BioWare made an announcement last month that players could not rely on healing spells in their highly anticipated game Dragon Age: Inquisition, which releases next month.
No healing spells in the Dragon Age world is unusual, as the first two games in the series (Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age II) both allowed party members to use healing spells. Understandably, fans were confused and a little worried about what no healing spells would mean for the latest Dragon Age game, and took to the BioWare forums to voice their concerns.
Recently, two BioWare writers have commented on these concerns, explaining why the creators of Dragon Age: Inquisition chose not to include healing spells in the third Dragon Age game. BioWare senior writer, Luke Kristjanson, gave an idea of what players can now do, rather than use healing spells:
“[Players get] abilities/gear/choices that actually have an effect on the battle that is greater than infinite health on your belt. And because your greatest ability isn’t chugging potions, we need less effects that shut you down. You spend more time in control of your characters making more varied decisions to have a greater effect on the flow of the battle.”
Earlier this week, writer Patrick Weekes talked about specific ways players can avoid getting their party killed. Certain abilities, such as Barrier, and even more powerful ones that become available as a character reaches higher levels, as wells as crafting items, are the main ways Weekes recommends for staying alive. He also said that the player does have access to a spell known as “Resurgence,” which he describes as a “healing spell for the game that doesn’t have healing spells.” The spell does heal your party, but is only available at higher levels, and depending on how you make your character, like Weekes you might “[end] up not even using Resergence.”
So, BioWare is not completely leaving players without any healing capabilities. However, it is clear in Inquisition the emphasis is on keeping your party from needing healing, rather than healing your party once they take damage.
