Dragon Age: Inquisition A "Return To Form," BioWare Says

Last night at the D.I.C.E. Awards in Las Vegas, BioWare's role-playing game Dragon Age: Inquisition was named overall Game of the Year, beating out the likes of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, Destiny, Far Cry 4, and HearthStone: Heroes of Warcraft. The game was also very well-received by critics upon its release in November 2014.

But what is it about the open-world game that's resonating so strongly with gamers and critics alike? It's a true "return to form" for BioWare, producer Mark Darrah said last night at the awards show, after he learned that his game won overall Game of the Year.

"I think really it's both a return to form, a return to what BioWare did in its roots: exploration, story-telling, character development," he said. "Also, us starting to explore new areas [being] deeper, open-world gameplay. I think just that combination is what really resonated with people."

Asked if they thought Inquisition was a lock for overall Game of the Year, a BioWare representative said the developer never makes any assumptions like that.

"You can't ever assume you're going to win something like this when you've got so many amazing competitors who have done such hard work and are so beloved by fans," the rep said. "So no, you can't assume anything."

GameSpot's Inquisition review scored the game a 9/10. Reviewer Kevin VanOrd said: "Dragon Age: Inquisition is a wonderful game and a lengthy pilgrimage to a magical world with vital thematic ties to one we already know."

Do you think the Academy got it right in naming Inquisition overall Game of the Year? Let us know in the comments below!