Dragon Age: Inquisition - The Descent DLC Review

We delved into the Deep Roads and uncovered some ancient dwarven secrets.

Well guys, looks like it's Tuesday again.

Today marks the launch of Dragon Age: Inquisition's final single-player post-game content DLC, Trespasser. Our review for Trespasser is yet to come, but first we want to take a look at the game's previous release.

Last month, BioWare released the second single-player DLC for Inquisition. Taking the Inquisitor on a journey into the Deep Roads (because no Dragon Age game can be complete without that area), The Descent is an adventure that reveals dark secrets that even the dwarves of Orzammar are shocked to discover.

Two new characters are introduced, Shaper Valta and Lieutenant Renn, who accompany the Inquisitor and their party through much of the Deep Roads. Valta is a member of the Shaperate, dwarves who record memories in the vaults at Orzammar, though her reasons for being away from home is a mystery of its own. Renn has long ago celebrated his own funeral as a member of the Legion of the Dead, a formidable group of dwarves that permanently reside in the Deep Roads, seeking their final death in battle with darkspawn.

In The Descent, Thedas has been plagued by terrible earthquakes, and the Inquisition heads into the Deep Roads to discover the source of the problem. Compared to the previous DLC, this one is light on content but much more story-driven. Some hidden history of the dwarves and the mysterious Titans are uncovered, and the Inquisitor's party is among the first to venture beyond the Deep Roads.

Side quests are fairly light in The Descent. The primary alternate quest is picking up gears in various areas (the search feature is your friend with these), and using those gears to unlock doors, which hold enemies, schematics, and other treasure. Instead of utilizing the war table at Skyhold, the Inquisitor unlocks expeditions and completes them at the table in the first Deep Roads camp. These expeditions typically bridge out into a small area otherwise unreachable, and you'll most likely find yourself unlocking another gear door at the end.

...and these runes read, "bet you forgot to bring a torch!"

As always with Inquisition, the graphics and sound effects do not fail to impress. While delving further into the Deep Roads the darkness of your environment really releases a creepy feel... and accompanied by the sounds of rocks clattering and creatures scurrying, this is one DLC you may not want to play in the dark.

The story itself is an interesting slice of lore. The ending answers a few questions but raises more that are unlikely to be addressed in the Trespasser DLC. Valta and Renn are great side companions, and following all their dialogues is enlightening for any lore nut out there. There's the obligatory final battle, which had an epic presence but didn't feel quite challenging enough for my level 27 party.

Dragon Age: Inquisition - The Descent is available on Origin for $14.99. If you're a Dragon Age player who cares deeply for storyline, the cost is worth the price of admission. Those just looking for more content may want to wait for the next Origin sale: even for completionists, you're looking at 5-10 hours tops of entertainment.

Not pictured here: the final boss. Captain Tevinter was on the scene to save the day.

Prepare for the return of the Dread Wolf, Inquisitor: Dragon Age: Inquisition - Trespasser, set two years in the future, releases today!


Ann "Cyliena" Hosler, Managing Editor

Comments

Free account required to post

You must log in or create an account to post messages.