Doom Spiral

As the spooky October 31st release date of Dragon Age: The Veilguard creeps ever closer I've been keeping my lil' peepers on any prominent news.  It feels like almost every week there's a semi-bi-polar slide between items that fans find "good" and those that are "bad" (but thanks to the general cynicism of the interwebs are painted as downright catastrophic).  I've seen excitement over the character creation options (especially the hair...which if you've ever followed any RPG you'll know is absolutely VITAL) that immediately turned into an absolute doom spiral with this piece of news--apparently, few of your decisions from Origins and Dragon Age 2 will carry over into The Veilguard.  Instead, only 3 choices you made in Inquisition will have an effect on the world state.  (Read the interview with the creative director here)  I am a member of a very well moderated Dragon Age group on social media and I would classify the reaction as a total freak out.  Is that reaction warranted?

There's a part of me that thinks, no, it's just people being overly cynical.  I think BioWare has always done a good job of making your decisions feel like they had weight and part of the fun in carrying over those decisions is seeing the outcome in a subsequent game.  But in reality, how big of an impact did those decisions really have on the world?  You might get a brief reference to someone you saved or have a slightly different character be part of something.  In reality, I think the illusion of choice is what players experience.  The main outcomes generally don't vary much and it's usually a very outcome A vs. outcome B type of scenario (think of Mass Effect 3's controversial red, blue, green ending--I mean, did many of your choices from previous games really matter there?).  It also sounds like they're trying to separate the game world from the tangled web of lore and decisions from the previous games and do something new-ish (which...given Andromeda...I don't know).

On the other hand, I can somewhat empathize with the naysayers.  Part of the fun of making even the small decisions is witnessing their outcomes.  The Keep offered players the chance to experiment with various decisions and make each new playthrough unique.  That has always been a hallmark of BioWare games and given them the ability to be massively replayable.  Are we going to be losing that factor?

I've read several articles about how the ginormous RPG's of the modern era have become so unwieldy that maybe we're due for a change in the size and scope of them.  Maybe this decision is a reflection of those changes coming to fruition?  I'm not someone who is going to be pre-ordering or playing on day 1 and I'm interested to just sit on the sidelines and see how things play out.  I would highly encourage people not to get sucked into the overly negative reactions to every piece of news that comes out and to play it first. 

Newsy, news!

Lately I've been trying to write as many reviews as possible to try to keep the Steam store page for I Game, I Saw, I Conquered (it's here if you want to, you know, make it 9 followers) poppin' for my 8 (yes, an entire 8!) followers.  As a result, I haven't really written much about any current items of interest.  A few items have popped up that are of great interest to me personally and that might interest one of the other eight people out there.

Interesting news tidbit #1

There's a Theme Hospital re-boot in the works!  I've mentioned my love of this childhood favorite many, many times on this here blog (not as much as Mass Effect, but still...a lot).  The original creators have founded a new software company, Two-Point Studios, and have been developing the modern version of the 1997 classic.  From the videos that have been released it looks like the same goofy sense of humor has been infused into TwoPoint Hospital--there are patients wandering around with lightbulb shaped heads who have a case of "lightheadedness," and require treatment via having their lightbulb heads taken off with a special machine and replaced with an actual head.  Here is the trailer:

I've been floored since initially hearing this news and have now taken to trying to track down any little pieces of information about the new game.  It's slated to be released this year and, if you're as excited as me, you can sign up for updates at https://www.twopointhospital.com/.  You can also wishlist it on Steam and bounce in your chair like a toddler.  That's probably just me.

Interesting news tidbit #2

The crew from Inquisition.

Supposedly there's a new Dragon Age in the works.  There have been Tweets and many gaming news sources have been reporting it this week.  This is a little surprising because much of everything that we've been hearing from BioWare has been targeted toward the upcoming multiplayer Anthem.  The news about Anthem has been slightly mixed with statements that it won't actually be released until 2019.  It also seems like some of the last news we heard was that the A-team was completely dedicated to the creation of Anthem.  So, if this Dragon Age thing is actually happening, my guess is that it's in the very early, early stages.

One of the most concerning parts of this Dragon Age related news is that there was much talk about including more "live elements."  What exactly does "live elements" mean?  Dragon Age:  Inquisition included multiplayer, so probably at least some sort of multiplayer.  There has been some speculation about co-op (which would be kind of cool).  At this point everyone also knows that EA's stance on any new games seems to be that they need to include an ongoing source of revenue...this means some sort of soul-sucking loot crates/boxes and an in-game system that encourages the purchases of said crate/boxes.

As a fan of the Dragon Age series, I really hope that they don't ruin the game by focusing solely on ways to suck people into microtransactions.  I've always loved BioWare for their single-player focus, strong storytelling, and great characters.  Lately it seems like they're being pushed away from this model and fans haven't been too happy (Mass Effect:  Andromeda...).  I've read several speculative articles that the future of BioWare could hinge on the success or failure of Anthem.  All this Dragon Age talk could be for naught, and realistically a new game is probably several years in the future.

Here's a link to a PC Gamer article about the new Dragon Age:  http://www.pcgamer.com/mark-darrah-confirms-that-bioware-is-working-on-a-new-dragon-age-game/

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.

100% Dwarfier

Lately I've been occupied with playing my way through 2014's Dragon Age:  Inquisition and it's DLC.  I have only made it to the point where I have played through almost all of The Descent, but haven't levelled up enough to reach the starting levels for the other DLC.  It's a work in progress and one that I am mostly enjoying.

It's a bit odd going back and playing Inquisition after other fantasy RPG's like The Witcher 3.  At the time that Inquisition came out it boasted one of the largest total world map areas in gaming.  For some weird reason, it just doesn't feel as big as The Witcher 3.  After riding Roach in TW3 the riding in Inquisition feels oddly stiff and hard to control.  I try to avoid riding.

This Inquisition go-round I decided to play a race and class combo that I hadn't tried before--a Qunari warrior with a tanking setup.  I am sure that most people jumped all over then chance to build a hulking blue beauty when Inquisition first came out.  I decided to stick with a decidedly more elfy and dwarfy path (still haven't played a human).  Playing as a Qunari is way more fun!  I also decided that my Qunari should be a bit of a jokester.  My favorite line from Cassandra after a wisecrack was "the Inquisitor was a funny Qunari" in reference to how the Inquisitor would be remembered.  The entire aspect of a Qunari becoming the Herald of Andraste puts the story into conflict and that awkwardness is acknowledged fairly often.  I will admit that playing as a tank isn't the most exciting class option.

One of my big complaints about Inquisition was the lack of dwarves.  In the first two Dragon Age games dwarves play a key role in the story and I felt their absence from Inquisition was a disappointment.  I can somewhat understand the decision--you can only really do the Deep Roads so many times before it gets really stale, but even the number of dwarves in the story was small.  I was excited that the DLC  The Descent introduced more dwarves and saw my party returning to the Deep Roads to investigate a series of mysterious earthquakes.

A major mistake I made was starting the DLC too early.  There isn't a a recommended level listed so I hopped in at around level 14.  Most of the enemies you encounter are around level 15 so it's doable, but a lot of the really good loot I got was for levels 18+.  I would recommend waiting until around level 20.

Once your party reaches the Deep Roads you meet two new dwarven characters who are investigating the source of the earthquakes.  Valta is a shaper who is trying to gather historical sources to explain what is happening and Renn is one of the Legion of the Dead who is protecting her.  They are an interesting duo and it's obvious that they have a close relationship.  Valta and Renn join you on your explorations as NPC's which is interesting...but can be annoying as you try to navigate narrow tunnels filled with spiders and darkspawn.

After you establish your main camp and spend power to upgrade it you can add a new operations table and a full complement of crafting items as well as a merchant.  As you progress through the Deep Roads you find many locations for possible operations that will unlock new areas to explore.  There are also new collections--one that involves collecting dwarven mugs and another that involves finding ancient gears, some of which are vital for unlocking doors to reveal more loot and more gears.

The Descent features some new Deep Roads landscapes.

I enjoyed the version of the Deep Roads that is portrayed in The Descent.  It manages to capture the former grandiosity of this vast dwarven treasure without feeling too...cave-ey.  There are gaping chasms and ledges that all seem to lead deeper and deeper into the earth.

As you venture deeper you encounter new, tougher enemies that can really wail on your party.  The loot is plentiful and has a unique dwarven-inspired look that is lacking from other objects in the game.  Eventually your party finds itself at the source of the earthquakes (not going to spoil it) and faces off with a final boss.  Sadly, I have not finished this boss fight--it is difficult!  It's another one of those bosses that relies on a large amount of party movement (something that I have always felt was a weakness in the series, but for some reason they add into the bigger boss battles) and can be very frustrating.  I plan to finish it once my party has levelled up to level 20.

Overall, I think The Descent is a decent DLC addition to Inquisition.  It adds the dwarves that were lacking from the core game and introduces new areas and enemies to spice things up.  The story is so-so and has its interesting bits.

A Victorious Return from the Dead

The archdemon commanded a devastating blight that threatened Ferelden and possibly all of Thedas.  Only a Grey Warden could strike the final blow to slay the beast and destroy it's immortal soul.  But who should do it?  Alistair, the former templar and future king of Ferelden?  Or your character, in my case a Dalish elf archer?  Or maybe the traitor Loghain?  Alistair was going to be king...even if he does seem like a disaster.  My brave elf scooped up a handily placed sword (even though he was an archer) and dispatched the beast thus eliminating the threat of a darkspawn invasion in Thedas.  The scene cut away to the now king Alistair giving a moving eulogy over the now dead carcass of my hero.

Alas, my hero lives on thanks to the import function!  It makes no logical sense, but hey, it's a game.  I've been re-playing my way through Dragon Age:  Origins and the oddly fun expansion Awakening.  It's a fact that I've now played every available origin story.  Which one is the best?  I think my favorites were the dwarf noble story and the circle mage.  If you're diving into Origins for the first time or re-playing it for laughs go with one of those.  Now, I'm making my way through Awakening with my re-animated elf hero.

The Mother--your new foe in "Awakening."

In re-playing Awakenings, which I've only played through a few times, I am remembering why I enjoy this weird expansion of the core game.  The characters are fun and mostly interesting, there is a wider variety of darkspawn to murder, and there is Ser Pounce-A-Lot.  My party of misfits includes an apostate mage who loves cats, a drunken dwarf, and a dead body reanimated by a "friendly spirit."  Sounds like a group of winners, huh?  You also manage to pick up the son of a former traitor who you kill in Origins, a homicidal elf mage who killed a large group of humans to avenge the murder of her fellow elves, and a dwarf rogue who is actually kind of boring.  It's these characters that make Awakening memorable and worth playing.  The story isn't too shoddy either.  Despite killing the archdemon (and, in my case, being dead!) the darkspawn are continuing to ravage Ferelden.  And they've apparently grown functional brains in a short timespan so that you can have a meaningful conversation about recipes or whatever the darkspawn talk about.  As you progress you learn that these talking darkspawn are caught in the middle of a factional conflict between those darkspawn who follow the mage-like Architect or those that follow the boobalicious (BioWare has a boob fetish just like Blizzard has a poop fetish) "Mother."

There are parts of Awakening that seem pretty authentic to the story.  As commander of Vigil's Keep, the Grey Warden stronghold in Amaranthine, you must also take on the duties of a liege lord and watch over your vassals.  They want to kill you, but you can still listen to them.  It's goofy, but I like it.

I'm planning to soldier through Awakening right into the notoriously bad-mouthed Dragon Age II.  I've always liked the second game but it has been oft bashed for the repetitive environments and small playable world.

As a sidenote I also made the tragic choice to finish my collection of Origins DLC.  Stupid DLC!  I always know it's overpriced but I'm a sucker for side stories.  If you're thinking of going for the total package here's my advice--skip "The Golems of Angarrak."  The story isn't that great and I mostly yelled at the screen because the combat was so frustrating with my archer (it might be easier with a different class).  Skip "The Darkspawn Chronicles."  Playing as a darkspawn is pretty bleh and there really isn't a story...it's just you playing on the other team.  Purchase "Leliana's Song."  You gain some insight into the story of this central character and the events that led her to set aside her life of crime for the life of a nun.  Purchase "Witch Hunt."  The story of how you seek out Morrigan after she leaves your party is actually entertaining.  Skip "Feast Day Pranks."  You get some gifts and goofy pranky things and some new dialogue, but it's not really worth it.

Earlier this year EA was giving away Dragon Age:  Origins as one of it's "on the house" specials.  It's a great RPG that has weathered the test of time.  If you can pick up Awakening to extend your Dragon Age fun time.

Romantic Entanglements--Dragon Age: Origins

Maybe you're not a fan of all the sci-fi weirdness that is a part of the Mass Effect series and prefer the more fantasy oriented Dragon Age.  The Dragon Age series follows the general patterns of BioWare games and presents you with the option to romance a member of your retinue.  No longer do you have to worry about dating an alien.  Instead you have to puzzle through the intricacies of inter-racial relationships between humans, elves, dwarves, and qunari.

Dragon Age:  Origins is an epic game with equally epic romantic options.  Your chosen hero can have one of three different races and have a different background depending on the class you choose.  As a result of these added modifiers, I spend much more time thinking about and playing matchmaker to my many heroes of Fereldan.

Has it been awhile since you've played Origins?  Yeah, it's been awhile for me too but I'm going to try to remember all the options for romance.  Let's start off with Alistair, the goofy, former almost-templar and possible inheritor of the Fereldan throne.  One major difference between Dragon Age and Mass Effect is that I tend to match my characters based on their chosen classes AND personality traits as opposed to just personality.  Would a mage really hook up with a templar?  I suppose it's possible, but probably unlikely.  I tend to match Alistair with my warriors/rogues who take a decidedly anti-magic stance and who opt for the more paragon-like choices.  If you do choose Alistair you have to make some rather disturbing choices later in the game regarding him possibly marrying Anora AND impregnating Morrigan.

If Alistair is not the perfect match for your hero you could opt for Leliana.  You meet up with her early in the game and have ample opportunities to interact with her and learn her history.  As a former bard but also a former nun she is an interesting choice.  She's a good match for almost any class/race/background combo due to her weird background.  Leliana is my favorite romantic choice in Dragon Age:  Origins and one of my favorite characters.

Maybe your character is more of a tough guy/girl who wants to blaze their own path.  Morrigan is definitely the best option in that case.  You have to play a pretty ruthless character to win Morrigan's favor--she usually disagrees with almost all of the choices I make and I get used to seeing the -10 pop-up.  Morrigan is definitely an exotic choice with her "witch of the wilds" background and growing up under the care of a possible demon.  She is also arguably the most physically attractive member of your crew.  You do have to consider the whole "demon baby" scenario towards the end of the game.  In my many playthroughs of DA:O I have had success romancing Morrigan once.  She and my dwarf rogue made a strikingly odd couple.

Zevran.  I've never picked him.

But what about possible non-human matches?  There's always Zevran, the elven assassin from Antiva.  I have never chosen him as an option.  Never!  I don't really know why...  He could be a good match for a character with more of a renegade type of background.  I always liked listening to Zevran talk about his life in Antiva.  He's actually really interesting--an assassin who grew up in a brothel.