The short version: The writing is genuinely excellent. The open world is not. Playing this game feels like digging through a pile of filler to find the good stuff, and whether that tradeoff is worth it depends entirely on how much patience you have.
The romances and character writing are the real game. BioWare built some of the most emotionally invested companion relationships in RPG history here. The conversations go deep, the romance subplots have real stakes, and you’ll care about these characters in ways most games don’t come close to pulling off.
The power fantasy works, too. Making political decisions that reshape Thedas, building influence across a continent, watching your Inquisition grow from a small outfit into a world-altering force. That part feels genuinely satisfying.
The EA launcher is a real problem. Before you even get to the game, you may spend 20 minutes troubleshooting a launcher that simply refuses to open. Players still report this issue regularly. It’s a bad first impression that never fully goes away.
The open world is mostly empty. The maps are visually striking, but they’re full of map markers and short on meaning. Compared to The Witcher 3 (which covers similar ground much more effectively), Inquisition’s open zones feel like they exist to pad playtime rather than tell a story.
The Power system forces busywork. To unlock main story missions, you grind for “Power” through fetch quests and repetitive side activities. The story earns an 8 out of 10. The system you use to access it earns a 2.
Dragon Age: Inquisition doesn’t respect your time, but it does respect your emotions. The core story and companions are worth playing for. You’ll just have to survive the open world to reach them.
Overall: 5/10. Play it for the people. Tolerate the rest.
Dragon Age: Inquisition scores 5/10 on immediate fun. A massive game of contradictions. Deep story, broken EA launcher, and an empty open world that kills the momentum.
EA Launcher issues. Empty/lifeless maps.
One question: did it deliver immediate fun? Graphics, story depth, difficulty and critical acclaim are ignored. Pick-up-and-play accessibility is rewarded; anything that makes you wait for the fun to start is penalized.
How we score: We don't care about graphics, story depth, or critical acclaim. One question — did it deliver immediate fun? We reward pick-up-and-play accessibility and penalize anything that makes you wait for the fun to start.