Dragon Age Inquisition: The PC Review
When the third installment of the Dragon Age series was announced Bioware had several different parties to please. First, there were those that fell in love with DA: Origins. A game that was to them a long-needed revival of early PC-style RPG gameplay. In that sense, in this returning to the roots, it was a fantastic success. It was a magnificent new world that had endless lore and infinite potential for new adventure. And the gameplay…the gameplay was perfect.
Then there were the console gamers for whom the gameplay in DA: Origins didn’t quite port to their systems well. Along with them, there were the gamers who simply do not like turn-based games or the pause-and-play style of DA: Origins. And so, Bioware, trying to appeal to everyone, everywhere, all at once, developed Dragon Age II.
Some people actually loved it. PC gamers however, mostly felt as if they had been slapped in the face. The console-friendly gameplay meant that the PC-mechanics had been dumbed down, and you couldn’t build a proper character, and the story was weak, and the lame characters, recycled environments ….and so on.
With DA: Inquisition, Bioware was set to the task of making amends with the pause-and-play PC purists while maintaining the praise they received from the action-loving console crowd.
So far, they have managed to do the later. With rave reviews coming in from PS and Xbox players, Bioware seems to have won them over with a brilliant ambiance and a grand adventure set in a massive world. As for the prior, malcontent from the PC underworld has been spreading through the internet like the beginning of the next great blight. And since most of the reviews I have found have come from console sources—sources that completely neglect to mention that Origins was perfect and maybe some upgrades would have been nice but it was not broken, therefore, did not need to be fixed—I have put together a proper review of Dragon Age Inquisition for the PC.
Pros
It is always good to start on a positive note…I think. With that, let’s talk about Thedas. It really is a beautiful world and exploring new regions within it are refreshing and awe-inspiring. The Desert Oasis and Western Approach in Orlais, for example, are rich terrains that provide a nice retreat from the mountains, woodlands, deep roads and walled cities that are so common in fantasy games. Those areas are still beautiful and full of detail but the new regions really inspire the explorer within.
The main story is good, albeit short. The protagonist character is likeable and his/her role as The Inquisitor is mysterious and meaningful. The party companions like to talk about themselves, a lot. This offers hours of dialogue in itself. This can range from mundane to interesting but all in all it adds depth and personality to their identities. They also provide amusing background banter while wandering about. Varric, in particular, provides a very humorous commentary as he saunters beside you throughout the land.
Both the ambient sounds and music are fantastic. The audio and visual aspects of this game make it feel like you are back in Thedas once again and Thedas is a wonderful place to be, (if you can get past all the demons, racism and dirty politics.)
The number one shining gold star that DA: Inquisition earns is for the dragon battles. These battles are tough, require strategy and are truly enjoyable. The dragons are big, have different elemental attacks and immunities, and require proper potion management. These battles are easily the best part of the game—that could be even better if the tactical camera worked properly.
Which brings me to the Cons.
Bioware made promises to the PC fundamentalists that they were including them in the production of this game and the tactical camera was the primary element they dangled in front of those discouraged by DA2. Bioware dropped the ball on this one, massively. The tactical camera can best be described as clunky, confusing, frustrating and even useless. The best way to enjoy this game on PC is to abandon the hope of ever using the pause-and-play element—except during big boss battles when it is painfully essential.
So what if DA:I is an action RPG and not a tactical RPG? At least the combat is still fun, right? Well, mostly. It is fun but often the camera controls can be distracting. Sometimes the best way to win a fight is to simply mash the left-button and spam your character’s most powerful attack resulting in a rather lackluster experience.
Magic users will find the available spells fairly uninspiring. Spells are limited to the elements and do not offer anything original. Chain lightening, fireballs and blizzards are spells we have all used many times before. Beyond that, both spells and non-magic attacks are limited to eight per character, a result of being restricted by the number of buttons on a game controller. Many in the PC community see this as further evidence they have been overlooked and excluded from Bioware/EA’s demographic pool.
There is a lot of loot in the game. Unfortunately it’s mostly useless. It does convert to gold easily, but that too, is mostly useless. Gold piles up much faster than one can spend it. And honestly, there isn’t much to spend it on. Schematics and recipes are worthy purchases. However, the best weapons and armor in the game are crafted and not purchased or dropped.
The focus on crafting is cool. The problem that lies within is that it becomes tedious and time-consuming to gather resources, craft, upgrade, and equip all of the party members (ten—including yourself) with level-appropriate gear. The crafting system itself requires you to utilize several different workstations and inventories which produces a rather cumbersome experience. Even then, even when the equipment is sufficient, there is a feeling that the game lacks anything unique or valuable.
All in all, a good story can redeem a game with mechanical or style flaws and still be very enjoyable. As mentioned earlier, the story is good. However, the ratio of time dedicated to the primary storyline is very short when compared to the hours upon hours that one can spend running errands and collecting resources. The errands are good for leveling up, acquiring support and helping widows find remnants of their massacred lovers. Collecting resources even feels important for a couple hours. Eventually though, being incessantly attacked by bears and wild dogs becomes a nuisance. DA:I would benefit greatly from a better balance between more story and less fetching.
Minor Gripes and Peeves
-NPCs are brick walls that do not budge.
-Clunky looting controls and unnecessarily long resource picking animation.
-Quest items mixed with valuables creates confusion.
-No blood magic.
-No backup/secondary weapon slot.
-So many bears.
-Couldn’t get a pint of mead or a flagon of ale in the pub.
Summary
DA:I is not Origins. For those wanting another Origins it will be a horrible letdown. Surely Inquisition is a fantastic console experience but it is not the same experience on PC. However, it is not a horrible game. It is a little clunky at times, especially, repeat, especially when using the tactical camera. Still, DA:I manages to provide an addictive, adequate adventure.
Being a part of the Dragon Age and playing a role in its fate is a great escape. Whether wandering the vast regions of the world or interacting with the citizens and leaders that comprise its society, being in Thedas is rewarding and challenging.
Fighting against darkspawn, giants, and of course dragons will always be a noble way to spend time. The methods of dealing with these creatures though, is a bit underwhelming.
DA:I offers a full spectrum of reactions. It is exhilarating. It is amusing. It is challenging. It is also mundane, and frustrating, tedious and disappointing. DA:I is an enjoyable experience. But it is not what it could be.
At first I wanted to give this game a 6.5/10 but something inexplicably addictive kept me wanting to play more. For that, I believe a 7/10 is a fair and objective score.