Dragon Age: Inquisition is a fantasy, action role-playing game — the third and most recent installment of the Dragon Age series created by BioWare available on PS4, Xbox 360/One, and PC (how I played it).

You play as your customized Inquisitor; a mage, rogue, or warrior from the different races of dwarf, elf, human, or Qunari. When an explosion at the Conclave for peace between Templars and Mages leaves you as the sole survivor with a suspicious mark on your hand and a Breach in the sky pouring out demons, you are taken into custody to establish the Inquisition as the only one able to close these dimensional tears.

It is also hands-down one of my favorite video games; I’ve spent hundreds of hours on this game alone, not to mention the entire franchise (and fan-made content). Yet, Inquisition isn’t exactly game-changing when it comes to features that draw crowds at E3.

Plot-wise, there’s a great fantasy narrative that carries on from the past two games, but it’s one that’s hard to get into without knowing the earlier Dragon Age lore. There’s no innovative or heart-wrenching storytelling akin to Fallout 4 or Detroit: Become Human. Graphically, there are certain gorgeous maps and occasionally you’ll notice nice textures, but nothing like the specific effort put into rendering things like the way Far Cry 5 was. And mechanics were really nothing new; I’ll get into some frustrating parts of it later on, but nothing about navigation, combat, or mundane things like crafting or missions were revolutionized.

The main draw of Inquisition isn’t gameplay, graphics, or even the story. Rather, in my opinion, the draw is what BioWare’s also known for in its acclaimed Mass Effect series as well: a really wonderful, fleshed-out companion interaction system. This shows itself through two specific aspects of the game, combat mechanics and dialogue.

Combat Mechanics

Many of the favorable reviews for Inquisition praised its combat system of combining the styles of Dragon Age: Origins with Dragon Age II. Players could switch between classic top-down RPG turn-based strategy (Tactical View) and current genre-standard action-oriented third person real-time combat.

For one, if purely discussing the combat mechanics interface, Tactical View allows for the player to use more thought about their party composition. Even without considering dialogue or personalities or backstories, this design alone already facilitates more interaction with the unique characteristics of each companion.

What sets Dragon Age (and Mass Effect) apart from other action RPG’s that I know of is the way BioWare designed active-party companion interactions. For instance, while your character runs around the map exploring and fighting and whatever shenanigans, you have your party of companions running along behind you. Every once in a while, there will be party dialogue, an adorable way to deepen your experience playing Inquisition by learning more about these companions and their relationships with one another.

This is a clear difference from other RPG’s I’ve played– Fallout 4, Skyrim, Witcher 3– in that you don’t roam the map alone or with a single other companion. The simple way that BioWare allows for multiple companions to join your character leads to a more enjoyable, more invested gameplay experience. Furthermore, the decisions you make in dialogue with NPC’s or quests will affect the approval ratings from your active party members, which leads into the second feature of Inquisition’s companion system.

Dialogue (and Romances)

Honestly, the Dragon Age and Mass Effect series are glorified, mainstream-Western dating simulators (and that’s probably why I love them so much). Solely discussing companion interaction and romances merely scratches the surface of a whole fandom community, but I’ll get into that another time (or for another class, even). BioWare’s unique emphasis on companion lore, and the mechanics for which you discover more about them, encourages immersion.

Inquisition isn’t as heavy on the impact of alignment as its predecessors are, Dragon Age II or the Mass Effect series. Getting to know and romancing companions are dependent more on Inquisition’s deeper dialogue options and more fleshed-out companion quests. For instance, there are two or so optional quests per companion/advisor, and completing each quest allows you to learn more about the companion, gain their trust, and open a further tier of dialogue choices. Of the twelve total companions and advisors, there are eight available romances — four of which are queer romances. This creates a realm of representation hardly found in RPGs outside of BioWare’s games, one that certainly encourages investment and immersion into the game and spurs a more robust fan community.