Dragon Age: Inquisition & Assassin's Creed: Unity Under the Microscope [SPOILERS]

Finally back again to post and there is a lot to talk about in the world of gaming right now.

First off, I am pleased that another two games have been knocked off of the list I posted a while back here on my blog. Dragon Age: Inquisition and Assassin's Creed: Unity have occupied the lion's share of my playing time but I have to admit that a recent foray into EVE Online has been a source of fun for me as well.

I got my collector's edition of AC: Unity at my local Gamestop location and had more fun "unboxing" a game than ever before! The art book, music box, and massive Arno figurine were all epic additions to my gamer collection and the soundtrack has a noteworthy location in the car where we've listened to it frequently. My camera isn't working right but I'll see if I can get my wife's phone from her and snap a few shots of what I got from Ubisoft.

 

Assassin's Creed: Unity

Okay, so there is a lot of documentation and discussion about the issues surrounding Unity. Everyone who keeps up with gaming (even casually) has heard about the bugs, the game breaking crashes, and other problems with the launch version of this title. Before all of that hullabaloo emerged, I have to state (as many have) that I was having a major blast with this game.

Big time.

For one, customization was FINALLY meaningful in this installment and aided me in connecting with Arno more than any other Assassin in the franchise to date. But the biggest reason for my early enjoyment was definitely the city itself. Paris is alive in this game. Alive and beautiful. Crowds aren't just there; these things have minds of their own as they cry out against the King or rally to defend their neighbors from loyalist soldiers. Markets teem with action and buildings are finally the correct size (for the most part) when compared to the height of a human being. It was a grand experience, no matter the difficulty you might have had with a bug as you tried to traverse its streets.

The story and missions were solid, but not mind-blowing. I beat the "main story missions" fairly easily as Arno and never had my mind blown. I did enjoy the narrative, the voice acting, and the characters a great deal. Even more, I enjoyed the "present day" story that revolved around the assassins needing MY help to search Arno's memories and to help rescue other assassins trapped in various other memories (some even in World War II occupied France!).

Most importantly however, is that the combat was top notch. Despite having played every other Assassin's Creed game to date and being a master at the simple combat that had become a mainstay in the series I repeatedly found myself dying at the hands of skilled swordsmen or axe wielding brutes. This added a tension and almost desperation to many of my fights. It wasn't as much rhythm based as with Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor as it was timing based. That said, even after many hours of trying, it is still all too easy to mistime a parry and end up the victim of a vicious salvo or chain of attacks that leave you with no other option than to run for your life.

Multiplayer co-op missions were even better than I anticipated. I had a great time coordinating attacks and completing missions with my fellow Assassins via Xbox Live. I started my own club, recruited for my own personal little brotherhood, and was ready to enjoy what other multiplayer excitement Ubisoft had in store for me. But my game crashed. And, as you've likely heard, I can't even play Unity while my console's wireless internet is connected. The game just crashes every time I attempt to load my saved game.

With 25 hours into the game already, I am willing to wait until they fix things before returning to that game. I am hopeful that Ubisoft knows the definition of Very Soon and I can play FarCry 4 while I wait:

"Many of you have asked about how Season Pass owners will receive their free gift offer and we will have an update that outlines the process in greater detail very soon. For now, we can tell you that we’re working on a web-based solution for submitting requests and distribution fulfillment."

Or I can continue playing:

Dragon Age: Inquisition

 

Now HERE is a game.

Where can I even begin? There is so much to do in this game that I can't succinctly break it all down for you in any readable fashion whatsoever. Essentially, however, everything you do in whatever area you happen to be exploring or going through matters. Whether it is collecting materials to craft with, slaying monsters/enemies to collect more crafting items and quest items, questing, entering random caves in the wilderness, pursuing a lengthy conversation with a new acquaintance, or any of the many other things you can do in this game, the statement I am about to make remains true. All of the little things and each of the big things all go directly toward your Inquisition's influence or power and/or the members of your party.

You've probably heard about the story and the gameplay of Inquisition from other sources, so I just want to focus on why this is the best RPG I've played in a long time and why it will be the measuring stick for all other RPGs that come out for my Xbox One. 

Customization. Yes, this one thing alone is the reason I keep coming back to for why I am so immersed in the game and why I am enjoying it so much. I'm not talking just about the appearance of my Inquisitor or the skill trees I have access too (there isn't a TON of depth in the latter) but how everything works together to aide me creating a custom experience that is all my own.

To explain, I'll use Cassandra and the rest of my party as examples. I am playing a Dalish Rift Mage, so my character is definitely all about dps, aoe (area of effect), and making enemies pay for trying to get close enough to use melee against me. Naturally, this means I need a good tank. Cassandra fills the role nicely thanks to the Vanguard skill tree as well as some of her Templar abilities.

Most RPGs stop pretty much right there. You can buy them some thick armor, a good shield, and a powerful one handed weapon but that is all you can do to improve a character's tanking abilities aside from magical buffs or helpful potions. In Inquisition, you get those potions and buffs but also the ability to customize not only what kinds of gloves and boots are attached to Cassandra's armor but the material everything is made from. Picking the types of metal, cloth, and leather, for example, changes the types of bonuses she receives from her armor. For my game, I loaded up on health and guard boosts that aide her abilities, skills, base armor, and magical buffs in being the best tank I've ever used in a Dragon Age title.

Add in Vivienne, Varric, and Reyna (my elf) and the possibilities feel endless. I crafted Vivienne's armor and weaponry to benefit her as a Knight-Enchanter. She can get close with her magical blade and tear demons apart or sit back and buff/protect/revive the party when things get hairy. Her armor helps her survive even in a thick melee thanks to the deep level of customization afforded me.

Next up in customization is the option to strategically plan ahead of conflicts by giving orders to my party. I can make sure everyone does almost exactly what I want in just about any given situation simply by "pre-programming" their tactics from a handy little menu. Furthermore, I can pause the combat and give orders on the fly if those preplanned tactics are failing.

All of this together makes for an experience that feels solely mine. Not everyone plays RPGs with the goal of immersion being a focus, but for those like me who do, this is a title you don't want to skip.