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Accepting the premise of DA:I base game - I loved Jaws of Hakkon


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#1
earymir

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Semi-spoiler alert (very light)

 

[I'm saying this as someone who bought DA:I, mostly liked it a lot, but did have some serious issues with it (especially around character development and tactical combat).  I assume that if you buy the DLC, you've accepted DA:I for what it is, and expect a similar but hopefully improved version of it.  If you expected something tremendously different, I think you probably have some other issues.]

 

As actual feedback for Bioware, the things I thought they did a much better job on than some of the other large zones (I played this post-main story):   

 

1) Exploration was FUN this time for me.  Playing post-main story meant the story made sense in that you had no world to save, and you could truly wander and explore (i.e., time on your hands).  I describe my first few hours walking around the level as almost meditative.  It was gorgeous, the bits of lore were truly cohesive, and the verticality (word?) of the level was much better done than in some of the other levels.  I felt relaxed - in a good way - during my first walk through of the level before I jumped into any of the main quest.  I loved finding the cool campsites up in the trees and seeing how they changed.  

 

2) The lore and codex entries were top-notch.  The story of the Avvar, old Inquisitor, and new Inquisition/University of Orlais was intertwined throughout the whole level, and a few entries were especially funny or even sometimes moving.  I loved the Scout Harding entries and dialogue, and I loved getting to know the four-person adventuring party of Ameridas through codex entries and memories.   They were clearly paying tribute not only to fans of DAI who loved Harding, but to people who have been playing classic RPG adventures for years when they talk about the camaraderie between the old Inquisitor party.  Also there was some amazing Advisor-banter via codex entries.  <3 Leliana

 

3) Combat seemed more scaled - everything in the level was appropriate to my level, and a few of the battles were actually a bit tough.  For almost the first time in DA:I, I felt like I really had to use tactics to win on a number of occasions.  

 

4) The Avvar story was fantastic.  I loved getting to know this other people (the Skyrim comparisons are meh - these people felt like a traditional barbarian tribe taken to the level of Dragon Age modernization) and its way of life.  Getting their approval was fun as well, as you did actually have to make a few choices that would change whether you got the approval or not.  And they weren't always light decisions.   

 

5) The side questing, while still true to the DAI style of being primarily based on making you explore more, were much more cohesive with the zone as a whole, and I felt pushed you to explore more than in other zones.  It was still not perfect, but I thought much improved.  The quests with the abominations stand out as especially good.  

 

6) The "critical path" as they called it, was a GREAT quest overall.  I intentionally finished the side quests etc before beating the final boss, and it left me with a feeling of real completion.  The main quest intertwined with the whole level, and when I was done, I was completely done and had a very sweet cutscene at the end of the level.  This is how I wished all of the other zones were.  More story in each, and a sense of it all being connected meaningfully.  

 

I'd like a *bit* more companion dialogue, and maybe some acknowledgement from the Advisors in Skyhold of the mission, but these are rather minor gripes.  I think if Bioware keeps up this general track of DLC, they'll continue to be worth it.  (I do hope they have at least one tension-building DLC a la Here Lies the Abyss or Citadel, but honestly the Frostback Basin was such an improvement to me as far as level and quest design was concerned, that I would be fine just having a couple more of those.)  

 

TL;DR - Frostback Basin felt like a return to DA:O-style levels - where everything is very intertwined, and you don't worry so much about the overall plot of the game outside of the level.  There's a main quest, fun exploration, good side quests, fantastic new lore, and some great moments with a previously secondary character (Harding).  


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#2
Maker Be Damned

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Sounds great wish I could play it. Too bad I bought the wrong copy of the game or something. Won't make that mistake again.
  • DaemionMoadrin et C0uncil0rTev0s aiment ceci

#3
Kulyok

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Gods, I wish I could play your version of the DLC. Mine must've been faulty.


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#4
Dai Grepher

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Is it worth $15?



#5
earymir

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I thought it was worth it.  Some people didn't like it because it was too much like the entire rest of the game.  But as I said, I thought they made some big improvements over other maps.  


  • Gintoki4869 aime ceci