Dragon Age Inquisition was released in 2014, and ever since fans have been aching for a new game in the well-beloved series.
The more we wait, the more new games come out that may fill the void the dark, interesting, comforting world of Dragon Age left us. Here are 15 games that may fit those criteria.
15.Yakuza
Yakuza Gameplay
The Yakuza series is one of the most popular beat-em-ups in the modern-day. Set in a fictional Japanese town, you play as Ichiban Kasuga, a Yakuza member who was asked to go to jail for a crime he did not commit to protect the actual killer. There are eight main titles in the Yakuza series, all with a rich open world and engaging story. The side quests are usually where people differ as they take a more wacky, silly twist that contrasts against the game’s serious main plot.
Yakuza is probably the least like Inquisition on this list, but it’s still a charming and entertaining game in its own right. With its in-depth story and well-written characters, the beat-em-up titles can give the same charming feeling as the Dragon Age series.
14. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Gameplay
Sliding back into the fantasy genre, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is another game with heavy east Asian influence. As a samurai named “The Wolf,” you wander an ancient Japanese-inspired world killing tough monsters and save a young boy you know of as your master. The game has combat similar to the Dark Souls series, with tough-as-nails enemies and quick, reflexive controls that allow you to slash and dodge with skill.
The deep lore and story of this game is more than enough to keep you engaged. The beautiful, Sengoku period designs are a treat to move around and explore, and though there aren’t many RPG elements, the game does offer plenty of items and combat moves that make you feel like the powerful samurai you are. Careful if you’re more of a casual gamer, however, because the combat system and high mortality rate of this game is not for the faint of heart!
13. Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor
Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor Gameplay
Shadow of Mordor is set in the Lord of the Rings universe, which is already a treat for longtime fantasy fans. The promise of Tolkien’s world means deep, intrinsic lore, and Shadow of Mordor clings to its roots with a dark twist. Talion is a guard of Gondor who loses his family in an Orc raid and is kept from death by merging with a mysterious spirit known as Celebrimbor. You travel around Mordor, killing orcs and finding clues as to Celebrimbor’s true identity.
Shadow of Mordor is a fantastic adventure game, with sleek, entertaining combat that can keep you playing for hours on end. The nemesis system within the game makes it extremely fun to kill Orc captains one by one, moving up the ranks to get to the nastier Orcs at the top. The Wraith abilities allow you to slow time to shoot mystical arrows or teleport behind enemies for a nasty kill, and you can use runes found by killing Orc captains to upgrade your weapons and unlock special abilities.
12. Middle Earth: Shadow of War
Middle Earth: Shadow of War Gameplay
The sequel to Shadow of Mordor, Shadow of war is more of the same exciting gameplay with a few extra twists. I won’t go too in-depth on plot since the game is tied to Shadow of Mordor, but you do get to explore an open world full of parkouring abilities as you continue the search to find a cure for Talion’s undeath.
The satisfying fighting and rich lore of the first game continues fully into this one. The nemesis system, which was very popular before, has been upgraded into being able to gather and control your own armies, sending hordes of Uruks into enemy fortresses to destroy them from the inside. The open world is fun and interesting to explore, and Talion’s parkour abilities allow the player the freedom to go practically anywhere they choose.
11. Monster Hunter: World
Monster Hunter: World Gameplay
Do you like the idea of gathering massive swords, guns, and other weapons, going out into the dense wilderness and finding massive monsters to kill? Then the Monster Hunter series are the games for you! As the title says, Monster Hunter: World is a world in which you hunt monsters for a living, plain and simple. Gather items and eat delicious food to get certain bonuses and head out into the jungle to track down your prey.
The Monster Hunter: World environment is colorful and vibrant, with quirky characters and an adorable design that still manages to make the more fearsome enemies foreboding. You can gain resources to craft different armor and weapons, each with different stats of varying use, and with its online servers, you can get your friends to join in on the hunt.
10. Assassin’s Creed: Origins
Assassin’s Creed: Origins Gameplay
Set in ancient Egypt, Bayak sets out on a quest for vengeance and, in doing so, finds the order that started it all. Assassin’s Creed: Origins has all of the factors fans love: parkour, stealth, smooth combat with easy controls. The kicker is that this is the first game to start to integrate RPG elements into its gameplay, like finding new weapons and armor and offering upgrades if enough resources are collected.
Taking over bases and climbing around Egypt is intensely fun in Origins. The more involved combat keeps players engaged and, with a skill tree, your progress is easily seen. The plot is full of interesting characters, with Bayak being a charming but non-cookie-cutter protagonist and is full of the same interesting historical facts found in most Assassin’s Creed games, which is enough to keep you coming back for more.
9. The Outer Worlds
The Outer Worlds Gameplay
The Outer Wilds is a Sci-Fi FPS RPG, which is a lot of letters for one game. You are a space colonist and awaken from cryosleep and spend the day exploring alien planets trying to figure out a conspiracy you’re thrust into. As an RPG, you can gather companions to help you on your quests and explore a wide-open world filled with side quests and interesting characters.
The Outer Wilds has big Fallout vibes, with many people citing both the original games and, specifically, the renowned New Vegas, and it’s clear to see why. The character creation is in-depth and interesting, allowing you to create a dozen of interesting protagonists including the crowdfavorite stupid character, which unlocks specific dialogue that you can use. From the gritty sci-fi setting to the ability to target different parts of your enemies’ bodies to cripple their limbs, those who enjoy the older RPGs made by Bioware will no doubt love The Outer Wilds.
8. Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord
Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Gameplay
Banerlord is an early access army simulator, where you gather and control your own medieval army and strategize against opposing forces. It focuses on tactics but also has a very interesting character creator where the ability to change your character’s background and parents can affect what stats you start with. As it’s not yet finished, the game doesn’t have everything you could want in a war simulator, but for what it has it is well worth a look.
The addition of backgrounds to your protagonist is one of my favorite things an RPG can do, so it’s a welcome sight in this game. Looking at it, it seems the developers of Mount & Blade are heading into a medieval life simulation sort of direction, and I am very glad to see that. Adding a life simulation function could turn this already diverse game into something great.
7. Star Wars: The Old Republic
Star Wars: The Old Republic Gameplay
Another throwback for this list, SWOTOR (as the fans call it) is an MMORPG in the Star Wars universe. During a truce between the Empire and the Republic after the Sith reemerges, you can explore an interesting Online world and complete dozens of side quests alongside compelling characters.
This game may not look like much with its aged graphics but ask any fan and they’ll tell you that what SWOTOR lacks in design it makes up in gameplay. The storytelling is unlike any other Star Wars game and keeps players interested the entire way through, alongside many side quests in this wide-open world. SWOTOR has been released on Steam as a free-to-play game, so check it out if you’re interested in exploring this iconic world and plotline.
6. Dark Souls III
Dark Souls III Gameplay
The Dark Souls series is known for its amazingly hard combat system, complex lore, and dark fantasy dripping with grotesque monsters. The lore is so complex, hidden away in brief conversations or item descriptions, that for simplicity’s sake I’ll keep the plot description vague. You are an undead warrior who is charged with continuing the cycle of lighting the flame and waiting for it to burn again to let another hero rise.
Like Sekiro, Dark Souls III is not for newcomers, even though some Souls fans describe it as one of the easier titles. It’s full of difficult boss battles and tricky encounters, but the beautiful, haunting design and rich writing can still be enough to pull some newbies in. The dark fantasy aspect is one of my favorite parts, as the darker parts of the Dragon Age games are overlooked, and with the interesting stories behind everything you encounter, Dark Souls III is definitely a game worth checking out.
5. Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey
Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey Gameplay
Odyssey was a genre-defying installment in the Assassin’s Creed series. It went away from theclassic action gameplay and moved towards a heavier implementation of RPG factors. You parkour around Ancient Greece as either Alexius or Cassandra, marking this as the first Assassin’s Creed game to let you choose who your protagonist is. Either Alexius or Cassandra are descendants of Leonidas, working as mercenaries in their town.
This is the first Assassin’s Creed game to allow you to have relationships with NPCs, further pushing it towards the RPG genre. Armors and weapons are available to find in the open world, with a long plot to keep you interested. As with most open worlds, side quests are everywhere in Odyssey, allowing you to sneak, parkour, and fight your way through opposing mercenaries in the beautiful recreation of Greece.
4. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Gameplay
Based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels, The Witcher 3 follows Geralt of Riva, a mutant with the powers to kill other horrors of the land as he searches to find an old ward. This game is acclaimed by nearly everyone who plays it, and it’s obvious why. It’s gorgeous, with a flowing, challenging combat style and interesting characters that tie into an engaging plot of dark fantasy goodness.
The thing everyone screams about with the Witcher 3 is the side quests. The main plot is compelling and full of twists, and the side quests are known for their writing that is just as good. No fetch quests or unnecessary fluff, each quest has its own uniqueness that makes it a worthy venture, and the interesting dark fantasy lore that the books provide gives us a fascinating world to be able to explore.
3. The Elder Scrolls: Online
The Elder Scrolls: Online
The Elder Scrolls: Online is an MMORPG set in the familiar continent of Tamriel. Though most of you may remember it from the hugely popular Skyrim or even back in Oblivion or Morrowind days, none of those settings compare to the extensive areas you can explore in Online. There are main quests in every part of the continent and the ability to join a number of warring factions, aiding their attempt to overthrow one another.
Having an Elder Scrolls MMORPG is a nice change of pace, though it does stray away from some of the classic RPG elements. Even so, there's flexible class building and plenty of things to explore. With ten different races and six classes, you can mix and match any number of combinations to find your perfect fit and enjoy the lore-filled landscape of Tamriel, wandering places you've never dreamed of and discovering things you never thought were true.
2. Mass Effect: Andromeda
Mass Effect: Andromeda Gameplay
Considering Mass Effect has been being made alongside Dragon Age for years, there’s no way that the newest addition doesn’t belong on this list. Mass Effect Andromeda continues after the ending of Mass Effect 3. You awaken from cryosleep and your job is to forge a new path to intergalactic peace and discover some new alien races along the way. Like the previous games, it’s an action RPG, with armor and weapon upgrades and a wide-open world to explore.
The majority of Andromeda is based on discovery, traveling through these lore-filled worlds and acting as a diplomat to the alien races. You can craft with resources you find and forge relationships with your companions, including romancing them to your heart’s content. This game is great for any classic Bioware fan, full of charming writing and fast-paced gameplay.
1. Baldur’s Gate 3
Baldur’s Gate 3 Gameplay
And at number 1, we have the early access game that has the fans raving, Baldur’s Gate 3. A continuation of Baldur’s Gate 2, you find yourself on a mindflayer ship and, after a daring escape, search to find a solution to stop from becoming a mindflayer yourself. Baldur’s Gate 3 takes lore and gameplay from D&D fifth edition, using actual dice rolls for skill checks and letting you pick from a wide variety of classes to start. Though it’s not yet finished and is at a finished game’s price, updates for the game are free and the amount of detail already in it is astounding.
Baldur’s Gate 3 was made by the same people who made Divinity Original Sin 2, so if that’s a game on your list then this one is a must-have to pick up. With its turn-based combat and interesting, well-written characters, it’s clear that Larian Studios has continued to do what they’re best at, and it pays off. Companions and romance are also a thing, which is a personal favorite of mine, and the animations and character models for a game that’s not even finished yet is amazing. It’s clear a lot of love and work went into this game, and if you’re interested in watching it develop, I would highly suggest picking up a copy today.
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