Dragon Age Inquisition review — the best game in the series

In this Dragon Age Inquisition review, we will look at how engaging the story is, if the gameplay captivated us, and if it was an awesome experience in general.

Sean Lawson

Published 10 Aug 2024

Earning the platinum along with all the other Dragon Age Inquisition trophies was one of my greatest gaming experiences — period. There is no doubt in my mind that this game is one of the best PlayStation RPG games around and I'm going to tell you exactly why in this Dragon Age Inquisition review.

Dragon Age Inquisition contains one of the most immersive RPG storylines

In Dragon Age Inquisition, you play as your very own custom character who finds themselves at the center of a world on the brink of annihilation. You'll have to navigate tough politics, fight ferocious demons, and close up the massive breach that has appeared in the sky before it consumes everything in its path. It's up to you and your ragtag team of heroes to save the day.

I loved the story of Dragon Age Inquisition and, personally, I feel it contains the best storyline out of any of the Dragon Age games so far. I felt it was filled with lots of engaging moments, brought back some of the most iconic characters from previous Dragon Age games, and had my jaw on the floor on multiple occasions.

Dragon Age Inquisition is lengthy but provides a subpar character creator

Dragon Age Inquisition takes well over 100 hours to beat, especially if you are a completionist like me. However, if you just want to power through the main story, then you are looking at around 50 hours. While it's a lot of hours to put in, it never feels draining or tiresome. In fact, I wanted it to last longer with more things to do.

The character creator provides a lot of options to use, yet it somehow lacks for me. While I was happy with how my character ended up looking, it took a lot of work to get there. The game seems to have a distinct problem with hair, it all just looks sad and in serious need of a revamp. Give me more options BioWare!

Dragon Age Inquisition's combat is the best of the best

The combat is pristine in my eyes and while it may garner negativity from diehard Dragon Age Origin fans, I personally think that Dragon Age Inquisition combat offers the current peak of the series. It's stylish, all the special moves look badass, and attacking your enemies has a weight behind it that makes for some addictive combos and impressive magical fights. I wouldn't change a thing about it.

I played most of Dragon Age Inquisition as an archer. Normally, archer classes get slept on and their moves tend to be a little one-note like in Dragon's Dogma or Skyrim. However, I think Dragon Age Inquisition managed to knock it out of the park. I never felt bored or wanted to switch up my class. I had plenty of special moves to work with and it was a blast zipping around the battlefield firing arrows at every chance I could.

Dragon Age Inquisition trophy tactics

The trophies in Dragon Age Inquisition are going to take a good bit of planning before you dive in. To earn the platinum trophy you will need to beat the entire game on the Nightmare difficulty. Something that will take a lot of practice and patience, but is entirely doable. I should know, I earned it.

While the start of the game will be hard, once you level up, Nightmare difficulty really loosens up and becomes way more manageable. The thing you need to keep an eye on is the nine missable trophies. As long as you make sure to grab them and stick to Nightmare difficulty, the platinum will be in the palm of your hand.

Dragon Age Inquisition's open world is an absolute treat to explore

There is so much to do and see in Dragon Age Inquisition, it's actually pretty overwhelming at first. The starting area is massive and has so much content to see. However, don't be like me and overstay your welcome. The starting area has some of the toughest fights and missions in the game and you will be severely under-leveled when you first encounter them.

My advice to new players is to leave this area as soon as possible and return to it later. In doing this, my enjoyment with the game skyrocketed and I was able to level and progress at a much easier pace. BioWare likely designed it this way to push players to leave and actually explore the rest of the game. Which is pretty smart, I must say.

One of the best side activities the game offers is the many different Fade Rifts that have opened up due to the huge Breach in the sky. These rifts play like mini waves of enemies that you must defeat to close off the Fade Rift. Seeing as the combat in Dragon Age Inquisition is so tasty, it makes sense as to why these are so addictive to complete, providing a sense of satisfaction whenever you manage to close one of these rifts off for good.

Dragon Age Inquisition's Romance is top-notch

The characters of Dragon Age Inquisition are all fantastic, with so much depth and story to uncover. I enjoyed switching between them all for every new mission, which allowed me to get to know them all on a deeper level. However, it was Dorian that I connected with the most.

His story and journey really resonated with me — his trouble with his dad, his sexuality, and just trying to find his place in the world. It was all beautifully told and made me appreciate Dorian. On top of that, the romance scenes with him were fantastic and helped to wrap up his storyline with a nice little bow on top.

Summary

Dragon Age Inquisition is one of the best RPGs money can buy. It comes loaded with a rich storyline, an immersive world to explore, and some of the greatest companions the series has seen yet. While there are a few pitfalls — like the lacking character creator — that stop it from receiving a perfect score, there isn't a world where I wouldn't recommend Dragon Age Inquisition to everyone I know.

* Sean played the PS4 version of Dragon Age Inquisition, which he purchased himself years ago. He put over 100 hours into the game and even earned the platinum.

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Written by Sean Lawson

Sean is a Staff Writer who focuses on the geekiest Sony news. He specializes in PlayStation trophies, the best PS Plus games, RPGs, and fighting games. Sean is using this experience to cover Dragon Age The Veilguard, Monster Hunter Wilds, Funko Fusion, and Silent Hill 2 for PS5, all while he still dives into favorite games like Mass Effect, Tomb Raider, and Persona.