Mages, Rogues and Warriors, gather round for the highly anticipated RPG adventure – Dragon Age: Inquisition. Set to be released on October 7th of this year, Inquisition will be running on the powerful Frostbite 3 engine across multiple platforms, both last and current gen.Oh and yes, there will be plenty of Dragons.
In the development stages of Dragon Age: Inquisition, it was titled “Dragon Age III: Inquisition”, but Mark Darragh (the executive producer of DA) decided to take out the “III”, well into 18 months of development. There was speculation as to whether the release would be delayed like other titles under EA and BioWare, but it was announced that “we will try to bring some closure to Hawke’s story but likely not in a playable form. Originally we had planned to do an expansion pack but decided to focus on what we are working on now” and “Dragon Age III’s development will not be delayed by BioWare’s other games.” Simply put! Although it would have been a good addition to the already miss-matched and somewhat dire storyline of Dragon Age II and bring an actual ending to Hawke’s story. Not a simple ‘choose this side fight for them, eradicate the enemy – the end’. If you were lucky, you bedded Isabela and acquired your dog. On a good note, Mark Darragh inquired the fans of the franchise for feedback on Dragon Age II, what could be provided and implemented into the game and what could be removed.
As every game goes, not much is known about the full plot-line just yet. The whereabouts of the game is set in the lands of Thedas, Ferelden and Orlais. In terms of narrative, we do know that there is a rift in the realms of reality, letting the Fade grow and conquer. Fans of Dragon Age all know the Fade – it can be a very deceiving yet rewarding in ability, depending on what side you’re on. BioWare have said that the core plot will be “saving the world from itself” whilst in the midst of a war. Possibly featuring another Blight against the darkspawn? According to Mark Darragh, The Grey Warden (possibly from Origins?) and Hawke will hold important roles in Dragon Age: Inquisition.Also, as seen in the photo above, BioWare have announced you can toggle helmet visibility.
The main protagonist of the game is The Inquisitor, leader of the mysterious Inquisition which is yet unknown of course. Alistair and Morrigan will be returning from Dragon Age: Origins. It is noted that Alistair may be King of Ferelden, depending on what choices you made. Will your progress from Origins and Dragon Age II tie into Inquisition? Other companions include the Iron Bull, a Qunari whom abandoned the Qun, now living as a mercenary. Two Elves, Sera and Solas – Sera wielding a bow and Solas an apostate mage. Thamond, a human captain in the Inquisition and Vivienne, a former senior enchanter of the Circle, joining the inquisition to aid other mages. Varric will also be returning in Dragon Age: Inquisition. More story telling, Varric?
An optional companion has recently been announced by Patrick Weekes, a rogue healer named Cole – “[he] wants to help people who are hurting. He may not always get it right, but he never stops caring. He will walk into the most painful moment of someone’s life and offer them comfort without hesitation or judgement.” Weekes then goes on to say “He’s definitely somewhere on the Demon-or-Spirit Spectrum of Fade Creatures. A lot of people will always see him as a demon. He would rather be a spirit. He’s trying. He knows he’s more than human, and he is absolutely deadly when faced with foes who want to hurt innocent people.” This is bound to cause controversy in the banter of the companion party – with all that is going on with the Fade. Another new character is Dorian, a mage from Tevinter whom joins the Inquisition to oppose the mages’ plans in Tevinter. He disagrees with their ideals of ‘breeding the best mages’ through planned marriages and controlled childhoods. As a mage, his specialty is control over the elements and spiritual beings. Dorian is now the first ever character whom admits to be gay, instead of the traditional ‘I’ll romance him to love me’.
Many previous mechanical aspects from the Dragon Age franchise will be returning to Inquisition, as well as combined mechanics with fresh implementations and of course, new ones. A popular aspect of the RPG game is the customization of your character. There are multiple races to choose from, Male or Female, you will be able to choose from Human, Elf, Dwarf a very exciting new race – the mighty Qunari. As far as we know, classes come in the usual format of Warrior, Mage and Rogue.
Combat now brings a burst of life, with fluent movements and a focus on queued skills, and tactically changing character to build custom commands for the other NPC’s to perform their unique skills or specific combos. This will come in handy against your might foes, with many NPC’s focusing on multiple specific weak points. The pleasurable birds-eye view that was used in Dragon Age: Origins to allow for a better strategic viewpoint, will be returning to Dragon Age: Inquisition. Player choice will also be a large game changer – BioWare have guaranteed large, significant consequences to your actions.
Keep up to date with the latest news on Dragon Age here and on their website.
