Dragon Age: Inquisition Preview

Official PlayStation Magazine UK is offering a brief preview for Dragon Age: Inquisition, the third main title in BioWare’s fantasy franchise, poised to revitalize the series after Dragon Age II, which received decent-to-good reviews but was almost universally panned by consumers. Here’s a snip:

The original Dragon Age put you in charge of the Grey Wardens, a spec ops-style band of heroic ragamuffins, answerable to nobody. Inquisition returns to that idea and enhances it now you’re the head of what’s effectively a juiced-up MI6, able to overpower disagreeable nations, build mines, spy on troublesome barons, poison rivers and, of course, dispatch minions to get eaten by rampaging dragons. The Inquisition exists to work out the origins of a massive Fade tear (aka, portal to Hell), and persuade the realm to buddy up before the demons invade. The payoff from the player’s perspective is you can choose your destiny providing you’re happy to live by the consequences.

That commitment to player power extends to a choice of playable races Human, Elf, Dwarf or Qunari (the latter a series first). Pick an Elf or Qunari Inquisitor and you may find it especially tough at the top, as the human rulers of Ferelden and Orlais won’t take kindly to being ordered around by some pious bipedal buffalo or simpering Legolas stand-in. Choice of race may also affect your rapport with other main characters. We’ve bumped into three so far: Varric Tethras, the twinkly Dwarf rogue who appears to be romantically involved with his own crossbow; Cassandra Pentaghast, the Chantry agent who spent much of Dragon Age 2 punching Varric in the face; and newcomer Vivienne, a bookish Orlesian Enchanter with unnaturally wide headgear.