#oc: enda de riva

[zieroses]

enda “rook” de riva // the last gambit p.1

thoughts -

This was a Good Scene. Assigning your companions to different tasks that they could theoretically fail…I like it. I think it could’ve been done better and in a more complex way, but I still really liked it. And I see the remnants here of the way this game was supposed to be heist- and spy-themed - it had all the hallmarks of a heist movie, including cutaways to the assigned person carrying out their task. Very interesting to see the ashes of what would’ve been there.

Also loved Rook not just being the de facto leader and the thread tying this all together, but actively taking charge and issuing orders. Not that it would be the first time, but I did feel they nailed the development of someone who had nearly been trapped forever by a betrayal and was now angry and even more determined than ever.

I will say, the assignments felt vague to me the first time and i was anxious about it because that’s how I am with choices - but the second time it was pretty obvious who should go where. It almost feels like you’d have to be purposefully doing it wrong to get a bad result, but that could just be my experience.

Additionally, I am not sure on this, but I got an inkling that at least two of the enemies you could face could be different based on your choices throughout… Could the “war mage” have been Aelia? Could the “massive construct” have been Hezenkoss’s Gloaming Lantern skeleton? If so, it feels like you would have had to deliberately fail at the game to get those appearances. After all, you’d have to simply not do important companion quests. Which I can’t see someone doing by accident or missing, but I suppose it’s possible. It seems strange to have “bad” results locked behind, not making mistakes, but having to almost purposefully avoid content. But again, I could be wrong on that. I am a bit of a completionist so that simply could not be me.

[zieroses]

enda “rook” de riva // one last breath

thoughts -

This was a cute romance scene. I have to admit I preferred the conversation had with Lucanis for a couple of reasons, though that one also felt a little short and unfulfilling. I liked that that one took place in the Lighthouse (seems weird to leave at this point in time) and tbh, the coffin sex is a little on the nose even for DA 💀 (i kept thinking, well. That can’t be comfortable.)

But overall, I thought it was sweet and Emmrich’s romance over all was much more fulfilling than Lucanis’s. I have lots more detailed thoughts on that which I’ll articulate at a later date. Rook mumbling half-asleep and not wanting to wake up was not only cute but feeds into my constant desire to feel like the protagonist is impacted / fatigued by ongoing events. I like to think this is the first restful sleep Rook has gotten in weeks.

(For similar reasons, I like that in the Lucanis scene, it is implied that Rook doesn’t even plan to sleep, even while encouraging Lucanis to. Rest, what is that?)

[zieroses]

enda “rook” de riva // one last round table

thoughts -

I really liked this scene, which took place directly after your escape from the Fade prison. I would’ve liked more acknowledgment from the companions, and more certainty as to exactly how long you were trapped (i saw someone on tumblr say weeks? The only hint I could find in game was Neve saying Bellara had been lost for “days”).

What I did like about it though was the subtle hint of Rook’s distress and panic. Every other round table you have, Rook sits calmly. In this one, they don’t just stand, they pace around, fully circling the others as they do. I forget how a romanced Lucanis (my first playthrough) reacts afterward, but Emmrich will ask if you’re doing okay, and in context it feels not just “are you okay after being trapped in the Fade,” but also “are you okay, because this frenetic energy is unlike you and I’m not sure how to calm you.”

Just another example of how, while BioWare did make many missteps with this one, I really appreciate the subtle details they did inject here and there. Body language has never been BioWare’s strong suit.

[zieroses]

enda “rook” de riva // prison of regret

[zieroses]

some random venatori having a parasocial crush on the guy killing and stopping venatori operations left and right is literally the funniest thing that could happen

[zieroses]

enda “rook” de riva // the siege of weisshaupt

[zieroses]

So BioWare decided to seed Elgar’nan’s ability to do this behind a specific bit of banter you may not even see. Kinda crazy BioWare, because when he did this in my first playthrough it really seemed like it came out of nowhere. Like, um, he can just do that??

[zieroses]

enda “rook” de riva // loss at tearstone island

[zieroses]

enda “rook” de riva // the eve before we face a god p.3

[zieroses]

enda “rook” de riva // the eve before we face a god p.2

[zieroses]

enda “rook” de riva // the eve before we face a god p.1

[zieroses]

enda “rook” de riva // the siege of weisshaupt

more and thoughts -

I did this mission a while back but remembered I saved it to watch this cutscene because I love it so much.

I genuinely thought this mission was amazing. It was Adamant Fortress on steroids. We were all worried about the art direction, and while some people still dislike it, I thought it ended up serving the game really well, and it really showed in this mission and how expressive the characters were. I kept thinking, man, it would’ve been amazing to have this level of cinematography in Inquisition!

I was honestly really impressed by the subtle details in the animation—not something BioWare is known for (see: inquisition expressions, the BioWare turn). If you don’t knock the First Warden out, and he is behind the war table with you, he is blocking Rook’s view—and you can see it in the way Rook tilts his head, his eyes moving, as he listens instead of seeing. It’s a small thing I suppose, and maybe I seem easily impressed, but it’s the little details we’ve been waiting on BioWare to deliver in their animation for a long time, and there’s a lot of them in this game.

Speaking of knocking the Warden out, the ability to deck the First Warden (why is Warden leadership like this) was so great in my first playthrough but, despite all of the companions weirdly disliking it, I actually preferred how it turned out to talk him down this time around. The writing could’ve used a little more finesse in his turnaround, but it felt satisfying to finally be able to convince a high ranking Warden to stop acting like a twat. And honestly it’s worth it for the look on Rook’s face when the First Warden tells him to get the dragon trap ready: “Me?!”

[zieroses]

enda “rook” de riva // lair of the dragon king

[zieroses]

[zieroses]

enda “rook” de riva // the last gambit p.2

thoughts -

I was relieved that you could rescue the mage you chose on Tearstone Island, but it makes it even more baffling to me that either Davrin or Harding has to die no matter what you do. Don’t get me wrong; I like the idea in the context of the game. You can do everything right and still lose someone; you can make a choice only to find out that neither choice was the right one and that you were always going to lose. What is strange to me is that the choice is between two companions. So at the end of the day, either Davrin is dead in your canon, or Harding.

I would see the reasons, especially in the potential for companions appearing in future games—it’s way easier to just write out two characters than possibilities for all of them—but, in theory, if you fucked it all up, you can lose everyone. So without some real retconning, all of these companions are lost to us as future characters. (I think. I’d have to remember how they handled this from Mass Effect 2’s last mission into Mass Effect 3.)

[zieroses]

enda “rook” de riva // the last gambit p.4

thoughts -

My only complaint about the lead up to the final boss is that the Inquisitor should have come with you. But they didn’t want to spend any time or put any effort into figuring out how the Inquisitor would fight with a prosthetic; they didn’t even let you choose their class. But they should have come with you and had an ability wheel option to jump in from time to time like the ballistas the Crows bring to the two-dragon fight in the wetlands.

I have a lot of thoughts about how the Inquisitor was done dirty that I will save for now. But just saying…I would totally have accepted that the Inquisitor had some remnant power after having the mark ripped away and their arm removed. Who’s to say power like that doesn’t stain you? We’re surrounded by fade tears in these final stretches. Could’ve done something with that. But no, the Inquisitor is going to go back down and sort of stand there with a sword and then…come back up later. Sigh.

Otherwise though, I loved the very cinematic and action packed jaunt up through the palace in search of the throne room. Bellara’s connection to the blight was maybe a little rushed, but not so much that I didn’t believe it. I found it an interesting choice, though I think I would’ve liked to see more from all the companions in this final stretch. i took Davrin and Emmrich with me; I would’ve liked to see some specific scenes with their help. But, narrowing it to Bellara or Neve does mean less variations for the devs to animate, so I understand. Just would’ve preferred something from the companions that I, as the player, chose to come with me in the final battle. That’s nothing unusual from bioware, though.