Like most games, you start of as a hero with amnesia; you can't recall the main points of the plot, but like always, you can recall how to fight, your name, and all the other essential stuff. You journey across 11 different mini-maps that you can access from a world map. In your quest, you will recruit agents and companions in an attempt to save the world.
Your hero and companions level up as the game progresses. Companions are characters that you recruit who you can play as. Your party consist of 4 character in total, one being your main character. Agents are more like characters that don't do anything you see, but rather reap the rewards from them.The game attempts to "put them to use" but ultimately, you don't see even one being useful. They act more as a behind the curtain type of character.
If you are looking for fun and engaging quest, sadly, this isn't the game for you. The developers decided to take the most TEDIOUS and BORING quest for your hero to do ripped right from MMO's. Majority of the quests have you run around like a gardener. Collect 100 shards, that are hard to find throughout the 11 mini maps; Find 48 vodka bottles around the same maps; locate 9 camp sights, 9 log sites, 5 mines sites. Collect 100+ different types of herbs. None of these quests are engaging; no boss at the end, no real rewards but some demeaning EXP gain. There is no sense of accomplishment coming from them. By the time you are done with most of these quest, you are by far outleveled anything the game can offer. For example, collecting shards is a quest you begin 1 hr into the game. By the time you are done, you are likely at the end of the game, why? because the maps unlock as the story progresses and it's gated. What's the reward? 3 belts, each giving you 1 type of resist. These belts are out classed by items you can buy in the store half way through the game. It only gets worse though, most quest don't even give you items. In fact, it's mostly EXP that doesn't go towards your heroes but rather the inquisition. None of the quest have any impact on the game or main story. The predecessors like Dragon Age origin made it clear and direct, helping or doing something for an ally will eventually pay off in the final fight. You helped the dwarfs? Good! They will actually participate in the final battle. In this game, you gather herbs, leather, armor, supplies, and soldiers for your inquisition but it doesn't show. You build a tower? Doesn't show.
When you are not running around fetching herbs, plants, bottles, or shards, the game will attempt to put you into combat. Unfortunately, it attempts to be a MMO while lacking the true element to what makes MMOs good. Each mini map has a few places to fight. Rifts(or portals) that have opened, you clear it once and the monsters are gone for good. Once this happens you will be able to run from one end of map to the other and you will be lucky to encounter three enemies. By no means does this mean the rifts are challenging or long. How hard is it to do this? Considering that's the first quest you get upon entering the new mini-map, it's quite fast. There is usually 2-8 rifts, each has about 5-10 guardians, each having the same guardians only the level varying.
The companions themselves aren't very unique aside from their personalities. For example, you get three mages, Dorian, Vi, and Solas. They have nearly the same abilities with the exception of one skill tree having roughly 4 unique active abilities. They share the other 40+ abilities. The same is said for every companions who share the same classes like rogue or warriors.
One of the reasons why I like Dragon Age Origins is the combat system. It gives me aerial or eagle eye view of the battlefield enabling me to control one or all characters, a lot like a RTS game. You had the option to zoom in a lot like this game and pause at will. In Dragon Age inquisition, they took a 180 turn on that design. Now, you control through third person view point, eagle eye view point is there but it only zooms out a few feet and you face the ground; worst of all it pauses the game, to resume you must go back into third person view point. The AI itself is very primitive. Companions AI can't seem to know positioning, archers and mages commonly walk into melee range don't run of, melee companions use charge and run off cliff dying. Spam abilities buffs on top on the same buffs thus not working the second time around. The enemy AI is pretty laughable, when you are using a tank, it seems enemies are attracted to you, you don't even have to use abilities like taunt; Switch to an archer or Mage and suddenly you become a beacon and the enemy drops whatever they are doing to try and attack you. It's pretty weird but it seems like the AI is coded to attack player controlled character.
The game however isn't without merit. The graphics are amazing, even in low setting the details show. The story itself is engaging thanks to great linear story and lore build upon thanks to previous games and books. There are dragons, old gods, maker, demons of all kinds, the rifts, fade and all kinds on interesting things that will keep you hooked on the game. The combat despite being pretty bad can be rewarding and entertaining, Area of effect spells from mages really look good, slamming the face of an archer with a shield bash does feel like you broke a few of their teeth. Gigantic monsters like dragon look detailed and fight with different patterns that feels glorious. Giants falling to their knee from sheer amount of hit they took on their leg can be fun to see. You get to sit on the "iron throne" game of thrones style and be either Edward or Joffrey.
Most maps look nice, the only complaint being that deserts can't look nice. Cosmetics are also nice but unfortunately you will likely make three upgrades throughout the game and there is only a few cosmetic looks. Mages get about 5 different looking armors.
In retrospect, the game is decent pick for an RPG. I did spend about 65 hrs completely doing everything, but most of that time was used on running to get or pick up items. Very little was used on the main quests. Each mini map has one major side quest, the rest are minor collection. The developers decided to take side quests from MMO without giving real quests like raids hence why the game feels really baron and boring. If You want an RPG game, I suggest you pick up the original dragon age, Skyrim, or Witcher 2 before picking this one up.
6/10