14 DAY TRIAL // BioWare has a long history of creating memorable characters, but initially the new Dragon Age seems to be stuck with a limited cast, including the rather dour Cassandra, the humorous but weary Varric, and the all too solemn Solas.
It takes some time for the entire cast of potential party members to emerge and even more for them to start opening up via conversations and to deliver specific quests that offer more insight into their personality.
Once that happens, the likes of Blackwall, The Iron Bull and Vivienne have a lot of personality details to explore and some fascinating views on the world and its current situation.
But the highlights when it comes to both evolution and conversations are Cole and Dorian, who, not without reason, are the weirdest of the entire bunch and can offer some very sobering takes on the events that unfold.
A Fade spirit and a Tevinter mage
Cole is the character in Dragon Age: Inquisition that has clearly benefited from the most attention when it comes to how his dialogue was written, and it’s a pleasure to just explore the available options and see the lyrical lines he delivers.
Cole is a spirit that has moved into the real world without actually possessing anyone, and as such, he can perceive the emotions of others, which flood his own thinking and which he blurts out into a kind of stream of consciousness.
I chose to keep him as a spirit when the choice appeared, just to selfishly enjoy as much dialogue with him as possible, but I do plan to see what happens to the character if I move him more towards humanity.
Dorian, the Tevinter mage, is interesting because he is an outsider who appreciates how the south of Thedas is different, but at the same time can call others out on their mystifications, especially when dealing with sensitive topics like blood magic and slavery.
He also defines himself as gay and his personal quest is interesting because it feels like a statement of intent from BioWare showing how sexuality will be portrayed in its titles in the future and how fantasy worlds can be used to create some interesting scenarios.
Dragon Age: Inquisition takes its time when it comes to making characters interesting, but I suspect most gamers will complete all the personal storylines before they launch the final battle to save the world.
