14 DAY TRIAL // BioWare has made the open structure of the upcoming Dragon Age: Inquisition a big part of the initial marketing push and it seems that gamers who are long-term fans of the series will have plenty of surprises if they wander off the beaten path.
Chris Corfe, a designer working on Dragon Age: Inquisition, explains on the official site that, “There is a nice chunk of content off the beaten path. And beware of the approval of the Imperial Court!”
The developer was talking specifically about the Haramshiral zone, where a lot of Orlesian nobles congregate for peace talks but end up focusing more on politics during a massive costume ball, but the same philosophy should be applied to all other zones.
BioWare has explained that it has designed the new Dragon Age to offer different experiences varying on the degree of involvement of the player.
Those who just want to see the core story play out can do so by following critical paths, getting involved in the major battles and leaving the rest of the game world to take care of itself.
Long-term fans of Dragon Age will be able to explore every nook and cranny of all new areas, discover more details about those who inhabit them and see how their prospects can be affected by making certain choices.
Ryan Love, the senior environment artist, adds, “Make sure to search every dark corner of the place. You never know what you might find. Also, always remember to be a good party guest. People won't take kindly to a guest snooping in their closets!”
Dragon Age: Inquisition will focus on a tear in the Veil, which is allowing demons from the Fade to assault human settlements and cause problems across Orlais.
The country is also gripped by a Civil War, which seems to affect the citizens but is mostly ignored by nobles, and three organizations, the Mages, the Templars and the Chantry, are still battling for supremacy.
The player will have to recruit a solid team of companions and then choose who to try and tackle all these problems with, while also dealing with smaller side quests.
The Darkspawn and the Grey Wardens will also be involved, as will be other characters from the first two titles in the series.
Dragon Age: Inquisition will be delivered to gamers in October of this year, on the PC, the PlayStation 4, the Xbox One and current-gen titles.