Dragon Age: Inquisition Sees Morrigan's Return

[Fanghawk]

Dragon Age: Inquisition Sees Morrigan's Return

Dragon Age's best-known Witch of the Wilds has a central role in Dragon Age: Inquisition, although not as a playable character.

For many fans, Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age 2 were as different as night and day. While both games <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/reviews/8701-Dragon-Age-II-Review>received overwhelmingly positive reviews, Dragon Age 2 was half the length of the original, far smaller in scope, and didn't feature any of Origins' major characters. BioWare is making a point of rectifying that last issue for Dragon Age: Inquisition; not only will the developer carry over the results of decisions from Origins and Dragon Age 2, but fan-favorite Morrigan will return as a major character, kicking off a story that's been in the works since the first game.

"The kernel of Inquisition's story we knew from about midway through Dragon Age: Origins," creative director Mike Laidlaw explains. "The story has been in the making for a very long time. The story of Inquisition is [Morrigan's] moment, which is a good way to think about it ... I think you could say in Dragon Age II, we didn't go to that story, but it has always been there, waiting for us."

Morrigan was introduced as a cynical and reclusive witch in a world where many mages were hunted for their craft. By the time Origins ended, players hadn't even learned half of her mysteries, but BioWare hasn't reexamined her character since 2010's Witch Hunt DLC. Now, with Inquisition primed to depict a struggle between Templars and mages, Morrigan couldn't be returning at a better time.

The main downside to Morrigan's return, however, is that she won't be a playable character. "I think it is fair for people to understand that [Morrigan] will not be a party member," Laidlaw said. "That's going to disappoint some people, but I think it's important for us to be upfront about that." Laidlaw is quick to add that although Morrigan isn't playable, she will nonetheless play a major role in Inquisition's story. "It's not a cameo. She plays a significant role."

Source: Joystiq

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[BrotherRool]

Just in case Morrigan narrating the E3 trailer for the game and being the big reveal shot at the end hadn't already tipped you off =D

 

[Grimh]

That's fine, I never used her anyway since she hated everything I did.

[Morrigan Disapproves -5]

NOO[small]OOO[/small]ooo[small]ooo[/small]...

 

[KaZuYa]

They should just disown Dragon Age 2, call it non canon and make this follow directly on from origins. The Warden was so much more of a personal hero than Shepard. If we can't continue with over beloved Warden we need to at least need to know what happened to the Warden because of how interlinked your story could of ended with Morrigan after Witch Hunt

 

[synobal]

They really are working hard at trying to lure back fans they lost with Dragon Age 2, color me unimpressed though. I'm happy with how Morrigan's story ended in her DLC. I bought every single Dragon age Origins DLC plus awakening. Dragon age 2? I didn't finish the main game and didn't buy nor was I interested in the DLC. It was that bad.

 

[Abomination]

Just in case Morrigan narrating the E3 trailer for the game and being the big reveal shot at the end hadn't already tipped you off =D

I mean, is it really news?

Hey, there's supposedly this dwarf character with a big crossbow in it too! I wonder if he'll play a part!?

HMMMMMM

 

[Oly J]

oh god damn it now I have to play through Dragon Age 2

seriously though I'm glad she's back, I loved conversations with her, always so delightfully sarcastic

 

[RJ 17]

Just in case Morrigan narrating the E3 trailer for the game and being the big reveal shot at the end hadn't already tipped you off =D

My thoughts exactly when I saw this headline pop up.

Man I REALLY need to buckle down and finally finish Origins.

Seriously...get off your ass. Just watch out for those delightful rooms that have an enemy mage lurking inside them just itching to throw a knock-down fireball at your face the moment you open the door, thus wiping out your entire part.

They should just disown Dragon Age 2, call it non canon and make this follow directly on from origins. The Warden was so much more of a personal hero than ShepardHawke. If we can't continue with over beloved Warden we need to at least need to know what happened to the Warden because of how interlinked your story could of ended with Morrigan after Witch Hunt

Wrong series my friend, went ahead and fixed that for you. :3

OT:
Here's the big question and what will undoubtedly bring about the most criticism unless they TRULY make it based on the decision made in Origins:

Spoiler: Using this since, apparently, some people still have not beaten the game. It has to do with a certain major offer that Morrigan proposes towards the end of the game.

What's going to be the deal with the God Baby? If you go through with it, in theory, Morrigan now has a child with the powers of an Old God.....I'd imagine that'd be a rather huge plot-point. Yet if you turn down the offer, obviously she wouldn't have the God Baby, which means that major plot point would have to be removed. Are they going to retcon it in like "Lelianna's Ressurection"? If they do, I bet there's going to be a lot of people just as pissed off as they were to find out that Lelianna was alive when they quite clearly killed her back in Origins. If they allow the decision to stand as you made it - thus leaving the possibility open for the God Baby to NOT exist, I'd say that's a pretty big absence they'd have to write around. I mean it's a frickin' God Baby, how could it not have a major effect on the world?

 

[shintakie10]

I wonder which endin to the Witch Hunt DLC is canon.

Guess we'll find out in Dragon Age Inquisition!

Either that or Bioware will not give a fuck and just retcon somethin again because it doesn't fit neatly into their black and white bubble.

 

[bug_of_war]

They should just disown Dragon Age 2, call it non canon and make this follow directly on from origins. The Warden was so much more of a personal hero than Shepard. If we can't continue with over beloved Warden we need to at least need to know what happened to the Warden because of how interlinked your story could of ended with Morrigan after Witch Hunt

Could not disagree with you more. I much prefer the constant swapping of characters, keeps the game fresh and gives you a new perspective (Which is especially interesting when it comes to whom is in the wrong, Templars or Mages?). as for DA2, I thought it's story was solid, could have been better, but it was a solid story, I preferred Hawke over the Warden simply because it was more of a personal story. The Blight effected everyone, but most of the quests throughout DA2 really were about Hawke bettering himself financially, morally (although that one is entirely up to you).

Also, when you said, "we need to at least need to know what happened to the Warden because of how interlinked your story could of ended with Morrigan after Witch Hunt" Bioware have already stated that just because you're not playing as the previous 2 characters doesn't mean they wont show up. Also, and this is just a personal thing, I really hate it that everyone wants to know EVERY detail in it's fullest, why can't we have a little mystery? And looking at ME3 and the reaction most people hurled at it for answering certain questions, I really feel as though it's the worst thing they can do, people already have filled in the gaps with their own idea, so any answer will seem underwhelming. Ambiguity is what keeps life interesting, why can't games be ambiguous too?

 

[saintdane05]

Oh, God. The comedy quotes. Must... resist... quotes!

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<youtube=QqreRufrkxM>
And since we have a witch...
<youtube=zrzMhU_4m-g>

 

[Combustion Kevin]

regarding that whole plotpoint

Spoiler: well maybe...

What if this godchild would be the main antagonist this time around, but only if you actually agreed to her proposal.
if you did not, you'd get a different antagonist, different appearance, voice, conversation options, but in effect the same villain as he poses the same threat and does the same things (mostly) in-game.
It would be superficial, yes, but it'd make sense and actually be achievable budget-wise.

 

[RJ 17]

regarding that whole plotpoint

Spoiler: well maybe...

What if this godchild would be the main antagonist this time around, but only if you actually agreed to her proposal.
if you did not, you'd get a different antagonist, different appearance, voice, conversation options, but in effect the same villain as he poses the same threat and does the same things (mostly) in-game.
It would be superficial, yes, but it'd make sense and actually be achievable budget-wise.

I can still see people getting really pissed off about something like that, the same way they were pissed off when Anderson was no longer a Councilor in ME3. It's actually in the Codex if you had made him a Councilor, saying "He grew increasingly dissatisfied with his position and wanted to get back to military life, so he gave up his position to Udina in order to become an Admiral." Or something along those lines...still, people were PISSED that he wasn't a councilor. Just inserting someone into "that thing's" place would likely garner a similar reaction I bet.

 

[Saviordd1]

They should just disown Dragon Age 2, call it non canon and make this follow directly on from origins. The Warden was so much more of a personal hero than Shepard. If we can't continue with over beloved Warden we need to at least need to know what happened to the Warden because of how interlinked your story could of ended with Morrigan after Witch Hunt

They probably wont because a surprising amount of us actually liked DA2.

OT: Huge shock. She's simply to big and to OP to have in the group. It'd be like having Flemeth in your party

 

[Infernai]

They should just disown Dragon Age 2, call it non canon and make this follow directly on from origins. The Warden was so much more of a personal hero than Shepard. If we can't continue with over beloved Warden we need to at least need to know what happened to the Warden because of how interlinked your story could of ended with Morrigan after Witch Hunt

Could not disagree with you more. I much prefer the constant swapping of characters, keeps the game fresh and gives you a new perspective (Which is especially interesting when it comes to whom is in the wrong, Templars or Mages?). as for DA2, I thought it's story was solid, could have been better, but it was a solid story, I preferred Hawke over the Warden simply because it was more of a personal story. The Blight effected everyone, but most of the quests throughout DA2 really were about Hawke bettering himself financially, morally (although that one is entirely up to you).

Also, when you said, "we need to at least need to know what happened to the Warden because of how interlinked your story could of ended with Morrigan after Witch Hunt" Bioware have already stated that just because you're not playing as the previous 2 characters doesn't mean they wont show up. Also, and this is just a personal thing, I really hate it that everyone wants to know EVERY detail in it's fullest, why can't we have a little mystery? And looking at ME3 and the reaction most people hurled at it for answering certain questions, I really feel as though it's the worst thing they can do, people already have filled in the gaps with their own idea, so any answer will seem underwhelming. Ambiguity is what keeps life interesting, why can't games be ambiguous too?

I admit i partially agree: I do like that they're making us play new protagonists as it does seem to allow us to experience more of Thedas. However, DA 2 I do disagree on a bit. I admit i didn't openly hate it but i did feel it was a pretty big mis-step in alot of ways both in plot and gameplay elements. But there is one very big flaw that hangs over the entirety of Dragon Age 2 which i hope inquisition fixes if i ever decide to get it: It's Pointless.

I understand it's a more personal story, and alot of this has to do with the gameplay and the rushed nature of the game, but at the end of the game i really felt like i accomplished about as much as a character as i would have if i'd just sat in the manor all day. I felt that it would have been better to just make Dragon Age 2 a kind of mini-series not unlike the "Episodes" ubisoft made for Assassins Creed 2 just before it's release as it would have helped explain how the whole mage/templar war happened. And more to the point it seems this game appears to be more focused on the Veil being torn open rather then the Mage/Templar war, which i do imagine still being an important part of the game, but again the fact remains: Dragon Age 2 just felt more like nothing i did mattered, even more so then ME 3 did, which is why i felt it was better suited as a movie then a game.

Still wouldn't mind a dual/switched perspective boss fight between Hawke and The Warden like the one between Raziel and Kain in Defiance:

 

[Baron_BJ]

There's no way that this game will come out without an obscene number of retcons, causing an unbelievable amount of (justified) pissing and moaning.

What if the Warden ran away with Morrigan in Witch Hunt?
What if the Warden stabbed Morrigan in the fucking stomach in Witch Hunt? Surely she'd be out for revenge?
What if the Warden, now a king/queen, offered their dear friend Morrigan support with anything at a moments notice at the end of Witch Hunt?
What if the Warden made a choice to betray Morrigan to Flemeth, causing Morrigan's guard to be weakened so that at a later date Flemeth could steal her fucking body?

Also, to put to bed a couple of questions that people keep asking, yet have already officially been answered:

The god-child is NOT going to be the player character or Antagonist. In fact a lot of statements have said that it would be a background cameo at best.

The Warden will NOT be appearing in the game (I know, this pissed me off too, it's fucking maddening considering what they're trying to do).

 

[RJ 17]

With the whole "Udina/Anderson" thing, I can see their point.


People who chose Anderson in ME1/ME2 did so because you can practically tell Udina is a major snake in the grass, and its only made even more painfully obvious in Mass Effect 3. And it's something Anderson is well aware of as well, considering the only real use Udina serves is when he needs something done politically.

So the idea of Anderson just giving Udina the position is weak. If anything, Bioware missed a good chance to have Udina undermine Anderson's post and somehow take it for himself.

Oh believe me, one of the first things I said during the first 3 minutes of the game was "Ummmmmm, wtf? Anderson, what the hell are you doing here? Shouldn't you be on the Citadel?" And yeah, I was pretty pissed off to see that they had just retconned Udina into the council. However unlike a lot of players, after I read the codex entry explaining that Anderson never liked being a Councilor and thus he stepped down to give his seat to Udina, I said "Meh, fair enough."

Because to be fair, Anderson doesn't really want the job when you pick him at the end of ME1, but you say he's exactly the type of person you need on the Council so he accepts. But then in ME2 when you meet up with him, he talks about how much he hates his job and doesn't really want to be a councilor dealing with all the beaurocratic BS that comes with it. So it's not like the pulled the retcon completely out of their ass. That said, it's still a retcon.

But at least they actually give an excuse for it (and an understandable/acceptable excuse at that if you really think about it)...unlike Lelianna who somehow magically reattached her head after I chopped it off in Origins. Yeah, they just up and said "Nope, that never happened."

As for Udina, I think people have him pegged wrong, buuuuuuuuut that's a discussion for a completely different topic.

 

[RJ 17]

But there is one very big flaw that hangs over the entirety of Dragon Age 2 which i hope inquisition fixes if i ever decide to get it: It's Pointless.

I hear this a lot from the people that had major problems with the story of DA2, and I have to disagree with it. Really you have to look at it for what it is: the sequel in a trilogy. The middle chapter always feels pretty bland with no satisfying "end". Basically all you do is advance the plot and usually make some big revelation, nothing is really accomplished though. I mean look at The Empire Strikes Back. What REALLY happens in that movie? Luke gains better mastery of the force, Han gets frozen, Luke gets his hand chopped of, and Vader reveals that he's Luke's father. What was accomplished though?.......the rebel base on Hoth was destroyed? All Empire does is advance the plot and set up the story for Return of the Jedi to wrap up the trilogy. Same thing with Matrix Reloaded and Pirates of the Caribbean 2 (regardless of what you thought of those movies, I'm using them to illustrate what I'm talking about with the 2nd chapter in most trilogies).

In the case of DA2, it was to show the series of events that sparked a war that would engulf all of Thedas as the Mages revolted against their Templar keepers. Really the only thing having to do with the Veil in DA2 was the fact that due to it's bloody and violent history, the Veil in Kirkwall was incredibly thin, rendering the place as pretty much a cursed city where bad things will ALWAYS happen. Because the veil was so thin, the Mages were more prone to consorting with demons. Because of this, the Templars were more prone to become even more strict. And to be fair you really can't blame them...you can't say that Meredith was ENTIRELY crazy for seeing blood mages everywhere she looked when....there's blood mages everywhere YOU look. Seriously, damn near every mage you meet in that game turns out to be a blood mage, even the First Enchanter himself knows demonic magic, so clearly Meredith's suspicions at least started out as being justified. It brings into question whether or not the idol she forged into a sword was really driving her mad.

But I'm getting off track here, like I said: the point of DA2 was simply to advance the plot and provide a big revelation. The plot advancement being how Hawke rose to power and became a key figure in the events that sparked the magic civil war. The big revelation being the fact that a magic civil war has just started.

That said, however, you are perfectly justified in saying that DA2 could have/should have been just a miniseries of comics or something that showed Hawke's life and how the magic civil war started. It wasn't nearly as grand or epic a story to play through as DA:O's story was, seeing as how it's just a slice-of-life story showing someone's rise from refugee to being one of the most important people in the city. Really all you do is wander around fighting gangs and killing blood mages.

So while I can definitely see your point of "not doing anything", I'd argue that saying that is different than labeling the story "completely pointless".

P.S. I don't really see how they could do a cross-over fight between The Warden and Hawke. For that matter, I don't see how The Grey Wardens will be playing a large part in the story at all. It's made clear in the first game that they remain completely neutral in the affairs of the world at large, their only concern is fighting against Dark Spawn and preventing or at least ending Blights. That's why they're welcome where ever they go: they're a neutral party that doesn't take sides. I doubt they'd pick a side in the Mage/Templar civil war.

 

[Infernai]

P.S. I don't really see how they could do a cross-over fight between The Warden and Hawke. For that matter, I don't see how The Grey Wardens will be playing a large part in the story at all. It's made clear in the first game that they remain completely neutral in the affairs of the world at large, their only concern is fighting against Dark Spawn and preventing or at least ending Blights. That's why they're welcome where ever they go: they're a neutral party that doesn't take sides. I doubt they'd pick a side in the Mage/Templar civil war.

A couple of ways i can see it happening:

Given the Veils coming apart, i imagine they might just decide to lend a hand to the Inquisition. Even if their primary duty is slaying Darkspawn, that Duty ain't gonna be worth much if reality get's invaded by eldritch abominations from beyond the Veil and murder everything. Plus, given the Grey Wardens are kind of well versed in hunting monsters i can imagine they'd probably be forced to get involved in hunting monsters down because things have gotten so bad. And seeing how, as you said, practically everyone in Kirkwall was a blood mage, who's to say they don't end up getting into a quarrel with at-least one mage that, perhaps, Hawke might want to keep alive for questioning/info etc...thus forcing a fight.

Or alternatively.

Crazy Blood mages attack wardens because...they're fucking blood mages currently on a high from the Veil breaking aprt, forcing them into fighting out of sheer self defense

But, that's just the wardens themselves, not our Warden Commander.

Well, even that has a number of possibility's: Perhaps Hawke is out to hunt Morrigan and the Warden (Who became her lover) opts to defend her for the sake of his love and his/his friends child. Could just be a simple misunderstanding or clashing goals that causes them to duke it out. Could even play into the Warden being posessed/influenced by a demonic influence that clouds their judgement and forces a conflict that ends up playing right into his enemies hands (The same reason Raziel fought Kain in Defiance).

...Or they could simply both be blind drunk and cause one helluva bar brawl.

 

[Gormech]

She's back ...
Turns out -__removed via spoiler stuff__- qualify for child support.

Great ...