Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts

Even as someone who likes Mass Effect more than Dragon Age, I have a hard time thinking of a singular quest in the sci-fi series that matches up to Inquisition’s Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts. While you will unsheathe your weapons a few times, this mission is all about politics, charming the worst people you’ve ever met, and working the crowd. Running around the Winter Palace, meeting the most powerful players in Orlais, and manipulating the politics of an entire country to your whims is more intriguing than anything you do with a sword or staff. Mechanically, the mission is surprisingly elegant as it codifies social status and attention into something that can be measured by a video game, and it’s intriguing learning more about the figureheads you can rally to your cause. There are several outcomes at the end of this mission, and getting what you want might come down to blackmail, reuniting long-lost lovers, or a betrayal of your own. It’s unlike anything else in the Dragon Age series, and I haven’t seen many studios pull off something like it since.