#I miss viv so much BioWare 😭

[drbobbimorse]

Therapy is using the DD2 creator to try and recreate your fave characters from another game cause it’s been 10 years and you miss them

[witsserviceablesubstitute]

In case it wasn't clear I'm replaying Inquisition atm and still thinking about my DA2 companions, 😔.

DA2 was always going to appeal more to me because it's about the mage/templar conflict from the perspective of the powerless, while DAI is about the mage/templar conflict from the perspective of the power structure itself and I do miss my beloved ragtag murder of broken bisexuals (+ Sebastian).

The companions of Inquisition are fine, and I don't hate the worst parts of them like others seem to (Viv's politics are bankrupt— I don't want her anywhere near power— but oddly enough I like her more than Cassandra. She's self aware and makes me laugh). Their flaws are fairly understandable, though it's indicative of where BioWare was in 2014 that DA's first Black companion is Thatcher adjacent. These games, so close and so far... Just, argh, the two-sidesism of the 2010s videogames era drives me crazy. Bioshock Infinite was the same. Though, I still think Anders and Fenris were the most egregious example in the Dragon Age series.

Anyway, here's my three controversial opinions of Inquisition:

1) I don't hate Dorian's slavery apologism at the start when his experiences in Thedas lead to him becoming an anti-slavery Magister (canon as of the DLC and comics). He's young, careless, privileged, and it's his first time out of Tevinter. However, apart from his conversations and failed attempts to connect with Solas, we never see that journey and we should've absolutely seen that journey.

2) Solas as an entity kinda comes out of nowhere and is a bit off theme. It's interesting, he's interesting, and it builds the lore and history of Thedas in interesting ways. But the meta connotations are troubling because DA keeps doubling down on disproportionately punishing Thedas' oppressed groups without letting the player meaningfully choose to help them. It's always "there's no real helping their suffering and it's half their fault anyway".

3) (This one is going to get me exiled, I know) Cullen should've been your Brutus. It's thematically relevant, he hates mages, and his experiences in DA2 would've strengthened the prejudices he had because of his trauma in DAO. It's still complicated and gray because he (and all Templars) have been used cruelly as meat shields, drugged by the state into compliance, and mages are the scapegoats for Templar suffering. He's a veteran and his (Templar) betrayal would've bookended activist Anders (Mage) betrayal in cool narrative ways.

Okay, please don't hate me too much 🙏😭.