Dragon Age: Inquisition

Dragon Age: Inquisition is a ridiculously content rich game and the developers from the award winning design studio, BioWare have been spending the last couple of months working on a substantial addition to the games add-ons, specifically Jaws of Hakkon. There is a new DLC zone located in the south of Thedas.

This place is called Frostback Basin and it acts as the location from which a University of Orlais scholar is researching on the mysterious disappearances of the Inquisitor who went missing about 800 years earlier.

The indigenous population, known as the Avvar are a friendly and very helpful tribe but within then lies a dark and violent sect known as the Jaws of Hakkon. The Jaws of Hakkon do not only pose problems for the research expedition, they aim to reincarnate a god of war who was banished to come and bring havoc to Thedas.

This interesting plot to the game and some unexpected plot twists are not the main strong points to the Jaws of Hakkon add on. They may sound good enough for a simple addon but they just make for one of the numerous side quests that are present throughout the game.

The Jaws of Hakkon add on is really good at filling in some deficiencies in the game’s plot especially when it comes to the history of Thedas. Gamers who have invested into the Dragon Age lore are more likely to get more from this addon than a typical gamer would.

The first impression from the Jaws of Hakkon add on is that it is more or less copied from Emerald Graves. It is a lush, woodland canopy but has a lot more in terms of personality, treetop paths, and its one of a kind forest foliage. This is however only one third of the total map area. There is a rocky and mountainous region, reeded shallows and a swamp as well as some ancient ruins.

Despite all these terrain types, the region does not feel cluttered in any way and each individual terrain seems natural and perfectly transitions into the next terrain. This makes it quite interesting to explore the games open world. Simply exploring and making discoveries about the terrain almost feels like a reward entirely on its own.

Bioware’s impressive design talent and attention to detail makes this add on all the better. There is an immense level of verticality between the low lying swamp next to the lake, the walkways high in the tree tops and and the rocky mountains. Any iconic landmark on the in-game map is the first step to making an interesting discovery especially in regards to where it is actually located. Dragon Age has brought back the joy of exploring an open world which should be as fun as playing the game itself and completing tasks and missions within the game.

The new environment also has an effect on your health especially if it gets too cold, and this normally requires you to find a fire to keep you warm. Overall, Jaws of Hakkon makes exploration a lot fun and brings in an interesting approach to help you achieve your goals in the game.