When I started this blog I mentioned that I would like to look at video games sporadically throughout my interests in the world of tabletop gaming. This is as an opening to explore the topic of games being played in person versus games being played online. As such, when doing my look back on 2014, I felt it only fair to also look at my favourite video game of 2014, and while there were some amazing games out last year, one stands out a mile above the rest for me personally. And you will never see it coming.
Yup, see what I did there?! Anyway, Dragon Age Inquisition, Bioware's grand attempt to get back on track in the world of RPG's, and boy did they. For those fans of the previous Dragon Age games, you will know of the triumphs of Origins' throwback to the RPG's of old, and 2's failings at streamlining them. Inquisition, however, takes the best of both games and throws them into one. This is exacerbated by Bioware's new foray into open world gaming. To play host to the bold new run at character driven gaming, the game boasts 10 large open world regions for you to adventure in, each as large as the majority of the maps of its predecessors put together. And in the majority of cases there is enough activity to fill those spaces too.
On top of that are other new features; an in depth crafting system both for equipment and potions, dynamic events within the world itself, mounts, and of course the Inquisition itself. The organisation actually has a function within the gameplay and not just the story, as you do various quests and acquire various upgrades to build it from the ground up. Recruit new agents, forge alliances, and use your war table to spread your ever-growing influence across the continent in an attempt to save the world from itself.
But while the new world spanning both Fereldan and Orlais is the new and shiny of the game, the heart of Dragon Age has always been the characters, and this is no different. This time around we are led by a survivor of a cataclysm that tears open the sky, a character that comes to be known as, you guessed it, the Inquisitor.
Surviving a magical explosion the tears open the veil between worlds, the Inquisitor is found to have power over these tears, being able to both open and close them. Naturally, this initially leads to suspicion that he/she is behind it all, and as expected, they go from prime suspect, to larger-than-life hero. Throughout this all, a cult from an old foreign super-power rises up in credit to the disaster, led by a mysterious being that turns out to be an old enemy. And in the background to all of this is the ongoing Mage/Templar war that started with the tragic ending of DA2. It may sound very samey and mundane, but it is truly riveting to see, and twists and turns at every junction, keeping you guessing at what happens next.
And if the protagonist and villain don't make you believe, one of the many from a vibrant cast of characters ought to do it. We see new faces and old, and indeed some old and very familiar faces will prove pivotal to how you move forward. There is a pious element to it, and the whole story does raise an interesting debate at every corner through a number of characters including both the protagonist and antagonist, and that is the whole controversial aspect to divinity and worship. While in the world of Thedas belief has created all the current problems of that world, belief now is also what seemingly brings it back together. And in a way it makes you believe in it too; that's the sort of writing we are looking at here. Should you ever doubt, just watch the video below, that shows a scene after the Inquisition suffers a significant loss, and how their unity and belief in the protagonist can bring a powerful following that can overcome it. It is truly powerful stuff, and the sort of stuff that will bring Bioware into the future on a positive note, should they manage to keep the momentum.
Above you can see shots of the journey of my own Inquisitor, so for today's request, I ask you what your favourite moments of this game were, and to show us pictures of your own Inquisitor? If this was not a game you played, what was your favourite game of 2014?
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