A great RPG in classic Dragon Age style. If you've liked other games in this franchise, this one's a no-brainer. If you're new to Dragon Age, this is a great spot to jump in.
Positives:
- Great class customization, where you get to choose a class archetype (Mage / Rogue / Warrior). From there, you get to choose specific abilities and traits through a skill tree that allows you to play exactly how you'd like. I'm playing a Rogue and specializing in dual wielding melee attacks, but there's also a specialization focused on bows and traps/explosives. And I'm free to unlock traits in any combination (I've picked up some bow traits to help out with my range damage)
- Great story. As with all DA games, the storyline is fantastic. It provides a look into a world that feels alive. Everywhere seems to be in disarray and there's honestly very few places in this world that could be considered "good" places to live, but that's pretty standard for the World of Thedas. It really is a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥. But the choices you make and actions you take really feel like they're woven into this narrative and it feels like you're fighting for a better world.
- Graphics are beautiful
- Combat is fluid and dynamic. It's challenging combat with a lot of cool unique ways to approach every fight, whether that's head-on or through the use of expert combo weaving utilizing your companions
Cons:
- The romance in this game isn't quite as in depth as I'd like. Maybe I haven't dove deep enough yet, but things feel so... linear. I'd love quests or storylines tied to my romancing of my companions, and I'd love to see a little more uniqueness to it too. Everything just feels so... flat. I don't even have to try to romance anyone, I just have to pick the flirty dialogue option often enough and it just happens. I made myself look hot, but ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ no one's THAT hot.
- Along with that, more nudity is also kind of expected here. I'm also coming from Baldurs Gate where things are much more explicit, but in a world with slavery and tyranny and blood cults, showing a bit more intimacy or nudity shouldn't be so controversial. I saw a man squeezed to death by thorny vines until he burst into blood and sinew. An asscheek isn't going to shock me.
- I created my character with a name, but I have yet to see that name pop up anywhere after 20 hrs of gameplay. I'm just called Rook (which I understand from a development/voice acting point of view). I'd love to at least see letters addressed to me, or have some way to feel like my character's identity matters beyond the cardboard cutout "you're the protagonist." There's a few dialogue options specific to my faction chosen at character creation, but that's about it and they typically aren't too exciting either -- and they don't unlock any unique experiences either, from what I've seen. For a game where so many of my choices are supposed to matter [spoiler]Minrathous vs Treviso, for example[/spoiler] it feels like the storyline is static and already determined, and I'm just going through the motions. I'd love to see more branching storylines to give me a unique experience every time I play. Or at least to make it feel like I'm actually influencing the story beyond surface-level "this companion is a little upset with me but they'll get over it" kind of stuff.
Overall, this is a fantastic game and I can't wait to keep playing more. But I do think this franchise is still stuck in the past in many aspects of development. I hope the next installment in this franchise will implement some features that have become standard in modern RPGs.
