Dragon Age: Inquisition

[PrincessCiri]

I worked at BioWare for over 12 years and spent a lot of time on Dragon Age during the development of Inquisition. I am really looking forward to what they come up with. If the secrets I knew when I left the company are still in when the game launches, it is going to be a darned good game. Since Wild Hunt doesn't come out till 2015, I think DAI can be RPG or even Game of the year for 2014.

Good thing for them we don't launch till next year.

Wow! That must have been amazing to work at Bioware for such a long time. I am so excited for the game, so I'm glad you think it will be good
DA:I for 2014 and the Witcher 3 for 2015 would suit me nicely ^_^

 

[Unkindled]

I worked at BioWare for over 12 years and spent a lot of time on Dragon Age during the development of Inquisition. I am really looking forward to what they come up with. If the secrets I knew when I left the company are still in when the game launches, it is going to be a darned good game. Since Wild Hunt doesn't come out till 2015, I think DAI can be RPG or even Game of the year for 2014.

Good thing for them we don't launch till next year.

No offense, but I'm sure a lot of them would say the same thing about DA 2. And I'd rather not take the word of someone that worked with them directly, as their POV is skewed. But that's just me. Still waiting a month or two after launch or when the fat lady sings.

 

[PrincessCiri]

No offense, but I'm sure a lot of them would say the same thing about DA 2. And I'd rather not take the word of someone that worked with them directly, as their POV is skewed. But that's just me. Still waiting a month or two after launch or when the fat lady sings.

I'd like to take this moment to confess that in terms of replay value, I actually prefer Dragon Age 2. DA:O is such a slog and less fun to replay imo.

 

[Unkindled]

I'd like to take this moment to confess that in terms of replay value, I actually prefer Dragon Age 2. DA:O is such a slog and less fun to replay imo.

That's fine, not a confession to me. When I first played the game, I thought it was more fun at the time too. Didn't decide I didn't like the game until later. Like I said, I got my money's worth out of it, which is why I recommended you at least try it and decide for yourself. Also why I still say that DA 2 wasn't a bad game. It was good for a playthrough or so.

Still, after I got past the "new", and saw as @Veleda said, that your choices don't mean dick, and the characters, the same environments over and over, streamlined gameplay and finally, the unfocused plot all just wore down on me, that's when I got fed up with it and went back to Origins and my awesome warden.

I expect Bioware games to be good for more than a few playthroughs, which in my opinion is all it was really good for compared to Origins which I've played countless times. Same for Mass Effect, all three.

 

[chance52]

Since the game is now within a stones throw of being released what review sites/bloggers/etc will people be using? I did not care for DA2 and I'm tired of IGN and there 10/10's that are the reasons people think game reviews are bought, not earned. Not that people couldn't enjoy DA2 but it was so far from a 10/10 game there is no way anyone honestly reviewing it could give it that score.

I've asked around and the suggestions so far are

Angry Joe
Total biscuit
Yahtzee
Digital Foundry

I also like Metacritic though I know a lot of people say its too easy to skew that score on troll/fanboy reviews going in the extreme sides. I feel score aside, it's easy to find helpful, well thought out reviews on that site and it is easy to spot and ignore the "OMG BEST GAME EVAAARR!!!!" or "BioWare SUUUUUXXX!!!! 0/10" reviews that help no one.

I honestly would like this game to be good but I just don't trust the BioWare name anymore, customers on the other hand I have faith in.

 

[PrincessCiri]

I'm actually not feeling that replayability when it comes to Origins. I've only finished one full playthrough and I got bored a few days ago when I tried to replay it. However with DA2 I've done 3 playthroughs and now I'm on my 4th. I probably won't start another one after that, but for some reason I am enjoying replaying DA2 over Origins.

I feel this might be due to the fact that whilst DA:O has more choices that actually change things, the actual gameplay itself is not particularly varied and I do dread having to slog through the Dalish Forest, the Fade and the Deep Roads. DA2 doesn't have that, and actually I think I prefer it. It's weird bc the more I play DA2 the more I enjoy it, whereas I expected it to be the opposite.

 

[Unkindled]

I'm actually not feeling that replayability when it comes to Origins. I've only finished one full playthrough and I got bored a few days ago when I tried to replay it. However with DA2 I've done 3 playthroughs and now I'm on my 4th. I probably won't start another one after that, but for some reason I am enjoying replaying DA2 over Origins.

I feel this might be due to the fact that whilst DA:O has more choices that actually change things, the actual gameplay itself is not particularly varied and I do dread having to slog through the Dalish Forest, the Fade and the Deep Roads. DA2 doesn't have that, and actually I think I prefer it. It's weird bc the more I play DA2 the more I enjoy it, whereas I expected it to be the opposite.

Who knows, but be ready for someone to say that it's because you're a dirty dirty casual, or something, lol :lol: Me, I'd say that the gameplay is indeed more fast paced, and that's not a bad thing. I dislike it though because "actiony" while taking away options makes for a more shallow experience, which bored me personally. Also, I think that some people liked that the "origin story" or basically the prologue was short and didn't take long to get you in the action.

For me though, I don't mind the slower combat because I never played those games for the fighting. And I enjoy the origins stories. Going through the deep roads did indeed put me to sleep, but it was worth getting through, especially for the brood mother... lol.

I'm a patient man, so going through some of the tediousness of Origins is easy for me because I feel it's actually worth it, whereas in act 2 and 3 of DA 2, I find myself loathing the coming of certain events, especially relating to Merril and Isabella. And Anders.

 

[Sardukhar]

I don't need to replay the game, nor is it a part of the value for me. I'm paying the same price as for any other $60 game, why would I expect ti replay it 2 or three times? I'm not paying $120 or $180 for it.

It's a nice bonus - really nice - if a game works out that way, but in general, I figure one good play and I got what I paid for. If I even finish it.

DA2 really dead-headed out for me somewhere in Act 2 and I don't think I ever did finish it. I'd say I did not get my value of that, no, especially since most everything after the first six or eight hours was working to find the good parts.

I'm willing to take Chris' opinion that there is good stuff waiting in DA:I - I try to take people at their word until I have evidence to the contrary. Properly weighted for bias, mind you. Chris doesn't really gain anything by reporting on great things inside a game for a company that is now a rival. A Rival. The Enemy!

I now wonder what secrets are in game, though. Hawke is secretly an alien? The Qunari are from another dimension? Everytime you cast magic, a star goes out?The Archdemon is your mother?

 

[Unkindled]

I don't need to replay the game, nor is it a part of the value for me. I'm paying the same price as for any other $60 game, why would I expect ti replay it 2 or three times? I'm not paying $120 or $180 for it.

These are videogames, not takeout meals. Apply that same logic to a car, or clothes. That's how I see a videogame. This maybe works for old Call of Duties and other such fps games, but this is an RPG.

 

[SumoBeans]

@chance If GatherYourParty makes a review on it, check it out. (They don't review every released game however, but some of their staff did make videos/write on Bioware before)


@Princess_Ciri

Mm, DA:O does give you choice, but they're not so impacting as Witcher 2's that you get cut off a lot of content in one playthrough.

You're having difficulty with the game even on easy mode, right? If you ever replay DA:O, you should try to use the Glyph of Repulision+Glyph of Paralysis combo (make sure party members are far away though). Causes instant mass paralysis and then you can throw a couple of fireballs at them. Also mana clash=instant mage killer. And also get haste to fasten combat for melee characters and quicken your running. Should make life easier.

 

[JimmyQ]

Huh, I must be in the minority in thinking the Fade portion of DA:O was one of the more interesting parts of the game. For one thing, it wasn't a straightforward, drawn-out slug-fest like the Deep Roads. I kinda liked playing around with the different forms, even the mouse, and figuring out how they played into what was a big puzzle.

Between The Witcher 3, Pillars of Eternity, and a few other games already on my plate (like Divinity: Original Sin), it'll be easy for me to wait a few, or even several, months after Inquisition is released to see whether the game is worth trying.

 

[Unkindled]

Huh, I must be in the minority in thinking the Fade portion of DA:O was one of the more interesting parts of the game. For one thing, it wasn't a straightforward, drawn-out slug-fest like the Deep Roads. I kinda liked playing around with the different forms, even the mouse, and figuring out how they played into what was a big puzzle.

Between The Witcher 3, Pillars of Eternity, and a few other games already on my plate (like Divinity: Original Sin), it'll be easy for me to wait a few, or even several, months after Inquisition is released to see whether the game is worth trying.

I enjoy it as well, actually. The transformations were really cool.

 

[Veleda.980]

I'm actually not feeling that replayability when it comes to Origins. I've only finished one full playthrough and I got bored a few days ago when I tried to replay it. However with DA2 I've done 3 playthroughs and now I'm on my 4th. I probably won't start another one after that, but for some reason I am enjoying replaying DA2 over Origins.

I feel this might be due to the fact that whilst DA:O has more choices that actually change things, the actual gameplay itself is not particularly varied and I do dread having to slog through the Dalish Forest, the Fade and the Deep Roads. DA2 doesn't have that, and actually I think I prefer it. It's weird bc the more I play DA2 the more I enjoy it, whereas I expected it to be the opposite.

I did get so that I could only play mages, because the tedium of having to actually run up and stab enemies was too much. It looks like DAI will have this very problem, especially because the classes are even more limited than they were in DAO, where you could still make hybrid characters.

DA2... I played it once, and grudgingly twice, trying to find out whether the game had any actual variety. Once Origin broke my game code, I snapped the disc in two and haven't missed it.

 

[PrincessCiri]

@Princess_Ciri

Mm, DA:O does give you choice, but they're not so impacting as Witcher 2's that you get cut off a lot of content in one playthrough.

You're having difficulty with the game even on easy mode, right? If you ever replay DA:O, you should try to use the Glyph of Repulision+Glyph of Paralysis combo (make sure party members are far away though). Causes instant mass paralysis and then you can throw a couple of fireballs at them. Also mana clash=instant mage killer. And also get haste to fasten combat for melee characters and quicken your running. Should make life easier.

Honestly the difficulty level for me on Origins is fine on easy... I probably could manage it on hard or whatever but I don't enjoy it when I keep dying, so I usually just play on easy to make things, well, easier. But thank you for the advice nonetheless. Mass Paralysis was the spell I missed most from origins tbh.

Who knows, but be ready for someone to say that it's because you're a dirty dirty casual, or something, lol :lol: Me, I'd say that the gameplay is indeed more fast paced, and that's not a bad thing. I dislike it though because "actiony" while taking away options makes for a more shallow experience, which bored me personally. Also, I think that some people liked that the "origin story" or basically the prologue was short and didn't take long to get you in the action.

For me though, I don't mind the slower combat because I never played those games for the fighting. And I enjoy the origins stories. Going through the deep roads did indeed put me to sleep, but it was worth getting through, especially for the brood mother... lol.

I'm a patient man, so going through some of the tediousness of Origins is easy for me because I feel it's actually worth it, whereas in act 2 and 3 of DA 2, I find myself loathing the coming of certain events, especially relating to Merril and Isabella. And Anders.

Lol but I even beat DA2 on normal mode :'( how can I still be a filthy casual? /cries 5ever

Imo the prologue in DA2 is the worst part of the game and I wish I could skip it.
I guess for me, when I was playing Origins the first time the slow-paced stuff didn't bother me bc it was all new, but now it gets a bit tedious. DA2 suffers from the same thing though, I hate doing the Qunari quests because once you know how they pan out, its frustrating to not be able to change anything.

I liked Merill in my first playthrough but now I think she's an idiot. However with Anders in my first playthrough I wasn't impressed with him, but now, even though I think he's an idiot and I don't really like him, I also kind of love him so I feel quite confused generally in that respect. @_@

I don't need to replay the game, nor is it a part of the value for me. I'm paying the same price as for any other $60 game, why would I expect ti replay it 2 or three times? I'm not paying $120 or $180 for it.

Nooo I really disagree with that. One of the reasons why I love the Witcher 2, Skyrim and many other games is the replayability. Playing Civ 5 or playing Skyrim once and saying "well there's no point replaying it again" is completely missing the point of the game, in my opinion.

 

[Unkindled]

@Princess_Ciri, in reference to Anders, it's probably just because of Awakening Do you only play as warriors? The sword and board warriors and two handed ones all feel boring for me, which is why I only use dual wielding characters, which rogues are the best as. Though I can make some pretty sweet warrior builds with that as well.

Mages can be tedious if you rely on the staff a lot.

 

[PrincessCiri]

@Princess_Ciri, in reference to Anders, it's probably just because of Awakening

True, it made me like him a lot more. Also once you realise that the templars made Anders' boyfriend tranquil it made me a little bit more understanding as to why he went cray cray and decided to blow up the chantry. The reverent mother was completely useless so I wasn't too sad to see her go. /oop
I've also been hearing rumours on tumblr that Anders might be appearing in DA:I if you didn't kill him. No idea what will have happened to him by then though.

Do you only play as warriors? The sword and board warriors and two handed ones all feel boring for me, which is why I only use dual wielding characters, which rogues are the best as. Though I can make some pretty sweet warrior builds with that as well.

Mages can be tedious if you rely on the staff a lot.

In DA2 I play exclusively as a mage because I find warrior boring and I like Varric too much to not have him in my party but 2 rogues is overkill.
In Origins however, whilst I prefer playing as a mage (arcane warrior is amazing) the only playthrough I finished was as a rogue, and that was pretty fun.

 

[Unkindled]

Using Morrigan's transformations is almost reason enough to favor origins, lol. Even more if it's you. Making a build around that for your mage is a ton of fun.

 

[nukeheal]

A lot of "preview" videos on the Youtube about DA:I ...too bad they are all under strict instructions and can't say anything negative or point out any problems. Just build the hype for children.

 

[octavian123]

A lot of "preview" videos on the Youtube about DA:I ...too bad they are all under strict instructions and can't say anything negative or point out any problems. Just build the hype for children.

You're wrong, about 30% of them are negative.

 

[nukeheal]

You're wrong, about 30% of them are negative.

If that someone did say something seriously negative and pointed the game problems ..he wont getting preview copy next time.