It is never easy to review an RPG and even less than ever when it is developed by the software house that made the history of the genre and helped to spread it first on PC and later on consoles, proposing hybrid ideas that, between ups and downs, have led to the numerous evolutions that we have seen made and implemented in recent years. And it can even risk becoming a dramatic situation when it turns out that the title can easily exceed 60 hours to be concluded while leaving out a substantial percentage of secondary content, and you have very few days to try and write about it. In any case, what follows is our judgment on the mammoth Dragon Age: Inquisition; an evaluation that, we are sure, could leave you doubtful at first but that, we hope, all the video coverage of these days and the following text will be able to motivate and explain in depth.
Dragon Age: Inquisition is a rich and mammoth title but sadly it is far from perfect
Once upon a time
The story of Inquisition opens a few weeks after the epilogue of Dragon Age 2. Hawke, the hero of Ferelden, is no more; wizards and templars are slowly trying to realize an alliance thanks to the intervention and effort of the Divine Justinia V. Suddenly, an incredible explosion literally pulverizes the venue where the conclave was held between the two factions and all that remains it is a greenish gash in the sky from where demons and our protagonist begin to emerge, distorted and unconscious on the ground. We will be the only survivors of the catastrophe and we will wake up endowed with a strange power capable of closing these portals between dimensions.
A power that at first will attract the ire of the people ready to accuse us of being the motive, the instigator or more simply the perpetrator of the explosion but which will soon become an essential element to make us gain a respectable position in the newborn Inquisition and of be referred to as the Herald of Andraste: the chosen one by the main deity of the Dragon Age universe. From that moment on we will be transported into an extremely full-bodied plot, which will see us become familiar with dozens of different characters, many of which are well-developed on a character level, discover numerous different places and also witness a couple of very tantalizing twists. which will lead to evolutions of the game world (and some aspects of the gameplay) and which will come, surprisingly, after having already invested dozens of hours in the title. Where so much narrative goodness runs out and is poorer than necessary is in the definition of our nemesis: the bad guy on duty is in fact rather simple and linear, almost two-dimensional in his being discounted and devoid of bite. His motives are clear from the start and in his appearances we will immediately know what to expect from his behaviors. At the same time it is evident that BioWare has struggled not a little to pull all the strings of a universe that has become so vast and cumbersome over time. In Inquisition there is really a lot to read and listen to and sometimes it will be too tiring to follow the story that is told to us. It is easy to get lost in secondary subplots that often break off without it being possible to face a real epilogue and it takes a moment to be overwhelmed, almost submerged by all this narrative. Let it be clear that we are not complaining about an element that will certainly make the happiness of those looking for a particularly complex and in-depth role-playing game from the point of view of history, but for those who perhaps want to follow only the main quest or in any case have just the indispensable information. to follow the general narrative arc, it will be hard to digest the fact that many things will only be hinted at and will not be understandable without facing hours of dialogue and hundreds of written lines. Among other things, as per BioWare tradition, Inquisition is a sequel that can only be really appreciated by those who have also played the two previous chapters of Dragon Age. It is obvious that it will always be possible to start with this episode but, for once, we almost feel we do not recommend it since the title from the beginning will put you in front of many concepts, notions and characters assuming that the player knows them perfectly with the risk of displacing the neophyte and making his first hours of play very difficult. After all, this is what happened also in Mass Effect with all the pros and cons of such a choice certainly very bold in today's landscape. We conclude the paragraph with a small absolutely positive note for the splendid character creation editor that will allow us to realize our alter ego with incredible depth for all four races available: humans, elves, dwarves and qunari.
Big and fat
If there is one thing that is immediately noticeable about Dragon Age: Inquisition it is its mammoth being. We are convinced that we will not risk being proven wrong when we say that in terms of contents and their variety, this new work from BioWare will become a reference point for the genre. There is simply so much, perhaps even too much to do between side quests, collectibles of all kinds, side activities, materials to collect, exploration for its own sake and much more. It is precisely in this vastness, as well as in its combat system - but we will return to this later - or in some graphic and artistic choices, that you immediately perceive how Inquisition seems to have been inspired by the MMO tradition rather than the concept of classic RPG . The exploratory structure remains the typical one of the series: not a free roaming but a subdivision into areas that can be discovered and unlocked based on the choices and decisions we will make during the adventure and which we can access by selecting them from a map of the entire world. of game.
Once inside them, we will be able to roam freely around the area, just worrying that our level is suitable for the threats we are going to face and in total freedom to discover and collect at our total discretion, the dozens of quests scattered throughout the location. It is practically impossible to walk for more than fifteen seconds without running into something to do and, even if these areas are particularly fluctuating in terms of extension (we go from microscopic to giants with the bulk represented by those of medium size), the common denominator is precisely the density of activities that can be carried out. Activities well grafted into particularly varied scenarios on a stylistic and artistic level and ranging from forests to deserts, swamps and mountains, coastal locations and towns. We must say that we have perceived the absence of a big city like the Kirkwall of the second chapter but completely forget the recycling of settings that characterized that episode. To want to go deeper into the role structure of Inquisition it is evident that there is a substantial difference between the main quest, where the stylistic and writing skills of BioWare are pushed to the highest levels and the player feels truly master of his choices and the consequences they will have on the state of the game world, and side missions or interactions with other non-player characters. In the latter case, in fact, there is a certain linearity that clashes with the tradition to which the Canadian house has accustomed us. To put it briefly, The Witcher is quite another thing in terms of the weight of the decisions made. It is true that once again there will be many characters to be recruited in our party, which as usual will be composed of four members at most, but it is always evident a certain basic linearity made only of multiple choices in the dialogues that take into account minimally of what we have done in the game, of our class or race or even of the bond we have created with these characters. This does not mean that in terms of character or writing they are poor, on the contrary, but only that we have always felt like spectators of an evolution of the relationship between the protagonist and the other non-player characters that seems to be on tracks and that can at most reach the inevitable sex scenes or a few handfuls of side quests.
AAA Wanted Inquisitors
The central focus of the new chapter of Dragon Age is obviously related to that Inquisition which also gives the subtitle to the game. The evolution of our protagonist and his adventure moves on several levels. On the one hand we have the classic experience collected by carrying out practically any action and which allows us to change levels (the cap is set at the twentieth) and therefore to spend the skill points earned in the various skills that populate the four branches of talents that make up each one. of the three classes available: warrior, rogue and wizard. The system recovers from what we have seen in the past of the series with active skills, other passives and a series of unlockable power-ups. However, it will never be possible to alter the basic statistics that will be directly linked to the class and can be upgraded through the equipment worn. Then there are the power points that can be earned by completing quests or completing the activities that the game offers us: they are used to have access to the main missions, or in any case to the most important ones for the purpose of the plot and to unlock the locations reachable on the map of the world. Finally there are the levels of the Inquisition.
These are earned by increasing their influence in the organization which, as for the experience of the characters, grows as we complete quests and activities but also by completing the provisions.: real missions of pure collection of objects and materials present in the various game areas (the saddest part of the entire offer since it reminded us of the most stupid quests, in perfect grinding style, of MMOs). By increasing the level of the Inquisition you earn points to spend on real perks, divided into four skills and which represent further passive upgrades ranging from discounts with merchants, to various bonuses to the experience related to combat or research of lore for reach up to additional slots for potions or an increased radius of research of the points of interaction on the field. There really is something for everyone. The system may seem complex in this explanation but it is actually perfectly amalgamated in the gameplay and guarantees a great freedom of action in the work of the player who will thus find himself truly master of his own path within the game world. As if this were not enough, by consulting the war table in Haven or Skyhold, our strongholds where we will have access to the crafting desks and the possibility of interacting with all the non-player characters that we have convinced to follow our cause, we will also be able to send the our three main agents - Cassandra, Leliana and Cullen - to carry out a series of timed missions that will allow us to earn bonuses and items along the lines of what happened in Assassin's Creed with the assassins recruited or with the management of the fleet. We limit ourselves to pointing out that as regards the inventory or the quest journal we are faced with very classic choices for the RPGs of the last few generations with a maximum limit of transportable objects in the first case and a very traditional slot subdivision of the various pieces that can be mounted on each character and a list of missions divided by location with the possibility of having an active one to follow in the case of the newspaper. In full respect of the BioWare tradition it is also essential to underline that all the secondary characters that can be included in our party, can be completely managed manually as regards their inventory and their level increase with consequent skills unlocked.
The multiplayer
Dragon Age: Inquisition also offers a multiplayer mode completely unrelated to the main campaign. It is a classic horde where we will be able to choose prepackaged characters and make them grow wave after wave and game after game to unlock better equipment and increasingly powerful skills. There are three maps available and they concretely represent the only way to make real dungeons since in the settings of the single player there are no classic dungeons. There is also a small real-money microtransaction component that will allow you to quickly purchase high-level gear and skills without participating in all the growth-related grinding phase. It is important to emphasize that multiplayer is completely an end in itself and will not lead to any kind of bonus or enhancement for what concerns the single player mode unlike what happened, for example, with Mass Effect.
The cross and the delight
It is certainly to be appreciated the developer's choice to offer a specific game interface for PC and another that instead meets the console public or that in any case prefers to use a joypad to move their avatar on the screen. In the first case we are faced with a HUD very similar to what is seen in an MMO with a bar dedicated to the eight favorite skills, a space for potions and a whole series of shortcuts to quickly command the other members of the party or to access the various game screens. If you decide to use a pad instead, the game largely reuses what was seen in Dragon Age 2 with the front and RB buttons dedicated to the use of skills and a second set accessible by pressing the right trigger. Everything is always very intuitive. But after so many words written to explain and tell a game of this vastness it is also right to point out where the work of BioWare, in the opinion of the writer, shows a soft side to criticism. And many of these are related to combat. Inquisition tries to combine what has been seen in the previous two chapters of the series by offering a hybrid system. The title can be played as an action RPG in Dragon Age 2: the combat is in real time with a button for automatic attack and the use of skills as the vigor or mana allow it and respecting a classic system of cooldown.
At any time, however, it is possible to pause the action, switch to the tactical view from above and plan more carefully the management of the party and the available skills, an essential change of perspective as the level of difficulty rises. (there are four in total) since artificial intelligence, although always very reactive and smart in the choices made automatically, cannot cope with very difficult and long clashes. The system closely resembles that of Origins and more generally of BioWare's RPG school. The underlying problem is that both options are unable to satisfy the two audiences they are targeting. In the case of real-time action, the system suffers from the same static and poverty of interaction as a classic MMO, a la World of Warcraft to be clear: you hold down a button to make the standard shot and use the skills when they are ready. If you manage a magician or a thief equipped with a bow or crossbow, boredom is always, constantly around the corner, if instead you use a warrior or a thief armed with daggers, the absence of dodges or in any case of the dynamism that should be weighed down. be evident in an action RPG a la The Witcher or Kingdoms of Amalur. And it is of little use to be able to change the controlled character in real time, at any time. Adding further annoyance are the very long animations of the shots and special abilities, which obviously cannot be interrupted and which sometimes force us to waste time and make sensational smooths just because the enemy has moved away a few meters and we do not we can immediately reach it to hit it. In the case of the tactical view, on the other hand, the choice of positioning it from a bird's eye view with only the possibility of changing the orientation of the camera and with a zoom range that is really too small gives us a very usable and configurable system. If you observe the action from above, the portion of the scenario shown is too small, if instead you look down, all the elements present on the scenario inhibit our view making it very difficult to identify the enemies especially indoors or when they are present in quite numerous groups. Furthermore, to move the view we will have to physically move the indicator through the scenario (also taking into account the obstacles) and every time we go to select another character, the same will be reset each time, often forcing us to long and annoying "back and forth" with the view to be able to assign the various targets of the attacks. Furthermore, there is no command queue and it is not a small thing in a role-playing game that should push hard on the tactical sector by implementing this view and the pause of the action.
Probably the writer could appear too critical towards an element that obviously does not alter the general content scope of a title like Inquisition that amazes and convinces on the front of the things to do it offers but such a deficient combat system still has consequences on the fun transmitted and, in the case of Inquisition, it is only the tip of the iceberg of a whole series of small inaccuracies in the gameplay that denote a certain lack of "fluidity" in the game experience, optimization and connection of all the incredible contents offered.
A little above we talked about the ups and downs of the plot and an excessive linearity in the interaction with the game world and with the other NPCs, outside the crucial points of the story, but for example the movement of the character did not convince us. in the scenario, especially when on a mount. It gets stuck everywhere and jumping from one handhold to the next can sometimes be dramatic and very frustrating. The crafting system itself, although exceptional and full-bodied on paper, is really too cumbersome and linked to a material collection system, this too, which seems to be strongly inspired by the tradition of mass online games with all the consequences of the case in terms of repetitiveness and boredom generated. The management of the tactics adopted by the members of our party, when not controlled directly by us, returns to be present with a dedicated screen but the options available are very few and all very little configurable. The same choice of eliminating from the game any magic related to healing and not implementing the automatic recharge of energy outside of combat is certainly to be commended for the tactical implications that it brings as a dowry, but having reduced everything to the use of a certain number of life restoration potions shared between all the characters and which are recharged with each quick trip (or using some specific crates scattered in the game areas) actually flattens the management of the party and the careful choice of the same during the fights longer and more demanding since everything is resolved in the number of potions that are still available. And it is clear that this sort of list of things that do not work well in Inquisition is actually much longer and composed of many, small elements that do not absolutely affect the productive value of this endless work but certainly limit it in its enjoyment. and more generally convey a sense of lack of cleanliness and consistency of the entire gameplay structure.
PC System Requirements
Test Setup
- The editorial team uses the ASUS CG8250 Personal Computer
- Processor: Intel Core i7 860 at 2.8 GHz
- Memory: 8 GB of RAM
- Video card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780
- Operating system: Windows 7 64-bit
Minimum requirements
- Processore: AMD quad core @ 2.5 GHz o Intel quad core @ 2.0 GHz
- RAM: 4 GB
- Video card: AMD Radeon HD 4870 or NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT with 512 MB of RAM
- Operating system: Windows 7 or 8.1 64-bit
- Hard Disk: 26 GB of free space
Recommended Requirements
- Processore: AMD six core @ 3.2 GHz o Intel quad core @ 3.0 GHz
- RAM: 8 GB
- Operating system: Windows 7 or 8.1 64-bit
- Scheda video: AMD Radeon HD 7870 o R9 270, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 con 2GB di RAM
Nice inside but also a little bit outside
We conclude this huge review with a paragraph dedicated to the technical and graphic aspect of Inquisition. The title uses DICE's Frostbite Engine, made known from the Battlefield series but more recently used for most Electronic Arts productions. The result, however, is very mixed. While on the one hand we have absolutely exceptional character models, animations and facial expressions, on the other we are faced with scenarios that sometimes surprise at first glance for excellent artistic choices but which then, observed in detail, leave very doubtful about the use of low quality textures and a certain poverty of elements on the screen.
More generally all the effects seem to be reduced to the bone and, even at the ultra setting we were able to play the entire title at, there seems to be very little able to surprise. On the other hand, the fluidity of the action is excellent which, apart from some small momentary blocks probably related to cache management, is always very high and does not suffer frame rate drops even in the most excited situations or when the visual horizon is very wide. . It should also be noted that the uploads related to entering a new area are always quite long, but once completed we will be able to wander around it without any interruption whatsoever. In terms of bugs, we were amazed by the cleanliness of the entire experience which, apart from some display problems of the dialog ring in various situations, has always been very stable and free of gross errors. The original dubbing in English is absolutely excellent, also thanks to the use of actors and voices at night in the videogame panorama, while for the Spanish we will have to be satisfied only with subtitles. Not bad also the soundtrack, although not very incisive outside of a couple of appropriate themes and with the classic epic, fantasy style that accompanies the most memorable scenes.
Comment
Tested version PC Windows Digital Delivery Origin Price 59,90 € Resources4Gaming.com8.8
Readers (416)8.6
Your voteDragon Age: Inquisition is vast, full-bodied, huge, and packed with things to do. So mammoth that it is possible to play it for more than a hundred hours without the risk of repeating the same type of quest twice and it will probably be remembered over the years as an example of what a latest generation RPG has to offer. Unfortunately, however, such magnificence collides with a long series of small structural criticalities that denote a certain lack of organicity, coherence and fluidity of the entire gaming experience, starting from a combat system that has not convinced us in both. its derivations, real-time action or dynamic pause tactics. Fans of the series will have a lot to read and listen to and we are sure they will be able to easily turn a blind eye to these flaws, but we are convinced that BioWare could and should have refined its work better to bring an absolute masterpiece to market.
PRO
- Many, many things to do
- The character and Inquisition growth system is well thought out and offers great versatility
- The artificial intelligence manages the party characters properly and takes advantage of the peculiarities of their classes
- Artistically, the scenarios shine for variety and scenic impact
- In several places the plot seems to get lost in the street and our nemesis is not very effective
- Several elements of the gameplay are approximate and do not seem perfectly amalgamated into the game structure
- The combat system has problems both in action mode and with the tactical pause
- Technically it has several ups and downs
