What I’m looking forward to in Dragon Age Inquisition

If the debut teaser trailer of “Dragon Age: Inquisition” made you cry for joy, you were not the only one. Like me, you probably devoured every trailer, character reveals and news about DA:I. I want to go into detail about what I’m hoping for in this game.

The Story

Best way to get me sucked into a game is a well thought out and interesting storyline. DA:I will pick up from the shocking events of the last game. I’m looking forward to the mage and Templar battle, the civil war in Orlais and the chaos of Thedas. How will the Champion’s decision effect what is happening in Thedas now? What is Morrigan’s role in this game; friend or foe? There were hints in the previous game that The Warden, your first character in the series, has disappeared. In “Dragon Age 2” you run into some wardens on a secret mission and depending on your playthrough in the first game, Alistair mentions it as well. Leliana is also trying to look for The Warden. There are rumors that your Inquisitors fight the Grey Wardens who may potentially be working for The Warden. Also, will it be revealed why they were looking for The Champion and what they hope they will do for the rip in the Fade? Will we find out how the rip was made? Who is the ultimate enemy? Can’t wait to find out! Most importantly, what role will your Inquisitor play? Like in “Dragon Age Origins”, I’m hoping that we can choose the origin story of our Inquisitor. It will be interesting if they chose an origin story for us, like in “Dragon Age 2”, but it will be much more exciting to choose the Inquisitor’s story before they get their title. Like Hawke, will we be involved in our Companions’ storylines as well and how will it affect the game?

The Graphics

Recently Bioware released a trailer showing us the beautiful graphics DA:I has in store for us. They really put Frostbite 3 to work. The environments look amazing. The textures are completely different from the previous “Dragon Age” games. They’re smooth, rough, and clear. They have to be extraordinary to convey such an open world. The map is supposed to by huge. You are guided by a map much like the one in Bethesda’s “Skyrim”. I cannot wait to see it on the PS4. You can see the physical effects of walking up hills, trudging through mud and water ripples as walk. You and every character and monster, effect the environment of the world. The weather changes and it also looks like day turns into night instead of choosing the nighttime option like in “Dragon Age 2”. I’m looking forward to less loading screens and more seamless transitions in between areas. Such as moving from outside into a cave.

The Combat

I love the tactics of the first game and the fighting style of the second game. I’m hoping DA:I beautifully combines all three. From the gameplay and trailers, it looks as if they will not disappoint. The system looks different. Hopefully it will be easy to use for quick decisions and rapid fighting. I’m also excited to see how they translate the moves from the previous game. Does Shield Bash look different? How about Backstab? Crushing Prison? I’m hoping that with the new specializations, we get some of the old. I loved being a Force Mage.

The Monsters and Enemies

From the looks of the trailer and gameplay, the monsters aren’t going to be tiny. Bioware promised us that we would be fighting some big ugly demons that come from the rip in the fade. Some of the monsters for boss battles are going to be difficult, huge, but ultimately fun to defeat. It also seems like we will be fighting a lot more full-grown female dragons. They have a new look as well. We might not be fighting awkward skinny dragons. I’m interested in the Red Templars as well. How did they become the enemy? Who else is the Inquisition fighting against? Will we be fighting against more Blood Mages? Are the Darkspawn going to make trouble? I cannot wait to find out.

The Races

One of the most beloved features of the “Dragon Age” franchise is race selection. You could be a human, elf or dwarf. Unfortunately they got rid of that for the purpose of the story in the second game. However they have brought it back! Once again you can choose between a human, elf, dwarf and now you can also choose to be a Qunari! I can’t wait to be a Qunari. These choices may encourage multiple playthroughs, especially if each race has a specific origin story.

The Characters

I love cameos. We get to see some familiar faces, such as Cassandra, Varric, Morrigan and Leliana. These are characters you are familiar with in a brand new setting. As much as I love cameos, I love getting involved in new characters as well. I’m curious as to how all of the Inquisitors Companions follow him. What role will Companions like Cullen will play? I’m excited for the romances. How many can you romance and whom can you romance? Besides the combat, romancing is another favorite feature of mine.

Hopefully E3 will have an extensive coverage of the game and answer some of my questions and gives us some cool insight into the story. “Dragon Age: Inquisition” hits stores October 7, 2014. Don’t forget to pre-order. The Deluxe Edition and Collectors Edition are available for a limited time only.

Article by: Gabrielle Robinson