Today the embargo on press reviews for Dragon Age: Inquisition has been lifted, and the first batch of scores and impressions from critics is fairly positive towards BioWare’s title, with scores just south of the mythic 90 metascore.
Eurogamer, 8/10.
Its not-so-fatal flaw is that in offering so much, both in terms of player choice and in going for peak-BioWare in every aspect of the game, those individual moments, characters, activities and plot beats often don’t benefit from the focus and importance needed to unlock their full potential. Still, that’s hardly a crime, and one more than made up for by the many high points that I can’t name directly for fear of spoilers, the hours and hours both adventuring in Thedas as it was always meant to be, and sitting at the highest levels of its politics. The true power of the Inquisition may be illusory, but that doesn’t stop it being satisfying to wield while it lasts.
GameSpot, 9/10.
Inquisition’s characters and world, on the other hand, recall the grand gestures of the original Dragon Age, even though the game as a whole is so structurally different to its predecessors. It offers the thrill of discovery and the passion of camaraderie. It features a glee club called The Sing-Quisition, and a dwarf with writer’s block. It establishes connections with its world in big ways and small, with the sight of a titanous temple and the smirk of an Orlesian commander in love. Dragon Age: Inquisition is a wonderful game and a lengthy pilgrimage to a magical world with vital thematic ties to one we already know.
The Telegraph, 3/5.
Back in single-player, there’s a whole host of customisation options littered throughout Dragon Age: Inquisition. A potion and crafting system; ability specialisations, skill-trees and behaviour management; a wealth of written lore and numerous romance options, the list goes on. You can even decorate your keep to your own tastes; apparently important that the Inquisition sport the latest trends whilst its spreading its influence. It would be churlish to suggest that there is too much on offer but at its most unfocused it sometimes strays into the realm of being generous to a fault. In trying to be all things to all people, Dragon Age: Inquisition lacks the impact that it might otherwise have had if BioWare had imbued it with the same sense of purpose that its predecessors carried. Dragon Age 2 was criticised for its relative lack of scope but at least it had a strong sense of identity and knew what it was trying to achieve. Dragon Age: Inquisition, on the other hand, offers an embarrassment of things to do but sometimes forgets to provide the motivation to do them.
IGN, 8.8/10.
When I’d finally slain my first dragon in Dragon Age: Inquisition, I felt a little sad at the thought that I was probably beginning to exhaust its seemingly endless stream of content. But then I saw the quest ticker: (Dragons Slayed – 1 out of 10.) In all my hours, I had only ever seen three. It’s a surprisingly huge, dense world, and I soon realized there were still entire sandboxes I hadn’t even set foot in. Even in my hundredth hour, I’m still discovering. Despite its less than compelling plot, I still want to go back to explore and fight through every nook and cranny of Dragon Age: Inquisition, until every dragon’s skull is mounted on my wall.
Polygon, 9.5/10.
I won’t spoil the ending, of course, but I will say that BioWare successfully carries that sense of consequence all the way to (and past) the finish line. As credits roll on Inquisition, the continent of Thedas is a noticeably different place than it was when the game started. And depending on the decisions you make, your Thedas will be distinctly different from mine.
This is the astounding scope I referred to above. It’s no longer as simple as how your choices affect your small band of adventurers though that can vary quite a lot as well. Dragon Age: Inquisition puts the fate of the world in your hands in a way that few role-playing games have done before. And even after another 80 hours devoted to it, it’s a world I cannot wait to return to in whatever BioWare does next. I don’t know what higher praise I could give.
GamesRadar, 4/5.
Multiplayer foibles aside, Dragon Age: Inquisition is a robust and immensely enjoyable game with hours upon hours worth of quests to explore. It smartly expands upon almost every aspect of its predecessor, creating an engrossing experience that lets you emulate some of the power and prestige of being a war general.
Destructoid, 8.5/10.
Dragon Age: Inquisition not only feels like a fully fledged role-playing adventure, but it’s also packed with fun things to do that will keep you busy for weeks. Having played well over 100 hours, I’m still finding things to do, working on my multiplayer characters, and plotting another playthrough to handle things a bit differently. Inquisition is a triumph and proves that despite some missteps along the way, BioWare hasn’t lost its touch.
Joystiq, 5/5.
Dragon Age: Inquisition is BioWare’s reaffirmation of what it’s capable of delivering. It’s a gorgeous game on an epic scale. Rich in character and story, it creates a fantasy world with plausible social rules you can get lost in. It makes you feel that you aren’t just exploring a new world, but helping shape it at various levels of society. Inquisition sets the bar for what a blockbuster RPG should be.
Oh, and after everything is said and done, make sure to stay following the credits.
PC Gamer, 87/100.
A fantastic campaign and massive open environments, soured only slightly by minor, persistent flaws.
TIME, 4.5/5.
Dragon Age: Inquisition didn’t work for me at first, but then I realized I’d been playing it too much like Dragon Age II, mashing through battles and racing between to-dos and ignoring the filler because why would Bioware know anything about riveting world design? Then I slowed down, and in slowing down discovered how wrong I’d been how much more the design team managed to fill this iteration with. Sometimes gaming’s as much about the caught-you-off-guard zen moments as the lunatic action ones, and sometimes the workmanship’s enough.
GameInformer, 9.5/10.
After two disparate entries with different philosophies, Dragon Age’s identity crisis is over. With a mixture of open-world exploration, entertaining combat, and top-tier characters, the team at BioWare has found a winning formula that isn’t shackled to either Dragon Age: Origins or Dragon Age II. Inquisition is not defined by the traditions it returns to, but by the new directions it forges for this magnificent fantasy universe.
VentureBeat, 87/100.
What BioWare has done better than most in the past is just as smooth and well-tended here. Characters are well-realized beings of desires and complications. The world of Thedas is an inviting glimpse into complicated fantasy, now with that new-generation gleam and polish. Add to that the Inquisition, a central narrative mechanic that will turn the speediest of speed-runners into an obsessive-compulsive herb picker, and the game is a worthy addition to a spectacular Western RPG franchise, only barely surpassed by Dragon Age: Origins.
Trusted Reviews, 8/10.
Dragon Age reaches a defining moment. This is the first game in the series that can seriously stand comparison with the company’s greats, and while it’s a little slow and systems-focused to start off with, superb settings, rich characters and an intriguing plot soon turn gripping. It’s sometimes a little too vast and ambitious for the centre to hold, but when it’s at its best, with personalities and situations that you care about and combat to the fore, Inquisition is Bioware at its very best.
PC World, 4/5.
But Skyrim this is not. In fact, I’d go so far as to argue that pursuing an open-world detracts from BioWare’s strengths namely, the story. That doesn’t make it a bad game, but I wonder how much better Inquisition could’ve been if it’d stuck to what BioWare does best instead of chasing something it’s not.
PlayStation LifeStyle, 9.0/10.
Despite the small issues with the horses and the lack of items players can buy from merchants, I can still safely say that Dragon Age: Inquisition is the best console RPG I have ever played. The beautiful graphics grabbed me, the detailed characters reeled me in, and the open areas and numerous quests made me fall in love with the game. Overall, I spent around 55 hours on the game, and while I only recently finished the main story line, I still have many more side quests that I can play. If you’re an RPG fan,you owe it to yourself to play Inquisition, and somehow, I don’t think you’ll regret it.
Videogamer.com, 8/10.
Its greatest strength, however, is that it also manages to make the Inquisition itself feel extremely important to the world of Thedas. Almost everything you do (even the monotonous side quests) feeds into this idea that your forces are expanding and your influence growing. By the end of the game, it becomes clear that you’re not just going to save the world, but change it irreversibly. And that’s a pretty powerful feeling.
God is a Geek, 8.0/10.
There’s no denying that Dragon Age: Inquisition is a good game, but people expecting true greatness will be slightly disappointed. A worthy offering and an improvement over Dragon Age II, Inquisition nevertheless plays it too safe, and relies too heavily on Origins’ better elements to succeed. Still, if you’re looking for a vast, complex, multi-branching, old school RPG epic, there’s currently nothing else on next-gen consoles to top it.
Shacknews, 9/10.
With a huge, breathtaking world, an epic story, and choices that leaves a significant mark on the world around you, Dragon Age: Inquisition embodies everything that makes the series so popular. There are times when the game could feel too big, and that there might be too much to do, but that’s hardly a complaint. It’s a reason to be completely immersed in this world. Multiplayer has its moments, especially if you can get together a nice team, but it does have a perceivable grind and the loot system has a very high sense of unpredictability. Still, there’s so much content in the campaign that even if you decide to skip out on multiplayer entirely, there’s enough to keep you occupied until the inevitable DLC expansions start releasing, and perhaps enough to last you to the next full game.
Softpedia, 8.5/10.
Dragon Age: Inquisition is a great game, with a mostly engaging story and some impressive battle moments, and the development team at BioWare has managed to outdo itself when it comes to character evolution, graphics quality and world building.
The biggest criticism that can be leveled at the title is that it is a little too conservative in its approach to the role-playing and action genres and fails to introduce something entirely new.
At the same time, the developers have managed to carefully polish the core tenets of Dragon Age and fans of the series will be happy to discover how easy it is to tailor Inquisition to their own play style.
Metro, 8/10.
Dragon Age: Inquisition attempts to do so much that inevitably there’s less depth to the individual elements than there would be in a more focused game. But there’s no way round that problem, and even with all the bugs it seems a miracle that a game this large and ambitious works at all yet alone is as entertaining as it is.
And actually, the fact that it still has one foot in the last gen is quite encouraging. Because it implies that whatever BioWare do in the future could be truly extraordinary. For now though, this will just have to make do with being the best role-playing game of the year.
AusGamers, 9.2/10.
Dragon Age: Inquisition is an epic experience that haunts you between play sessions, enticing you to come back for more. It may not hit the lofty heights of Skyrim, but it comes bloody close and, unlike its most obvious comparison, boasts consistently fantastic characters, a memorable and compelling storyline, and breathtaking visual fidelity out of the box.
PlayStation Universe, 9.5/10.
Nevertheless, BioWare’s four years spent developing Dragon Age: Inquisition have paid off, as it’s easily the company’s greatest achievement. The expertly crafted story and the massive world meant for your exploration are just the tip of the iceberg. Dragon Age: Inquisition is not only one of the best games to come out this year–it’s easily the best RPG of the year.
RPGFan, 92%.
I’ve already written more about this game than I normally would in a review, but with so many fans wondering if they’d be left behind by an attempt to grab a bigger audience or nervous after the previous entry, I erred on the side of greater detail. I struggled with scoring because, to my mind, it’s an utterly fantastic, deep, and exciting game full of heart and all the best things a talented developer like Bioware can do with a publisher like EA’s budget. In the end though, I was forced to bump it down a few notches in light of the technical hiccups and bruises I had to deal with along the ride. To sum it up: this is one of Bioware’s best, easily my favorite Dragon Age title, and a game I encourage anyone to check out. Just be ready to put up with some technical weirdness along the way.
Cheat Code Central, 3.8/5.
So, after all is said and done, Dragon Age: Inquisition will most likely suffer the same fate as its predecessors. It’s a fun game that will probably never achieve a broad fan base, but there will be those that love the game and will go to great lengths to defend it with rabid aggression. All told, I was expecting more but I’m not really that surprised. I had fun and that’s what counts.
Gaming Nexus, 9/10.
To put it in as few words as possible: Inquisition is a splendid game as the next-console-generation successor to BioWare’s catalog of great action RPGs. It looks excellent. The story and characters are memorable. The gameplay lets you be almost as tactically minded as anyone could ask for. And it’s all tied together by a typically beautiful soundtrack and Hollywood-quality voice acting.
DigitalSpy, 4/5.
It might be conventional as far as visuals and monsters go, but its overall appeal rests in its provision of a living world that can be sculpted and altered in ways both subtle and explicit. So long as you’re prepared to put the required time in, Dragon Age: Inquisition has plenty to give.
GamingTrend, 95/100.
Dragon Age Inquisition has raised the bar for storytelling. It’s the sort of game you think you have figured out after a few hours, but time and time again it’ll surprise you. With a rebuilt combat system, an open and inviting world, 150 hours of content, and a warm and familiar storytelling system, Dragon Age Inquisition is the best RPG I’ve played in a decade.
CraveOnline, 8.5/10.
Dragon Age: Inquisition’˜s beautiful world isn’t just a theme park looking to entertain with pre-built rides, it makes you feel like a part of the equation with major choices to be made, and often. Its combat system is a great mixture of its two predecessors, offering means to play in both action and strategy modes. Although, CPU controlled characters don’t exercise good judgement, making strategic play the better choice in most scenarios. There are also some low points in the narrative path which may hinder some from completing the lengthy journey, but it delivers interesting quests often enough to keep the ride going.
In an era where it’s uncommon to see an open-world RPG, let alone one equipped with an engaging story and fun combat, Dragon Age: Inquisition has appeared to remind everyone that it’s still possible, even with remarkable graphics.
GameCrate, 8.8/10.
After the misstep that was Dragon Age II, Inquisition is a triumphant return to what made Dragon Age so popular in the first place boosted by a huge injection of Skyrim-flavored additional gameplay. If you enjoy what Bioware has done in the past or if you’re a fan of RPGs with exciting combat and rich stories and characters, here’s the game you’ll be playing over and over again until a sequel is released.
Now if they can just fix that camera.
Stevivor, 8.5/10.
I absolutely loved Dragon Age: Origins; it had a multitude of different origin stories and proved to be a great game. I also loathed Dragon Age 2 as it didn’t have the same mystique or allure of the original. It was with some trepidation that I ventured back to Thedas, but it was a journey I am so glad I’ve taken. I have poured hours and hours into the game scavenging for resources, doing side-quests and closing Rifts, all the while trying to romance a certain elven rogue. oh, and playing the actual main story too. That’s the beauty of Dragon Age: Inquisition, you play how you want and there is so much to do, you feel like a kid at a candy store. You want to sample everything no matter how long it takes. I’d go as far to say that this is the RPG the current-generation of consoles has been waiting for. This past year’s wait was more than worth it.
Kotaku has published 11 things we should know about the game, though the full review will have to wait:
10. Combat Is Streamlined In Interesting Ways
Combat in Inquisition hits an interesting balance between the arguably oversimplified combat of Dragon Age 2 and the sometimes too-fiddly combat of Origins. Basic attacks are tied to the right trigger, making melee combat in particular feel almost like an action-RPG at times. Players who are downed in combat don’t become “injured” like they did in Origins, removing the need to carry around injury kits and making death less of a big deal.
However, there’s no healing spell in the game, which is a bold move and in my experience so far, a successful one. The only way to heal mid-combat is by using potions, and you’re initially limited to eight among your entire party. That means that buffs, barriers, and guards become extremely important, and you’ll no longer have to dedicate one of your four party members to act as healer to the other three. The game encourages a satisfying blend of caution and aggression, and it really works.
There’s now a top-down tactical view in all versions of the game, which makes it much easier to pause combat, zoom out, and carefully issue orders to your team. The tactical view is well-done you can hold down a button to advance time, then release it to pause the game again and issue more orders. That removes the constant frantic pausing and unpausing present in Origins and makes a cautiously played Inquisition battle feel almost like a turn-based tactical affair, should you want it to.
For the most part, I found that I was able to let my melee characters go off on their own, and I stayed in control of my mage for 90% of combat encounters. I’m planning to explore the game more on hard difficulty, however, which I sense will force me to play much more tactically. Generally, I really like combat in Inquisition: It’s my favorite combat system of all three main games, and I’ve never felt bored by a fight, even when I hopelessly outclass my low-level adversaries. And, good news for people who think that the “Dragon” in the series’ title should mean something: There are quite a few (mostly optional) dragon battles in Inquisition, and they’re suitably challenging and exciting.
And Destructoid has also published a PC port report. Here’s a snippet on the game’s controls to round off today’s coverage:
For the big Dragon Age: Origins fans out there, there is likely one big question on your mind: how does the game control with a mouse and keyboard? Dragon Age II was very much an action game with a pause button, while Origins felt more strategic, especially on higher difficulties which were brutal to those that couldn’t pause and queue up orders.
Dragon Age: Inquisition feels like a controller-focused compromise between the two. Pressing the T key (by default) or zooming all the way out will put the game into Tactical View, where players can issue orders from a top-down perspective. This view is very clunky, however, and feels tacked on to appease those who wanted a more Origins feel to the game. Moving the camera around can only be done with keyboard keys, as there is no option to turn on mouse edge panning. In addition, the default camera keys are unintuitive, so change them ASAP.
The camera is also limited by the environmental roofs. This means that in caves or any building with a low ceiling, the Tactical View is downright useless, since the camera can only go as high as the ceiling. Additionally, when paused, selecting a character to assign orders to centers the camera on that target, which is a huge nuisance. This makes it much more difficult to tell everyone to attack one target since the camera will constantly be going back and forth (Note: the “Auto-Center Camera” option does not pertain to this). Again, it’s clear that the game was not designed around the Tactical View, but hey, at least it’s there and it actually serves a purpose.
Otherwise, the game controls just fine with a mouse and keyboard. No action game has ever felt “good” on a mouse and keyboard setup, and Inquisition is no different. Horse controls are a little awkward, since occasionally the horse will stop running, despite my finger never leaving the run key. Turning a slow horse with the mouse is also a pain in the butt, but so is turning a horse in real life, so there’s that.
There is a slider included for Mouse Smoothing as well as Sensitivity to help alleviate things and make you feel right at home. Pinpoint accuracy isn’t a huge deal in Inquisition, so the default settings never really bothered me. They keys are completely remappable and a quick-save option is included.
