Stay in the Hinterlands!

Google DA:I and read the reviews and a lot of them look like this link. Everyone is recommending to get out of the Hinterlands fast. The game gets way better afterwards. Some even suggest you are doing it wrong if you don’t, and should just stay there for the whole game and be a farmer. Funny how people want to push their values and ideas onto others.

No.

Thank you.

I am loving the Hinterlands.

Not only is there a lot of flavor there and a lot of history and stories to learn (if you look!) it’s a great way to learn more about your first party members, get a great feel for the game, combat, and capabilities, and generally just fun. I am 6 hours into the Hinterlands and still haven’t turned over all the stones, and kind of like it there. I think after I shut down the rift for good I’ll take a summer home there. In the meantime, there is a lot of work to be done. There is sufficient challenge and I still haven’t sorted out some of the more major story lines that seem to be unfolding. I am still learning as I go.

The argument that as leader of the Inquisition shouldn’t be doing menial tasks I respectfully disagree with. The best way to get the will of the people is to be present and show that you aren’t above any effort for the end result. I recruited my first Agent and was proud that I made the effort to help him with the task that mattered most to him (lost love one). Sure, I could have passed that off to one of my team members but they may not have recruited that tAgent as I was able to. It’s all about being present.

The best part is since I am enjoying this part so much, and by all accounts it only gets better, I am setting myself up for a good 100 hour+ journey. This is the right kind of game for my personal issues.

Anyone else loving the Hinterlands?

9 comments / Add your comment below

  1. I’m one of the people who suggest leaving The Hinterlands, but not forever. I actually liked the Hinterlands and did everything there eventually.

    My main reason for suggesting leaving is that for me it was too much too soon. This big, beautiful, quest-filled zone is the first place you go after the intro, and at this point, I had not had a chance to build any connection to the story or characters of the game. So I found all the running around was lacking purpose. Once I progressed the story and became more immersed in the game, I found running around The Hinterlands much more enjoyable.

    1. Many times this. Why am I collecting stones and killing sheep when I could be seeing more of the world and my place in it.

      With more context you can appreciate it

    2. It’s funny how I didn’t even consider “going back”. Very used to linearity of zones in these kinds of games (that I recall, anyway, from the other DA titles and ME as well). I like to conquer zones. Sounds like I can still do that if I leave. =)

  2. Yeah, I have to agree. The first real zone is massive, has no end to its supply of shit to check off your list, and is a HUGE trap for anyone who can’t avoid gathering (EVEN IF I NEVER USED ANY OF THAT CRAP TO CRAFT).

    It’s a pretty terrible introduction. It captured the anxiety of first playing an Elder Scrolls game for me, but with none of the eventual magic.

  3. Please! Ignorance is bliss, don’t ruin it for me! =) I’m excited to see the big and wondrous after this all, but nice to get my feet wet and enjoy the baby steps.

  4. I advise leaving the Hinterlands as well – but not because it’s bad or anything. I really like the Hinterlands, I like the range of things that can be done there, I like the fact that it’s a classic RPG map: a bit of town, a bit of wilderness, a bit of ruins, etc.

    However, it’s also a zone that ranges from 4-12 (or 4-15, depending on which mob you may or may not have met yet). Trying to bash your head against a level 12 rift when you’re still lvl 5 or 6 is frustrating (I speak from experience). Realising that – unlike all previous Bioware games – you are not supposed to clear each zone in turn in DA:I is an important stage in making your DA:I experience even better. Do stuff, go do other stuff on another map, come back to the Hinterlands and do some other stuff – that woud be my advice. In all my years (decades now 🙂 ) playing Bioware games, this is the first one where it *wasn’t* sensible to do everything on a map before moving onto another.

    1. That is a very measured and sensible way to put it. I read some SCATHING reviews saying that if you weren’t leaving hte hinterlands you were “doing it wrong”.That’s Reddit for you I suppose.

      I’m with you, I have done every Bioware RPG and hoping the keep doing them in this style. So good =)

  5. You guys are just pulling my leg, right?

    I DID leave the hinterlands, and its neat. However, the first quest after going to VR, is (take a guess) go BACK to the hinterlands to find a Grey Warden.

    Jokes on me? =)

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