Cool Reception - review of the DLC The Jaw of the Gakkon

Josie, I've missed you!

It is known that [Dragon Age: Inquisition](/games?search=Dragon Age: Inquisition) is not much like Origins at all, and it has indeed followed in the footsteps of the second part. In a good way: smoothly and quite logically, Inquisition transitioned to a new story, leaving room for favorite characters. The narrative has grown beyond the dusty streets of Kirkwall, sprawling across all of Thedas, blooming with tropical jungles, desert sunsets, and damp swamps. The developers had the power, time, and desire to recreate a huge beautiful world. To let players into the mountains and underground, to show the majestic monuments of Tevinter and worn-down elven writings - to give what was not possible in Origins. Yes, yes, it is no coincidence that the Inquisitor wanders through Ferelden and even descends into the deep trails. We can finally look at the world not from the height of a tactical camera, but through the eyes of a local resident. And it looks quite good from that angle.

However, somewhere along the way, Origins has disappeared. The cozy, gloomy fairy tale dusted with powder has been replaced by an epic saga, full of hope and adventure. The strangest thing is that, formally, everything has remained the same. The world is doomed, and only you can save it. You must step by step build your reputation, gather people around you, and give a decisive rebuff to absolute evil. But at the same time, everything is different.

Some might say that the soul has disappeared - perhaps, but then a new one has taken its place. Instead of a desperate hero of Ferelden with a handful of companions, we have a full of graceful confidence Inquisitor at the head of the church order. He leads people to the light and has no intention of perishing in the final battle. Oh, this mockery over the broken opponent: you wanted to go into Shadow?

I would take pictures of the local landscapes endlessly, but I'm tired of turning off the interface every time

Through his eyes, Thedas looks completely different. This new world is hard to correlate with the legends that we used to gather piece by piece. The echo of Andraste's life, the tales of the Grey Wardens, vague rumors about Tevinter... but we are now talking about something entirely different! The well-known history of the world does not reflect the current events, basic knowledge has to be retold from scratch. And there arises a feeling of incompleteness, the action hangs in the air without roots.

We learn a lot during the game, but clearly not enough. Questions after the last battle remain more than there were before. And the DLC "The Jaw of the Gakkon" was created to fix this situation. No, it won't tell you what happened after. The word "plot" only indicates that this is a completed separate story, not a set of armor or a new cooperative mode. However, it shines a light on previously unknown turning points of the past.

I'm just going to take a torch and illuminate...

After activating and installing a good two gigabytes of the add-on in Skyhold, there are minor changes to discover.

In the basement, a storage area appears by Dagna where you can offload excess but beloved junk. There is also a table for coloring armor - for one unit of the resource of the needed color, you can repaint the cloak pink. And at the war council table, there is a new location available. Opening it will cost you eight units of influence. Be careful! Only a strong-willed spirit will conquer the Frostback Basin. The usual set of aggressive fauna is designed for high-level characters. The locals, three to four levels higher, were mercilessly stomping my overconfident team into the mud, and I left a group of despair demons of the thirtieth level to wither over their cursed gold. I’ll be better off.

The territory of the add-on is comparable to Storm Coast, but much more diverse. Firstly, there is a swift highland climate change - in the lowlands, there are real jungles with tropical birds, while higher up it's just moss. Sinister swamps and brisk waterfalls are also included. Secondly, during the main storyline quest, we can visit the Basin both during the day and at night. And, most importantly, no rain.

But the stars are not visible

If you lack exploration in the main campaign, then here is everything for your pleasure. Three astrariums (one of which did not work for me), three oculariums with twelve shards, non-obvious landmarks, powerful rifts, and Tevinter ruins. The reward for conquering the basin is quite generous - I updated my wardrobe with purple weapons, and I came after the victory in the main part. However, there was no dream staff for the lady Inquisitor, so I was much happier with the avvar traders. Tempting fourth-level schematics and the third in-game merchant with an endless supply of simple healing herbs, very convenient. Tasty materials for runes can be excavated from demonic remains, and you can strip the fabric that protects from the cold from the bodies of the locals. In general, after fully conquering the Basin, the frost will no longer bother you - the collected shards can be immediately spent to open a magical icy room, similar to the temple in the Oasis, and significantly increase your resistance to the element.

Typical avvar statue. Perfect for putting Dorian in despair

The main quest line consists of two parts - archaeological and ethnographic. The Inquisitor sets out to find information about a colleague, the legendary Ameridan, who went missing in these lands eight hundred years ago. You will need to fend off the expedition from aggressive reptiles, communicate with local spirits, solve an ancient riddle and trace the path of the last (before you, of course) Inquisitor. Be prepared for unexpected historical discoveries and the personal drama of long-dead heroes.

The ethnographic part begins when you realize that without the help of the locals, you will not cope with your mission. You will have to get accustomed to avvar traditions, protect the interests of the tribe, and finally earn the status of an honorary kin. And the avvars will stand by you [with fire and sword](/games?search=огнем и мечом).

And both quest branches will unite in a beautiful final mission with a small labyrinth, bloody battles and an ancient ice dragon.

Looks like my mage in modest light armor is about to meet his end

"The Jaw of the Gakkon" is an add-on as it is. Essentially, it is just another game location, high quality and colorful, but not fundamentally different from the old ones. No new characters, no romance, and no plot twists. New items and even a new spell for the Inquisitor are unlikely to be needed if you have already completed the game. But from the perspective of the world's history, the DLC is very interesting: after getting acquainted with the details of the life of the last Inquisitor, you look at the past of Thedas from a different angle.

Even one mage is enough for a grand fireworks display, and I have two

You should get this exclusively for the pleasure of diving another 5-10 hours into Inquisition, defeating demons, overcoming a new dragon and uncovering the secrets of the past. For those who are just following the series or did not like the last part, there is little of interest here; it would be simpler to read a summary later.