BioWare is the RPG master. They have made some of the best RPGs ever made such as Baldurs Gate, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect, and so on. Dragon Age: Inquisition is BioWare's latest RPG and is the third installment in the Dragon Age series. Now, most people were put off from BioWare after Dragon Age II. It was a good game for sure, but it was definitely lower quality for a BioWare game. Dragon Age: Inquisition is BioWare's response to fan feedback. It is proof that they listen to the fans. Dragon Age: Inquisition is a fantastic game that takes place in a huge, expansive, and immersive world. There are several new characters to get to know and many returning ones as well. Its story is an incredible one in which you make numerous difficult and meaningful decisions that will impact your game as a whole. The gameplay is very fun and a step in the right direction.
Story - 10: Now, I'm not saying that Inquisition has the best story ever. It doesn't. It is very good however and extremely well executed. The game starts off with tragedy. There is a massive explosion that kills thousands of lives and creates a tear between the physical world and the spirit realm known as the fade. You are the only survivor who walks away with a strange green mark on your hand. Right from the beginning, people see you as either a savior sent by the Maker bring order back to a chaotic world, or a false prophet who must be stopped. There never is a clear answer to whether this is the Maker's will or not, and the game doesn't shy away from the implications. To bring order back to the world and find the person responsible, you and your companions from the Inquisition. Like you, people either think Inquisition will restore order, or they think the Inquisition is dangerous and cannot be trusted. You then become the Inquisitor you want to be. You make decisions of who lives and who dies, who do you support and who do you oppose. These are meaningful decisions because they aren't about good and evil. They are decisions in which either way you lose something. This makes you want to play through again and make different decisions just to see how different the outcomes are. The best part of the story is the many characters you encounter. Every single character is very thoughtful and fully developed. You feel like these are real people who you care about. The villain of the story is perhaps the weakest character, but that is mainly because every other character is so wonderful. The villain is good giving you a lot of incentive to stop him. The lore around hims is very interesting. He is not quite used to the extent that he could have been. Speaking of lore, there is plenty of it here. There is so much lore that if you are new to Dragon Age, you will probably be very confused at times in the story. Interaction with your party members is better than ever. The romances are particularly well done. They are thoughtful and meaningful very much like real romances. They aren't the same as real life, unfortunately, but they are getting closer. I could go on for pages about Inquisitions story, just know that it is fantastic and is certainly a big step up from Dragon Age II.
Gameplay - 9.5: There are two different styles of combat in Dragon Age. Dragon Age: Origins's gameplay was more tactical. Dragon Age II's combat was more action packed and engaging. Both were very fun, in my opinion, but it left many fans divided. Dragon Age: Inquisition is an almost perfect combination of the two. The tactical camera has returned and is now available on consoles as well. The combat is designed for players to have the choice between playing tactical and playing directly. Or you could be like me and use a regular mixture of the two. It is extremely engaging and fun. The first time you face a dragon is intense, and also very short when you realize you aren't ready to fight a dragon yet. Level 6 is not high enough. Don't do it. Dragon battles are absolutely great. They are dynamic and difficult, forcing you plan a strategy and then be able to adapt as the fight continues. When you kill your first dragon, it feels so satisfying. Then you realize that there are 9 more in the game. Time to go dragon hunting. Like all Dragon Age game's, the questing is excellent. There is so much to do and all of it is wonderful. What's great about it is that much of the questing is left for you to discover on your own. Rather than having a lengthy checklist to complete, you go and explore regions discovering different quests and opportunities along the way. No longer are you confined to one city, but instead several large open worlds that are all distinctly different from one another. There is easily over 100 hours of gameplay to dive into. The only issue with gameplay are the glitches. Almost all of these are simply minor annoyances that don't interfere with your enjoyment.
Graphics/Performance - 8.0: The visuals are amazing! Fans of the series may be surprised since Dragon Age games never have been known for amazing graphics. Everything looks great all the way down to the fine details. However, there are plenty of glitches. Too many. Most of them are brief visual glitches that don't really impact you much. But there are much bigger glitches that really impact your experience. A particularly annoying one for me is during certain conversations. The game temporarily freezes during someone's line, and then you have to skip it to continue. You really miss out on some real key moments when this happens. It was minor at first, but then it started happening during very intense moments where my blood was pumping and I was extremely engaged. It really disrupted my experience and left me very annoyed. It even happened during a key moment during my romance scene with Cassandra. Everything about that romance was wonderful and meaningful. Then during conversation with her during the scene, it just starts freezing. It really took away from the moving scene and emotional connection between my character and Cassandra. There is a list of glitches that carries on and will hopefully be patched in the near future.
Multiplayer - 8.5: There is multiplayer? I honestly forgot. I was so invested in the single player that I simply forgot that there was multiplayer. It is fun and an interesting addition to the series. This cooperative multiplayer is best played with a group of friends. It doesn't even have to be friends. My first game was with a complete group of strangers who all happened to have mics and were fun to play with. We shared a lot of laughs and did our best to work together. That's what's great about this multiplayer, it can bring people together to have a great time. If you don't approach it with that kind of mentality or don't have an interest in interacting with your teammates, then don't waste your time with this multiplayer. If you aren't interacting, then it is a fairly shallow experience. You move from room to room fighting off wave after wave of enemies. There is some good replay value for sure, but none of it really feels special or unique. If your with a good group though, it can be a real blast. All in all, it is a nice feature to have if you are tired with single player or would like some human interaction, but it is not the reason you bought the game.
Verdict - 9.0: This game is fantastic! This is the best RPG I have played since 2012. It is quite impressive just how many improvements they've made from Dragon Age II. This is a great sign of how developers can take fan feedback and make their games better. If you didn't like the previous Dragon Age games, then Dragon Age: Inquisition probably won't change your mind. However, if you are a fan of the series or love RPGs, then Dragon Age: Inquisition is a must play.
I hope this review was helpful. Please let me know your thoughts on the game.