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BioWare uses a brand new game engine founded upon Frostbite 3.<ref>Gaston, Martin (2013-03-28). [http://www.gamespot.com/news/next-mass-effect-and-dragon-age-games-using-frostbite-3-6406107 "Next Mass Effect and Dragon Age games using Frostbite 3"]. GameSpot. Retrieved 2013-03-28.</ref> |
BioWare uses a brand new game engine founded upon Frostbite 3.<ref>Gaston, Martin (2013-03-28). [http://www.gamespot.com/news/next-mass-effect-and-dragon-age-games-using-frostbite-3-6406107 "Next Mass Effect and Dragon Age games using Frostbite 3"]. GameSpot. Retrieved 2013-03-28.</ref> |
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| − | The game introduces new creatures and enemies, including several new demons, non- |
+ | The game introduces new creatures and enemies, including several new demons, non-aggressive critters, and several [[High dragon]]s. |
Regarding character creation, the advent of multiple playable races by necessity requires different body and armor models for the protagonist.<ref>The Return of Races in Dragon Age: Inquisition. https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2013/08/14/the-return-of-races-in-dragon-age-inquisition.aspx</ref> This aspect, according to Mike Laidlaw, takes precedence over any potential body shape choices or sliders in ''Inquisition's'' character creator.<ref>Mike Laidlaw Twitter. https://twitter.com/Mike_Laidlaw/status/368794406670712832</ref> Additionally, according to [[David Gaider]], Inquisition features more race-specific content than was planned for the protagonist backgrounds originally designed for the game.<ref>David Gaider. "So now that we will get our multiple races..." http://forum.bioware.com/topic/481261-so-now-that-we-will-get-our-multiple-races/#17214530</ref> |
Regarding character creation, the advent of multiple playable races by necessity requires different body and armor models for the protagonist.<ref>The Return of Races in Dragon Age: Inquisition. https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2013/08/14/the-return-of-races-in-dragon-age-inquisition.aspx</ref> This aspect, according to Mike Laidlaw, takes precedence over any potential body shape choices or sliders in ''Inquisition's'' character creator.<ref>Mike Laidlaw Twitter. https://twitter.com/Mike_Laidlaw/status/368794406670712832</ref> Additionally, according to [[David Gaider]], Inquisition features more race-specific content than was planned for the protagonist backgrounds originally designed for the game.<ref>David Gaider. "So now that we will get our multiple races..." http://forum.bioware.com/topic/481261-so-now-that-we-will-get-our-multiple-races/#17214530</ref> |
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Revision as of 03:27, 6 July 2016
Dragon Age: Inquisition is BioWare's third installment in the Dragon Age series, continuing the journey throughout the medieval-themed continent of Thedas, introduced in Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age II.
Announcement and Release Timeline
On the evening of May 19th, 2011, BioWare Creative Lead Alistair McNally informally announced the game via Twitter.[1]
The title was formally confirmed as Dragon Age III: Inquisition on September 17th, 2012 in an open letter by Executive Producer Mark Darrah.[2]
During its 2013 E3 press conference, publishing house Electronic Arts announced that Dragon Age: Inquisition was due for release in the Autumn of 2014.
On April 22nd, 2014, BioWare released a trailer confirming an October 7th, 2014 release date for Dragon Age: Inquisition.[3]
On July 22nd, 2014, the release was delayed to November 18th for North America and November 21st for Europe.[4]
On November 18th 2014, Electronic Arts released the title on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC (Origin) in North America. The European release for these platforms was delayed until November 21st 2014.
On December 15th, 2014 a multiplayer pack called Destruction became available as free DLC. Also, on December 15th, 2014 a Deluxe Upgrade was made available in some regions as DLC costing $9.99 USD. This upgrade includes all of the "Inquisitor's Edition preorder items.
Development
Development of Inquisition began prior to the release of Dragon Age II, and it was originally conceived as a multiplayer-only game, codenamed "Blackfoot" during development.[5]
BioWare originally planned on combining elements of earlier installments in the series (Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age II) into the creation of Dragon Age: Inquisition.[6]
Combat differs somewhat from its predecessors, focusing more on a player's ability to prepare, position and form a cohesive team with their party members, requiring fewer repetitive finger strikes and more tactical thinking through the tactical camera mode. The armor customization also differs from both Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age II, in that each party member has interchangeable armor pieces that customize the look according to its specification and class.
The game includes a myriad of environments, with one level in Inquisition being as large as all the levels in Dragon Age II.[7]
BioWare uses a brand new game engine founded upon Frostbite 3.[8]
The game introduces new creatures and enemies, including several new demons, non-aggressive critters, and several High dragons.
Regarding character creation, the advent of multiple playable races by necessity requires different body and armor models for the protagonist.[9] This aspect, according to Mike Laidlaw, takes precedence over any potential body shape choices or sliders in Inquisition's character creator.[10] Additionally, according to David Gaider, Inquisition features more race-specific content than was planned for the protagonist backgrounds originally designed for the game.[11]
The narrative of Dragon Age: Inquisition involves investigating a tear in the Veil, a breach into the Fade.
The protagonist of this installment is known as the Inquisitor, following the player characters of previous two games: the Warden, the Warden-Commander, and the Champion. As was the case in Dragon Age: Origins, players will be able to choose from multiple races--including a previously unplayable race, the Qunari--and classes. With four playable races available this time for the Inquisitor, the game recognizes race flags, class flags, and sometimes a combination of the two depending on the situation. There is no option, however, to create a dwarf mage for lore reasons.[12]
The game is set in Thedas, covering parts of Orlais and Ferelden, and covers more geographic territory than its predecessors, with one map being described as four to five times the size of Ferelden--the setting of the first game in the series.
Choices made by the players impact the game's ending, with a wide variety of different endings possible based on choices made throughout the game with regards to quests and companions, among other things.
Planning the battle
The plot, as stated by BioWare, centers around "saving the world from itself," sealing the Breach and defeating the Elder One.[13] It also involves the Mage-Templar War, the foundations of which comprise the main plot of Dragon Age II.
The subtitle Inquisition has been previously hinted by the Dragon Age 2 strategy guide's epilogue, which asked "Will some kind of inquisition be at the heart of events of the next Dragon Age title?"[14] David Gaider has also said, "It'd be interesting to see if the Inquisition ever rose up again."[15]
Trevor Morris is responsible for the composition of the soundtracks.
Data transfer and world-states
- Main article: Dragon Age Keep
Selecting a custom Warden in the Keep-Beta version
On August 28, 2013, it was announced that players will be able to create their own specific canon and customize all important decisions from previous games (including DLC and the Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening expansion) in a cloud-based system called Dragon Age Keep. This new system prevents plot logic issues that have occurred when importing save-games in other titles.[16][17]
Dragon Age Keep also has the ability to give a narrative based on the world state to players, using the framing device of Varric telling a story, to reacquaint returning players to the significance of their choices and to introduce new players to the world's lore and backstory.
The Keep system aims to allow the player to customize cross-generational and cross-console world-states, ideally circumventing import bugs or other issues.
Selecting a custom Hawke in the Keep-Beta version
Players who do not have or choose not to import a world-state into Inquisition will be provided a default "canon" as in Dragon Age II: an "Ultimate Sacrifice" Dalish Warden, Alistair made King, and Hawke a male mage who sided with the mages.
Players are not able to directly import save files from previous games into the Keep, regardless of the platform the games were played on. However, Inquisition save files can be imported into the Keep if you're online while playing (or they will import next time you go online).
Patch 10 introduced the Golden Nug which allows players to migrate several different types of collection items and schematics across multiple Dragon Age: Inquisition playthroughs; once a single full playthrough has been completed, items can be transferred to any saved playthrough, including future ones.
Plot
- Main article: Storyline for Dragon Age: Inquisition
The game starts in 9:41 Dragon, one year after the events of Dragon Age II and ends in 9:42[18]. Orlais is undergoing a civil war, threatening the stability of southern Thedas. The Circle of Magi have rebelled against the oppressive templars in a bid for independence, leading to all-out war . In a last ditch effort for peace, Divine Justinia V has orchestrated the Divine Conclave- a peace summit between the ambassadors of the templars and the rebel mages for the purpose of negotiating a peaceful compromise.
A massive explosion kills the attendants of the Conclave and creates a massive tear in the Veil called the Breach, allowing Demons to invade Thedas unchecked. The player protagonist is the sole survivor of the explosion and wielder of the "Anchor"- a magical mark that bestows control over the Breach and Fade rifts. The player's miraculous accolades and ability to seal the Fade rifts leaves many to believe they are a messiah, specifically the Herald of Andraste. The player is inducted into the reborn Inquisition- an independent organization sanctioned by the late Divine Justinia to restore order should Thedas erupt into chaos- and eventually becomes its Inquisitor. Throughout the game the Inquisitor will be forced to make choices that directly impact the plot of the game. The actions of the player shake the very foundation of Thedas as it leads to the ultimate build up against an evil ready to usurp the throne of the Maker Himself.
Characters
- For information about recruitable companions, see Companions and advisors (Inquisition).
Major characters
- The Inquisitor: The protagonist of the game and leader of the Inquisition.
- Cullen: Advisor to the Inquisitor and a Knight-Captain of the Templar Order, who witnessed the deeds of both the Hero of Ferelden and the Champion of Kirkwall. He leads the Inquisition's military forces.
- Elder One: A mysterious entity who is served by the Venatori and the Red Templars.
- Josephine Montilyet: Advisor to the Inquisitor, a skilled diplomat and an old friend of Leliana.
- Leliana: Advisor to the Inquisitor, the Left Hand of the Divine and, depending on player choice, former companion of the Hero of Ferelden. She leads the clandestine division of the Inquisition responsible for espionage and assassination.
- Morrigan: A Witch of the Wilds, a shapeshifting apostate mage, and former companion of the Hero of Ferelden. She disappeared at the end of the Fifth Blight and reappeared years later as the arcane advisor to Empress Celene.
Companions
Dragon Age: Inquisition character Icons
- Blackwall: A Grey Warden of Orlais.
- Cassandra Pentaghast: The Right Hand of the Divine and one of the last loyal members of the Seekers of Truth.
- Cole: A mysterious ghost-like rogue, first introduced in Dragon Age: Asunder.
- Dorian Pavus: An Altus mage from the Tevinter Imperium.
- Iron Bull: A Qunari mercenary and agent of the Ben-Hassrath.
- Sera: An elven archer and member of the enigmatic group of rogues known as the Friends of Red Jenny.
- Solas: An apostate elven mage and expert on the Fade.
- Varric Tethras: A dwarven rogue and member of the Merchant's Guild. He is a consummate storyteller and former companion of the Champion of Kirkwall.
- Vivienne: A Loyalist Circle mage and First Enchanter of Montsimmard as well as Enchantress to the Imperial Court of Orlais.
Secondary characters
- Alexius: A member of the Magisterium who leads a band of Venatori into Redcliffe.
- Alistair (conditional): A Grey Warden, former companion of the Hero of Ferelden and, depending on player choice, King of Ferelden.
- Anora (conditional): Queen of Ferelden, depending on player choice.
- Briala: Ambassador for the elves of Orlais.
- Calpernia: Leader of the Venatori on behalf of the Elder One.
- Celene Valmont I: Empress of Orlais.
- Clarel: Warden-Commander of Orlais.
- Dagna: A smith caste dwarf or scholar of the Circle of Magi, depending on player choice.
- Fiona: Former Grand Enchanter of the Circle of Magi, now leader of the mage rebellion. She is also a former Grey Warden.
- Flemeth: The legendary Asha'bellanar, Witch of the Wilds, and mother of Morrigan.
- Gaspard de Chalons: Grand Duke of Orlais, rival of Celene in the Orlesian Civil War.
- Harding: The dwarven head scout and lieutenant of the Inquisition.
- Hawke: The protagonist of Dragon Age II, Champion of Kirkwall and, depending on player choice, Viscount of Kirkwall.
- Justinia V: Divine of the Andrastian Chantry.
- Loghain Mac Tir (conditional): Former Teyrn of Gwaren, father of Anora and, depending on player choice, companion to the Hero of Fereldan.
- Mother Giselle: A Chantry Mother and early supporter of the Inquisition.
- Samson: Leader of the Red Templars on behalf of the Elder One.
- Stroud (conditional): An Orlesian Grey Warden.
Romance
- Main article: Romance (Inquisition)
There are eight romances available in Inquisition. Six are companions and two are advisors. Six romances are restricted by gender and two romances are restricted by race.
- Blackwall (female Inquisitors only)
- Cassandra Pentaghast (male Inquisitors only)
- Cullen (female human and elven Inquisitors only)
- Dorian Pavus (male Inquisitors only)
- Iron Bull (male and female Inquisitors)
- Josephine Montilyet (male and female Inquisitors)
- Sera (female Inquisitors only)
- Solas (female elven Inquisitors only)
Gameplay and Combat
Although touted as an "open world" game at E3 2013 presentation, the developers quickly clarified that Inquisition is not an open world in the same way as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, but instead simply feature larger locations than Origins and Dragon Age II with more exploration freedom.[19] There are 10 large "open world" locations in the game. Gameplay continues post story completion, as opposed to retroactive DLC such as in Dragon Age II.
It is the first game in the series to feature mounts.[20] The dialogue wheel, first featured in Dragon Age II, returns. Like in Dragon Age II, the wheel displays the type of emotion that matches your dialogue choice.
As in both previous installments, the player character can be one of three classes: warrior, rogue, or mage, with three specializations for each available later in the game. The player has the ability to choose one of 4 playable races - human, dwarf, elf or qunari - of either male or female gender. Body sliders are unavailable to customize the player character's physique; rather, the engine supports differing body shapes for each race.[21] Two voice sets are available for each gender: in the English-language version of the game, one has a British accent, and the other an American one.
Like the Warden, the Warden-Commander, and Hawke in previous titles, the Inquisitor can recruit companions. There are a total of 9 possible party members that can be recruited. All companions can be customized via armor and in-class weapon style. Similar to Dragon Age: Origins, some companions leave the party if approval ratings are too low, and it is possible to only have one companion remaining in the end.
Part of the gameplay of Inquisition involves obtaining and maintaining power in various regions of the map. In part, this is done through strongholds, which can be seized and used to accomplish various tasks, and which serve as a hub for promoting the interests of the Inquisition.
While playing, the GUI for Inquisition includes a radar displaying important points and foes. The game can be played using a tactical camera view (where the party is controlled from overhead), or from the third person.
Combat in Dragon Age: Inquisition has a greater focus on strategy than does Dragon Age II. Party health doesn't regenerate automatically after an encounter as it did in Dragon Age II and Dragon Age: Origins, and mage characters are not able to repeatedly cast, or "spam," healing spells. Similarly, the ability to carry healing items is limited, though the maximum number can be increased by certain perks.
With regards to the PC edition of Inquisition, the tactical quickbar is locked at 8 slots, because, according to Laidlaw, "32 abilities (along with passives/upgrades) across the party provides a broad spectrum of tactical options."[22]
Griffon Wing Keep, A possible Inquisition stronghold
During fights, the environments may be exploited and manipulated to a greater degree than in Dragon Age II. This capacity goes both ways, however. For example, a mage character may cast an "ice wall" spell to create cover on a battlefield or hem an enemy into a corner—a similar idea to a mage casting a fire spell after using a grease spell in Dragon Age: Origins—but the enemy may respond by melting the ice wall, eliminating the player's advantage.
Abilities
- Main article: Abilities (Inquisition)
Multiplayer
- Main article: Dragon Age: Inquisition multiplayer
For the first time in the Dragon Age series, Multiplayer is available in Inquisition. It consists of a 4-player co-op mode, with players taking on the role of members of the Inquisition.
Locations
Ferelden
Orlais
- Arbor Wilds
- Dales
- Exalted Plains
- Winter Palace
- Forbidden Oasis
- Hissing Wastes
- Lost Temple of Dirthamen
- Western Approach
- Val Royeaux, capital of Orlais
Other
Factions
Quests
- Main article: Quests (Inquisition)
Crafting
- Main article: Crafting (Inquisition)
Crafting returns in Inquisition, more diverse than in previous games. In addition to crafting items from raw materials, players can create different parts of the final product and then combine them (e.g. different sections of a staff may be crafted before combining them). The materials used to create the item determine its appearance.
New creatures
- For a complete list of new creatures, see Category:Dragon Age: Inquisition creature images.
Fear demon
Downloadable content
- Main article: Downloadable content (Inquisition)
A total of three campaign DLC's were released for Inquisition: Jaws of Hakkon, The Descent, and Trespasser. Two item packs, Spoils of the Qunari and Spoils of the Avvar contain new equipment and mounts, and the free DLC The Black Emporium hails the return of Xenon the Antiquarian from Dragon Age II, who sells various unique equipment and schematics as well as crafting materials.
System requirements
| System | PC | |
|---|---|---|
| Recommended | Minimum | |
| OS | Windows 7 or 8.1 64-bit | Windows 7 or 8.1 64-bit |
| CPU | AMD six core @ 3.2 GHz Intel quad core @ 3.0 GHz |
AMD quad core @ 2.5 GHz Intel quad core @ 2.0 GHz |
| System RAM | 8 GB | 4 GB |
| Graphics Card | AMD Radeon HD 7870 or R9 270 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 |
AMD Radeon HD 4870 NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT |
| Graphics Memory | 2 GB | 512 MB |
| Hard Drive | 26 GB | 26 GB |
| Miscellaneous | DirectX 11 | DirectX 10 |
Trivia
According to the developers, Dragon Age: Inquisition has 88,000 lines of voiced dialogue and there are nearly 1 million voiced and written words in the game.[23]
Gallery
![Dwarven Paragon statue and architecture[24]](/wiki/File:DAI_Dwarven_Statue.jpg "DAI Dwarven Statue.jpg (60 KB)")
References
External links
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