Dragon Age Inquisition holds a very special place in my heart. I first played it on Jop’s computer. Jop was away on holiday and asked me to feed their family cat, Puntje. In return, I could spend as much time as I wanted playing Dragon Age Inquisition on her Gaming PC. The best part of the day when I graduated from my bachelor’s program was cycling to Jop’s house to play this game. Soon after, I bought my own gaming PC and started the game again.

Maybe the real herald of Andraste is the friends you make along the way. No but really, the characters are the best part about these games.  Sometimes I get a little lonely when playing video games. Especially games where you spend a lot of time travelling through desolate places make me wish I had a sidekick. In Dragon Age games, you always travel in a party of four, and your companions will occasionally talk to each other while you explore. This really makes you believe that they exist as people outside of your own interaction with them.

This isn’t quite an open world game, but there is a huge variety of different environments to explore. I’m actually really glad it’s not an open world. I find that if you can literally walk anywhere, I get decision fatigue. Inquisition’s world is just the right size.

The story is also one of the highlights of this game. Choices feel like they matter, and the game follows a narrative that was set up in earlier instalments of the series. I should note that I would not recommend playing this game if you haven’t yet played Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age 2. Some of the worldbuilding will likely be confusing if you’re not already familiar with it, like the Andrastian religion and the different cultures.

Please play this series. It’s great for people who value character development, and want to play a game that is “classic” fantasy that is fantastically executed.

If you’re worried about whether this game is accessible to people who haven’t played the preceding parts in the series, be assured that my best friend binged Inquisition without knowing anything about Dragon Age beforehand. Still, I recommend you play the other parts first. It’s just so much fun to be able to follow these characters throughout the years.

I love all the Dragon Age games, that’s a given. I’ve spend hundreds of hours in Thedas. Dragon Age: Inquisition, however, would become a unexpectedly strong formative experience for me. In my first playthrough – also the only one I fully finished (and replayed) – I played as a female Dalish mage who romanced Josephine. Almost immediately I was very engrossed in this character I created, as well as the story. I took every opportunity I got to play the game. It would not be an exaggeration to say Dragon Age: Inquisition helped me come to terms with some aspects of my identity. Because of the personal impact of this first playthrough, I doubt I will ever fully replay this game with any other choices/characters, like I’ve done Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age 2.

Characteristically for Dragon age, the characters are the greatest strength of this game. Though not all are destined to appeal to you (or your Inquisitor), their stories and companionship give flair to the game. Sometimes, I even find myself missing some of these characters, as if they were real friends.

As for the main story, it’s not without flaws, but has many great redeeming qualities, especially in how it builds on choices made in previous games. Inquisition is the first game in which you really see the fruits of your earlier labours, the history you’re creating. As such, I’d recommend Inquisition especially to people who have already played the other two games.

Although I really love the themes of the main story – focusing on religion and one’s destiny – the pacing of the game’s ending felt a little off to me. Furthermore, many side quests were a little uninspired/underdeveloped.

Dragon Age: Inquisition is not open world, but has some huge areas that were fun to explore. Just ignore your mount and make sure you have your favourite companions with you to enjoy the stunning environments.

Lastly, I’d like to highlight Dragon Age: Inquisition has the best DLC’s I’ve ever encountered (except perhaps The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt). Each DLC builds upon the main story and offers some really cool worldbuilding insights.