Dragon Age: Inquisition is one incredible game, and certainly feels like one of BioWare's largest games (in terms of world size, at least) to date. Ask a handful of people that have put a decent amount of time into the fantasy RPG, however, and a few will probably respond with similar issues they have with the game: the run speed leaves a little to be desired; the areas feel large, but ultimately disconnected; and there's nowhere to store items to free up inventory space.
That last one sounds a bit odd, considering Inquisition's scope and its nature as an RPG, but it's true, regardless. During a player's lengthy time as the Inquisitor, they'll come across hundreds of items, including weapons, armor and crafting materials, but there hasn't been a place to store the special items found in the world. The only alternatives were to either hold onto it for the rest of the game (sacrificing an inventory slot), or sell it, and keep in mind which merchant it was sold to. Dragon Age: Inquisition had a few questionable design choices, but the lack of item storage was among the larger issues. Fortunately, that will soon be a thing of the past.
Following in the footsteps of previous patches for the game, BioWare has just announced that it's currently working on Patch Five, which aims to add several new features including, finally, Party Storage. The storage area will be placed within the Undercroft found at Skyhold, presumably alongside the weapon and armor crafting/modding structures. At last, that rare bow that doesn't do as much damage, but has a fire rune, armor piercing and +5 dexterity can be put away for safe keeping.
[gallery columns="2" ids="252143,252142"]
The upcoming patch doesn't have a scheduled release date, but select PC players will get the opportunity to beta test it ahead of time. As BioWare describes it, their patch development schedule is faster that its been for any previous game, but the certification process adds to the time it takes for the patch to hit multiple platforms.
"We want to open up our upcoming Patch 5 to a select group of PC players via signup in a closed, developer-like environment. This not only allows us to more quickly identify and respond to future issues, but gives our developers a great, new way to work directly with our players."
The other major inclusion in Patch 5 is the Black Emporium, a new shop run by an "immortal proprietor," where powerful items and rare tools can be purchased. The Inquisitor's voice and facial appearance can also be changed by utilizing the Mirror of Transformation, and crafting materials can be used to alter the color of a character's armor. After 45 hours or so as an Inquisitor with ridiculous hair, maybe a place to change that is exactly what some players have been hoping for.
Outside of patch details, more single-player and multiplayer content is expected to be in development, though BioWare has done a really good job at keeping that information to themselves. Hopefully expectations are right this time, and that ending can be elaborated on.
Read our Dragon Age: Inquisition review here, and also feel free to check out our Dragon Hunting and Romance guides.
Source: BioWare Blog