Dragon Age: Inquisition has won many plaudits from fans since its release in 2014, but its story is finally about to come to an end. Trespasser, the final expansion for Inquisition, will launch on September 8 on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, according to GameSpot. The downloadable content will act as an epilogue to the main campaign, taking place two years after. Players are promised a chance to “ultimately decide the fate of Thedas,” as well as seeing some “hints about the future,” according to BioWare. Players will need to have finished the game before accessing the new content.
In addition to the expansion, BioWare will also be releasing a patch and some convenient additions. Players will be able to merge collectibles between games, creating a “new game plus…without having to start a new game.” A wardrobe for Skyhold will also be introduced, with close to a dozen new outfits for lounging, chatting, and/or romancing.
Judging from some of the imagery, Trespasser will likely feature the “Eluvian,” an ancient elven mirror capable of instantaneous transportation. Using the artifact to travel “stargate” style through a variety of ancient ruins and unseen worlds could be a lot of fun. Hopefully players will be treated to more information on Solas and the events at the end of the Inquisition campaign. One particular scene raised A LOT of questions (If you’re not worried about spoilers, check out an awesome fan theory on Kotaku regarding the background of your favorite enigmatic, bald elf).
Players have good reason to hope for an excellent ending to the story. Both previous single-player expansions, Descent and Jaws of Hakkon, have fallen a bit flat. However, placing Trespasser after the campaign should allow for more creative freedom from BioWare and EA. Players will get to see the result of their efforts in the world of Thedas, and have one last opportunity to influence the outcomes.
Descent released last month, taking players back into the Deep Roads to investigate some unusual seismic activity. The expansion was playable within the Inquisition campaign and featured new allies, enemies, and gear. The Deep Roads weren’t featured heavily in Inquisition, but were main areas in both other Dragon Age titles, so they have lost any novelty they may have once held for players. And the $15 price tag is a bit steep for a few hours of added content. The content was “challenging yet ultimately unsatisfying,” according to IGN.
Jaws of Hakkon launched in March and introduced a new map area and quest line, focusing on the last warrior to hold the title of Inquisitor. This expansion featured some new story and map content and received conservatively positive reviews. IGN considered the expansion a “worthwhile addition” to Inquisition, but said that the five hours of content (again a tad shallow for $15) didn’t add much to the overall story.
Though Trespasser will only be the third expansion for Inquisition, eight DLC packs will be available upon its release. The Black Emporium added stores which sell rare gear, crafting material, etc. (similar to its placement in Dragon Age II). This expansion also allowed players to change their characters’ appearances. Spoils of the Avvar and Spoils of the Qunari added new armor sets, mounts and Skyhold base customizations into the mix.
Two free multiplayer expansions are available for Inquisition: Destruction adding new multiplayer maps and enemies, and Dragonslayer allowing players to team up to fight dragons, obviously. The latter also included access to new areas for team-fights and new agents (including Isabela from the previous two Dragon Age titles).
Inquisition has become a fan favorite and is, arguably, the best in the outstanding series. The story line from Origins may be a bit more captivating, but the third installment has a few more twists and turns throughout. Gameplay and mechanics are certainly more enjoyable in Inquisition, and it easily outpaces the others visually (as it should, being available on the next generation of consoles).
There has not yet been any announcement of an “Ultimate” or “Game of the Year” edition for Inquisition. However, the company did release an ultimate edition of Dragon Age: Origins, and a “BioWare Signature Edition” of Dragon Age II, so a bundle is likely, once the studio is done creating content and has moved on to another project.
Stay up to date on Trespasser at http://www.dragonage.com/en_US/home.