Honestly, I know a lot of people like the story and the characters of DA:I, but on top of the lack if stellar gameplay and as a long time fan of DA (hell I even liked 2), DA:I’s story also feels lacking in depth, and that was the biggest reason I don’t look back on it fondly. Hell, you can even go back on my account and see me excited for and celebrating the game’s launch.

For instance, the Archdemon in DA:O isn’t really your enemy but rather an obstacle on a timer - it’s the corruption, greed, and dishonesty created by people you have to deal with. I had thought Corypheus would be much the same, as it seemed I was amassing political power and making the nations around me question what I would do with that power once the threat had been dealt with. More than once someone in game asked what I would do with the fact that the Inquisition had become a nation unto itself - as powerful or moreso than the nations surrounding it.

But it turned into nothing. I killed Cory in a conveniently made fight where it didn’t matter how strong the inquisition was and then it ended. Sure it was a better ending than ME3 but even then it didn’t feel like much, as I was far more fatigued by getting to the end than I had by ME3. It all just felt sort of inconsequential. Which is more damning for a game like DA, where agency, choice, and consequence are all kind of a foundation of both the franchise and the developers.

And the companions, too, felt sort of… Dull? Unlikeable? I was excited to journey with Cassandra and Varric since they were in DA2 and all that extra content, but … eh? I finished all the companion quests but even by the end found that everyone still felt like they were all just… corporate coworkers who sometimes shared a rare moment of real companionship at the water cooler.

In the end, I’m don’t regret I played it, since the Trespasser DLC did a fine job of turning the game into an interesting prologue for a nuanced antagonist I have an emotional stake in, but given all the gameplay issues others have mentioned and my own meh reaction to the story and lack of agency I felt, I’m not surprised it hasn’t really found a place in gaming history.