Dragon Age Inquisition: Snake was Right, y'all gonna Love this Game

[Solid Snake]

So to the not-surprise of Snake but to the incredible surprise of everyone else, the third Dragon Age title looks phenomenal and well worth everyone's time.

That being said, I've been looking everywhere for information regarding the last-gen versions of the title to determine whether it makes sense to purchase the PS3 version now, purchase the PC version now, or wait for the PS4 version in 2015. On the one hand, the game will look better on my PC. But I'm wondering how much DA1 and DA2 content I can transfer directly from my DA:O and DA2 saves to Inquisition, and aside from Dragon Age: Keep existing to help folks with new consoles, I can't seem to find any further information.

Like, I want to know: Given that Hawke apparently appears in DA: Inquisition, on my PS3 version, will Hawke on that system share the same appearance as Hawke from my DA2 game? This is a vitally important question for me that'd make the PS3 version a better experience for full immersion, even if it's a step back graphically.

So, let's talk about Inquisition here. The game's action is split among several different open-world areas you can explore, all with wildly different geographies, and representing mostly Orlais but also a fair chunk of Ferelden. You can't really customize your character's history but you can customize race, and you can even play as a Qunari. Your character inherits some kind of crazy magical gift to close green mystical breaches or something and is elevated to a position of prominence while the Templars and Mages are duking it out.

Yet again, Bioware seems decently committed to a diverse cast of characters, including at least one gay man and one lesbian, though as always I'm concerned as to how that diversity is actually going to look in practice, because Bioware's never been as great on the SJ front as they like to imagine they are. But I'm excited that a lot of characters and content from DA:O and DA2 are returning. And, while a lot of reviews seem to take potshots at DA2 for being so 'disappointing', it's good to know that while the gameplay and the aesthetics have been improved, DA2's superbly underrated story still has incredible influence.

So: Anyone else buying this game next week? Who will you be playing as? What system will you be playing it on? (Is Snake the only poor, underpaid sap who might be playing this last-gen?) What characters or plot points intrigue you?

[Revising Ocelot]

I'd like to know how much in DA2 will be relevant to DA3. I don't have DA2 because, y'know, it's DA2.

[Solid Snake]

Originally Posted by Revolving Ocelot

I'd like to know how much in DA2 will be relevant to DA3. I don't have DA2 because, y'know, it's DA2.

You're missing out on a great game.

[greed]

He's really not.

I'm waiting a week or two after release to make sure they don't screw the pooch again myself. What they've shown looks good but well I got no faith in Bioware not to shit the bed at this point.

[Solid Snake]

At this point I feel like I'm the only one on the battlefield fighting for DA2, with entire armies of gamers marching against me

[Overcast]

As a person who barely registers a lot of the things I'm doing in gameplay when it comes to action trading rpg's I like DS2 because it pleased me in the story department. It was also a reasonable city adventure, which can be a very different feel from the more popular fantasy epic style of cruising across a nation. Regardless I'd have advised you to play DA2 more in the past when it was still fresh, I'd advise now you at least find yourself a lets play so you can fast forward through any parts you find unpleasant and get to the meat and potatoes of the work.

I am variable on my level of faith in this game for just that reason though. My ability to believe in their ability to design levels is on a medium level, pretty much flipping a coin. Game mechanics is much the same. But what scares me is that since a lot of people shit all over DA2 all the time they won't be bringing something like that in the story department to the table. It is looking more and more like the first Dragon Age in my head, which while not terrible was also nothing really new.

Setting my hopes up still though, as a fan of the series.

[Solid Snake]

Originally Posted by Overcast

I am variable on my level of faith in this game for just that reason though. My ability to believe in their ability to design levels is on a medium level, pretty much flipping a coin. Game mechanics is much the same. But what scares me is that since a lot of people shit all over DA2 all the time they won't be bringing something like that in the story department to the table. It is looking more and more like the first Dragon Age in my head, which while not terrible was also nothing really new.

I'm at least encouraged by the fact that Bioware hasn't written DA2 out of the narrative -- Varric and Cassandra are returning as party members, Hawke is back (though I'm still curious as to whether last-gen Hawke can appear anything like the way you designed him/her), and multiple other DA2 characters return in some capacity in supporting roles or cameos. And, the Inquisition storyline is pretty much a direct sequel to DA2 and elaborates a lot upon the unanticipated consequences of DA2's conclusion.

It's true that it's a much more conventional plot in terms of traveling around the world to combat a mysterious sinister force that's threatening the world, and I do find that somewhat unfortunate, but the nature of your role as Inquisitor also has you resolving a lot of comparatively petty disputes. Apparently, you also struggle initially to establish yourself as a reputable leader in a way you really never did in DA: Origins. Finally, it seems that Bioware's still committed to encouraging 'progressive' relationships and character designs in a way that's admittingly half-assed sometimes, but it's certainly better than the default approach of pretending that the LGBT community doesn't exist.

Overall, I'm very encouraged by what I've read in today's reviews, but I can understand the skepticism. The good news if you disliked DA2 is that DA: Inquisition's rave reviews are by and large rejections of the worst aspects of DA2's gameplay and aesthetics, while the good news if you loved DA2 like I did is that the same reviews keep indicating that so much of DA2's story has carried over.

[Krylo]

Originally Posted by greed

He's really not.

I'm waiting a week or two after release to make sure they don't screw the pooch again myself. What they've shown looks good but well I got no faith in Bioware not to shit the bed at this point.

DA2 had a lot of issues with the level design (reused dungeons, and enemies spawning in waves, mostly), but everything else was very good, and this really shows in the DLCs where they did a lot to remedy the rushed design on the main game.

Like, OC said, the biggest tragedy of DA2 is that gaming culture rose up in arms to proclaim that they don't ever want to see another character driven story about someone just kind of thrust into the middle of events happening around them and trying to do what's best for them/their family/their friends/possibly the world (depending on player choice).

Nope, only wanna be the hero fighting the world altering/ending massive threat.

[Kim]

DA2 shittalking always bums me out cuz there's no real discussion to be had. "Everything was terrible." "I really liked these parts and here's why." "Well I didn't." That's the good version of the conversation. The bad version is the one where I say I like DA2 and get accused of trolling.

[Overcast]

Also I don't want to be a Qunari unless I can also work to spread the glory of the Qun.