Alright, Dragon Age: Inquisition, let’s do this.
For anyone not caught up, I started with Dragon Age: Veilguard and quickly fell in love with its world. But instead of finishing playing that and jumping backward in the wrong order, I decided to pause and explore more of the universe. After a long discussion with Bea, I landed on playing Inquisition, and here I am.
I’ll admit, I’m curious how this is going to play out. I’ve already been spoiled by the visuals of Veilguard, so adapting to a game that came out over a decade earlier might take some work. But I’m keeping an open mind.
A Speedy Start: The Character Creator
First things first—the character creator is almost non-existent compared to Veilguard. Which, to be honest, is kind of a relief. It saved me a ridiculous amount of time. A few quick clicks, and bam—I was ready to play.
Oh, Solas. Now that I know who he is, I feel like any twist involving him is going to fall flat. But I’m hopeful there’ll be enough here to keep things interesting.
Early Impressions: Gameplay and Structure
This feels like one giant training segment. Given that Veilguard had its intro screen pop up after an hour, I’m bracing for the same kind of pacing here.
The map, though, feels very linear. Unlike Veilguard, which at least gives you the illusion of openness, Inquisition feels like it’s shoving you down a path. Not bad, but noticeable.
Also, KAPOW, they’re all dead. (Yes, I’m still keeping score on combat satisfaction.)
And then—camera freedom! I can actually scroll in and out. YES! This alone makes Inquisition better than Veilguard in one way.
Add in a hotbar for abilities, and suddenly everything feels more natural. It’s a small thing, but it’s a huge win for me.
We’re also getting straight into Fade rifts, which is exciting. The Fade is such an interesting concept, and I’m glad it’s front and centre right away.
Decisions with Weight
Combat here isn’t as fun as Veilguard’s, but considering this game came out over a decade earlier, I’m giving it some grace.
One thing Inquisition does better, though, is decisions. The hover boxes showing the potential impact of your choices make every decision feel more meaningful. In Veilguard, I wasn’t always sure if my choices actually mattered, but here? I can see the ripple effects before they happen. That’s a nice touch.
First Impressions of Dragon Age: Inquisition
So, what are my initial thoughts on Dragon Age: Inquisition? It’s definitely enjoyable.
The graphics aren’t as polished as Veilguard’s, but that’s on me for going straight into the newest game and then going back a decade. The same goes for the combat—it’s not as fluid or flashy, but the addition of a hotbar makes everything feel a lot more natural to me. Small wins.
The story? Off to a solid start. Solas being on our side is interesting to me, but knowing what I know from Veilguard, there’s clearly a big reveal coming. I can’t even pretend I don’t know it’s coming, but I’m holding out hope it’ll hit in a way that still makes me think, “OH FUCK!”
I’m genuinely excited to see where this game takes me. So, as always, until next time!
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