With Dragon Age 4 set to be released sometime in 2023, fans have had little else to do but come together as they wait for the game to finally hit their screens. Fortunately, Dragon Age has some of the most dedicated fans in gaming, and they’ve been spending their time wisely.
While many gather on online forums to discuss the series, they have also been searching through the games to find new and hidden details that they might have missed the first few times they played. Unsurprisingly, they’ve found a good deal of new discoveries along the way.
Crown a Knight-Commander
There’s nothing better than having the chance to completely change a game’s world forever. Knowing that a player decision actually impacted the narrative is something that fans adore, especially since it gives a reason for players to keep coming back to replay the game and find new ways to change things.
For good reason, Dragon Age rarely shies away from those opportunities. In Inquisition, fans can make a huge difference. “Recruiting the Templars and saving Ser Delrin Barris allows you to crown a new Knight-Commander after a series of War Table missions,” says Reddit user Goldenboy451. It’s an amazing touch, especially since it shows how well-ingrained you can be with the Templars, if you end up aiding them. After all, it isn’t everyday you can select a Knight-Commander.
Learn the Origins of Races
The races of Dragon Age provide significant variety and unique personalities to the game. While many fans just worry about which Dragon Age classes to play, some have taken to trying to study the world and uncover its secrets. In many cases, they succeed.
“Talking to Kieran with Inquisitors that aren’t human gives you some very cryptic, very amazing hints as to the origins of races, and what happened to them in times nobody remembers,” says Redditor dshentov. It’s a fascinating insight into the background of the world, providing fans with hints at things that have been mere speculation. And all fans had to do was look for it.
A Lot More Lore
Sometimes, reading through all the lore in a game can be boring work. But Reddit user froggus recommends that all players read “The books and letters and miscellaneous bits of writing out in the world that 90% of players skip over. Every zone has major themes that most of the writing follows; if you’ve never read them then you probably have no idea about the … major, huge ideas that are repeated thematically over and over again, and you have no idea about any of it if you skip all the lore.”
The lore hints at things that fans never considered, like a potential relationship between Flemeth and Andraste and other considerable mysteries. Given how many Dragon Age game myths are based on real-life, it’s genuinely interesting material that excites many fans.
Free Fire Staff
But not every lore secret needs to be without practical applications. “Get all the landmarks that yield lore on Tyrdda Bright Axe in the Hinterlands and you’ll unlock a series of war table missions. Complete them, and you’ll recover her weapon,” says Redditor probabilityEngine. “It turns out, the bright axe in question was actually a fire staff.”
Given that this fire staff is incredibly strong, it’s a huge boon to fans and a nice reward after searching through the game for all that they can learn. After all, reading through it all is hard work, and fans do deserve a flaming staff for their perseverance.
Wine and Cheese
After all that time wandering the world and fighting, players really do deserve a chance to rest and relax. Thankfully, the series is happy to provide. “In the Storm Coast, there’s a spot by the sea with a bunch of pillars,” says Reddit user badken. “If you jump around to the far side of the pillars, you will find a small stool and a crate with a bottle of wine and some cheese.”
It’s something most Dragon Age: Inquisition players will never discover, but it’s a funny detail that adds a good amount of levity to the game. Besides, who doesn’t want to fill up on wine and cheese after a fight?
Find the Holy Grail
While some fans reportedly found the Holy Grail in early the games, some fans dismissed it as one of several glitches in Dragon Age. But soon, players really did stumble across King Arthur’s sought-after treasure in the Dragon Age Inquisition Trespassers DLC.
“I was searching around the area of the Elven Temple in the first region you go to. I came across a door blocked by rocks and a barrel,” says Reddit user Fullmetall21. “It led me to the blocked room with the Holy Grail. Inside that room are four huge mountains of gold. Each of them gives 50,000 gold.” It’s a really fun detail that confirms what fans have been seeking for ages. Plus, it certainly helps that fans receive a practical boost for finding it.
Calibrate Your Trebuchet
After Mass Effect had Garrus giving Legion tips about calibrating the trebuchet, Dragon Age decided to give it a shot too. “Once, when I was zoning into the War Table, one of the other NPCs was giving Cullen a hard time about the amount of time he spent ‘calibrating’ the trebuchets,” says Reddit user cldrgd.
It’s a great reference, especially given how memorable that moment was in Mass Effect. Some fans found themselves laughing aloud when they heard it, and many rushed to online forums to make sure the others did their best to find that same moment.
Assassins Had a Tough Time
Easter eggs are commonplace in video games, and while Dragon Age most often likes to throw allusions to Mass Effect, it sometimes throws some references elsewhere. In particular, Dragon Age: Inquisition does its best to reference the Assassin’s Creed series. Reddit user Lynneiah noticed that “The ‘Assassin’ specialization has a ‘Hidden Blades’ ability.”
Given the prominence of the Hidden Blade in the Assassin’s Creed franchise, it was likely a direct allusion to those games, which is a really fun touch. The fact that these blades are also hidden in a sleeve also contributes to the reference. While it isn’t the most relevant to gameplay, it’s still a cool passing reference to have.
Get a Ladder
While most modern games tend to have a trope wherein one player throws another over a large cliff, if it’s otherwise too difficult to reach the other side, Dragon Age takes a different approach. Reddit user InFearn0 says, “At one of the broken bridges that have to be repaired, Varric will say, ‘It should go without saying, but no one is throwing me across.'”
Given Varric’s height, and the game’s awareness of tropes, it’s an incredibly funny line that helps to break some of the tension in the game. And, in a game like Dragon Age, levity tends to be sorely needed.
Snowball the Spider
While most of the time, stumbling across a giant spider in a video game isn’t a good thing, sometimes games like to surprise. “There is a spider cave under the keep in Crestwood with a named spider called Snowball that drops a very handy group heal grenade,” says Angelavenger on Reddit. “It’s seriously like one of the best grenades if you don’t want to take Vivienne in your group.”
Given that most times there’s nothing more pressing than making sure a player’s party is alive and well, taking on Snowball could mean the difference between life and death for a party. Given that, it might be a good idea to pay a visit to a bright white giant spider.
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