off your officers on a quest, for example, keep you gripped and help you get immersed in the game and help you realise the power that you command.

As you roam Thedas, completing quests and slaying humans and creatures, you earn points called ‘Power’ and ‘Influence’ which can be spent to access an array of new locations and also to upgrade your Castle or Combat room.
This brings us to the combat. The combat is streamlined and a little more polished when compared to the previous games in the series but at times, like when fighting against or with the mages, the combat visuals can get a bit flashy and while that certainly adds an appeal, it does also distract the player by blocking major chunks of the screen with unnecessary symbols and by over visualisation of elemental spells containing fire and ice.

But otherwise, the combat is fresh and never gets repetitive with different enemies to slay, different spells to learn and different combat styles to adhere to.

Here I must admit that I noticed quite a few bugs and glitches, but that’s only to be expected in a game this big. The encounters with dragons are interesting, yes, but not the most appealing part of the game, but they definitely do a good job in keeping you hooked onto the game. Now when you have a world so big, it is almost imperative to have that world look visually appealing, and Dragon Age Inquisition certainly does that. Sure, the character models are amazing and well-detailed despite the torrent of customising options, but what really catch your eye is the environment.

The flora and fauna look absolutely stunning with great textures and an almost perfect lighting system, and all of these make Inquisition the best looking RPG I have played in the previous two years.

Verdict
Frankly, there’s so much to be said about Inquisition that I decided to just graze the surface and provide an overall opinion of the game. With brilliant gameplay mechanics, over-the-top visuals, manageable storyline, a well executed (but buggy) combat system and a sheer massive world, Dragon Age Inquisition is certainly the best RPG launched in a while. As to whether or not you enjoy the game really just depends on how you choose to play it.

Final score: 9.0/10

Pranav is a 17 year old whose passion is writing reviews and articles on technology and gaming. His gaming tag is Fleet Admiral. You can  check out his tech vlog at: www.youtube.com/user/pranavnairtech or contact him at pranav.nair@apexmedia.co.om