Dragon Age: Inquisition

Dragon Age: Inquisition was the series' first major entry into the PlayStation 4 generation and also its most expansive installment. A rift to a world of demons opens in the sky, the player's character is the only one able to seal these breaches, and an initially insignificant survivor thus becomes the leader of a restored Inquisition. The entire game revolves around this role: besides traveling and fighting, players decide on political alliances, the fates of entire orders, and who the Inquisition even lets close.

Combat combines real-time action control of one character with a tactical pause, during which orders can be given to the whole party and positioning on the battlefield resolved. Each of the three base classes has several specializations, so a mage can be a support or a destructive force, and a warrior a protector or a siege battering ram. The world is divided into vast regions each with their own character, from dry plains through swamps to snowy mountains, and alongside the main storyline it offers a large amount of side content, resource gathering, and fortress building. Back at their own keep, the player sends advisors on missions, talks to companions, and develops relationships, something the series has traditionally built on.

Technically it was a leap forward thanks to the Frostbite engine, which gave the landscapes scale, convincing lighting, and changeable weather. The sound and orchestral music work with strong themes, campfire scenes are accompanied by companion songs, and the whole thing feels very cinematic. Critics received the game enthusiastically and praised precisely its scope and return to epic fantasy, though with hindsight it's more often noted that some areas are filled with repetitive tasks. For the series it was an important milestone, as it showed how to combine character-focused storytelling with a large open space. Today Inquisition is a good entry point into the world of Thedas, provided the player accepts its slower, builder-like pace and isn't put off by the opening hours, which are among its least interesting. Once the political thread gets going and the companions start finding their voice, the game gains significant strength.