Dragon Age Keep: "Print your Tapestry option" reaction

Was there something missing from my grown ass woman's house walls? You bet there was: a Dragon Age Tapestry!

Bioware just came out with this new #amazing feature for the Dragon Age Keep: printing your own tapestry. I realize, as I am typing this sentence, that it is not OK for a 28 year old to write this. It wouldn't make any sort of sense to any normal person out there. However, it does to us Bioware crazies and addicts and super fans.

I have already voiced my love for Dragon Age's distinct aesthetic and beautiful recognizable drawings and they have made these available in the past through their store. Today though, they make it possible for fans to print their very own story and very own art. I mean #mindblown.
To me, Bioware already signified  engagement, individual and personal stories and visceral attachment to my customized world, but today, they took it to the next level. Most people will not see the appeal or the significance I do in this small feature. But to me, this is Bioware staying Bioware, and it means a lot in the wake of Mass Effect Andromeda's release later this year. Dragon Age Inquisition has come and gone but they keep bringing these little tokens to us, immersing us consistently in the universe and bringing the universe into our real (sucky compared to DA) life. This is constant, sweet and welcomed fan servicing at its best. I could go on and on about this but all there is to say is thank you Bioware for being the most awesome game developer of our time and keep being you forever and ever.

Trespasser Review - One arm, no job, no lover. WTF.

Dragon Age: Inquisition has come to an end you guys. Why??? I am so sad and so depressed that I have to wait more than one year until the next Bioware adventure. So how did the Inquisition finish its run? With a bloody bang!!!

First, Trespasser was amazing because it allowed you to say "Goodbye" and have a nice reunion with all your companions. I guess they took cues from The Citadel DLC aka the best DLC ever made. This was very welcome when you know that I spent the last DLCs running around Skyhold to see if I could get a few extra words out of my LI or my favorite party members. Some conversations in Trespasser are more elaborate than others but all in all, I felt really satisfied, especially when there was talk of a wedding with Iron Bull. Alas, it wasn't meant to be.

Cue the last mission ever in DAI history and you have to fight the Qunaris (my favorites!!!sob sob sob) and go through twenty different Eluvians only to find out that the two most interesting characters in this story are, really, definitely, your enemies. When Iron Bull turned against me, I couldn't believe it. I tweeted Freddie Prince Jr, I tweeted Bioware and DAI, I was in distress! I thought it might have been a twist within a twist but no. The Bull had betrayed me and apparently my Inquisitor was the laughing stock of Thedas for being so gullible. Well, Thanks!!! At the end of the day, my Inquisition was disbanded, I had one arm and killed my (awesome) lover. This was clearly not how I wanted to end my run as the mighty Inquisitor. However, was it thrilling, eye widening, surprising and upsetting? You bet it was. I love being that shaken by a video game, it means I cared about the characters and I cared about the story. The fact that the very last scene clearly, like in your face clear, hints at a new Dragon Age taking place somewhere else (excited!!) was very welcome. I got so pumped about this and really can't wait for the next round of Dragon Age awesomeness. Getting to see Solas again and finding out more information about the overarching plot was a great treat, very much setting up the next chapter of this incredibly intricate journey.

I am not going to lie, I did replay Trespasser with my human character who romanced Cullen. The ending was a tiny bit more satisfying on the romance side!!
I have read some reviews that complain about the loot and about the final map but seriously, who cares about the loot at the very end of the game? I don't care. I care much more about getting answers, more lore, closure with my characters. Go play Diablo if you're in this for the loot.

Jaws of Hakkon Review - Thank God for DAI

When it comes to DLC, Bioware has very rarely disappointed me. Obviously, since the extraordinarily brilliant Citadel DLC for Mass Effect 3, I have been pretty biased and have had faith in anything they are releasing. I don't think I have ever played such an emotional, well written, bad ass story. The one liners were witty, the inside jokes were flying and the clone storyline was very cool. However, I like that for DAI, this DLC was taking place after the win, since the Inquisitor had a very happy ending. I was looking forward to Jaws of Hakkon since I have beat DAI 8 times and wanted something new to play with. To be fair, there were a few releases that grabbed my attention (Bloodborne, The Witcher III, ESO) but it's been pretty boring and dry in terms of video game releases. I was sad when they announced Jaws for Xbox One only but I knew it wouldn't be too long until we get it for PS4. I tried to stay away from any sort of spoiler, playthrough videos or reviews so I could go in unbiased. I have been pacing myself and still haven't cleared the whole map just yet. I don't want to run out of DAI goodness too early.

I am impressed by this DLC release. This is my verdict. It is no Citadel DLC as there is unfortunately no big party members reunion or new dialogue with your LI but there is definitely some fun to be had. I am grateful for this new, gigantic map. It is intricate and interesting, completely different from any other map that we encountered in the main game. The landscapes are very pretty with sunsets that are actually breathtaking. The feel of this new land is specific, with indigenous species and sounds. The camps high up in the trees are original and the architecture is, as always, detailed. When you have played through every main game's maps 8 times, it is very refreshing to discover a brand new world, with new enemies and new sights.

That is one of the achievement of this DLC. However, it is fairly easy to release a new map that would be empty of meaning and just stand on its own, not blending with the rest of the main story. This, I found, was not the case in Jaws of Hakkon. I very much liked the quest and its meaning. I thought including scout Harding tied everything together nicely. I was impatient to know the end and discover all the mysteries surrounding the 1st inquisitor, and this is a sign of good storytelling right there. If I had only a few complaints about this DLC, it is that your romance choice doesn't seem to matter so much. There is obviously new banter between your characters, which is welcomed, but not once is the relationship with your LI mentioned. I wish there could have been an additional scene in Skyhold, perhaps another Wicked Grace scene or another love scene thrown in there for good measure. On the other hand, I liked the new available high stats gear and the additional Inquisitor ability which made leveling up much more relevant. All in all, Jaws of Hakkon is a delightful new addition to one of my favorite game and I definitely long for more. DAI is such a vast world, there is material for a fourth game, but in the meantime, I will happily spend more time with Iron Bull, Varric and my kick ass Inquisitor in any DLC story the Bioware team crafts masterfully. Also, thank god for this DLC, I almost killed myself after 10 minutes of The Order...

Dragon Age Keep - Why this was a bright idea

There is usually not much to do while waiting for your favorite video game franchise to spawn a new title. This is obviously without counting on the brilliant minds at Bioware to create something like Dragon Age Keep. This thing is genius.

For people who have played through the previous games and all the DLCs, it's handy to have one place where you can record all your choices and remind yourself of the story you have been creating over the years. Obviously, with the change to next gen consoles, Dragon Age Keep has all your games information no matter what changes come in the future. I think it's great. I also loved the fact that Varric was the one telling the Dragon Age story in the video, he is, after all, our story teller and hearing his voice again before DAI was a sweet treat. I am also very fond of the layout and the design they have come up with. It's very much scalable and if other games or DLCs needed to be added to the Tapestry, that wouldn't be a problem at all as you are going through the timeline very seamlessly.

I liked that the emphasis was on artwork as well, it's very pretty and in line with the Dragon Age feel and aesthetic. It's very appealing and eye pleasing if you ask me. I was pleased to see that the tiles changed with every different possible choice. Also, it doesn't discriminate in term of choices you can record or not. Like in-game principles, every choice you have made matters. You are not just recording whether you sided with the Templars or the Mages in Kirkwall, you are also recording who you romanced and if you chose to kill a minor character or not. I think that's awesome and it does justice to the story you have chosen for yourself in the past games. I am very much looking forward to adding my DAI choices in there, as well as my next DLC and (hopefully) games to the Tapestry. I was also impressed by the fact that you can save different world states and you are not stuck with one. The Last Court was also a lovely addition to the Keep while waiting for DAI to come out. Again, this is one of Dragon Age's great strength to actually add to the gamer's experience (see books etc.) while staying in the world they love, with characters they know. Not everybody will be excited by this type of mini game but it was a welcome side note you could delve into for a while.

I also think Dragon Age Keep is a great tool for gamers who haven't played through the previous Dragon Age installments and are band new to the world of Thedas and the franchise. I always feel sad for these people who don't know the lore and the inside jokes. But at least Dragon Age Keep give them a place where they can review the world and be as up to date as possible on the events and the characters involved in that great story. I hope it helped them enjoy the game as it should be enjoyed: an exciting part of a bigger and grander intrigue. I also hope they will use the Keep to record their DAI experience once the feature is available so that they can start to be part of this great world that is Dragon Age.

My Fan Tribute to the Inquisition - The Dawn Will Come

Dragon Age - The Masked Empire

If there is something that takes a lot of time and that we don't do nearly as often as we should is read.
We usually have enough TV shows in our DVR to last a lifetime so who has the time to read anymore? I always fancied myself as a reader but it generally only stretched to comics or history books. Fictional work never really appealed to me, feeling very much like a movie I had trouble picturing in my head. I picked up "Dragon Age: The Masked Empire" by chance. I was in a Barnes & Noble, looking for the DAI guide when I stumbled upon it. As soon as I saw the writer's name, Patrick Weekes, I knew I had to buy it. After all, everything in the DA universe is fantastic and I knew Patrick was a writer on the game so how could I not love his writing?

I was very much right. From the get go, this book takes you to a familiar place, Orlais, and guides you into brand new and unexplored corners of the empire. Straight away, it makes you feel at home but takes you on an adventure. The book was published before DAI was released but I read it after I played the game. I am not too sure what the best timing is but either way, I believe any respectable DA fan should read it.

Should you read DA The Masked Empire before playing DAI, you will get acquainted with Empress "asking a mange to describe magic is like asking you to describe a sunset to a blind dwarf" is hilarious.

Celene, Orlais and the rules of the deadly game nobles play behind their masks in this fabulous empire. Although the setting might be new and the characters unfamiliar, the personalities, the wit and the lore certainly are. When Andraste is mentioned, the Chantry, Kirkwall, even when Leliana makes an appearance, you know exactly what and who to picture. You do not frown upon the possibility of a tea cup being enchanted to be everlastingly hot. You do not wonder what the difference between an elf in the city and a Dalish is. And you know why the sentence

Reading this thrilling story before playing the game is definitely recommended as it fills the gap between the events in Kirkwall and the ones in DAI. For example. without reading The Masked Empire, you wouldn't know why Celene's throne was in peril and why she acted as she did when the Eleven rebellion happened. You get a truly insightful look at the Orlesian politics but also at what it is like to be an Empress and make very difficult choices for your nation. Going into the game, it is then much easier to choose a side and make a decision on who to put on the throne of Orlais. Not
Gaspard if you ask me!! What really strikes me in this fantasy book is how it rings so true and real. The Elven rebellion, the prejudices, the insider's look at a leader who tries to do the right thing, all these are very reminiscent of what happens or happened in every country at some point in time. I simultaneously felt sad for an freedom deprived Elf and for a human merchant stuck in the cross fire, for a wealthy Empress and for a loyal servant. The different point of views served as a reminder that in every human conflict, the villains and the heroes are always interchangeable.

That's how this book very much departed from the games where the evil is recognizable and absolute. A darkspawn or a demon are, after all, evil to the core. I don't think you will find such a villain in this story.

Reading Patrick Weekes' take on Orlais after playing the game, I found myself regretting some of the choices I had made. I wish I had helped Briala more and I certainly wish I could have punched Gaspard in the face right there in the garden of the Winter Palace when he introduced himself. But the best thing about reading this book after playing the game is that I was back in Orlais after having the time to explore it for a bit. When the author described the palace, I knew exactly where I was and how it looked. I knew Briala's pretty face and Celene's demeanor. I was so glad to be able to get to
know these characters better after being introduced to them in DAI. I felt like all my questions were answered and more. Now when I will give Celene her locket back, I will know exactly what it means.

An introduction - Dragon Age Inquisition or My Latest Drug

So I am totally late and I do not know why I didn't start this little "essay" before but I guess I was just too busy playing the game 3 times in a row.

I need to start from the beginning so here is the story behind this game. I have obviously played Dragon Age: Origins and the first installment in the series was actually the game that brought me back to gaming, back to holding a PS controller. I didn't play for about 5 years while I was in college and when I settled down and had time after work to do whatever I wanted, I found myself wanting to play and find another way than the repetitive TV shows and restrictive movies to escape. I had been a fan of Buffy The Vampire Slayer since I was 10 and the show helped me surround myself with confidence and fight the boring and tedious aspect of life for a long while. But to be honest, after 13 years of watching Buffy kick ass, sleep with Spike and giggle with Xander, I needed something else. I needed something I could truly immerse myself in as an adult and it seemed like a game would do the trick.

I picked up Dragon Age because I was and still am a sucker for fantasy. Elves, dragons, mages and all that weird stuff we have no real idea who spawned them, that's my jam. Also, you could create your own character and I was eager to do just that. Create an alternate self that would be prettier, more badass, would have fascinating adventures, epic fights and exciting romances. I had played many other RPGs like the FF series or action/adventure like any other casual gamer but I never ever got passionate about them or even replayed them. And I picked up Dragon Age: Origins. Even though I bought the game about 3 years after it came out, I didn't care that the graphics were not up to date and that the mechanics were a bit clunky. I was wielding swords, changing outfits, flirting with Kings and laughing my ass off at every line of banter happening between what I came to consider my good friends.


I went to buy Dragon Age II straight away and I suppose I was foolish enough to think that my whole gaming life will be wait free. RIGHT. So here I go, starting a new adventure with another female lead, but who funnily enough can as effortlessly be me as the Hero of Ferelden. And even though I do not find a man to fall in love with in this new Scooby Gang, I still enjoyed my time in Kirkwall. And so I waited for the 3rd game. I waited. And I tried other RPGs in the meantime. Disappointments after disappointments. I won't say they were not good, they were very much enjoyable for what they were but none of them made me feel this involved and this connected.

For some reason, I always shied away from shooters. I always preferred swords and in general, close combat. Must be the Buffy in me. I was extremely reluctant to try Mass Effect. Even though I knew the developer was Bioware, I thought that the combat system and the "space adventure" not being fantasy would put me off. Holly cow was I wrong! How much more badass than Shepard can it get!! I now know that everything Bioware does is absolutely brilliant. I am surely biased. Not every Buffy episode was amazing but I do not give a dusty fuck about one aspect of this most brilliantly written and inspiring character not being perfect. So before everybody comes at me with the fact that Mass Effect 3's ending was below par I say just don't. Seriously don't. Mass Effect was grand. It was again an epic story with a powerful heroine that I completely fell in love with. A heroine that inspired me to tackle life more decisively and never give up.


Then I had played the whole trilogy and I was left with nothing  6 months ago. I had to wait for Dragon Age: Inquisition, watch trailers, stalk the devs and writers on Twitter. Try to get my fix any way I could. I was unemployed for about 4 months because we moved from the UK to California and when DAI came out and I was able to play, this game felt like a cozy childhood blanket, like a partner I didn't see for years and was reunited with. I was so happy to see Varric again. His one liners are still the best and even though I am not Hawke in game, I am Hawke. And we know each other. What I felt so good about was that I was back in a world I knew and cherished. I had lived through the events of Kirkwall and had forged my very own opinion of the conflict unfolding before my eyes. I was, am and will always be the Inquisitor and my choices reflect my real life beliefs and nobody else's. This is my game. This is my world. I didn't know this world was so vast however! Not only is DAI absolutely huge but after beating the game, I delved into more than just the most popular rendition of that world.

I bought a book. I do not read often. I read Buffy Comics. That's the extent of my reading prowess. I am devouring this DA book which depicts the events happening in Orlais between DA2 and DAI. And it's again excellent. Even though I cannot put much of myself in a book, being able to reenter this world where I shaped so many things and fell in love with so many people is just plain comforting. I am reading about Briala and Empress Celene and meeting new people who I adore and who have the wit and charms I came to expect from DA characters.

DAI has obviously won many awards and most (smart) people agree that this game is genius in every way. I am not going to go on about the absence of flaws in this compelling piece of content but because content is what I work with on a daily basis and have been exposed to since my youngest age I feel like I have to put this out there: I am obsessed with the depth of the DA world, the genius of its story and the attractiveness of its cast. As a person, I am not very good at being myself and at knowing who I am, which is I believe a curse on the human race altogether. Bioware games give me purpose, give me a sense of self which I do not get in the real world. They also provide a well rounded, fully interactive escape which is missing from any other game or any other medium. I dare you to give me an example of a story where I can create a female character looking just like me, explore the world with my friends cracking jokes by my side, romance, have sex and even break up with a handsome knight, fight with the strength of 10 dragons against an almighty enemy, craft my own fashion pieces and if I please, talk like an evil bitch to everybody I meet. No other piece of content is as empowering and compelling as this. None. None content.

Creating a brand like this where people can go back to every time they feel scared or bored and lonely is very smart. Marvel is doing it, DC tries to do it. Everybody likes to feel part of something bigger. But what Marvel doesn't have is that almighty inclusion of the self in its stories. You might have a huge crush on Thor but unfortunately you can't have a conversation with him and choose to be pummeled by his hammer. The romance aspect is so important. I am guessing it is much more so for female gamers and I am definitely not ashamed of it. I do believe that a good story always has a good romance in it. It just makes things more dramatic, the stakes are higher. I have fallen in love, literally, with Alistair, then Fenris, then Kaidan (multiple times), then Garrus, Cullen, also multiple times and the Iron Bull.

Of course DAI has more than a gigantically intriguing lore and epic romances. It's stunningly beautiful, it provides exploration galore and there are plenty of dragons/monsters to slay. But any developer can do that. Look at Destiny, look at Skyrim. They have all of that. They have none appeal for me. They lack the story, they lack the characters, they lack the panache. I hope Bioware keeps making games exactly like this, with a great world, a great heroine, a great story, great companions and great romances. I need them to. I wish they would grow the DA and Mass Effect world and keep building stories in them. But I trust them with a brand new world too. I trust them to create more fantastic personalities and epic struggles until I die. Some people might think I am a nutcase and I do not have a life. I actually have a pretty great life. However, I am not afraid to say that humans are ultimately hollow and in constant search of something more. Right now, Dragon Age is my something more. It's everything.