DragonAge: Inquisition Is Everything I Imagined and So Much More

SheAttack: It's Erica of SheAttack's first time playing a DragonAge game. Here is her first impressions and why it's a keeper!

[Cybermario]

except for the ugly helmets

[martinezjesus1993]

I agree, why spend all that time customizing my character if I'm going to cover it up with a hideous helmet?

[orionone]

You can turn off visibility of helmets while retaining the benefits in the options menu.

[Playdor]

Will play this one day.

[TheVideoGamHer]

Yeah....I'll get it down the line on PC.

[Silly Mammo]

I'm hoping it goes down to $39.99 soon. Cyberweek perhaps?

[thekhurg]

That's about all it's worth. Don't spend anything more on it.

[ind1fference]

I look forward to pretending to have time to play it one day.

[Silly Mammo]

That's me during the Big Steam Sales.

[Aleithian]

The character creator is stunning. Shame there's no body modification, limited hairstyles, and limited eyebrow options though.

Other than that, still judging.

[Canary]

I like how it's 90% of the same old hairstyles from DA2 and DA1, and 80% of the same hairstyles from ME1, ME2 and ME3... and none of 'em are very good. Oh, well: at least it's better than Bethesda's hair. Yikes.

But, yeah, in general the character creation is very good. Probably the best variable, non-modular character creation engine I've ever seen. That said, I still prefer the typical Japanese modular character-creation systems. In the one, it seems like the process is all about "not making the PC look inhuman," and the other is all about "making the PC look cool."

With non-modular systems I feel like I'm ALWAYS fighting up the slopes of the uncanny valley.

I wonder if the PC version will get mods? Oh, well: not like I'd ever even consider it given how it's Origin-only.

[Mrgolden79]

It's disappointing how I can't make an Asian looking character. There's 50 options of white people, 20 options for black people, and nothing else. C'mon bioware, get with the times!

[Ark_]

At least for PC ... stay away for now.
The series is getting worse with every iteration imo.
But maybe it's just me and I don't understand the fun of collecting nonsense.

[Canary]

Or, rather, each game in the series (such that it is) does some things really well, but also has some elements that are terrible. For DA3, those terrible elements are Ubisoft-style sidequests (which, to be fair to Bioware, are a HUGE improvement over the rubbish quests in ME3) and tedious, poorly-designed combat.

Though to be fair again to Bioware, it's possible I'm being too harsh on the combat due to playing DAO immediately after DOS--an RPG who has some of the best-designed combat I have ever seen in any game, ever. (And I've been gaming since DOS).

....

I'd also like to point out that, as is the case with Mass Effect, the sentiment that "each game is worse than the last" seems to be coming from people who hold the first game in far greater esteem than it warrants.

[Ark_]

I can't follow you, mate.
What RPG is DOS?
And is it "DOS" or "DAO", that has some of the best-designed combat, you have ever seen?
And have you been gaming since DOS - 1) the ominous RPG or 2) the Operating System?

[Canary]

Oh, wow. Didn't realize how confusing that would be.

*ahem*

DOS is Divinity: Original Sin. The single most impressive CRPG since Baldur's Gate II. And it's the game with well-designed combat... certainly NOT Dragon Age Anything.

And, yeah, been a gamer since MS-DOS.

[Ark_]

rofl ... "DOS, DOS ...?" I was thinking to myself. "Which RPG could he mean?"
It's funny, afterall I played Divinity: Original Sin just a few weeks ago myself. (I think I got confused by your MS-DOS reference.)

And, yes, THAT is indeed a great game. Tactical combat is top notch and good humour all around. But what I really loved about D:OS is, that the world doesn't feel staged, but very vivid. You really have to explore the landscape and villages and the info you get out of your conversations with NPCs is actually imortant and not just filler. (I was so happy when I got unsinkable sams' collar ...)
But it also lacks a bit in it's main story ark, companions are too few and I personally didn't like the whole moral dialoug stuff between the two main characters - at least in singleplayer mode. May work well if you play it in coop so.
But all in all one of the best RPGs in years.

But to get back to Inquisition; it just plays leagues beyond Baldursgate II or Divinity Original Sins in so many departments. It's just to much market analysis today and not enough vision with the most AAA developers. Which is in part understandable.

Whatever ... I just reviewed my backlog and started Neverwinter Nights 2 today. Let's see how that plays.

[Canary]

Hm... I would say Inqusition plays better than Origins or DA2, but still far below BG2 or DOS.