Dragon Age: Inquisition

[Stoner]

I've been playing it for a few days now.  Its got an interesting story so far.  It starts off at the Temple of the Sacred Ashes(people who played Dragon Age: Origins should remember that name), but that doesn't last very long.  Long story short, there's a hole in the sky pouring out demons and you're the only one who can stop it.  Literally this time, not like in Dragon Age 2 where it kinda felt like being in the right place at the right time most of the time(although, in this case, that's WHY you're the only one that can stop it).

In any case, there's a lot of fallout still going on from Dragon Age 2, and shit is still hitting the fan between the mages and the templars.  I'm not too far into the story yet, so I still have a lot of questions.

As for gameplay, first thing I should say is there is no more healing magic of any kind.  The only way to restore lost HP is via potions of various kinds.  The crafting is pretty cool, in that you find schemata of the various weapons and armors you want to make and then the materials you make it out of determine small things like colors or designs, while at the same time also influencing larger aspects like what bonuses it gives you.

The world seems to be ginormous.  According to devs(and from what I've seen it at least feels true) many of the areas you explore in this game are bigger than the entire game of Dragon Age 2.  The first Open World area you get to explore is huge.  My brother and I spent 4 hours each playing in that area to begin with and I hadn't done nearly any of the side quests he had done in that area, because we both went in different directions.

Character creation is MUCH better than it was in 2.  You get to choose from the different races again, and even get to choose Qunari(the big horned guys) if that is what you want to play as.  You get to choose starting archetypes from Dual Weapon Rogue, Ranger Rogue, Sword/Shield Warrior, 2-Handed Weapons Warrior and Mage.  There are a bunch of classes you can unlock, again similar to Dragon Age: Origins.

Multiplayer is cool too.  You don't bring you Inquisitor into the multiplayer, instead you choose from various archetypical characters that are made available to you.  The cool thing about these guys is that you can customize them.  The Dwarf Warrior, for example, is a Sword/Shield Warrior.  You can determine his skill progression as well as equip him with stuff.  Unfortunately, this is my biggest criticism of the game at this point.  You don't find equipment for the multiplayer characters in the missions you play them in.  Instead you get gold(fairly low amounts I might add)while doing the missions.  You use the gold to buy chests (small, medium and large) that come with a pre-determined amount of random gear.  If you've ever played a TCG like Magic: The Gathering with booster packs, you know exactly what I'm talking about.  OR!  You can spend real money on DA:I currency and use THAT to buy the chests immediately as opposed to doing a few missions and getting the gold to do it that way.  So a 60 dollar game still managed to sneak in a way to get you to spend more money on it afterwards.  Kinda shitty in my opinion, but since its entirely optional its not like you HAVE to do it that way.

Your selection of Multiplayer characters is pretty restricted at first.  Once you either find or forge a piece of gear for one of the other multiplayer characters you unlock them.  The missions themselves are pretty simple.  You and up to 3 other players go in and basically try to survive 5 waves worth of enemies, while only getting to bring with you 2 healing potions and at the beginning of each wave there is an object that will heal the whole party.  As opposed to sticking you in a room and making the enemies come to you however, you get to actively hunt them down.  Along the way will be various hidden doors that require either a Warrior, Rogue or Mage to get through and find the goodies behind them.

If I had to give it a rating, based off of the little I've played so far, I'd have to say probably a 8-ish.  Its a really pretty game, but on 360 seems to have a few graphical glitches here and there, especially during the cutscenes.  Nothing huge, but enough to roll my eyes at when it occurs. 

But the gameplay is very solid, feels like a good mix between Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age 2 style combat.  Just about everyone is fuckable(Read: gives you romance options) from what I can tell, even a couple characters that don't(to my knowledge, might change later in the storyline) join your party.

[Black Death]

being that I will be getting the Xbox one soon ( in the next month or so )  I am going to be getting this very soon ... want to play it so badly

[Stoner]

Ok.  So I've had more time to play it.  My party is levels 11-13, so I'm still not too far but I can give more of a idea of the game now.

First, the most aggravating thing I can think of, these loading screens.  I didn't pay too much attention at first, but now I've noticed this pattern and it bothers me.  When you go to a new area, the loading screen pops up with these three cards you can read that give you gameplay or storyline information.  Which is cool.  Except that you get all of about ten seconds to read them before it loads into another loading screen which is just a black screen with the Dragon Age symbol at the bottom.  That lasts for a good minute or so.  I'd rather they just make the page with the cards the single loading screen and give me time to actually read this stuff.  But whatever.

So once you get past a certain part in the story, the game opens up immensely.  You can send a group of people out to explore a new area, then you can go there yourself.  Each area is just filled to the brim with sidequests, as well as mainline quests.  Its REALLY easy to get overwhelmed with sidequests and then have no idea what you are supposed to be doing for mainline quests.  I'm currently in the process of trying to do each area's sidequests one at a time, because just going back and forth from area to area is killing me.

You also get access to a specialization based on what class you are, but you have to complete a quest before you can start putting points into it.  I'm playing Warrior(2-Handed Weapons) and went with Reaver, which has completely changed how I have to play the game now.  But not in a bad way.  It was just odd.

Oh, if you're playing a female character, don't try to romance Cassandra.  It will only break your heart.  Or enrage you.  But either way.  Besides, Sera is cooler anyway.

Speaking of team members.  You get three each of Warrior, Mage and Rogue.  For warriors you get 1 Sword/Shield and 2 two-handers.  For Rogues you get 1 Dual Wielder and 2 ranged.  And then the mages.  They don't start off with too many points in any of the skill trees, and you can change their equipment to whatever you want anyway, but yeah.  They are all pretty distinct in personality, so its easy to build a party of people you actually like.

[Ty]

I played Origins, its the only one in the series I played. Does this have more action that that one?

[Stoner]

Absolutely.  It also doesn't have, so far anyway, that whole section where you have to go through the fade and turn into shitty demons and whatnot either.  I hated that part.

Since you never played 2, I should tell you it plays COMPLETELY different from 1.  It plays closer to God of War than it did Dragon Age Origins.  Inquisition plays like a cross between Origins and 2 in that it has the control scheme style of 2 while also giving you the ability to take total control of your party in Tactical Mode if you want to.

[jagilki]

I plan to pick this up for XBone at some point.  First step though would be paying off my internet bill at home, so I's can has net..... Well that and getting OUT of the hospital.

My cousin bought me a Xbone with AC U and Black Flag.  Let him take it to his house and he's downloading those two games and any updates I'll need.

[Ty]

Since you never played 2, I should tell you it plays COMPLETELY different from 1.  It plays closer to God of War than it did Dragon Age Origins.  Inquisition plays like a cross between Origins and 2 in that it has the control scheme style of 2 while also giving you the ability to take total control of your party in Tactical Mode if you want to.

I heard that Dragon Age was good so I bought Origins. I didn't care for it. It seemed like it should have been a great game but it just lacked any epic-ness. If I ever find time to play games again, Ill try it

[Black Death]

it on the list

[Stoner]

I heard that Dragon Age was good so I bought Origins. I didn't care for it. It seemed like it should have been a great game but it just lacked any epic-ness. If I ever find time to play games again, Ill try it

Yeah, a lot of the "Epic" in Origins came way later in the game.  Dragon Age 2 is divided into three pretty distinct chapters, each one with a pretty epic ending that leads to the next.  So far in Inquisition I've been able to go out an hunt some huge dragons, although they kick my ass currently since I'm not really prepared to fight them.  The three I've come across are all way out of the way, you wont come across them by accident more than once. And even then that was only one dragon I really came across by accident.

The big thing in Inquisition is that you aren't just "random surviving Warden" or "random powerful human" like the first two.  You're the person in charge of the entire Inquisition, which is really fucking cool in my mind.  You make a lot of important decisions, like what faction(of three)to send out on various missions, as well as sitting in judgement of criminals you apprehend in the storyline.

[The TeeJ of Philly]

I never played any dragon age before this, so getting that out of the way first. I have this, had it for about a week now, but damn it Sunset Overdrive is so fun and cutting into my time to play Dragon Age. Currently a lvl 5 Warrior Qunari. I haven't had as much fun but I think that's because I went with warrior rather than a rogue which I think I should have gone as. I don't like that I can't even touch a bow. At least in Mass Effect 1, if I was a specialist with a pistol or sniper, I could use a shotgun or assault rifle, but I was utter shit at it, but the options are nice.

The combat thus far is like Skyrim but weird since it's third person. I like that I can just have everyone in my party murder things while I fuck around but sometimes I just wish I could murder things jsut by myself. Dammit video games ALLOW ME TO BE AN INTROVERT IN THE UNIVERSE YOU CREATED FOR ME!!!

[Stoner]

I never played any dragon age before this, so getting that out of the way first. I have this, had it for about a week now, but damn it Sunset Overdrive is so fun and cutting into my time to play Dragon Age. Currently a lvl 5 Warrior Qunari. I haven't had as much fun but I think that's because I went with warrior rather than a rogue which I think I should have gone as. I don't like that I can't even touch a bow. At least in Mass Effect 1, if I was a specialist with a pistol or sniper, I could use a shotgun or assault rifle, but I was utter shit at it, but the options are nice.

In Origins it was like that, where anyone could use almost anything.  The thing about the bows is they are pretty shitty though.  The only reason I use the specific Rogue I do on my team is because I'm trying to turn her into my character's love interest, and even then all her level points are being invested into trees other than the bow one.

Are you doing Sword/Shield, or are you doing 2-Handed weapons?  Because 2-Handed weapons are pretty boss in this game from what I've been able to tell.  Overall, the classes are pretty meh until you get the specializations though.  That's when you get to come up with some rad stuff.

The combat thus far is like Skyrim but weird since it's third person. I like that I can just have everyone in my party murder things while I fuck around but sometimes I just wish I could murder things jsut by myself. Dammit video games ALLOW ME TO BE AN INTROVERT IN THE UNIVERSE YOU CREATED FOR ME!!!

I don't know about you, but I don't think the combat is anything like Skyrim lol.  And trust me, you WANT those team mates later on.  The mages especially, since they give you the magic barriers to keep your life from going kaput.  Can't tell you how many times I've been saved by Dorian throwing up a timely barrier that lasted long enough for me to chug a potion.

[Jennifer]

Origins you have to spec super heavy AND have advantageous items for bows to be worthwhile. They're not the greatest, but Leliana is pretty nifty cause she has a couple of unique items (that you get later) and has her bardic buffs.

[The TeeJ of Philly]

So I restarted as I wasn't that far I literally just got to the cross roads part and did a few quests  before restarted. I'm already having tons more funs as a rouge with a bow than I was as a 2handed Qunari.

Took down a Duffalo thing by myself looking for a logging stand with a crafted bow, so much more fun for me. Noticed there's a drop in damage, I but I hate the up-close combat so much in this game.

[Stoner]

Yeah, Melee is something you have to be actively watching everything to do effectively.  Plus now you'll have access to stealth and will be able to open any door in the game(after you get a certain Inquisition Perk)

New thing I've found disappointing.  You can craft armors and stuff for your characters, which is really cool.  And I got the schematics to make some really good armor pretty early, I've only had to upgrade once and that was once I got the materials to essentially make a better version of what I had anyway.  But once you craft the armor, you can't get any upgrades that you can equip to it.

What I mean by that is the armor you find out in the world has slots you can attach upgrades to to give you better stats on it.  And you can get schematics that allow you to make upgrades, which is awesome.  But the armor you craft yourself doesn't have slots for those upgrades you can craft.  Its kinda meh in that aspect.

[The TeeJ of Philly]

It does tho Stoner. I made myself some really great masterwork hunter mail out of super rare material and have the arms and legs with teir 3 common material.. Was the surviving member of my party against an Infected Giant with at least half of its health and had my bow (which deals 119 damage per shot + 10 of Frost with a rune) It was kicking my ass but I won out. but had to head back to camp.


Taken down 3 dragons so far and having Iron Bull in the party is great, he gets the biggest dragon boner. "OOOOOOOOH A DRAGON!!!!!!! OOOOOOH THIS IS GONNA BE GOOOOOOD!"

Currently 17 rank Rouge with Dorian, Blackwell, and Iron Bull as the only three I really have with me.