Why Dragon Age: Inquisition Cannot Get Here Soon Enough

While I’ve been loving my time with the excellent Xbox One games already released this year, in the back of my mind I’ve been itching for a big, giant role-playing game that I can get sucked into. A game to stay up way too late playing, with characters I will form an unhealthy attachment to, and then shed real tears for when one of them inevitably dies.

Oh look, here comes Dragon Age: Inquisition! It’s exciting to see that one of the best modern RPG series around is pushing every boundary for its next-gen debut. Because, seriously – I just straight-up need to kill a dragon, and soon!

BioWare’s medieval dark fantasy – full of dragons, betrayal, romance, wars, and magic – has always been a favorite, because it embodies the classic RPGs I grew up loving, while still expanding the genre with more modern gameplay sensibilities.

What keeps Dragon Age firm in my memory is the dark, intense story line, and the difficult choices you’re forced to make along the way. Dragon Age: Origins was particularly tough at the end; I’ve gone through the pain of sacrificing my character’s life to kill the Archdemon, then going back and changing my mind and having a baby with a sexy-but-maybe evil witch instead, then changing my mind again and letting someone die for the greater good (It all sounds bad, huh? Dragon Age really doesn’t pull any punches).

With Dragon Age: Inquisition, I’m dying to step into the shoes of the titular Inquisitor, and lead my group – especially since a few of the nine potential party members are returning favorites. I mean, sure, Cassandra and Varric seem more likely to slice each others’ limbs off than team up together… but that probably means the situation has gotten very bad since Dragon Age II (spoiler alert: it has). Oh, and hey – that witch I had a baby with is back, too! Oh she’s going to be mad that I haven’t called since 2009.

If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve likely seen some of the breathtaking demo footage and trailers that have been released in recent months. They’re full of awesome lightning effects, scary ephemeral ghosts, and one even shows off an awesome battle against a frosty giant in a crumbling cathedral. With destructible, gorgeous rendered environments, the lands of Nevarra, The Free Marshes, and Orlais look utterly incredible. Also, they’re freaking huge. Some of the open-world areas are allegedly a whopping four to five times the size of the entire world of Dragon Age: Origins.

And it may sound silly to get excited about this, but the romance system is new too. Forget about giving people gifts until you’ve drowned them in amulets and rings. In Inquisition, romance occurs naturally throughout the story, based on characters’ actions and personalities. You know, like in real life.

Whether you’re a longtime fan of the series, or a newcomer to the age of dragons, it’s exciting to have a massive, action-packed, brooding RPG coming to the Xbox One on November 18.