Gamers can deal with a lot of enemies in interesting ways

Nov 17, 2014 15:32 GMT  ·  By

For a long time, Dragon Age: Inquisition did not entirely justify its title and it felt like the development team at BioWare had simply chosen it because it sounded good and suggested a higher purpose, rather than being based on actual in-game mechanics and action that the player can undertake.

But there’s a moment after the move to Skyhold when the name suddenly makes sense and the development team introduces a new judgment mechanic that gives the player a chance to exercise their power basically however they please.

There are quite a few quests where the antagonist, usually a henchman or the main bad guy, can be spared rather than simply killed on the spot and he can then be brought to Skyhold.

The Inquisition, in the real world, has a very bad reputation, but it was also known for the fact that it sought to document its actions, the perceived sins of those it went after and the effects it had on society.

In Dragon Age, the Inquisition of Thedas also has a tendency to be bureaucratic, allowing the player to carefully explore facts about characters, with copious Codex entries, before they can choose how to deal with them.

The difference between force and common sense

Many other role-playing games made the player powerful, but the tendency was to link him to his capabilities on the field of battle rather than his political connections.

In the new Dragon Age, the actions of the protagonist mean that the nations of the world are willing to put the fate of individuals, some of them high ranking ones, into the hands of the Inquisitor and they will obey the decisions he makes.

It’s easy to overlook how weird it feels to be able to choose between putting someone to death quickly and making them repair the damage they have done to the world by serving a community or a wronged group.

On my first playthrough of Dragon Age: Inquisition, I was careful to consider each case brought forth for judgment in order to make sure that my solution was the best one possible.

But interestingly, the feeling of power that the game creates was enhanced the second time around, when I role-played a character that was so focused on saving the world that he dealt swiftly and mercilessly with all those who tried to stop him, and execution was the choice I used most.

Inquisition might be just a game, but it presents some interesting ethical and political situations for the player to deal with.

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