Dragon Age: Inquisition is a game that has flaws but manages to overcome them. If you rush to the end of the game, it’s going to take you at least 40 hours because of the forced side quests that must be completed before you can get back to the main story quests. However, if you take your time and level up your party to take on the bigger enemies, such as the five High Dragons, the game becomes a massive undertaking that requires quite a bit of time to complete, but is very rewarding once you’re finished.
On the surface the game includes all of the standard features you’d expect from most role-playing games. As you defeat enemies and complete quests you find items that allow you to upgrade weapons and armor or craft new gear. However, once you get into the real meat of the game, you’ll be able to customize your base of operations, flirt with and become romantically involved with other members of the Inquisition and even add gardening to your list of accomplishments.
There are also multiple ways to play. DAI starts as a typical action-RPG, but you can access the tactical camera and change the combat into a turn-based strategy game. You can control a single character in your party of four, or take control of each individual character to make sure every action is accounted for. On the harder difficulty settings this is almost a requirement, as the directions you can issue to the AI-controlled party members aren’t quite detailed enough to contend with the enemies you fight on the hardest difficulty.
There are three combat classes: warrior, mage and rogue. You can start as any of these classes and you’ll pick up other party members of varying classes as you progress through the game. The warrior can be played as a DPS class with a two-handed weapon, or as a tanking class with a sword and shield. While there are limited healing spells, mages can be played offensively with damaging spells, or defensively with support spells and abilities. Rogues offer ranged attacks utilizing bows and guns for damage, or stealth-based gameplay with dual daggers, traps and other abilities.
The story in Dragon Age: Inquisition is also deeply involving. As you play through the epic adventure, your decisions hold significant weight in the overall story. You choose which NPCs can join your party or help the Inquisition. Dialogue choices you make can and will determine the fate of characters you’ve grown close to, and you can even pass judgment on enemies you’ve captured. Many of the choices you make have a significant impact on the story and how it plays out.
When everything is said and done, Dragon Age is similar to a choose your own adventure novel. Your decisions shape the story and the landscape of the political factions in the game. With numerous ways to play each class and the number of party members you’ll have to choose from by the end of the game, you can craft your party and play any way you’d like. Dragon Age: Inquisition is one of the best RPGs on the market right now and it probably won’t be equaled until late 2015.
Don’t forget to check out Prima’s free Dragon Age: Inquisition walkthrough, Romance Guide, and tips on how to play Rogue, Mage and Warrior.
For a 100 percent complete play through of the game, check out Prima’s eGuide!
