The amount of exploration in Inquisition is overwhelming. While it may not be an open world like Skyrim, every area you explore is large and diverse enough that you are never lacking in things to do. There are people to help out, ruins to explore, artifacts to discover, camps to set up, and landmarks to claim. There are even a few surprises to be found. And who can forget the dragon slaying? All of this contributes to the hours upon hours of gameplay that feels near endless. Some may complain that many of these activities are filler, but they are fun and flesh out the world, especially for newcomers. This kind of filler is welcome. In the beginning Mass Effect was focused on exploration. You were able to land on many planets and discover any secrets hidden on the surface. The problem was that most the of the planets recycled environments, and thus it wasnt very fun. Regardless, the effort was appreciated. But as the series went on, exploration was deemphasised considerably until by the time Mass Effect 3 arrived it was practically non-existent. Inquisition is a glorious return to form in this respect, and if there is one thing to take away from its success into Mass Effect 4 its the importance of exploration. Now is the time for Bioware to take the concept of galactic exploration experimented with in the first game and fine-tune it to perfection. Like Inquisitions areas, all the planets you explore need to be full of things to do and discover. Thankfully Bioware has already stated that exploration is indeed the top priority for Mass Effect 4, so they appear to be on the right track. If they can do what Inquisition did, Mass Effect 4 could easily end up being the best entry in the series. Have you played Dragon Age: Inquisition? Looking forward to the next Mass Effect? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
