Thedas is huge.

I have finally settled into Dragon Age:  Inquisition and feel more comfortable with the gameplay.  My elf is no longer jumping at strange times, but instead is calling down lightning bolts from the sky to decimate enemies.  The combat controls, which felt awkward at first, seem to take aspects of the first and second games.  You can choose to play in third-person and have up close control of your character (similar to the combat in DA2) or zoom out with the tactical camera to better control your entire party (more like Origins).

One new change that I am enjoying, but is a big change from previous games, is the lack of healing spells.  All healing is now done strictly through potions.  Depending on your playstyle you might find this good or bad.  I like it because I'm having to pause combat less and can focus on playing as my character more.  The AI tactical controls are much better in this game too so you don't have to worry as much about what the other members of your party are doing.

I am most impressed at the size and detail in this game.  One of the biggest complaints from DA2 was the lack of variety in locations throughout the game.  The developers listened and have created an extremely detailed and unique set of locations in this game.  I have now played for about 20 hours and have barely even touched the main questline.  I've been busy exploring and building up my Inquisition forces.  In one zone you are sent to help refugees who have been caught in the middle of the chaotic fighting that has broken out between mages and templars.  Farms are raging infernos, set on fire by marauding forces on either side (there really are no good guys or bad guys--both sides are guilty).  Many of the side quests in this region are centered around helping the refugees and farmers.  Another zone is set on the coastline and features amazing dwarven ruins.  The coast has crashing waves, that are amazingly realistic and is littered with shipwrecks.

Although I am greatly enjoying this new game, I do have some complaints.  What happened to the gifts?  I enjoyed finding gifts out in the world and them being able to give them to my companions.  Some of them triggered unique dialogue that was interesting and added to the backstory of the people who were accompanying you on your quest.  I have noticed that some of my actions trigger notifications like "Cassandra slightly approves," but I haven't been able to find any indicator of what her overall feelings are towards my character.  Is there a bar somewhere that I've missed?  The tactical camera can also be somewhat wonky.  I zoom out on a hill and am left with a completely bonkers view that requires me to do uncomfortable things with the camera.  Tunnels and narrow spaces are the worst for this.

Yesterday I found out that I was playing wrong.  Those 20 hours I spent in the game were spent primarily in one very large zone.  While I was looking for some information on a quest that I cannot finish (a requisition quest, that apparently, I have now messed up), I saw several posts urging people to leave the Hinterlands (which is the beginning zone).  This makes me question some area design decisions--if you want people to move onto other places, why make the zone so huge?  I get that they want people to return later to complete stuff, but if you're even remotely the completionist that I am you want to do every quest and explore every crevice.  Here is a Tweet from someone associated with BioWare urging people to leave the Hinterlands

I did finally decide to approach the main questline and briefly visited Val Royeaux and it is amazing.  The Orlesians are whacky, but the city is beautiful.  I will be continuing my explorations of Thedas this holiday week.