Dragon Age 3: Inquisition Game Elements Revealed in PAX East

We have new information on the story elements of Dragon Age 3: Inquisition, straight out of the PAX East panel. Yes, we’re talking romance here, and more.

In fact, let’s get that out of the way 1^st. Cassandra Pentaghast and Cullen have just been confirmed as romance options for Inquisition. Having said that, romances in Inquisition will take a different flavor than it has in different games. You can have affectionate romance, a rivalry-based forbidden romance, even a humorous romance. You can also choose to ignore romances entirely.

By design, Inquisition will be more open ended thematically than Dragon Age 2 was. Your companions come from a diverse set of backgrounds, although they are each the best at what they do. Cassandra is a highly regarded Seeker, Vivienne was First Enchanter, etc. This is in contrast to the previous game, where all your companions were outcasts, in one way or another. Ultimately, you decide what being an Inquisitor will mean, thanks to your choices.

The game is made in such a way that it rewards exploration, such as loot and memorable boss encounters. There is an element of randomization at work as well, so not every encounter will be the same. The combat designers are looking at making this element more ‘spicy.’ There will also be a degree of verisimilitude, with creatures and enemies being made to fit a certain environment, which will have their own unique hazards and effects.

Bioware remained noncommittal about who would be returning for Inquisition, but they made a very important point. If a character is coming back, he or she will have to be used in a way that’s important and very meaningful. They dropped names like Warden, Hawke, and Flemeth, but nothing truly confirmed yet.

And now, some odds and ends:

The Fade is part of Inquisition, but because it’s supposed to be dangerous and mysterious, it will be a relatively small part of this story.

Inquisitor origins are based on the race and class you choose for them.

Bioware intends to share more of the Chant, possibly even the sheet music for the game sounds, but nothing confirmed.

This is odd, but they won’t confirm long, flowing hair for women characters. They are allegedly running into real technical issues depicting it because the armor has variable heights. They are still working on it for now.

Qunari magic is similar to Ferelden / Orlesian magic. The game will get into the history behind Saarebas magic as well.

Lastly, the only people responsible for Dragon Age lore is Mike Laidlaw and the writing team. Laidlaw has gone on record that the game is full of unreliable narratives, so you have to consider who you’re getting story from in the game with a wary eye. Dragon Age Inquisition is coming Q3 this year to Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, and Windows.