Something Old, Something Hakkon, and Something New

My latest and longest trek back into Dragon Age:  Inquisition has come to an end.  Oddly, I felt a weird sense of relief but after playing through the Trespasser DLC I was also slightly confused.  I spent $20 to play through DLC that is over two years old, and for the most part I felt like it was well spent but was glad that I didn't pay the original full price for it.

The Jaws of Hakkon
This DLC adds a brand new zone to the Fereldan side of the map--the Frostback Basin.  Frostback Basin is a mix of the junglier biomes and some really janky geography.  There have been times where I've wanted a little more variety in my zones, but after trying to navigate the gaping chasms and narrow tree root natural bridges, I am not so sure.  Much of my time in the Frostback basin was spent trying to find things that were either at the bottom of gorges or on hillside cliffs.

Once you've grown accustomed to navigating the terrain you will get the opportunity to mix with some old friends.  In your earlier explorations of the Fallow Mire you encounter a group of Avvar who have captured some of your Inquisition soldiers.  The Frostback Basin contains two different groups of Avvar--the friendly group from Stone Bear Hold and the aggressive branch calling themselves the Jaws of Hakkon,

As you befriend the friendly Avvar at Stone Bear Hold you get an opportunity to learn more about their culture.  They like climbing cliffs, communing with spirits, fighting, and disposing of bodies by chucking them off of the aforementioned cliffs.  Befriending them is important because their trust must be gained in order for them to provide the valuable information used to located the remains of the first Inquisitor.

There are new astrariums and ocularum to discover and unlock as well as Tevinter ruins to explore.  The loot in Jaws of Hakkon is so-so.  If you have a thing for frost-based weapons you will enjoy many of the items.  I had played the The Descent before Jaws and the loot from it is slightly better.

Overall I'd give it a 7/10.  It stuck to the same formula as the other zones while introducing a new faction and some new but slightly annoying scenery.  The story wasn't anything fabulous but it kept me interested to see it through to the end.

One of the scenic vistas in Trespasser.

Trespasser
I didn't really know what to expect from Trespasser.  I expected some closure to the major cliffhanger at the end of the main storyline but didn't expect the story to play out anything like it did.  There was always something slightly weird about the story ending and then being back in Skyhold with nothing to do (but wait for future DLC--well played EA....well played).  It gets even weirder.

Trespasser starts two years after the events in the finale.  Corypheus is dead, you're a big hero, Solas is MIA to parts unknown, and the Inquisition is currently sitting around with no actual purpose.  A large, unoccupied military force is making the nobles in Orlais and Fereldan feel uncomfortable so they've decided to have a meeting to discuss the future of the Inquisition.  It's back to the Winter Palace for this episode.

At first I got a distinctly Citadel (the goofy final DLC from Mass Effect 3) feeling as I guided my Inquisitor character through discussions with squadmates who had been off living their own lives for the last two fictional years.  The discussions are light-hearted, silly and provide players with another opportunity to reconnect with past favorites.  There are some new features added in that some might find handy--a vendor that sells every herb, leather, cloth, or metal.  The prized "golden nug" which will sync up your collections across all playthroughs (for all the hardcore completionists out there who want to finish everything) is a nice addition.

The main storyline sees the Inquisitor trying to unravel a plot by the Qunari (who we haven't heard much about since Kirkwall) to attack the Winter Palace.  Wading through piles and piles of Qunari eventually leads to long chases through various eluvians and their locations around Thedas (and possibly the Fade...but it was confusing).  As the story unravels you learn some astonishing factoids about elves, the Veil, Fen'Harel, and the Qunari plot itself.  I won't spoiler it here, but it's not at all what I expected.  It also leaves the door wide open for speculation as to the setting and possible storyline in the next chapter of Dragon Age.

If you're really into the vagaries of random plot points you will enjoy Tresspasser.  I was expecting something considerably elfier with Morrigan guiding me through eluvians and the odd world of the crossroads.  Loot-wise there are some interesting items including a 4 piece set with stacking bonuses that actually looks badass (Sera was pretty decked out by the end and looked way more serious than at any other time in the game).  Like Jaws of Hakkon, Trespasser isn't anything fantastically new.  It does provide closure and give players a chance to re-visit all the characters that they love.  I would also call it a 7/10.

Phew!  It's been a long journey (I would estimate an additional 30 hours of DLC) and now my Inquisition can come to an end.