it was the first game to win Game of the Year at the Game Awards. It follows the Inquisitor, a customizable character who must close a massive rift in the sky (known as "the Breach) while navigating a continent torn by civil war.
The game has eleven main quests, collectively known as the Inquisitor's Path. They are non-optional, although players can decide when to complete them. Each is challenging in its own way, but some outrank others in of difficulty.
From The Ashes
Available after completing 'In Your Heart Shall Burn,' 'From The Ashes' is a link between one quest and the next. It's the first main quest available after arriving at Skyhold and requires minimum effort. All the Inquisitor needs to do is talk, first with Josephine and then with Varric, at which point the next main quest, 'Here Lies the Abyss,' unlocks.
The Final Piece
Similar to 'From the Ashes,' 'The Final Piece' is basically a prolonged dialogue. However, the quest is significantly different depending on two main factors: the player's actions in 'What Pride Had Wrought' and the choices made regarding Morrigan in Dragon Age: Origins.
This quest gets somewhat complicated only if the Inquisitor drank from the Well of Sorrows in 'What Pride Had Wrought.' This results in a short battle against the Guardian of Mythal, a fire dragon that will be the same level as the Inquisitor. If Morrigan drank from the Well, then the quest is only dialogue.
The Threat Remains
This is the second major quest in the game. It brings the player out of Heaven and into the largest area in Thedas, the Hinterlands. There, they rendezvous with Mother Giselle, before settling a heated battle between mages and templars.
This fight is the most challenging part of the quest. Other than that, the rest is just more dialogue and exposition that requires no real skill or strategy. The battle at the crossroads can be somewhat problematic, though.
The Wrath Of Heaven
'The Wrath of Heaven' is Inquisition's first quest. The player must reach the Temple of Sacred Ashes and seal a massive rift. Along the way, they must battle several demons and seal another rift. Many main characters make their introductions during this quest, including Cassandra, Leliana, Varric, Solas, and Cullen.
The quest is quite long, and the boss battle at the end can be challenging for inexperienced players. Overall, 'The Wrath of Heaven' can overwhelm players that are new to the Dragon Age universe.
Champions Of The Just
One of the most pivotal moments in the game is the choice between siding with the mages or the templars in Thedas' civil war. 'Champions of the Just' is Inquisition's third major quest and triggers only if the player chooses the Templars. In it, the player must rid the Templars from the corruption of an Envy Demon. The quest is creepy and atmospheric and includes some unsettling imagery. Some parts of it are also timed, which increases the difficulty and sense of anxiety.
'Champions of the Just' is long, intricate, and results in major changes to the civil war. Choices made at the end of the quest will also determine the faith of the Templar Order, as the player can either have them disband and become part of the Inquisition or have them help as equal allies.
In Hushed Whispers
If the player chooses to side with the mages, then 'In Hushed Whispers' will trigger instead of 'Champions of the Just.' The quest follows the Inquisitor, known only as the Herald of Andraste at this point, as he attempts to stop Tevinter Magister Gereon Alexius from using time-manipulating magic.
'In Hushed Whispers' sends the Inquisitor a full year into the future. The Breach remained open, and demons took over the whole world. The player must then navigate this dilapidated and aggressive reality to return to the present. Along the way, they meet damaged versions of whichever companions they took to the quest. Most jarringly is the future's version of Leliana, who became a zombie-like version of her former self. 'In Hushed Whispers' also includes one of the game's major glitches, which means the player might have to restart the quest at some point in the middle.
Doom Upon All The World
For most of its run, Dragon Age: Inquisition is quite challenging. The intricate choices and potential repercussions do a lot to enhance the game's complexity, and players need to be paying constant attention to every single twist and turn they take.
Considering all this, it's surprising that the game's final act - 'Doom Upon All the World' - is so easy. Defeating the big bad of the game, Corypheus, is not challenging at all, not after all the experience the player gathered over the course of the game. In fact, the quest seems rather rushed, as if the game developers just wanted to wrap things up.
What Pride Had Wrought
'What Pride Had Wrought' has an undeniable cinematic ambiance and the looming threat that something major will happen at any moment. And something does, resulting in a satisfying and exciting quest. However, and considering this is the last main quest before the big finale, 'What Pride Had Wrought' could have done so much more.
The quest takes the Inquisition to the Arbor Wilds, where a weakened Corypheus searches for an ancient Elven temple. The Inquisitor and his companions, including Morrigan, make their way across the demon-infested territory, fighting Corypheus's minions along the way.
Once in the Elven ruin, the Inquisitor can choose to ally with the shrine's elven protectors or fight them. Once the Inquisitor reaches the Well of Sorrows, they choose to either drink from it or let Morrigan do it. This decision will surely have severe consequences in the Dragon Age 4.
Wicked Eyes And Wicked Hearts
Out of all the quests in the game, 'Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts' is the most unique. It takes place over the course of a single night and places the action away from the field and into the luxurious halls of the Winter Palace in Halamshiral. Several minor quests trigger during the events of WEaWH, all providing more insight into the scandalous and deceitful nature of Orlesian Court.
There are three possible endings for this quest, all of which have major ramifications going forward. One choice in particular, which involves placing elven spymaster Briala in control of the Throne of Orlais, might play a major role in Dragon Age 4.
In the end, the Inquisitor shares a romantic moment with their partner, if the player is in a relationship with any of the romance-able characters in the game. WEaWH is a strategy quest that places the fate of an entire empire in the player's hands and one of the game's creative peaks.
Here Lies The Abyss
'Here Lies the Abyss' is the game's most complex and severe quest. It involves several familiar faces from other games in the series, depending on the choices made by the players. Loghain, Stroud, or fan-favorite Alistair, can appear as companions in this quest, along with Hawke, the hero from Dragon Age II.
'Here Lies the Abyss' follows the Inquisitor as they uncover a plot to drive all Grey Wardens in Orlais insane. Adamant Fortress is the setting of a major battle in which the player faces a horde of corrupted Wardens. Corypheus's lyrium dragon also makes an appearance, hinting at something more sinister to come.
The final leg of the quest takes place in the Fade itself, and after a battle against a Nightmare, the player must sacrifice either Hawke or Loghain, Stroud, or Alistair. This last choice has major repercussions for the Dragon Age universe, making the already complicated Here Lies the Abyss even more difficult to handle.
