Ten years ago, BioWare released the largest entry in their flagship fantasy series to date: Dragon Age Inquisition. While the game was a modest success upon release, it left the public eye in the following years. Now that Veilguard has finally arrived, the fanbase has suddenly reignited from its dormancy. While Dragon Age has always had a devoted fanbase, it has not attained the same mainstream success as other fantasy franchises such as Elder Scrolls. Out of every game, Inquisition is the one that gives players the best of what the series does. Here is a breakdown of why more gamers should appreciate this gem.
The Game is Set in a Vast Open World
The first surprising reason why the game works so well is how it executes its open world. Nowadays, this may sound like an underwhelming selling point in a market oversaturated with Ubisoft sandboxes crammed with distractions. Instead of giving players a single map all at once, larger and larger pieces are given to the player. These locales range from vast, enchanted forests to snowcapped peaks and hostile deserts. The number of grand maps gives players a sense that they’re crossing an entire world on their trek. Of course, players also descend into the iconic Deep Roads during one of the DLC.
Of course, Inquisition takes just as many cues from collect-a-thons like Banjo Kazooie. Each map is filled with not only quests and sights but collectibles as well. These include hidden treasures, pieces leading to more significant quests, and even battles against high dragons. Alongside fromsoft’s Elden Ring and Nintendo’s Breath of the Wild, this game stands out in terms of how to make a good open-world game. A good entry should always have players earn their ability to access the whole map and never let it get stale.
BioWare Gives Their Layered Strategy as Usual
The next reason Inquisition is such an underrated fantasy title is the grand status you get as the leader of the titular organization. While many games have you as an adventurer, others have you as resource managers and negotiators in Real-time strategy. This game gives a bit of both. As leader of the Inquisition, you must allocate resources, make alliances, and choose the best agent to send on a certain quest. One of the more satisfying moments is getting to stand as a judge and dish out karmic justice.
BioWare learned a lot from their work on the Mass Effect series. No one can put aside their petty squabbles, even with the dark lord approaching. Throughout the game, players have to navigate several powerful factions to ensure the survival of their army while earning the ire of others. As with the previous two games, the game gives players the sense that all their choices will return to affect the story in the next entry. Part of the reason this series deserves appreciation is how Dragon Age: Keep stacks up players’ choices over several games, something possible using the feature.
Dragon Age Inquisition is a Fantasy Legend
Finally, Dragon Age Inquisition is one of the best fantasy epics in gaming history. Ever since the first game, the series has built up its lore, characters, and world through escalating conflicts in its games. Picking up where II left off, the Mage-Templar conflict has finally reached a boiling point. Just as a truce might be settled, a rift opens into the Fade, where all magic comes from. As such, the Inquisition must reunite on an unexpected quest to save Thedas. As such, the game ascends from a sequel to the culmination of the series until then.
This game combines the first game’s epic, high-stakes fantasy with the second’s political intrigue. By the end, it’s made very clear that even stopping the end of the world won’t bring peace to the realm. Of course, at the heart of any BioWare game is your party, assembled from various races, philosophies, and walks of life from across the game’s world. Through sidequests, the main quest, and even romance, you will lead a team of your true companions into battle. As the success of the Dragon Age games helped lay the foundation for the GOTY Baldur’s Gate III, Inquisition deserves more respect as a modern fantasy title.
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