tldr: I replayed Dragon Age: Inquisition in 2024 on Steam and if you're wondering whether this game is still worth playing a decade after its release, here’s my simple answer: YES.

A little nugget of wisdom before we dive into the actual review: you HAVE TO use the EA App, even if you’re launching it from Steam. 🙄

BUY THIS GAME ON SALE. Don’t let EA pocket any more of your hard-earned cash than they already have.

Here’s a big tip: If you can, play Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age 2 first. THEY ARE GREAT GAMES! And trust me, your choices in those games matter. Use the Dragon Age Keep website to import your decisions—it allows you to carry over your choices into Inquisition. The best part? When you import your save into DA:I, you’ll see the results of your decisions—both the good and the bad. It's like a “choose your own adventure” book but with much higher stakes and far more emotional damage. Plus, if you play the earlier games first, you’ll understand DA:I’s world and characters much better.


DA:I was released during the 2014 shift in video game quality and it still holds up remarkably well. It’s visually stunning, the writing is solid, and it gives you a wealth of content. However, and it’s a big HOWEVER, the game does suffer from bloat. It is a great 40-60 hour game wrapped up in a 100+ hour package. There are a ton of side quests that eventually start to feel like filler. Let’s get something straight: you don’t have to do every side quest. I know, shocking, right? The game hands you a mountain of activities, but you don’t have to climb every single peak. Do what feels fun. Focus on the main story when you’re feeling purposeful but feel free to deviate when something catches your eye. Don’t fall into the trap of clearing areas one by one like it's some sort of scavenger hunt. Circle back when you’re at a higher level and the enemies don’t make you question all your life choices. The side quests are mostly world-building—they flesh out the universe but aren’t necessarily designed to make you grind for hours.

And, oh boy, don’t get me started on the Hinterlands. That first zone? It’s huge. It’s overwhelming. And it’s probably where a lot of players gave up because the game doesn’t tell you that you’re supposed to be a much higher level before tackling some parts of it. (But at least it’s a great place to practice your “crying while running away from overpowered enemies” skills.) And let me tell you, YOU WILL RUN A LOT. Like this:

https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=502918832

Without giving anything away, the story has it all—drama, betrayal, tragedy, fun, dancing, parties, suspicion, and a history so complicated it might need its own therapist. It’s like the ultimate mix of a fantasy epic and a juicy reality show.

Now, let’s talk about the banter. This is the real heart of DA:I. The conversations with your companions are where the magic happens. You’ll get some of the best story moments, inside jokes and emotional scenes from chatting with your crew. And let's not forget the Easter eggs and random hilarity that’ll make you smile. Some companions will nerd out about magic, others will fall in love and some will just get into the most absurd, hilarious arguments. There’s never a dull moment in camp.

Listen to NPCs. Seriously, don’t just rush past the random conversations happening around you—they’re not just filler. Take a moment, hang around in the tavern and listen to the bard songs. Talk to everyone, recruit agents, read the notes and dive into the codex entries. It’s like a treasure hunt, but for lore. You’ll find hidden gems that make the world feel alive.

Thanks to the Frostbite engine, DA:I boasts a color palette that’ll make your eyes dance with joy in different maps. The game still looks stunning, even after a decade. You’ll explore lush green forests, vast deserts, eerie swamps, snowy mountains, and SO MUCH MORE. The graphics hold up incredibly well and honestly, they outshine a lot of games released in recent years. It’s a perfect example of a game that ages like fine wine.

+ You ACTUALLY get to fight more than TEN HIGH DRAGONS. Not just one or two. TEN. And their fights? Super entertaining.

https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3359910348

Also the soundtrack—thanks to the incredibly talented Trevor Morris. Every map has its own unique tune, perfectly capturing the atmosphere of the environment. The game’s highlight moments are brought to life with epic themes that make you feel like you're living through a truly legendary adventure. The soundtrack is as much a part of the experience as the gameplay itself.

Here’s one final recommendation: If you’re into mods, I would highly recommend using some but that’s totally up to you. Frosty Mod Manager has a super user-friendly layout, and some of the mods—especially Bugs Be Gone, War Table - No Waiting and Quicker Looting—will seriously enhance your experience. These little tweaks can make the game flow much more smoothly and save you time, which means you’ll enjoy the game even more. Trust me, once you try them, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without them.

Plays like a bad MMORPG, but without the benefit of meeting other players: Tedious busy work, lackluster exploration, detached feeling combat. Made me play Dragon Age 2 again.

immersive

I like this game a lot.

Never listen to bad reviews with 6 hours playtime. DA Origins is a masterpiece because you actually roleplay however you want and every choice has a consequence. DA 2 is a decent game, it is a 'bridge' between the first and last (inquisition, i cant say veilguard is a dragon age game since it forgets many things about the world) games. This game is better than DA2; the main story is captivating, companions are remarkable and crafting system is so much fun. Though there are bugs EA refuses to care as always but there are solutions on internet.
Long story short; Play the first 2 games, come to this one, appreciate it and finish your Dragon Age era.

I ended up giving up on this game after realising I needed to collect 20 death root and kill 3 bandit camps to unlock my sublcass.

I knew the grind was bad, but I thought i'd just mainline the main story. But unlocking a subclass requires grinding, unlocking new story missions requires grinding, doing the companion quests requires grinding, gaining XP requires grinding.

There is probably a decent 20 hour game in here, but it's buried under 60 hours of crap. And I say this even though I'm using mods like Quick Loot and War Table no Waiting.

definitely the beginning of the end for this series especially after seeing what the next installment is. The promise of rpg feels more like a free to play grind just to play the next bland story mission

Dragon Age: Inquisition is a game with incredible potential, but it struggles to deliver on the promise of an epic RPG experience. While its stunning visuals and expansive world initially impress, the shallow gameplay, uninspired storytelling, and repetitive design choices make it feel more like a grind than an adventure.

The game’s open-world design is one of its biggest issues. The zones are undeniably beautiful, with lush forests, towering mountains, and sprawling deserts that beg to be explored. However, they’re filled with repetitive fetch quests, boring collectibles, and filler content that feel more like busywork than meaningful gameplay. The open-world structure sacrifices the tight, story-driven pacing of previous Dragon Age games in favor of quantity over quality.

Combat is another disappointment. While flashy and visually satisfying, it lacks depth. The tactical view is clunky and feels like an afterthought, making strategic play cumbersome and less rewarding. Battles often devolve into mindless button-mashing, and enemy encounters quickly become repetitive. The lack of challenge even on higher difficulties further undermines the combat system.

The story is a mixed bag. The premise of leading the Inquisition and battling a mysterious, world-threatening enemy sounds great on paper, but the narrative execution is lacking. The main villain, Corypheus, is one of the least compelling antagonists in the franchise, with generic motivations and little personality. The story feels disjointed, with long stretches of filler between major plot points, which kills the momentum.

The companions, typically a highlight of BioWare games, are hit or miss. While some characters, like Dorian and Cassandra, are well-written and engaging, others feel underdeveloped or one-dimensional. The companion quests, while occasionally interesting, often fail to delve deeply into their characters’ backstories or motivations. Relationships with your party members feel less impactful compared to Dragon Age: Origins or Dragon Age II, and the dialogue choices lack the weight and nuance of earlier entries in the series.

The game’s RPG systems are also shallow. The crafting system, while extensive, feels more like a chore than a rewarding activity. Progression is tied to a power mechanic, which forces you to grind through side content to unlock main story missions. This artificial padding makes the game feel like a slog, especially in the latter half.

On the technical side, Dragon Age: Inquisition performs inconsistently. The Frostbite engine delivers breathtaking visuals, but it comes at the cost of long loading times, stiff animations, and occasional bugs. Additionally, the PC controls and UI are poorly optimized, making navigation and combat feel awkward at times.

While Dragon Age: Inquisition has its moments of brilliance, such as the well-designed Skyhold hub and a few memorable quests, it’s bogged down by repetitive gameplay, shallow systems, and a story that fails to live up to its epic premise. For a game that promised so much, it delivers an experience that feels bloated and uninspired.

origins had way better story and characters with immersive world building but on the other hand triquel is pretty good in action and swiftness aspect. Still a top notch, must buy game for EA standarts.
ps; color scheme looks bit sh2tty.
7/10