14 DAY TRIAL // What we know:
Dragon Age: Inquisition is an upcoming action role-playing game currently being developed by BioWare, being the third installment in the acclaimed Dragon Age series.
Bioware has revealed that they plan to incorporate elements from both previous Dragon Age games, and that Dragon Age: Inquisition will feature much larger environments, and will involve more exploration, as well as making player choices impact the unfolding of the storyline.
The plot will revolve around the civil war that threatens the world’s existence, the all-out conflict between The Circle of Magi and the Templars, following the events that took place in Dragon Age II.
The combat system will also experience some adjustments, and is expected to capitalize on players’ ability to form a cohesive team with their companions, with preparation and good positioning being key factors of success.
Battles will require less button mashing and more tactical thinking and Dragon Age: Origins’ tactical view will also see a return, on all platforms.
Why it matters:
There will be a lot more freedom in navigating the world, BioWare stating that they are taking their inspiration from open-world role-playing games, and that they also intend to develop more environments so that map recycling does not become such an issue as it was in Dragon Age II.
The developers plan to offer a much more malleable storyline, offering a more open-ended experience as opposed to the earlier installments’ linearity.
Bioware also plans to expand on the relationships players form with their companions, instead of using the previous dialogue and gifts system, this time around basing meaningful interactions around reactions to events and variables that are specific to each character.
Also, it will be the first Dragon Age game where players are at the top of an organization, and instead of them being lowly agents tasked with various missions, they will now get to make more impactful choices that will have consequences for The Inquisition and its members.
Players will be given a position of authority and privilege that will afford them more power than other in-game characters, and they will get to make moral choices that shape the destiny of the world.
Dragon Age: Inquisition is scheduled to arrive in Fall 2014, for the Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and PC platforms.
Softpedia is hosting an entire series of Incoming 2014 articles, covering the most anticipated games of the year.