ladybusiness | (Reply)

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For all that I ragged on the game for 95% of this post, I did actually buy it new, because I do believe that on many fronts, Bioware is at least trying. But neither that, nor being a AAA developer with a mainstream audience, get them a free pass.

You're right about the lackluster use of music in regards to villains. There seem to be relatively few times when music is really leveraged in the series; it seems reserved for a key moment here and there, less overt and pervasive than I'm used to from FF titles, and particularly unmemorable when it comes to character themes. That said, one thing I do very much enjoy in DAI is the ability to just hang around taverns listening to the music. I've definitely just left my Inquisitor there while I made dinner or whatever =)

I'm trying to decide if Bioware is just better at smaller-scale stories or what. I did like DA2 a lot in many of its details, and lament the game that could have been, had it not been rushed out the door. And that was a more contained story, for good or for ill. It definitely had the moments that affected me most out of the entire series, specifically the end of Shepherding Wolves (with Ketojan) and what little screen time Saemus and Ashaad got. But I also enjoyed DAO way more than DAI, all told; possibly more than DA2 when taken together. DA2 was much more uneven than DAO for me, but DAO was more by the numbers. Stuff to think about, I guess; I'm still figuring out my own thoughts on the series as a whole so far!

If you're at Skyhold, you should be a bit under halfway plot-wise, though the world really opens up with a bunch of optional stuff you can do that can suck down weeks of time. I hope you enjoy the rest, and would love to hear thoughts! There is plenty to enjoy, and in the end I criticize because I want Bioware and endeavours like Dragon Age to succeed and thrive.

Thanks so much for commenting!