situation citation

I'm glad I ignored all the negativity and controversy pushed by a certain section of the internet who seem determined to destroy anything they deem as "woke". I mean, yeah there are some themes that could have been explored in a more nuanced way, but it's 2024. Why do people live in the past and refuse to accept change? Honestly baffling! Dragon Age games have always thematically challenged preconceptions and intolerance. You would think the player base would be more accepting. I love DA - the lore, the characters and the story! This installment has been long awaited and in my humble opinion has been for the most part worth it. I will be succinct and try not to spoil! Total play time for me was 55 hrs (1st play through) - completed all side quests. Pros: - Can pet cats and dogs - Accessibility. Lots of options to fine tune to your needs. Multiple levels of difficulty. Can edit your character infinite number of times. - Basically no inventory to manage. All gear automatically upgrades via treasure chests (though is random). No need to worry about being encumbered. Good system to dispose of other loot or as the game calls it "valuables" so it doesn't clutter its own separate inventory as selling it enhances your allies' strength and this is important for MSQ reasons - Combat is easy to learn and flows well enough in a dynamic setting to be fun which is refreshing for this franchise - Companions are all unique and interesting with personal stories/quests that are well integrated into the main story. They all grew on me as the story progressed. Top banters between themselves providing Rook with endless amusement. - Never knew I wanted this but wow, look at that GILF - Breath taking and spectacular visuals - backgrounds, vistas. Chef's kiss! - New lore! Sooooo much new lore. Fills in a lot of gaps and I loved the environmental storytelling. My head is swimming with it all! Cons: - Can't pet ALL the cats and dogs - Movement and object/NPC interaction a bit janky and finicky which is annoying - Music was unmemorable. Lots of repeat use of Inquisition themes to try and compensate for the lackluster soundtrack - Act 1 and most of Act 2 had tendency to drag on a bit. Act 3 blew it out of the park but I wish the pacing was better. - MSQ writing is the weakest of the series. I am a little annoyed with some of the decisions made regarding certain fan favourite characters carried on from previous games. A fair bit of the dialogue feels cringe and written badly enough to pull you out of immersion. - Lack of real consequence for Rook's dialogue choices. Real illusion of choice here. Rook is too good, too pure. - Epilogue retcons events from previous games and diminishes the significance of certain major events - Inquistor customization is not made very clear in character creation screen and I completely missed it! Overall very enjoyable experience and now I am bereft at the thought of having to wait another 10 years.....

I'm not usually one to enjoy star wars spin offs after the recent disappointing entries, as I find the hi-jinks, special effects and pew pew pew fairly superficial and dull. There has been an over-reliance on nostalgia to sell otherwise dull meaningless drivel. Andor has been a revelation. The kind of story that is so unexpected for this franchise and so full of character driven, riveting, emotionally charged narratives that speak to the soul. The acting, music, cinematography, visual effects and writing has been some of the best. I am fascinated by the worlds and cultures that have been presented in detail not seen before. Morally grey protagonists are always more fascinating than a one dimensional hero. This carefully crafted universe of intrigue, corruption, humanity, desperation and sheer cosmic terror is so well made I simply wish for more.