| Dragon Age: Inquisition | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer | BioWare |
| Publisher | Electronic Arts |
| Director | Mike Laidlaw |
| Producers |
|
| Programmer | Jacques Lebrun |
| Artist | Matthew Goldman |
| Writer | David Gaider |
| Composer | Trevor Morris |
| Series | Dragon Age |
| Engine | Frostbite 3 |
| Platforms | |
| Release | |
| Genre | Action role-playing |
| Modes | Single-player,multiplayer |
Dragon Age: Inquisition is a 2014action role-playing video game developed byBioWare and published byElectronic Arts. The third major game in theDragon Age franchise,Inquisition is the sequel toDragon Age II (2011). The story follows aplayer character known as the Inquisitor on a journey to settle thecivil unrest in the continent of Thedas and close a mysterious tear in the sky called the "Breach", which is unleashing dangerous demons upon the world.Dragon Age: Inquisition's gameplay is similar to its predecessors, although it consists of several semi-open worlds for players to explore. Players control the Inquisitor or their companions mainly from athird-person perspective, although a traditionalrole-playing game top-down camera angle is also available.
The release ofDragon Age II was met with a mixed reception from players who lamented the loss of the complexity of the first game,Dragon Age: Origins (2009). BioWare sought to address player feedback forDragon Age II as a major goal, which influenced the design decisions of its sequel. Ultimately, BioWare wanted the thirdDragon Age game to combine the elements of the first two games in the series. Having begun development in 2011, BioWare usedEA DICE'sFrostbite 3 engine to power the game, though this created many development challenges for the team. They had to crunch extensively during development, and because of hardware limitations on older generation consoles, several gameplay features had to be cut.Trevor Morris composed the game's soundtrack, replacingInon Zur, the composer used for the previous games.
Officially announced in September 2012 asDragon Age III: Inquisition, the game was released worldwide in November 2014 forPlayStation 3,PlayStation 4,Windows,Xbox 360, andXbox One. Upon release, the game received positive reviews from critics, who praised it for its exploration, combat, writing, characters, and customization. The game received some criticism for its filler content, technical issues, tactical view, and aspects of its narrative. Commercially, it was one of the most successful games released by BioWare. It was awarded numerous accolades and nominated for more, includingGame of the Year by severalgaming publications. Several narrativedownloadable content (DLC) packs were released to supportInquisition. A sequel,Dragon Age: The Veilguard, was released on October 31, 2024.
Dragon Age: Inquisition is anaction role-playing game similar to its predecessors. At the beginning of the game, the player chooses a race for their player character: human, dwarf, elf, or Qunari, a playable race for the first time in the series.[1] Players customize the Inquisitor's physical appearance and gender, among other things.[2] Players can access a cloud-based online interactive story creator calledDragon Age Keep, and detail the major plots of the previous twoDragon Age games and import a world state inInquisition without requiring replay of the initial games.[3]
The game has a semi-open world structure, as the world is broken up into several sections, which players can freely explore.[4] To allow players to navigate the game's world faster, mounts, creatures players can ride, are introduced.[5] The various regions that make up the game world do not scale in level, meaning players can be too weak or strong for the enemies found in a region.[6] In each hub world, players can complete side activities such as sealing Fade rifts and capturing keeps or forts, and establishing camps, which are used to providefast travel and resupply points.[7] Performing these acts will grant players resource points in Influence, which can be used to unlock global upgrades for the Inquisition (called Inquisition perks), and Power, which is required for progressing the story and unlocking new areas.[8] In addition, the player can completeside missions,fetch quests, collect magical shards,[9] and solve Astrarium puzzles.[10] Players can also collect codex entries, allowing them to have a deeper understanding about the world of Thedas.[11] At Skyhold, the Inquisition's base of operations, players can access the war table to unlock locations, receive rewards, gain influence and/or progress the story. As the Inquisitor, players deploy agents and troops of the Inquisition to complete various text-based operations through their primary advisors, which influences the rewards and time requirements of the effort undertaken.[12]
InInquisition, players can interact with numerousnon-playable characters, some of whom can be recruited as agents for the Inquisition.[13] Adialogue wheel offers several dialogue options for the player to select.[14] Depending on the Inquisitor's race and class, additional dialogue options are available for players to select.[15] Throughout the game, the Inquisitor needs to make important decisions that might change the state of Thedas and have long-lasting consequences.[16] Companions will sometimes approve or disapprove of the Inquisitor's decision.[17] At Skyhold, the Inquisitor can talk to their companions and learn more about their backstory, and initiate their personal quests.[18] Among the nine companions, who assist players in battle and three advisors, eight can be romanced. Some of theseparty members can decide whether to fall in love with the Inquisitor based on their gender and race.[19] In addition, the Inquisitor can "judge" certain people on their actions and decide their fate at Skyhold.[20]
Players choose from three classes: warrior, mage, and rogue.[22] Warriors are sword and heavy weapon wielders who can absorb a lot of damage from hostiles; rogues are equipped with eitherdaggers orbows and arrows; and mages are practitioners of magic that can cast spells on enemies. Each class has their own stats and attributes. For instance, rogues may favor dexterity for critical hits, while strength is more important to warriors for inflicting powerful damage.[15] Stamina or mana governs the use of active abilities. As the player character attacks hostile opponents, the whole team gains Focus, which can be used to unleash special abilities.[23] Combat in Inquisition focuses on the player's ability to form a cohesive team with their party members.[24] During combat, players can switch to control other party members, whileartificial intelligence (AI) will take control of the Inquisitor and the remaining members in the party.[25] This action-oriented system follows the player in a typical over-the-shoulder third-person style. Players can access the Tactics menu to modify the behaviors of the AI companions during combat.[26] The player can also access Tactical View, which allows them to pause the game, assign locations and orders to the party members and then resume the game to see it played out.[27] During the use of this combat system, the camera will be closer to that of atop-down perspective.[28][29]
Killing enemies and completing quests earn playersexperience points (XP). Once the players have enough XP, the inquisitor willlevel up, which increases the player character's health and stats, and gives players skill points they can use to unlock new talents.[30] Players can specialize their character further, which grants them specific abilities.[31] At Skyhold's Undercroft, players can craft and customize armor or weapons from crafting recipes using the materials they have collected; rarer materials give the particular weapon or armor piece better attributes.[32] Weapons and armor can be upgraded with accessories and enchanted with runes, which introduce new properties to the weapon on which they are inscribed.[15] The inquisitor and party members can be equipped with accessories such as rings, amulets and belts, which can further alter the character's stats.[33] Research items can be given to Skyhold's researchers, which can then provide players an XP and damage boost against the researched enemies.[34] Players can customize their keeps, such as rebuilding a garden as a Chantry church or an herb garden. These upgrades have minor effects on the Inquisition's espionage, commerce or military capabilities.[35][36]
Dragon Age: Inquisition introduces multiplayer, which BioWare describes as a "dungeon crawling experience". The game features aco-operative multiplayer mode which tasks players to play as an Agent of the Inquisition.[37] Players have to play throughlevels, and fight against increasingly difficult AI.[38] The mode can be played with three other players, or be completed solo.[37][39] At launch, the game features three multiplayer campaigns and nine playable characters.[40] This mode is completely separate from the main campaign. As a result, the progress made by the player in the multiplayer mode does not carry over to the campaign. Players can upgrade and craft items and unlock new characters in the multiplayer mode. Players canpurchase an in-game currency called Platinum to speed up unlocking new characters.[41] Two multiplayer DLCs introduced additional features:Destruction added new routes to existing multiplayer maps,armor sets, and wild creatures that roam the battlefield and attack both friend and foe.[42]Dragonslayer adds the Fereldan Castle multiplayer map, High Dragons as enemies, and three new characters, includingIsabela, a companion fromDragon Age II.[43]
Following theexplosion of the Kirkwall Chantry inDragon Age II and the events of the 2011 novelDragon Age: Asunder, the Circle of Magi has gone rogue and the Templar Order seceded from the Chantry to wage their own war on the world's mages. The Mage-Templar war is temporarily halted by a Conclave near the village of Haven in the Kingdom of Ferelden, where Divine Justinia V, leader of the Chantry, has orchestrated a peace conference prior to the events of the game. The 2014tie-in prequel novel toInquisition,Dragon Age: The Masked Empire by the game's writing team memberTrick Weekes, details thecivil war which broke out in Ferelden's neighbouring country of Orlais between the loyalists of the ruling Empress Celene and a powerful noble faction led by her cousin Grand Duke Gaspard de Chalons, as well as the rise of a neutral elven faction led by Celene's handmaiden Briala.[44][45]
Returning characters from the previous games include Cullen andLeliana serving as the Inquisition's military commander and spymaster respectively, andCassandra Pentaghast andVarric who serve as party companions. New companions introduced in the game includeSolas, an elven apostate mage well-versed in the Fade and its spirit denizens; Blackwall, a lone Free Marcher Grey Warden;Sera, an elven thief and member of a secret society called the Friends of Red Jenny; TheIron Bull, a Qunari warrior leading a mercenary company called the Bull's Chargers, and agent of the Ben-Hassrath;Vivienne, the official enchanter to the Imperial Court of Orlais;Dorian Pavus, a mage from the Tevinter Imperium; and Cole, a mysterious being who is first introduced inAsunder. Josephine Montilyet, an Antivan noblewoman and diplomat, serves as the Inquisition's ambassador.Hawke, the protagonist ofDragon Age II, andMorrigan, a companion fromDragon Age: Origins, serve as important allies to the Inquisitor.
A massive explosion destroys the Conclave and creates a hole in the Veil — the metaphysical boundary between the physical world and the Fade, the world of spirits and demons — referred to as the "Breach". The only survivor of the blast is the player character, who emerges with a mark on their hand capable of closing rifts in the Veil that have sprung up in the Breach's wake, but who retains no memory of what happened. Witnesses claim the player character was ushered out of the Fade by a mysterious female figure, rumored to be the prophet Andraste, the historical Bride of the Maker.
After closing several rifts, the player character begins to be referred to as the "Herald of Andraste". With the Chantry effectively leaderless, Leliana and Cassandra Pentaghast invoke one of the Divine's last orders to re-establish the Inquisition, an organization originally formed to defend against the dangers of magic and heretics. After closing the Breach with help from rebel mages or remnants of the Templar Order, Haven is attacked by a force led by Corypheus, an ancientDarkspawn mage, who was responsible for opening the Breach. Aided by adragon, Corypheus overcomes Haven's defences and confronts the Herald. Corypheus refers to the mark as "the Anchor", which he means to use to physically enter the Fade, with the goal of attainingapotheosis for himself. He attempts to remove the Anchor with a magical orb-shaped elven artifact, but the Herald sets off an avalanche, burying Haven and decimating Corypheus's army. Solas leads the survivors to the abandoned fortress of Skyhold, which becomes the Inquisition's new base of operations. The Herald is appointed as the Inquisitor, leader of the Inquisition.
With Hawke's assistance, the Inquisitor investigates the disappearance of the Grey Wardens and discovers they are being manipulated by Corypheus into raising an army of demons. During a battle against the Wardens, the Inquisitor enters the Fade and regains their memories, discovering that they obtained the Anchor at the Conclave after stumbling onto a ritual being carried out on Divine Justinia V by Corypheus, and then coming into contact with the orb. Either Hawke or their Grey Warden ally sacrifice themselves to help the others escape the Fade, after which the Inquisitor must either exile or recruit the remaining Wardens.
The Inquisitor also attends aball at the Winter Palace in an attempt to resolve the ongoing Orlesian civil war and gain the assistance of Orlesian forces. Afterwards, the Empress' arcane advisor, Morrigan, joins the Inquisition as an Imperial liaison. She directs the Inquisitor to the Temple of Mythal to stop Corypheus from obtaining an Eluvian, an artifact which could enable him to enter the Fade. Inside the temple, either the Inquisitor or Morrigan gains the powers of the Well of Sorrows, a store of magical energies tied to the elven goddess Mythal. The party escapes Corypheus through the Eluvian, which shatters behind them. Mythal is later revealed to be Morrigan's mother,Flemeth; whoever drinks from the Well of Sorrows is the recipient of wisdom from previous servants of Mythal, but also binds them to her will. They discover that Corypheus' dragon is the key to stopping him, then confront Corypheus as he reopens the Breach and defeat him and his dragon, resealing the Breach permanently. In the process, the orb carried by Corypheus is irreversibly damaged. The Inquisition returns to Skyhold to celebrate their victory, while a dismayed Solas vanishes after recovering the device. An epilogue narrated by Morrigan details the outcomes of the Inquisitor's major decisions.
A post-credits scene shows a meeting between Flemeth and Solas, who is in fact the Dread Wolf Fen'Harel, a previously inactive deity figure and the original owner of the orb. Their conversation reveals that Solas is indirectly responsible for the events ofInquisition, as he had allowed the artifact to come into Corypheus' possession so that it could be unlocked on his behalf. He petrifies Flemeth and seemingly absorbs Mythal's power.
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Development forDragon Age: Inquisition began in 2011. BioWare's biggest single-player video game at the time of its release, development for the project revolved around five core "design pillars": "story", "characters", "open world", "choices", and "personalise".[46] The central idea for the game, namely that there would be an institution inspired by the historicalInquisition and the player character would be its leader, was intended originally to be the follow-up toDragon Age: Origins, though its progress was halted completely when EA forced BioWare to rush the development ofDragon Age II.[47] Conception of the game began in 2011;[48] production began in 2012.[48] Initially, the team had the choice to revisitJade Empire (2006), or create a newintellectual property (IP). However, they were content to develop a new installment in theDragon Age franchise as they believed it had more "pull" and consumer "awareness" thanJade Empire, and recognized that creating a new IP would be too large an undertaking.[49]David Gaider returned as the game's lead writer, whileMike Laidlaw and Mark Darrah served as its creative director and executive producer, respectively. Jeremie Voillot and Michael Kent served as joint audio directors ofInquisition, reprising their similar roles fromDragon Age II.[50]
The game cost "tens of millions" of dollars to develop.[51] More than 200 people worked on it, including eight writers, 70 artists, 75 game-testers, and more than 30 actors.[51]
“I think at launch we still didn’t actually have all our tools working. We had our tools working enough."
While previousDragon Age games used BioWare's own Eclipse game engine, it was not designed to handle features such asopen world and multiplayer, and its renderer was not powerful enough to create great visuals. PublisherElectronic Arts also had a vision to use the same game engine for all its games. As a result, BioWare approached its sister studioDICE and used theirFrostbite 3 engine, which was previously used to power theBattlefield games. As the BioWare team had never created games with the engine before, it began experimenting with its features with a multiplayer-basedDragon Age project namedBlackfoot. Transitioning into Frostbite was a huge project for BioWare, and it had to cancelExalted March, the lastdownloadable content pack originally planned forII in order to better manage its resources and manpower.[52] As the team began working onInquisition, they faced many development troubles because of the technical limitations of DICE's engine. Frostbite was initially designed for makingfirst-person video games. It did not have features that could accommodate stats, game saving, conversations, andcutscenes, all of which are elements commonly found in arole-playing video game, and the team had to update the engine extensively to incorporate these features inInquisition. It also cannot animate custom characters andquadrupeds. Many designers reported having a frustrating experience working with the Frostbite engine. John Epler,Inquisition's designer, called it "the worst tools experience" he had during his tenure at BioWare. The issue was made worse when DICE began incorporating new features on its own, meaning that the development build BioWare was working on was often not updated, causing it to become unstable.[53]
While BioWare intended to release the game for PC,PlayStation 4 andXbox One, EA worried that the popularity ofmobile gaming would hinder game console sales, and forced BioWare to release the game for older hardware includingPlayStation 3 andXbox 360.[47] The technical limitations of these older consoles created many development challenges. Many features that worked on more advanced platforms had to be removed as Laidlaw and Darrah wanted the game to be consistent across the five platforms.[54] Laidlaw and Darrah demonstrated these features in a game demo atPAX Prime 2013. They included environmental destructibility and a war simulation system which tasked players to maintain the military strength around the Inquisition's strongholds. Laidlaw added these features were removed because they "were not fleshed out and proven enough" and might interrupt the flow of gameplay.[55] In the bookBlood, Sweat & Pixels by journalistJason Schreier, Laidlaw and Darrah admitted that the gameplay in the PAX Prime demo was not real, and its sole purpose was to show transparency in light ofDragon Age II's divisive reception.[47]
The technical challenges meant the game's development was behind schedule. Art director Matthew Goldman said of development, "basically we had to do new consoles, a new engine, new gameplay, build the hugest game that we've ever made, and build it to a higher standard than we ever did, with tools that don't exist". The game was unplayable during the first several years of development. Darrah later asked EA to delay the game for a year because of these development troubles, on the condition that BioWare incorporated more features into the game, such as multiple playable races.[47] The problem was alleviated during the game's later stages of development, as BioWare and DICE managed to cooperate better, resulting in faster progress in 2014.[53] However, the development team did not have sufficient time for development because the game had to ship in late 2014. AsII was internally considered a misfire,Inquisition had to be a success to win back alienated fans. The team resorted to crunching extensively in late 2014.[47]
The Frostbite engine helped the art team significantly in terms of productivity, as they were able to create a large variety of environments in a short time using the engine's art tools.[47] Nevertheless, Director of Art and Animation Neil Thompson drew a comparison between BioWare's artists coming to grips with the intricacies of the Frostbite engine to European artists learning to master the challenges of realistic oil painting during theNorthern Renaissance period when reflecting on his experiences leading the art direction forInquisition.[56] Ultimately, the adoption of new systems and technologies provided visual benchmarking for the game's iterations onnext generation consoles.[57] The project's game artists and animators drew inspiration from traditional art media, film, photography and architecture; at the same time, thematic consistency had to be maintained when dealing with multiple character factions due to the need to stay true to the intellectual property.[57]
ForInquisition, where the game systems and tools had to be completely rebuilt as a result of the change to the Frostbite engine, BioWare had to construct an AI system that would work well in the larger combat environments of an open-world game; AI is typically iterated on between titles in multi-game franchises to provide a sense of continuity in development.[58] According to gameplay engineer Sebastian Hanlon, BioWare leveraged the modular approach for constructing creature AI.[58] The transition into an open world system forInquisition not only necessitated rethinking an approach to enemy AI by Hanlon's team, they also had to ensure that players retain control over the flow of combat by refining the AI for the party members who are not directly controlled by the player to keep up with the action.[59]
Dragon Age II received a lot of criticism for reusing environments, as the game was set almost entirely in the city-state of Kirkwall. To address the issue, BioWare management decided thatInquisition would have more open environments. BioWare added games such asThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, which the team was "checking out aggressively", would influenceInquisition.[60] Darrah also remarked that BioWare games sinceBaldur's Gate II "have been getting progressively smaller", and that the goal forInquisition was to bring back scale and exploration.[61] The developers' goal for the project was to generate anywhere between 20 and 200 hours of gameplay forInquisition.[46] The design team were split into various specialist groups, each handling an aspect of game design, which was a departure from BioWare's previous approach to development when team members used to function as generalist designers.[46] Instead of having one gigantic world,Inquisition features multiple hub worlds instead. Laidlaw added that by having multiple locations, the team can increase the game's visual variety and "give the player a break from the visual fatigue of seeing the same thing over and over again". The hub worlds had a more linear design thanSkyrim's open world in that their content would eventually be fully exhausted. This was done to ensure players would return to their home base and either re-engage with the story or unlock new area.[49] While the game features open spaces, the objectives within the world were often of little significance. This was largely because the team could not playtest the game because of troubles with the engine; it was too late for the team to change when they realized the problem. In hindsight, Laidlaw recognized the quest design was "a little hollow", and thatInquisition had a pacing problem for completionist players.[49][62]
Following players' negative reactions toDragon Age II and the ending controversy ofMass Effect 3, another tentpole title from BioWare, theInquisition team looked at players' feedback and asked on the BioWare forum what players would like to see in the game.[63] After two consecutive games with significant fan backlash, the team strove to create a game that would cater to the series' fans. Laidlaw added the team "wantedInquisition to be the one which people would point to and say, 'they've found their feet. They've finally nailed down what this series is about'". According to BioWare founderRay Muzyka,Inquisition was a "mixture of bothDragon Age: Origins andDragon Age II" .[64] Darrah said the return of the tactical view, the higher difficulty, and the more extensive customization system, were direct responses to criticisms ofDragon Age II and their attempt to bringInquisition closer to that ofOrigins, which had a slower and more deliberate combat system.[65] Players can also select the Inquisitor's race, an option re-introduced inInquisition after players complained of being unable to choose a background for Hawke inII.[66] Responding to criticisms thatDragon Age II was compromised to support console players, theuser interface for the game's PC version was designed to be unique and different from that of the console versions.[61]
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BioWare faced the challenge of seeding story content in the largest single-player game world it had created at the time with relatively few design staff.[67] The developmental team decided to split up and experimented with disparate techniques in order to achieve the desired content scope and density.[67] The narrative design team's goal was to generate discrete narrative content, while the technical design team wanted to implement standalone, dynamic systems.[67] The result was that the narrative designers discovered that the content they wrote had scaled poorly, whereas the technical team found that their work had a disconnected impact.[67] During their presentation at theGDC in 2015, narrative designer Kaelin Lavallee and technical designer Mark Wilson explained that their respective teams decided to meet somewhere in the middle and work out a collaborative approach in order to build a large fantasy world that could properly scale in design.[68] Examples of gameplay features given by Lavallee and Wilson which combine storytelling and level design include interactive objects that litter gameplay levels like the Astrarium puzzles and Ocularum artifacts which detect "shards", as well as a dynamic banter system which superseded banter system from previous games in the series which were triggered at specific locations in the game world.[46] Lavallee and Wilson suggested that the teams were able to overcome some of the challenges of populating the large game world ofInquisition by combining story and systems, and concluded that the game's story content was a responsibility for everyone involved regardless of their defined role in the developmental cycle.[67]
The development team recognised that Hawke's story lacked "clarity" and was "convoluted" and identified it as the main reason whyDragon Age II did not resonate with some players. This was because the story does not have an overarching villain and mainly explores how major events in the world influence Hawke's life.[69] As a result, the storytelling forInquisition aligned closer to that ofOrigins, and the Inquisitor was a more active hero than Hawke as they influence the world through their actions.[65] While the critical path follows the Inquisition's attempts to foil Corypheus' plan to achieveapotheosis, the story also focuses on how players can actively turn the Inquisition into an important organization in Thedas through exploration and engaging in activities such as closing rifts and helping other non-playable characters.[65] The writing team implemented changes to the conversation system. Additional dialogues are now hidden behind an option called "investigate"; the team wanted to allow players to pace the story on their own. The tone icons fromDragon Age II were pared back inInquisition, as some players reported being confused by these icons inII causing them to make wrong choices. However, the team expanded the number of emotional response options available to choose from when these tone icons show up. The writing team felt it was essential to let players to react to the important events in the story and express themselves.[62]
Inquisition saw the return of many characters from the previous two installments. Laidlaw said they only chose characters who would "add something, emotionally, to the texture of the game". The team worked to ensure that the game's cast had a balance in gender, race, and gameplay class. Characters who can be killed off inOrigins andII would have a less significant role inInquisition because not every player would have them in their world states. Gaider cited Varric as an easy inclusion because he was always going to surviveDragon Age II, and he had important roles to play in bothII andInquisition. Including characters from the previous games also allowed players to understand the significance of their choices in those games. While Hawke returns inInquisition, the Warden fromOrigins does not make an appearance because they were not voiced inOrigins and the team cannot create a character model that resembled their appearance inOrigins.[62] The Warden was set to appear in "Here Lies the Abyss" quest with Hawke, but this was cut late during the game's development.[70] The team hired a former crime reporter whose role was to inspect every piece ofDragon Age media to ensureInquisition had not deviated from the lore established. An internalwikia was created so that the team could keep track of the status of all the characters.[71]
Unlike previous games in the series,Inquisition removed the gift system for party companions to make friendship and romance more organic. The companions would now react to game's events as they unfold and respond to the players differently. Gifts could no longer be exploited to gain or regain approval. The approval bar were removed, and players have to gauge how their companions perceive them based on subtle clues like how they greet the Inquisitor.[72]Persona 4,The Darkness andThe Last of Us inspired the new relationship system.[73] UnlikeDragon Age II where nearly all romance options arebisexual by orientation, the romanceable characters inInquisition have different sexual orientations.[62]Dorian Pavus, for instance, is BioWare's first "fully gay" male companion.[74]
Voillot was primarily responsible for technical matters, while Kent focused on the creative side.[50] They delegated many distinct audio areas to individual employees who took ownership of the tasks they were assigned responsibility for.[50] Voillot and Kent noted that the creative and technical vision forInquisition, as well as relevant audio guidelines, were defined very early in pre-production.[50] A large amount of content had been created at this stage, often with mere pictures as inspiration.[50] Some of the important decisions they made include choosing the type of microphone that would achieve their desired dialogue direction, or locking down a composer.[50] The decision to haveTrevor Morris compose the game's original soundtracks was an intentional change, as Voillot and Kent wanted to introduce to the franchise a new emotional flavour.[50]
For Kent and Voillot, the key challenges forInquisition were centered on creating high quality audio across the enormous scale of content the player encounters, while at the same time creating a "dynamic, believable soundscape" to immerse them in the setting of Thedas.[50] Voillot also liaised with audio programmers in harnessing the audio functionality of the Frostbite engine for a role-playing game, which he said differs greatly from first-person shooters in terms of technical requirements. Voillot pushed for the removal of key rote tasks including tagging animations or the placement of sound emitters so that the programmers can concentrate on producing high quality sounds.[50] Semi-procedural systems were adopted, though audio programmers had to manually hand-script key story moments.[50]
Raney Shockne composed a series of songs which are performed by a non-player character named Maryden Halewell, voiced by singerElizaveta Khripounova, at atavern in the player's base of operations.[75] Elizaveta described the recording process for a video game as somewhat secretive, and controlled without any scope for collaboration or input from the performer as clients usually know exactly what they want and specifically request for it.[75] Instructed to do a "folky ballad,Celtictroubadours-style", she received the instrumentals and lyrics from Shockne and recorded the songs in her bedroom with only a microphone to her laptop.[75] Because the pronunciation for the tavern songs was meant to be very specific, she had to re-record on a number of occasions.[75] The tavern songs and song sheets were collected intoDragon Age Inquisition: The Bard Songs, which are separate from the digital original soundtrack (OST) included with the game's Deluxe Edition.[76] Due to popular demand,The Bard Songs were made free to download from January 26, 2015, to February 9, 2015, by BioWare,[76] after which they were offered for sale on various digital platforms.[77]
PublisherElectronic Arts first announced the game asDragon Age III: Inquisition in September 2012. It was revealed thatInquisition was a collaboration between BioWare studios in Edmonton and Montreal.[78] The game was initially targeting a late 2013 release date, until it was revealed atE3 2013 it was delayed to late 2014.[79] EA droppedIII from the game's title because it was an "all-new chapter inside of theDragon Age universe", rather than a straightforward follow-up toDragon Age II.[80] Originally scheduled for release on October 7, 2014, the game was delayed for six weeks as the team needed additional time to polish the game.
BioWare confirmed on October 31, 2014, thatInquisition had declaredgold, indicating it was being prepared for duplication and release.[81] Electronic Arts released the game on November 18 in North America and November 21 in Europe.[82] The game was not released in India to "avoid a breach of local content laws".[83] EA releasedDragon Age Keep, a "companion web experience", which allows players to customize the state of the world before beginning a playthrough ofInquisition.[84] WithinDragon Age Keep, players can access Dragon Age: The Last Court, a companion game developed byFailbetter Games, although EA deactivated it in late 2020.[85] BioWare offered a mini-game titled "Quest for the Red Lyrium Reapers" on the officialDragon Age: Inquisition website, which unlocked red lyrium-themed weapons as promotional rewards upon completion of the mini-game. This was later made available to all players in a "special delivery chest" as of Patch 11 released in October 2015.[86] The Golden Nug statue was introduced in Patch 10 to allow players who already completed at least one playthrough to synchronize their previous collections of collectible items, recipes and schematics.[87]
In addition to the standard version, other editions ofInquisition were made available for purchase. The Digital Deluxe Edition and Inquisitor's Editions come bundled with a digital copy of the game's OST as well as multiple in-game bonus items, such as a throne made out of a dragon's skull for Skyhold, mountskins, and theFlames of the Inquisition equipment series.[88] The multiplayer DLC packsDestruction andDragonslayer were released in December 2014 and May 2015 respectively, and both were available free of charge.[89][90] New playable agents were also added in post-launch patches.[91] The first single-player DLCJaws of Hakkon was released on March 24, 2015, for PC and Xbox One and May 26, 2015, for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and Xbox 360. It focuses on the previous Inquisition and the fate of the Inquisitor's predecessor, and introduces a new open area called the Frostback Basin.[92]The Black Emporium, released on May 5, 2015, and available free of charge, adds a new vendor that sells exclusive items, and the "Mirror of Transformation", which allow players to change the appearance of their Inquisitor as many times as they want.[93][94]
On July 6, 2015, BioWare announced that they intended to cease support for the remaining downloadable content ofInquisition for theseventh generation of video game consoles, though players can transfer theirsaved games to the newer hardwares.[95]Spoils of the Avvar, which adds new in-game items, schematics, and customization options, was the last content pack released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on June 9, 2015,[96] whileSpoils of the Qunari was the first content pack released exclusively for theeighth generation of video game consoles on July 22, 2015.[97] The second single-player DLC,The Descent, developed by BioWare's Austin studio, was released on August 11, 2015.[49] It brings the Inquisitor to the Deep Roads, where recurrent earthquakes threaten the worldwide lyrium trade, and potentially Thedas as a whole.[98] The last single-player DLC,Trespasser, was released on September 8, 2015, set two years after the defeat of Corypheus. It expands upon the ending ofInquisition and concludes multiple story threads set up by the main game.[87] EA released aGame of the Year edition of the game, which bundled the base game and all post-launch additional content, on October 6, 2015.[99]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | (PC) 85/100[100] (PS4) 89/100[101] (XONE) 85/100[102] |
| OpenCritic | 92% recommend[112] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Destructoid | 8.5/10[103] |
| Eurogamer | 8/10[104] |
| Game Informer | 9.5/10[105] |
| GameSpot | 9/10[106] |
| GamesRadar+ |   [107] |
| IGN | 8.8/10[108] |
| Joystiq | [109] |
| PC Gamer (US) | 87/100[110] |
| Polygon | 9.5/10[111] |
Dragon Age: Inquisition received "generally favorable" reviews, according toreview aggregator platformMetacritic.[100][101][102] OpenCritic determined that 92% of critics recommended the game.[113] Many critics regarded it as a significant improvement overDragon Age II, and helped revitalize the series.[114]
Chris Carter ofDestructoid liked the new combat system for its successful integration of the fast gameplay inDragon Age II and the more tactical combat inOrigins. In particular, he applauded the return of the tactical view.[103]Polygon's Phillip Kollar agreed, saying thatInquisition "finds the best of both worlds with this system".[111] Writing forEurogamer, Richard Cobbett believed that the overhauled combat system was not entirely successful, and the repetitive battles disappointed him. He added none of the enemy encounters were tactically interesting.[104] Joe Juba ofGame Informer praised the combat as "satisfying" and felt it tasked players to "manage the flow of battle" during tense encounters. However, he criticized the tactical camera for being "unreliable".[105]GameSpot's Kevin VanOrd described the combat system as "fun" and "colorful", though he too lamented the clumsiness of the tactical view, and believed that tactics and strategy were not required in most enemy encounters.[106]GamesRadar's Maxwell McGee praised the expanded customization options and wrote that the combat system was further elevated by the game's vibrant and colorful visuals.[107] Several critics noted the game's technical issues in their reviews.[108][105]
Phil Savage ofPC Gamer enjoyed the main campaign writing that "each mission is distinct, memorable, and significantly moves the story along". He enjoyed how the game showed the Inquisition's growth as an organisation.[110] Carter appreciated the writing for the companions, singling out Varric and Dorian. However, he felt the script was weak in the early portion of the game, and that the story was "by-the-books fantasy" and "less nuanced thanOrigins".[103] Cobbett felt the story was uninspiring, though he noted it eventually gained momentum. The portrayal of returning characters whose personalities were completely changed inInquisition disappointed him.[104] Juba lamented that many important story beats were poorly told, writing that "many of the would-be defining events feel abrupt or poorly explained", but he enjoyed interacting with the game's cast of characters and praised BioWare for reflecting player choices inOrigins andII inInquisition.[105] Vince Ingenito, writing forIGN, also criticized the central plot, calling it "frustratingly vague", saying it "[lacked] the heart and pathos of BioWare’s best games".[108] While Cobbett was disappointed that the choices were not as impactful as he had hoped,Joystiq's Alexander Sliwinski wrote many choices were significant and that they brought both immediate and long-lasting impacts. Savage also wrote the main campaign is filled with "tough, world-shifting decisions".[110] VanOrd liked the cast and enjoyed hearing the party banter, calling it "one ofInquisition's highlights". McGee described the characters as "eclectic" and "interesting", but wrote newcomers to the series may feel easily overwhelmed by the game's extensive lore, which was told mainly through codex entries scattered in the world.[107] Robert Purchese ofEurogamer lauded thetarot cards used to depict the world and the characters in the game's menus, which changed based on how players interact with them.[115]
Thedas, as presented inInquisition, was often highlighted for being a realized world.[106][103][109] Carter called the world "gigantic", and applauded Frostbite for its graphical prowess. He also appreciated the inclusion of optional dungeons and bosses in the game, which made exploring the hub world a rewarding experience.[103] Juba liked the large open worlds, calling them and largest and best surprise for series fans.[105] VanOrd added that travelling the world was "an absolute delight", though he felt that collecting crafting materials interrupted the game's pacing.[106] While Savage enjoyed the large open worlds, the lack of a city hub like Kirkwall inII disappointed him, since the large open areas inInquisition were set mainly in the wilderness and were not dense enough.[110] Cobbett praised the inclusion of large open areas and believed it reflected BioWare's ambition and scale for the game, though he expressed disappointment with the mission design, compared to quests from MMOs.[104] Many critics liked how the game's side activities are tied to Power as a gameplay mechanic.[104][108] Critics considered the involvement of the Inquisitor in the politics of Thedas as one of the game's standout elements.[104][106][109] The War Table missions were singled out by Kollar for further exploring the world and the various groups and factions inhabiting it.[111] While the abundance of content was widely praised,[103][108] Patricia Hernandez ofKotaku noted the game had a lot of filler content that was not meaningful or interesting, and it had an "overabundance of fluff". Hernandez urged players to leave the Hinterlands, one of the game's starting zone, as soon as possible.[116]
Lisa Granshaw fromSyfy praised a pivotal musical cutscene in the narrative ofInquisition, where the members of the Inquisition join and sing a song called “The Dawn Will Come”, as "one of the more unforgettable moments and pieces of music" in the series.[117] Elijah Beahm fromThe Escapist noted that the game's tavern songs were made special by Elizaveta's "ethereal" voice and became unexpectedly popular.[75]
Dragon Age: Inquisition debuted at No. 5 in UK in its first launch week. According to retail monitorChart-Track, it had sold almost the exact amount of launch week copies as 2011'sDragon Age II.[118] According to Electronic Arts' fiscal 2015 third quarter earnings report,Dragon Age: Inquisition is the most successful launch in BioWare history based on units sold.[119] In September 2024, according to executive producer Mark Darrah, the game sold over 12 million units over its lifetime, surpassing EA's internal sale projections by a significant margin and becoming BioWare's best selling title.[120]
In addition to winning several awards at major events and ceremonies, it was selected byIGN,[121]Ars Technica,[122]Game Informer,[123]Polygon,[124] andElectronic Gaming Monthly[125] as theirGame of the Year in 2014.[126]
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Game Critics Awards Best of E3 2014 | Best PC Game | Nominated | [127] |
| Best RPG | Won | |||
| The Game Awards 2014 | Game of the Year | Won | [128] | |
| Best Role Playing Game | Won | |||
| 2015 | ||||
| 18th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards | Game of the Year | Won | [129] | |
| Role-Playing/Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year | Won | |||
| 15thGame Developers Choice Awards | Best Design | Nominated | [130] | |
| 11th British Academy Games Awards | Best Game | Nominated | [131] | |
| 2015SXSW Gaming Awards | Game of the Year | Won | [132] | |
| Excellence in Gameplay | Nominated | |||
| Excellence in Technical Achievement | Nominated | |||
| Excellence in Narrative | Nominated | |||
| Excellence in Design and Direction | Nominated | |||
| 2014 NAVGTR awards | Game of the Year | Won | [133] | |
| Art Direction, Fantasy | Won | |||
| Costume Design | Won | |||
| Direction in a Game Camera | Nominated | |||
| Game Design, Franchise | Won | |||
| Performance in a Drama, Supporting(Corinne Kempa asLeliana) | Nominated | |||
| Song, Original or Adapted(The Dawn will Come) | Nominated | |||
| Sound Editing in Game Cinema | Won | |||
| Use of Sound, Franchise | Nominated | |||
| Writing in a Drama | Nominated | |||
| Game, Franchise Role-playing | Nominated | |||
| 26th GLAAD Media Awards | Special Recognition Award | Won | [134] |
Dragon Age: The Veilguard, a direct sequel toInquisition, was released on October 31, 2024.[135][136] Solas featured prominently in the marketing and promotional material for the sequel;[137] the original title of the game wasDragon Age: Dreadwolf, after hissobriquet.[138][139] It was retitledDragon Age: The Veilguard in June 2024 – BioWare explained that the titular Dread Wolf remains part of the game, however, the updated title is a stronger reflection of the game's focus.[140][141]
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