Most videogames begin with a feeling-out period, a span of time when you are mostly acquainting yourself with controls and other tutorial minutia. Normally, the hook sets in later, as story and characters and gameplay gel together. During that time, you wait for that moment to come when the game speaks to you in some way, compelling you to quest for whatever is around the next corner. You try to decide if it will be one of the special games that makes you ignore personal hygiene, drop social engagements, and disappear into your gaming cave for weeks on end.

…

And sometimes, you know instantly.

For me, Dragon Age: Inquisition is one of those games. From the moment I pushed start and watched the sky explode in the menu background, swallowing characters marching toward the Conclave, I knew this game was special. The tutorial level that follows can take perhaps an hour, and double that if you’re exploring. But of course you’re exploring…why else are you playing an RPG? In that time, you will experience more narrative than many games have in total.  But I didn’t need that long.  I was hooked.

As a nod, or perhaps a challenge, to Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls franchise, you begin as a prisoner who is caught in the middle of the cataclysmic explosion you see the moment you press start. A tear in the Veil has left a “hole in the sky”, and the world is now plagued by rifts that open randomly, spawning demons into the world. As the sole survivor, you crawl from the aftermath carrying a mysterious mark on your hand that allows you to close these rifts. In a rather quick process you are declared leader of the Inquisition, part of the forces tasked with finding out what happened and dealing with it. It’s a common “chosen one” trope that many players are familiar with. But while the premise may be a cliche, the journey is not.

Bioware, the game’s developer, employs a better team of writers than any other company in the industry. They present a fascinating, intelligent cadre of characters, each with their own strengths and flaws and sets them on a path with you as you carry out your epic task. While pursuing a variety of story-related and side quests, your nine companions will each, at some point, ask you for help with something personal. While these quests are optional, after you’ve played for a while, you’ll feel compelled to see the results of helping your party. Some gamers shrug off side quests as mere filler, but this is highly inadvisable in Dragon Age: Inquisition. Some of the most powerful moments, and agonizing decisions, will stem from seeing these quests fulfilled, no matter what the results. In one particular quest, things did not turn out well for the character involved, and I felt like my gut was in knots for the decision I’d made. But I resisted the temptation to reload, because I needed to see the end results.

DA: I is a game which presents a universe that is massive in scope and scale. It’s hard to put into words just how much square mileage there is to explore, but it’s safe to say that, taken as a whole, the twin regions of Orlais and Ferelden dwarf even Skyrim. And it’s not just the size of the areas that are impressive; it’s the efficiency of design. Topographical detail is structured to give players a feeling of immense open world exploration, but also to shepherd them in certain directions so that they “discover” important landmarks. In many open world games like Skyrim, traversing mountainous regions can be a frustrating affair, as it’s sometimes difficult to tell from from a glance whether the land in front of you represents a viable route. Bioware’s artists use color differentiation to offer hints whether or not a route is worth attempting. Small ledges and pathways are always a distinctive color indicating if any footpath is offered. On the surface, the coloring looks like nothing more than variations in the composition of grass or rock, but if you try to cross areas that are not colored this way, you’ll find yourself slipping further back. It takes a great deal of the frustration out of platforming as you search for collectibles.

Considering the amount of work that Bioware has put into this diverse and rich game world, most players shouldn’t need an excuse to look under every rock and bush. But for those with no sense of direction, or who just don’t bother exploring for no reason, side quests and collections have been placed not unlike signposts that will ensure you see most of what is there to be found. And while other games put collectibles into the map without any real reason other than as filler to give the illusion of more content, DA:I builds these treasure hunts with purpose.

For example, many areas will have 2 or 3 Astrariums, puzzles which task you with recreating a constellation by connecting stars, but never using the same line twice. They would be fun on their own, but the reward for finding and solving them all is a beam of light that points to a cave or other hidden tomb that was previously inaccessible. Inside, as you might expect, there is always a treasure trove of loot to be pillaged. Another collectible, known simply as “shards”, seemed at first to be nothing more than a random egg-hunt. Until I discovered that the shards actually served a purpose, giving me access to powerful upgrades. Essentially, side quests and collectibles have been woven into gameplay seamlessly, to act as exploration markers and milestones that assist players in navigating a massive world where nothing should be missed.

In addition to collectibles, the landscape offers a plethora of upgrade materials, usually taking the form of plants, animal remnants, cloth, or metals. Since each member of your party can be outfitted with crafted armor, something that was missing from Dragon Age 2, scavenging has returned with a purpose. Armor and weapons can be crafted and accessorized with items that give bonuses to attack or defense, and as more items are found, you’ll be able to craft items with a variety of specific effects. Some may add melee defense to armor, and others may add ranged defense, as well as just about everything in between. Play the game long enough, and you may find you have different armor for different occasions. My only criticism is that the game does not give you any source of storage for loot, so your inventory can fill up fast. However, you’ll also be discarding and selling items that become outclassed, so you never really lose anything worthwhile because of lack of space.

While it may be tempting to farm like a madman and stockpile large quantities of a particular material, don’t bother. Each area has plenty of material for your appropriate level, and tends to improve as you go, meaning items you have collected eventually become obsolete. For instance, I had collected 250 pieces of iron while in the Hinterlands, but by the time I had reached places like Crestwood and the Forbidden Oasis, I was finding better sources of metal for crafting. I haven’t used iron since. Introducing progressively more exotic, and better, types of upgrade materials maintains a feeling of freshness to the collection of these items, so it never feels like a grind. It also helps that the nodes are generously spaced and easy to spot with the “search” option (clicking the left thumbstick illuminates anything of interest in a radius around you). As long as you pick up everything you run across, it’s hard to imagine anyone running out and having to farm.

The main story itself may not be an overly long one, but there is a synergy that exists between the key events and just about everything else that happens on each of your entertaining detours along the way. Even simple tasks such as securing farmland from enemies so that watchtowers can be built will have ripple effects that add to your overall effort. Completing these adds to your increasing levels of influence, unlocking powerful Inquisition Perks along the way. These perks can reward you with a variety of things, from powerful schematics to increasing your inventory. Completing these influence quests also has a noticeable stabilizing effect on that area, allowing you to perceive the impact your actions have on the welfare of people around you, even if it is something as simple as seeing refugees get food and blankets. I find this type of gameplay especially rewarding, since I feel like a genuine leader whose actions, cumulatively, have an impact on larger events.

Dragon Age: Inquisition isn’t as deep as Origins when it comes to stat allocation and skill trees, but it offers a much more expansive set of options than DA 2. Stats are governed by the selection of passives, and unlimited respecs mean that you can toy with these long after you’ve reached endgame. Two particular “Sword & Board” warriors in my party actually ended up with vastly different builds because of the passives I chose. One had mostly strength (attack) stats, and the other actually had more constitution (survivability). Hence, the latter made a much better tank. While purists may scoff at the simplicity of this model, it does allow for casual players to play the game without worrying about getting something wrong, while still giving stat-obsessed players a modicum of control. When I look back at my Dragon Age builds, most would have ended up with a very similar assortment of stats anyway (i.e. a mage with mostly “Magic” and “Willpower” stats).  One thing to note, though, is that players who milk the game for every ounce of XP and amulet of power (which grant additional skills), it is possible to become overpowered, even on Nightmare difficulty.  If you reach that point, you may want to take a hard look at any skills you’re currently abusing, and consider reining in their use.  Or just have fun with it and become an Inquisition god.  Either way works, to be honest.

The “tactical camera” has returned, allowing players to pause during combat and instruct each party member to make a certain type of attack, or to adjust their positioning on the battlefield. It works well on the console, although PC players are reporting serious problems with the interface. The only place where the tac-cam gets clunky is inside tight quarters. It’s designed to work most effectively when zoomed out, and ceilings tend to prevent this, leaving your view a bit compressed. My only other disappointment is that a deep “tactics” menu is still nowhere to be seen. One of the things I loved about Origins was the way you could spend hours fine-tuning tactics and battle behavior like it was an engine. This is a deeply satisfying system that should have made a return in DA:I.

The visuals in DA:I are excellent…stunning, really. A great deal of work has gone into creating unique geographical zones, from the bleak, stony shores of the Storm Coast to the windswept expanse of the Hissing Wastes, where the land is always on the cusp of nightfall. Each area sets a particular mood that is shaped by weather and land.  While there is no day-night cycle or dynamic weather (both are pre-set in each area), considering the variety of areas in the game I would say this is a minor omission. Faces are well-rendered and expressive, albeit a bit on the shiny side (Bioware clearly has a thing for lip gloss). Some of the body movement in conversations can also be a bit wooden, almost like the character is a puppet of sorts.

Voice acting in DA:I is top notch. With 85,000 lines of recorded dialogue it would be easy to forgive the development team for recycling actors en masse, but honestly, you rarely hear the same person twice. The Inquisitor him/herself can have either a male or female voice, using either a British or North American accent. Many characters from both previous games make cameos, and their voices are done by either the original actors, or very talented voice doubles. I was also pleased to see the inclusion of Laura Bailey, the actress who voiced Serena in Skyrim’s Dawnguard DLC. While she only plays a small role, I hope Bioware sees their way clear to include her in more upcoming projects.

DA:I also includes a co-op component, much like the one introduced in Mass Effect 3. Truthfully, before the game released I worried about the possible results, knowing that Bioware had partnered with EA some years ago. Other partnerships of brilliant developers with oppressive parent companies have had mixed results. Most recently, Bungie was hamstrung by Activision on Destiny, resulting in an undercooked mess of a game that was perilously bereft of any sort of story to keep some players immersed. However, it’s clear that EA has given Bioware unlimited creative control and allowed them to deliver an absolute masterpiece of a game. I can only assume that EA saw the value in having a high quality game to base this co-op element on. Only three playable areas were included in co-op, which seems like just enough of a sampling to serve as an intro to players. Those who enjoy it will undoubtedly get options to purchase more dungeons as DLC.

There are twelve playable classes in co-op, three of which are unlocked from the start. Essentially, it is a loot grind that introduces tougher and tougher enemies as you go. Random finds can include weapons and armor, which can either be used on an existing character, or salvaged if it is inferior to what you already have. Salvaging awards you random crafting materials, which can then be used to construct a set of armor for any other the locked classes. For instance, items like silk, leather, and iron are needed in various quantities to create a chestpiece that would unlock a new class. So if the RNG gods are not kind to you, simply collect what you need from salvaging, and build it. Overall, I put in a good 20 hours of co-op play, and have enjoyed it for what it is. The skill trees are deep enough that maxing them requires some commitment, and at higher levels of difficulty, the emphasis on teamwork and using combo “detonations” for increased damage becomes paramount. There’s no reason not to think that, with some support from Bioware and EA, this mode could be a long-term hit with some players.

Overall, while Dragon Age: Inquisition isn’t a perfect game, it is one of the best RPGs I have played in years. Some stat-oriented elements lack the depth of Origins, but I believe Bioware has made some well thought-out concessions to ensure that it is a very playable game for those who might otherwise feel overwhelmed by an RPG. It is a game that gets in your head and stays there, keeping you up at night wondering if you should have made a different decision in some particular situation. I was surprised that, even after my play time had hit triple digits, I had absolutely no feeling of fatigue set in while playing Dragon Age: Inquisition. It’s the first real epic game on the current-gen systems, and one that will be a lock for many GOTY awards in the coming months. Bioware has set the new standard in modern ARPGs, and if other developers step up to raise the bar even higher, the future of gaming looks bright.

Reviewed on:  Xbox One