Dragon Age: Inquisition Review - Monumental

[Imp_Emissary]

I think I'm missing out on something here. Was there something controversial about The Escapist's previous reviews of Dragon Age?

<-<..... Not sure if serious.....
Ah, I'll give ya the benefit of the doubt.

For all those who don't know, Greg reviewed the last Dragon Age game (Dragon Age 2), really liked the game, and gave it a 5/5.

A fair amount of people, didn't share his opinion on the game [sub](also happened with GTA5, though I don't think people even got to play the game yet when they started complaining)[/sub].

So people who didn't like DA:2 are making jokes, or are really worried that they might not like DA:I, because Greg gave both games the same score.

Though, if the score is the only thing their going on, that is a little silly. ;p

That said, not everyone can like the same game, and often MANY people don't like the same games. That's why I've seen 8 reviews of DA:I (including Greg's), before deciding to be VERY hyped for the game.

So... if people feel like Greg having liked Dragon Age 2 is an indicator that his opinion on this game is likely to be based on different criteria then them (he loved an RPG they hated), why not... read another review by someone who didn't like Dragon Age 2..?

I understand that a lot of people were legitimately angry at DA2, but there was still enough quality in that game that some people love it to pieces despite its flaws. Some of those people happen to write reviews for game publications.

Well my feathered friend, that would require all the people on the internet to be reasonable.

You can get most of the people to be reasonable, but they don't comment as much. xD

I think I'm missing out on something here. Was there something controversial about The Escapist's previous reviews of Dragon Age?

<-<..... Not sure if serious.....
Ah, I'll give ya the benefit of the doubt.

I swear I didn't know. I don't usually read reviews in The Escapist, I just clicked this one to see how Tito was doing replacing Jim.

I think he did a good job. People shouldn't be too surprised that they picked him to do the review.

What with the "controversy" of the last review. xD

 

[Nimzabaat]

"the cultures in Thedas have always treated gender this way"

Actually, that isn't correct. Ya may want to look up the story of a knight called Aveline. The one we don't work with in DA2. ;D

Though, the game world has been pretty egalitarian when in comes to sex/gender/orientation in the times/places we've been playing Dragon Age so far. However, it wasn't always like that. Sorry to be so lore nit-picky. ;p

Anyway, good review. I'll be getting my game tomorrow, but I'll have to wait a bit to play it.
Darn college.

From what I've been hearing so far, I should have a lot of fun.

Well it's egalitarian until you remember how the Qunari feel about women. I remember Sten and Leliana's "why would you want to be a man" conversation. I'm also a little curious as to whether DA:I is retconning Qunari attitudes towards women or making your character be a rebel. The latter i'm okay with, the former is just weak.

 

[Juan Regular]

I've played DA:I for a few hours and so far it's been absolutely amazing with a few minor flaws and a couple design decisions I don't completely agree with. Take my opinion with a grain of salt though. I very much enjoyed DA2.

 

[esserin]

snip

Well it's egalitarian until you remember how the Qunari feel about women. I remember Sten and Leliana's "why would you want to be a man" conversation. I'm also a little curious as to whether DA:I is retconning Qunari attitudes towards women or making your character be a rebel. The latter i'm okay with, the former is just weak.

I can confirm it's the latter.

While you are a member of the Qunari species, you are not a member of their culture.
You're a Tal-vashoth. It's why you can still be a mage with horns and everything.

 

[Imp_Emissary]

"the cultures in Thedas have always treated gender this way"

Actually, that isn't correct. Ya may want to look up the story of a knight called Aveline. The one we don't work with in DA2. ;D

Though, the game world has been pretty egalitarian when in comes to sex/gender/orientation in the times/places we've been playing Dragon Age so far. However, it wasn't always like that. Sorry to be so lore nit-picky. ;p

Anyway, good review. I'll be getting my game tomorrow, but I'll have to wait a bit to play it.
Darn college.

From what I've been hearing so far, I should have a lot of fun.

Well it's egalitarian until you remember how the Qunari feel about women. I remember Sten and Leliana's "why would you want to be a man" conversation. I'm also a little curious as to whether DA:I is retconning Qunari attitudes towards women or making your character be a rebel. The latter i'm okay with, the former is just weak.

Well, we haven't gone to Qunari lands yet. Plus, I think that was retconned in DA:2. What with how they had Tallis acting.

Pretty sure they wouldn't expect their women to join the Ben-Hassrath if they have to act the ways Sten said.

 

[Imp_Emissary]

snip

Well it's egalitarian until you remember how the Qunari feel about women. I remember Sten and Leliana's "why would you want to be a man" conversation. I'm also a little curious as to whether DA:I is retconning Qunari attitudes towards women or making your character be a rebel. The latter i'm okay with, the former is just weak.

I can confirm it's the latter.

While you are a member of the Qunari species, you are not a member of their culture.
You're a Tal-vashoth. It's why you can still be a mage with horns and everything.

Actually we're apparently not even Tal-vashoth. Our "Qunari" character is suppose to be born outside of the Qun, so we're Vashoth.
http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/The_Inquisitor


Not sure how they're going to handle introducing us to Qunari Culture. They've given a lot of lore (and retcons), but some of the info kind of contradicts others.

I guess we'll see eventually. :/

 

[Nimzabaat]

snip

Well it's egalitarian until you remember how the Qunari feel about women. I remember Sten and Leliana's "why would you want to be a man" conversation. I'm also a little curious as to whether DA:I is retconning Qunari attitudes towards women or making your character be a rebel. The latter i'm okay with, the former is just weak.

I can confirm it's the latter.

While you are a member of the Qunari species, you are not a member of their culture.
You're a Tal-vashoth. It's why you can still be a mage with horns and everything.

Okay that I can live with. I wonder how that will affect your encounters with other Qunari? That should be interesting. I really hope it's interesting.

 

[infohippie]

While I did not share Greg's appreciation of Dragon Age 2 in the slightest, I must admit that DA Inquisition is sounding like a big step in the right direction. I did not see any mention of whether enemy NPCs spawned in strategy-breaking waves again, like they did in DA2, so I will wait on more reviews to decide whether I purchase this or not, but I am so far cautiously optimistic.

 

[Bors Mistral]

Will start playing this soon enough and hopefully Greg's fanatic praise of the game is well founded.

If the Escapist decides to task Greg with the review of TW3 in a few months, it better not be a repeat of how things went the last time the two series had fresh outings.

 

[Tawanda]

LOL Dragon age 2 will haunt u forever Greg, I m going to wait for a bit before I purchase and get user reviews

 

[Echopunk]

I drank the Koolade and pre-ordered this on PS4 and just played around with it for a little bit after the midnight unlock, due to my unfortunate requirement to go into work in a few hours.

Didn't get much past character creation and a couple of conversations before I saved and powered the system down. The character models look only partially upscalled from last gen bases, and the hair and beard options, at least for a human character are almost universally terrible.

I know it is very nit picky to focus on this aspect, when I haven't even begun playing the game proper, but in an RPG that allows me to craft the appearance of my main character, the inability to create an avatar that I can connect with puts up roadblocks between me and the experience.

I once painstakingly crafted a character for Mass Effect only to be horrified the first time the game camera caught him from a certain angle - causing me to go back and try again.

The review is incredibly positive, and I am looking forward to digging into the game when I have enough time to invest in it, but so far it has started by putting a bad taste in my mouth.

Although, considering the main character possibly is linked to a powerful force that wiped out a conclave, I'm thinking I'll start over and design the character to resemble Jesse Custer from Preacher as much as possible, making sure to take every "badass" conversation option that comes up - at the very least, it should keep me entertained if not entirely immersed.

If anything, I'm feeling that I should have purchased this for 360 so I could import my world data (or whatever), but I recently purchased a PS4 and wanted to find SOMETHING worth buying for it.

 

[WarpedLord]

I liked Dragon Age 2 a lot so I don't mind that Greg gives this game a 5/5.

I've told myself all year I was going to wait for the game of the year edition. But now I'am not so sure if I can wait that long.

The main problem with the Dragon Age 2 wasn't his opinion, it was his evaluation of the game. You can like something and still recognize it is flawed, rushed, with stupid combat mechanisms and prone to disapoint fans of the series. He was incapable to point those things out. \\his review looks like some fan gushing about the game.

Eeeeexcept that "flawed, rushed, with stupid combat mechanisms and prone to disappoint fans of the series" are all opinions (all of which I mostly share, but still) so why would Greg point those out, when they obviously weren't his opinion??? All you did was prove that your problem IS with his opinion, even though you JUST said that it wasn't his opinion that was the "main" problem.

 

[Elfgore]

I'm really enjoying it so far. Mixes DA:O's and DA2's combat in a nice way. Battles still feel epic, but I have to think ahead. The game looks really nice and the designs for environments, armor, and weapons are great. They really have changed since the four armor skins of DA:O. My only issues are lack of noticeable quick-save.[footnote]F5 doesn't work and I couldn't find the key-binding page. It may just be hiding somewhere.[/footnote] I also don't like how I can't click to move somewhere now. Makes looting a real ***** since I need to be right next the item. The maps are fucking huge, with a lot to do. I've only played about an hour and a half, but it's looking real good. The game also opens up real quick too.

 

[pearcinator]

Good review but man! Get a better PC! It's obvious you are playing on low-min specs! That lego hair haha

 

[bottero]

I liked Dragon Age 2 a lot so I don't mind that Greg gives this game a 5/5.

I've told myself all year I was going to wait for the game of the year edition. But now I'am not so sure if I can wait that long.

The main problem with the Dragon Age 2 wasn't his opinion, it was his evaluation of the game. You can like something and still recognize it is flawed, rushed, with stupid combat mechanisms and prone to disapoint fans of the series. He was incapable to point those things out. \\his review looks like some fan gushing about the game.

Eeeeexcept that "flawed, rushed, with stupid combat mechanisms and prone to disappoint fans of the series" are all opinions (all of which I mostly share, but still) so why would Greg point those out, when they obviously weren't his opinion??? All you did was prove that your problem IS with his opinion, even though you JUST said that it wasn't his opinion that was the "main" problem.

You can also diskike something (like games from a certain genere) and still recognize the level of detail, the polish, the gameplay, the depth a game has.
DA2's review was a slap across the face of anyone that calls themselves a gamer.

 

[Fdzzaigl]

I played it for close to eight hours yesterday (VPN bypassing regional locks ahoy) and I gotta say: this game is insanely massive. In those eight hours I explored a tiny winy stretch of land in the hinterlands and managed to help some refugees and close a few rifts, but didn't even make it to Redcliffe. Of course, playing on nightmare I got my ass whooped and had to retreat with my tail between my legs several times too.

Although some would critique this as an overabundance of fetch quests and the like, all of the quests I've encountered so far have been well-integrated in the overall world, with tons of context to them. Even a quest to fetch some potion for a guy's sick wife takes you to a massive castle in the hills where a bunch of cultists are revering an opened rift, hoping that the maker will carry them to the "Golden City" etc. You can literally walk all over their castle, climb up and down ladders, discover secrets and loot and listen to their take on the entire situation. All of that for just one measly side quest, it's almost baffling.

The only issue might be that there is simply SO much to do that you run the risk of losing sight of the main story. What mr. Tito said about Elfroots and herbs is also true: everything serves a purpose. I think the game might actually give me OCD with all its little collectibles in the end

Combat has been great too, but it does require a bit of patience to get the hang of it. Especially on nightmare you need to first figure out how to work with the AI and not against it, unlike previous DA games where you pretty much had to program their AI yourself.

 

[Nixou]

This is the guy who called DA2 one of the best looking games of the last generation. Never letting you live that down.

The thing is, I'm replaying the game on PC with maxed settings right now, and it turns out that the game is gorgeous, albeit with an art-style that's depressing as hell

 

[Frankster]

I'm gonna go put my fingers in my ears and ignore anything Dragon Age related for next month until the hype has calmed down and more nuanced opinions of the games virtues and flaws become known. After DA2's review+ that you need to get origins to play this game, this purchase requires quite a lot of thought.

Personally when it comes to reviewers, my tastes seem to align best with that of Angry Joe so gonna wait for his verdict.

I swear I didn't know. I don't usually read reviews in The Escapist, I just clicked this one to see how Tito was doing replacing Jim.

Heya to my friendly argentinian football rival I'll answer this one.

Basically it was less of a review and more of a love letter, with Tito making parallels between roaming the very limited city (which barely changes in the whole decade the game is meant to take place in, making the time dilution very pointless) and his own upbringing in new york.

Now everyone is entitled to their own opinion but Tito couldn't pick up on ANY design flaw or any criticism of note that I can remember (and even die hard DA2 lovers have to admit the game had its issues), just praise it to the high heavens as the god send of rpgs.

TLDR Tito was all like "omg this is a 10/10 game, best rpg of decade! Buy it nao! And tell your friends to buy it!" and I'm honestly barely exagerating here. Which led to a cognitive dissonance for a lot of people where they bought the game expecting it to be the best thing since sliced bread but instead got a very flawed product and wondered just what the hell Tito was smoking that he couldn 't find any faults in the game.

Now I admit I'm an idiot for getting the game last time on such little reccomendation, which is why I've learnt from that experience and ain't falling for it this time.

 

[nevarran]

I had no doubts about buying this one. I just love RPGs and I like Bioware's games.
Tho' it's good to see the positive reviews.