BioWare

The Art & Inspiration of Dragon Age: Inquisition

The art direction of Dragon Age: Inquisition centers on the core thematic premise that magic is a corrupting, dangerous force.

• The art direction for Dragon Age: Inquisition was heavily influenced by Northern Renaissance masters like Hans Holbein the Younger, focusing on realistic material representation—such as the texture of fur and skin—rather than pure photorealism.
• To maintain a cohesive visual identity, the team used character design to reflect personality, such as using sharp, angular facial features to convey Cassandra’s spiky, aggressive temperament.
• The development team utilized the Frostbite engine to achieve high-quality surface responses to light, while intentionally choosing to hand-craft character models rather than using the photorealistic scanning techniques common in other Frostbite-based titles.