Should Dragon Age: Inquisition have won 2014's GOTY?

There's no denying it, Dragon Age: Inquisition is a massive achievement in gaming.  The graphics are top notch no matter what platform you play on, the voice acting is exquisite, and the story is engrossing.  Yep, Bioware broke the mold when they created DA:I, so much so that the game received numerous 2014 GOTY awards throughout the vast Internet.  And even though Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor walked away with eight of the nine DICE awards it was nominated for, Dragon Age snatched the title of GOTY right from under Talion's nose.  But does that make Dragon Age: Inquisition a perfect game?  Is it possible there could be a few scuff marks on the armor that most people seem to overlook?  Well…anything is possible.

GLITCHES:

Let's start with the most obvious problem that all games this size have: glitches.  If you're unaware, do a search for Dragon Age: Inquisition problems and you'll see numerous websites devoted to existing bugs in every platform of the game.  Now, these bugs are nowhere near the level of the infamous Assassin's Creed Unity debacle, but some are story breakers.  From stubborn doors to idiotic puzzles to inaccessible war tables, Inquisition has gamers pulling their hair out.  The best part is a few of the bugs aren't so apparent, so you won't know the game is trolling you until a few a hours later, when the story isn't progressing the way it should.  From quest scripting errors to broken shields, gamers have had a tough time getting around and through all the bugs in an attempt to create their perfect story.  But code related problems can always be fixed down the line with patches, so let's talk about areas that can't.

"Wow, they really want me to walk all the way over there?  Who's got that kinda time?  I have to get

home and set the DVR, check email, finish some office work...this Mage crap is for the birds."

TOO LONG:

Most gamers today enjoy a good RPG for about 20 hours.  They either take a few days and crush the game in long stretches or chip away at the story one hour at a time whenever they have a chance.  But Dragon Age: Inquisition is a different breed of gigantic.  Parts of the gaming community have purposely avoided it because they just don't have the time to get through it all.  Or they started the game, but after 15 hours in and numerous quests still unfinished, have just given up on the idea of playing and went on to something much more satisfying in a shorter amount of time.  Is this really a problem with the game though?  It wouldn't be if you were given the ability to run straight through the main quest…but you can't.  To progress further in the main story you need to gain power points.  And how do you get said power points?  By pushing your way through side quests.  So yes, you're forced to run available side quests in order to finish the main quest.  This is where most gamers will lose interest and put the game down for a later date when they have more time…which probably will never come.

REPETITIVE COMBAT:

Throughout Dragon Age: Inquisition you'll gain new powers or skills or options to beat something's face in with a shield.  But in reality, you can't use all the skills you learn all the time.  Most of the time you're just spamming the Basic Attack button while you wait for your foe to fall over.  Sure you could prolong any battle you want by switching the camera to tactical view, but having a game that's already dancing around the 60 hour mark or longer, do you really want to micromanage every battle to make it seem like you’re doing more than just spamming the Basic Attack button?  And if you set your character up according to how you want to play, you'll just have your favorite set of fighting options anyway and those will continue to stay pretty much the same through the entire game.  Now, if you don't think the game seems that repetitive, then watch it being streamed live.  After a few hours of the same bow animations or sparkling Mage magic, you'll understand completely.

"I think throwing that rock just pissed it off.  What now genius?" 

DRAGON FIGHTS:

To make repetitive matters worse we come to the supposed climax fights of Inquisition.  If you're like any other gamer, seeing the name (Dragon Age) and then finding out you can battle dragons would make any fantasy lover lick the game disc.  But have you actually fought a dragon in Inquisition yet?  They can be some of the most boring half hour gaming exercises of your life.  Most of the time is spent, again, holding that Basic Attack button down while you watch what party members need a health potion.  Then just rinse and repeat for a very long time until the dragon collapses.  And it's not that fighting a dragon is boring, it's the amazingly long time the fight can go on.  Maybe if the beasts wouldn't throw up their shields as often as they do, taking them down would be more fun, but as it stands they are one of the most boring aspects of game.  And with a game title like that, you'd think they'd be an absolute blast.

"Everyone get behind me! We can take this dragon.  And we'll--guys?  Guys?  You know...hiding 

behind a tree isn't going to make it go away."

BORING STORY PARTS:

Inquisition has so many quests that anyone with ADHD would probably end up in a mental ward after a few hours.  Finding a hidden tomb or uncovering secret enemy camps are highlights of Inquisition.  But has anyone gone through the puzzles to get into the temple of Mythal?  Picture this: you're barreling through the game and the story is just building up when—BAM—puzzles.  Now, granted you can navigate around them and just kill everyone, but most people will want to do them to continue their story.  To exacerbate the issue, there's a bug on PC that turns off the glowing plates for absolutely no reason, making the player think they're doing something wrong.  Way to Troll Bioware.  On top of the puzzles, there's one quest that dramatically takes the story and crushes it with the most uninteresting gameplay: Wicked eyes and wicked hearts.  This is the quest at the masquerade ball.  Sure, in retrospect, Bioware probably felt that a change of pace would be good for the game.  But when you've already spent dozens of hours killing things, searching tombs, uncovering books, and finding out secrets, the last thing you want to do is eavesdrop on NPC conversations.  Now, the quest as a whole isn't a bad idea.  The problem lies in having to execute it perfectly to get the ending you want.  Again, you could gain little favor of the court and have it end the opposite of what story you're trying to tell, but if you want certain events to take place, then you better listen to everything and search everywhere for statues and coins…and don't be late for the ball while doing so.  This made the quest confusing and tedious, taking a RPG action title and drowning it in Dragon Age politics.  Oh and what's with that one statue above the table, Bioware?  Do you know how long you have jump and move around just to get it?  Fail.

"I just wish one of my Re-tweets would get a Re-tweet.  Just one..." 

CONCLUSION:

Dragon Age: Inquisition is not a bad game by any means.  It's a massive accomplishment by Bioware and if we can expect the same kind of investment for the next Mass Effect, then we'll be in for a treat.  But is this game worthy of GOTY?  Were there other games that might have excelled in some or all of the above departments?  P&P's GOTY went to Middle Earth: Shadowof Mordor and if you've played that game, you'd understand why.  But in reality, all awards come down to a matter of taste and opinion.  That's it.  Should Inquisition have won the game of the year?  That's for you to decide, but just maybe you feel the same way about some of the stumbles listed above.  The truth is whether you liked Inquisition or not, it's still a video game that should be experienced…if not to completion, at least for a few dozen hours.