DA:Inquisition - Review @ GameBanshee

HiddenX · July 8, 2015

GameBanshee has finally reviewed Dragon Age: Inqusition. The DLC Jaws of Hakkon is included in this review:

Jaws of Hakkon adds a new area to the world of Dragon Age: Inquisition with its own central and lengthy storyline and a number of sidequests and activities. As such, a lot of what can be said about the main game can be repeated for this DLC, and the things that Jaws of Hakkon does differently are what characterize it.

The DLC follows the Inquisitor's hunt for the remains of her preceding Inquisitor in the Frostback Basin, a region controlled by the Avvars, nomadic human tribes with a unique culture and very different beliefs from the Chantry. Storywise, it touches on many of the same themes as the main game. There are ancient histories to uncover, and the past is less convenient than anyone would like.

The relationship between common people and spirits is also explored, and provides what is the most interesting narrative material of what is otherwise a very plain DLC story-wise. There is, at least, a surprising amount of new banter and dialogue, and some of it even acknowledges whether you've finished the game or not, confirming BioWare's knack for small-scale interactions.

Frostback Basin is one of the highlights of the DLC but the first impression isn't good. Visually, it's a disappointment, a well-crafted area that doesn't really do anything that the original areas don't already do. But past first impressions, there's a lot to enjoy. The area makes mindful use of verticality and provides a lot of variety, so much that it could arguably be divided into a number of connected mini-zones.

Jaws of Hakkon also provides a few fairly challenging encounters that buck the players' expectations concerning encounter composition, and some actually good loot that isn't immediately superseded by crafted items. The side quests also feel slightly more interesting than in the main game, by virtue of better framing, stories and variety. I don't want to oversell this: we're still talking about activities that fit in the framework on the main game. Still, it's incredible what a little more dialogue can do, and how much more interesting a quest can be when it's exploring a foreign culture.

Ultimately, I can only recommend this DLC to the real fans of the original game. It offers more of what the game already offered with some slight improvements. For most, Dragon Age: Inquisition is already big as it is.

Concluding Thoughts:

Re-reading this review, I can't help but wonder if I've been too harsh. Dragon Age: Inquisition is a surprisingly relaxing pastime, and there's a lot of it. Played one or two hours a day, it can last for a very, very long time. In many ways, it reminded me of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, another game that left me very little, but was very easy to play for long stretches of time.

But that's not what I think games should strive for, and that's not what BioWare's games strove for in the past. While the developers often fell short of their reputation as master storytellers, they always tried to craft interesting universes and fill them with stories that would resonate with people. I genuinely hope they weren't trying this time, because Inquisition would be a spectacular failure.

More information.

Donkerman · July 8, 2015

Got about halfway through the main plot, but dont have the grit to keep going. Each time I think of firing this baby up I get a hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach. Then I start browsing my steam backlog...

Fluffyhotep · July 8, 2015

An extensive, but fair review. In the long run – once the bitterness and disappointment as well as the fanboyism has faded away - I think DA:I will make a fine subject for game design analysis. To me it feels like a game that came close to a genuinely good title but failed to become more than a fairly competent but only moderately entertaining effort.

joxer · July 8, 2015

Ultimately, I can only recommend this DLC to the real fans of the original game.

That'd not be me.

In many ways, it reminded me of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

I knew it. Bears.

But that's not what I think games should strive for, and that's not what BioWare's games strove for in the past.

I've said it the very first day I started playing DA3.
No other recent Bioware game had trashmob grinding inside. Even more important, previous Dragon Age entries didn't have that horrible design. DA3 has a filler problem, and those who don't believe me can always check that gaming sites say the same.

IIRC I put 8/10 on DA3 and I'd do it again. They could make it easily to 9/10 via patch by removing hypergrind concept of gathering herbs/minerals, removing endelss respawn godlike power from mobs, fixing DX crashes on PC, fixing broken elf models and adapting the tactics screen plus horrible inventory to PC on PC.
They were just lazy to do it.

What to do for 10/10 or at least close to it you ask? Start by cutting out multiplayer gambling garbage. And get rid of the idiotic Mass Effect 2 sonar. Noone liked in in ME2, why was it resurrected in DA3 at all?

-

Donkerman said:
Got about halfway through the main plot, but dont have the grit to keep going. Each time I think of firing this baby up I get a hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach. Then I start browsing my steam backlog…

You're probably playing the game the way it gets boring. Do not do what everyone suggets. Do not leave Hinterlands. Leave Hinterlands only after clearing everything except the dragon (you'll return to the dragon later).

Play the game this way:

1. While doing main story quests, there are no endless trashmob respawns, set the difficulty on hard!

2. Exploring Hinterlands and other Hintelands areas? Stop picking hundreds of flowers and other garbage! Pick a few then clear the map (except dragons, return to do them when 15+ level). Set the difficulty on superultra_easy because you can skip flowers, but you can't skip bloody everspawning bears. Even better, check if there is instakill mod/cheat you'll use on annoying respawns in Hinterlands and all other Hinterlans cloned areas. Another mod/cheat that would immensly help you avoid boredom is getting 20 herbs/minerals in your inventory on picking one. If exists. Let's hope it does.

3. Have at least one party member with Dispel (rift mobs).

4. Gathering requisitions for power? Stop it right now. You made one in the initial area, and that was enough. You don't need more of that grind. And the power you get from it, you'll never use in the game.

TheMadGamer · July 8, 2015

Sometimes I wonder if bioware is too distracted with implementing social elements into their games such as the depiction of homosexuality (not even saying one way or the other the idea is bad - just that they get too distracted by these elements) and forgetting to make a fun single player role playing game. I was really disappointed with this game and got bored with it after about 10 hours.

joxer · July 8, 2015

Get real.
Bioware made some huge PR boost with their political corectness interviews. The point of modern PR is to get into headlines by any means, and Bioware found a strategy that doesn't look instantly repulsive like Ubi's silly 30 FPS cinematics experience statements and similar crap.

Think about postrelease game support. You can conclude only one thing:
The game was totally about grinding and multiplayer. Singleplayer material in DA3 was just a bonus content supposed to bait singleplayer audience into spending cash on gambling in multiplayer.
The distraction, yes, there was. But it was not main quest, companion quests, stories nor romances. It was the goddamned EA's everything has to have multiplayer bullshit design!

Please read my post above and return to the game following those 4 points. I bet you'll change your opinion.

Ovenall · July 8, 2015

Couldn't finish this game.

joxer · July 8, 2015

How come? Your CPU melted while playing it?

Brumbek · July 8, 2015

Donkerman said:
Got about halfway through the main plot, but dont have the grit to keep going. Each time I think of firing this baby up I get a hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach. Then I start browsing my steam backlog…

I know the feeling. I do relate to the reviewer in how you can play the game a few hours here and there and have an enjoyable time...but after playing I don't find myself thinking about the game or having much incentive to go back. Hence, months and months later I've only cleared a few areas. Much like Amalur to be sure.

That being said, I still think the game is great for what it is trying to do. And here is the irony perhaps: DA2 was majorly lacking content but its story was very focused and I felt compelled to keep playing to find out what happens next. DA:I is huge and epic but it lacks drive and ambition at the same time.

So yes...DA:I obviously suffers from being a copy-cat game trying to borrow elements from other better games. I still respect BioWare for attempting to make a semi-open-world RPG.

BoboTheMighty · July 8, 2015

Every time I visit gamebanshee, it feels like I've logged onto a funeral, why can't they simply clean up web design, like here or Bioware forums...CDPR forums, also feel like an eyesore.
But the reviewer has a point...It is "I got my money's worth" type of game, something you buy, fully knowing you're not getting a masterpiece, but weigh it more as economic purchase that gives you a lot of hours of gameplay, with more positive than negative experience in the end.
I can't help but feel that everything about this game, would be better it was cut down to half and then added more quality to what is left...half the environments, but more immersive and with more quality content with settlements and an ongoing war presence like we saw in trailers, half the romance options...etc.
Also, instead of Corypheus, far greater impact on the story would be one that comes from an entirely human antagonist...your charismatic, cunning counterpart from Tevinter, with motivations that you can actually understand and even sympathize with( in recent games with PoE Theos.)
Bioware should know this better than anyone by now ( Irenicus, Arishok, Saren, Loghain in comparison with Archdemon, Harbinger, Malak and the like).

TheMadGamer · July 8, 2015

joxer said:
Get real.
Bioware made some huge PR boost with their political corectness interviews. The point of modern PR is to get into headlines by any means, and Bioware found a strategy that doesn't look instantly repulsive like Ubi's silly 30 FPS cinematics experience statements and similar crap.

I don't disagree with that... And the game is still pretty boring.

Archangel · July 8, 2015

I don't see myself ever playing this game. Too many good games to play to spend time on crap like this.

Couchpotato · July 9, 2015

Please dont change guys its always nice to read BioWare comments on this site.

BoboTheMighty said:
But the reviewer has a point…It is "I got my money's worth" type of game, something you buy, fully knowing you're not getting a masterpiece, but weigh it more as economic purchase that gives you a lot of hours of gameplay, with more positive than negative experience in the end. .

I agree we all now what where buying with modern BioWare games nowadays.

BoboTheMighty said:
Every time I visit gamebanshee, it feels like I've logged onto a funeral, why can't they simply clean up web design, like here or Bioware forums…CDPR forums, also feel like an eyesore.

I hated that site every since they updated to an IPad layout.

Ovenall · July 9, 2015

joxer:

You have a weird relationship with me!

No I just got bored. It was mostly good, just way too long. And I was never a fan of the longwinded political crap that Bioware came up with going back to the first DA game.

But have a good day Joxer!

joxer · July 9, 2015

Day? Midnight passed here about half an hour ago.
But thanks.

DArtagnan · July 9, 2015

Bioware writing is really my main issue with the game. I don't think their political stuff is poorly written as such, it's just incredibly boring - and it clashes heavily with their melodramatic character writing.

To me, it seems lke they want to treat politics like it's treated on the news. Impersonal and "adult".

I much prefer how The Witcher makes it into something human and flawed - which is precisely what real politics are all about.

Sumerisle · July 9, 2015

DArtagnan said:
Bioware writing is really my main issue with the game. I don't think their political stuff is poorly written as such, it's just incredibly boring - and it clashes heavily with their melodramatic character writing.

To me, it seems lke they want to treat politics like it's treated on the news. Impersonal and "adult".

I much prefer how The Witcher makes it into something human and flawed - which is precisely what real politics are all about.

BW are full of the "political correctness" stuff. You can't write properly being so zealous about those principles, and expect mature audience appreciate your work. Is just that, mature people already have their ideas, you cannot target a mature game to be "edutainment".

Gokyabgu · July 9, 2015

Couchpotato said:
Please dont change guys its always nice to read BioWare comments on this site.

I agree we all now what where buying with modern BioWare games nowadays.
I hated that site every since they updated to an IPad layout.

I couldn't agree more. What was wrong with the old design? Ever since they went to the new design my phone (4s by the way) struggling to open up the page. Please don't change RPGWatch's.

Brumbek · July 9, 2015

DArtagnan said:
Bioware writing is really my main issue with the game. I don't think their political stuff is poorly written as such, it's just incredibly boring - and it clashes heavily with their melodramatic character writing.

To me, it seems lke they want to treat politics like it's treated on the news. Impersonal and "adult".

I much prefer how The Witcher makes it into something human and flawed - which is precisely what real politics are all about.

I totally agree with you. DA:I was just a bit too fantasy, with good and evil. It would have benefited from much more focus on pragmatism and human nature. But it is what it is.

TheMadGamer · July 9, 2015

The last 5-6 years has seen a push with CRPGs to get away from the nobody-who-saves-the-world-from-big-bad-foozle. But honestly, I think I'm ready for exactly that kind of game... in a Tolkien-esque setting. With dwarves. And trolls.

DA:Inquisition - Review @ GameBanshee

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