Well, I did say I’d be done with Dragon Age Inquisition by Christmas, and that was partly true. Still, when you have a wife, toddlers, a job, and other interests, you can usually push these playthroughs indefinitely… and I still ain’t done. I got sucked into doing the DLCs for the game and actually fought those blasted dragons. I actually have just the rest of "Trespasser" to finish up and then I can call it quits on Dragon Age for a while. Still, I’ve played at least 100 hours of this game to get this written.
If you want a nice overview of the game, just check out my old review because it’s pretty much the same. In fact, I think I’ve fallen for this game more the third time around. It’s as good as I remember it. Each DA installment brings something unique, and this is no different. DAI is definitely a return to form after DA2’s adventures in Kirkwall. You’re back and forth between Fereldan and Orlais in trying to stop Coryheus from destroying the world. Oh yeah, “Cory” still sucks as a villain. That was one thing that hasn’t changed with me. Even though I did complain about the vast emptiness of the world, I kinda got used to it this time around.
The gameplay still rocks with you and your companions dishing out loads of destruction to your enemies. This time, I was a Rogue Inquisitor with the twin daggers, and that was so much fun. The graphics are good, but this was one area I kinda struggled with especially with my character. At least Veilgard has added more black hairstyles… but I’ll get to that someday. Weapons and customization are also pretty dang good. The DLCs were also pretty good and added a lot to the game... including a full ending/epilogue... EA, why are you like this?
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| I tried to do my hair right... they needed a bigger afro and some curly hair options. |
Our companions are good as usual. We get 9 companions this time, and they all range from okay to pretty dang good. I will say that some of their personal missions don’t stack up to the ones from Origins and even Dragon Age 2. I’m not sure if it was that there were too many companions or that there wasn’t as much thought put into their personal missions. Either way, I still think the companions help make the game awesome. So, with that out of the way, here’s my ranking of all the companions from DAI. I’m also adding the advisors (Cullen, Leliana, Josephine, and a surprise) in this as well. You don’t fight alongside them as much, but their presence and stories are right alongside the other companions.
1. Varric - You know Varric is still gonna be #1. He’s still our cool dwarf with swagger and a hobby for writing adventure novels. He was already forced into the Inquisition because of his connection to Hawke, the Champion of Kirkwall, and decides to stick around to help save the world. We learn more about his backstory here and even how he got Bianca, his crossbow. As for any tips, upgrade the crap out of Bianca and add some runes for some special damage points. Also, build up his arrow abilities because you're gonna need them.
2. Cassandra - Cassandra is a warrior and a part of the Seekers, a secret warrior group for the Chantry. She’s one of the few that found out about the original Inquisition and helped revive the group. She’s stern, smart, skilled, and has an interest in certain romance novels written by dwarves. I romanced her in my first and latest playthrough, and it’s a good romance. Her story with the Chantry and the Seekers is also really good. Unfortunately, I struggled with her abilities later in the game. I don’t know if I didn’t level certain parts up or not, but she kept getting taken out so bad that I had to switch to Blackwall for sword and shield. Still, make sure to level up her sword/shield abilities and her Seeker abilities. Maybe you’ll have better luck than me.
3. Dorian - Dorian’s our representative mage from the Tevinter Imperium, aka “Those Slave-making Mages.” Unlike most from his land, Dorian’s actually a good guy and tries to stand against some of the Imperium’s dark deeds. He’s crass, funny, endearing, and sometimes annoying if you’re not flirting with him. His personal story (a strained relationship with his family because of his sexuality) is an interesting one. I’ve seen it being compared with a similar storyline in Veilgard. He does well with his mage abilities, but you need to build up his Necromancer specialties. I also made him a fire god at some point… no, I didn’t nickname him “The Flamin’ Boy Toy”.
4. Solas - Next up is probably the best mage in the game. Solas is a Dailish elf who specializes in the Fade, so he joins the group to help repair the big rift in the sky. He’s the “Mr. Spock” of the group, or at least that’s how I saw him. He could be cold, stern, calm, and rarely funny. He’s also one of the companions whose story is really tied to the main arc, but I’ll let you find out about all those juicy details for yourself. If you’ve played Veilgard, you might already know what I’m talking about. You’ll need to build up his Fade specialization because those powers come in handy. I also made him the most destructive of the mages… and I missed that towards the end of my playthrough.
5. Vivenne - Next up is our posh Orlesian mage who I dubbed “The Ice Queen.” Vivienne hails from Orlais’s Circle, which is apparently less chaotic than Ferelden’s Circle. In a bit of a surprise, she’s a mage that actually supports keeping the Circles around for mages to learn and be protected, which is something that would've had her in conflict with Anders from DA2. She’s post, elegant, and sometimes a bit grating. I didn’t like her much in my first playthrough, but she really grew on me this time. I will say that her loyalty mission is pretty weak though. Even though that’s the case, she’s still a cool lady. Build up her arcane warrior abilities and her Frost abilities for that added “Cold Breeze.”
6. Cullen - Cullen is one of our advisors for the Inquisition. He’s actually a character you would've interacted with throughout the series. He started out as a jackass Templar in Origins and a dickish but understanding Kirkwall Captain in DA2. This time, he’s done with the Templars and does what he can to train the Inquisition against their many enemies. His storyline involves dealing with the Templars and his crippling addiction to lyrium which is something all Templars deal with. I handled that storyline pretty differently in each playthrough. He’s a weathered warrior who really sucks at gambling and is probably my favorite advisor.
7. Leliana - It was good to see this lovely redhead again. Leliana served as Divine Justina’s Right Hand for the Chantry, so she was basically a CIA head. She helped Cassandra form the Inquisition along with the rest of the advisors. While she is fighting for what’s right, she did seem more weathered from her early days in Origins. You can lead her down an interesting path in the Chantry, but I will say that her story was alright. I actually tried to steer her away from her ultimate fate (new Divine) this time around, but it didn't work.
8. Blackwall - Blackwall, aka “Thom” or my personal favorite, “BlackBall”, is a mysterious Grey Warden. He joins the Inquisition when the Grey Wardens themselves get corrupted by Corypheus. He’s good-tempered and probably the best warrior in the game. Seriously, I don’t know what I did with Cassandra and Iron Bull, but Blackwall came through. He’s a bit too mysterious though and when we find out about his actual backstory, it comes so late in the game. It’s a good twist at least. As for gameplay, make sure you have all his sword/shield and Champion abilities leveled up. In the hardest of spots, he was last man standing.
9. Iron Bull - Iron Bull is the “big man” of the group. While he’s a “Talvash-shah” (a qunari spy), he leads a group of diverse mercenaries called the Chargers. He’s also so unlike the qunari you’ve met in the games at this point. He’s not a slave to the Qun’s ways and is quite funny. Like the others, you can take his story down an interesting path regarding his people. Even as I say that, Iron Bull’s alright. Gameplay-wise, I kinda struggled with him especially when I had long range enemies. Thankfully, he definitely was a plus when facing up against the high dragons. Get his defenses leveled up, give him a good piece of armor, and then let him go to work.
10. Sera - Next up is the elvan archer I think some people hate. Sera is the leader of Red Jenny, a group of thieves, rogues, and overall pranksters who help the Inquisition from time to time. She’s a prankster and tries to be as annoying when she can. She’s also an elf who hates being an elf. Whenever I could, I tried to have her and Solas as part of my party. Even though she’s admittedly annoying, I liked her. Us rogues gotta stick together, and she made my Inquisitor want to get a little silly. Couldn’t romance her as a straight dude unfortunately. Upgrade her archer abilities and her special Tempest abilities.
10. Morrigan - This was a late edition, but I remembered that Morrigan does join the Advisor group after the Inquisitor's adventures with the Orlais government. There, she served as Empress Celene’s mage advisor. While she too wants to put an end to Corypheus's anarchy, she too has some… interesting reasons for joining the Inquisition and they involve her son. If you know, you know. Anyway, it was awesome to see her return in this fashion, and her story is pretty powerful. She’s far from the selfish apostate she used to be in Origins.
12. Josephine - Josephine is the financial backer of the Inquisition. She uses her Orlesian training along with the rest of Advisors to get help for the Inquisition. She’s also pretty capable as well as just being pretty. I romanced her in my second playthrough, and it was a fine romance. Still, she’s probably my least favorite of the advisors. There’s just not much to her story overall. I think it was about her family being threatened or something. She’s still nice to talk to about the Inquisition, the companions, and Orlesian culture.
13. Cole - Cole’s to some companions like Justice as he’s a spirit from the Fade inhabiting the body of a dead young man. He uses his abilities (he’s a compassion spirit) to help the group and others. Dude’s literally helping random strangers. Unfortunately, he’s also my least played character this time around mainly because I was a Rogue Dagger guy. I know I used him more in other playthroughs but not much. His story, while pretty interesting, doesn’t lead to much in the end. In fact, I think most things don’t change with either avenue you take his character. As for gameplay, I made sure to level up the main assassin abilities. He didn’t get a specialization like the rest.
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Well, I think I’ve said enough about Dragon Age for now. Just know that it’s a fun trip returning to the land of Ferelden for the last year. I don’t know if I’ll ever get around to playing Dragon Age: Veilgard though. I’m not turned away by the criticism because if I was, I never would’ve played Dragon Age 2. I just got nothing to play it on for now. With the rising prices of the PS5 and gaming PCs, I may be out of luck on that one. For now, I think I’ll replay a few old favorites and get mad at those (lol). That’s all I got for now. Until then, Peace, God Bless, and be careful out there.
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