By definition, I am a casual gamer. I don’t play many games, I don’t play very often, and I only play for fun. So what if I die dozens of times (often by my own hand) playing Halo multiplayer? That grenade launcher is hella fun. But sometimes, I fall in love with a game and then I am hardcore. I commit. I lose sleep, eat Pop-Tarts for dinner, and maybe wear the same clothes for longer than I should. I also get pretty bitchy with anyone who interrupts me during cut scenes. Hey, I worked hard for those! A week ago I once again became serious about a game. I rediscovered the Dragon Age franchise with their newest installment, Dragon Age: Inquisition.
I realize that I am late to the Dragon Age party, but I have my reasons. I have played all the Dragon Age games, from Origins to the unevenly reviewed DA2, and I happily lost myself in the land of Thedas every time. When I read about the release of Dragon Age: Inquisition I was overjoyed. It was about time! But I knew it meant days of shirking work and letting the laundry pile up. Hardcore Sarah doesn’t have time to feed the dog because she is trying to convince a possessed zealot not to blow up a building full of mage-haters. Between travel and relatives, I knew the holidays were a terrible time to start the game. Instead, I pre-ordered (Deluxe edition, naturally) and sat on the game until the new year.
So here I am. Months late, but still excited to share my experience with, hands down, the best game franchise I have ever played. This is not a review or a walkthrough, so don’t expect me to talk about water graphics or tell you where all the Halla statues locations in the Winter Palace are. This is simply one girl’s story of the game she can’t stop playing. So, if you enjoy all things Dragon Age, then welcome to my article series! And if you don’t, then you’re just wrong. Seriously, who doesn’t love magic and dragons?
First, let’s get all the pesky gameplay details out of the way. Minimum PC requirements are at least 4GB of RAM, 26GB of free disk space, a 2.5GHZ processor, and a good Radeon or NVIDIA video card. The game has a lot of shadows and battle effects, so if you don’t want to spend most of your time waiting for different areas to load (and you want the best possible graphics for Cassandra’s boobs or Dorian’s ass), then I suggest going with the Bioware recommendations of 8GB of RAM, a 3.2GHZ processor, and a great Radeon or NVIDIA video card.
The start of the game is familiar to DA veterans. Bioware loves to introduce a generic hero using an opening chase or fight scene. However, this installment also allows for advanced storyline customization via Dragon Age Keep. This website enables players to plot out their DA timeline and create a world shaped by decisions made in previous games. Did you force Alistair to do the deed with Morrigan? Side with Meredith against the mages? Hand Feynriel over to the demon in exchange for attribute points (admit it)? All the important decisions are represented and then imported into your new game. Pretty sweet.
I roll a male human mage and then spend the next hour deciding how big his earlobes should be. The degree of facial customization is awesome, but would it kill the developers to hire a stylist to consult on the tragic unisex hairdos? I know they can do good hair because Dorian is well coiffed and graphics-updated-Morrigan sports some rocking bangs. Why are players left with so many variations of bowl cuts and buzzes? I pick the best of the worst and fall into Thedas. Literally, since my hero starts the game by falling out of a giant green hole in the sky. I sure know how to make an entrance.
Next Up: Can’t We All Just Get Along?
