You may have noticed that the open world of Thedas is pretty large. In fact, there’s even a chance that some of you reading this have yet to leave the Hinterlands. Although the Hinterlands is indeed a massive area with lots to do, you might be surprised to discover that it’s not even the largest location in the game!

Perhaps you’ve completed Dragon Age: Inquisition and think you’ve explored all these areas from top to bottom… but have you? We sat down with the level design teams and asked them to share stories behind their creation. Do you know why they call it the Hissing Wastes? Do you know which level was inspired by the Canyonlands of southern Utah? Did you find the hermit’s hut? We’ve got the answers to these questions and more!

1.       The Western Approach

The Western Approach is a location with a long history, and not just lore! This level was touched by almost every designer on the project at one point, with creative influences from all of them. It also contains a couple neat little secrets that took QA months to find. Like a hidden chalice and a pot of gold! The Venatori have spent considerable effort here for their boss but if all goes well, it will all be taken over by an enterprising player. – Baastian Frank, Lead Level Designer

2.       Crestwood

With Crestwood, my team and I strived for a wilderness space with a strong theme that ties back to the main storyline. The player can see firsthand what the rifts do to the everyday people, and discover the mysteries of Crestwood Village.

As a fan of challenging fights, my favorite area to design was Crestwood Keep. With a keen eye for combat spaces from my artist, Andre Santos, and the fun and interesting storylines from my writer, Sylvia Feketekuty, the Keep is a space I’m proud of. Watch out for what’s lurking in the basement though. ;)

Before you leave Crestwood to adventure elsewhere, be sure to discover the Black Fens and take a look at what’s living near the edge of the lake… and maybe bring a potion or two. – Raylene Deck, Technical Designer

3.       The Storm Coast

Our goal with the Storm Coast was to make the area as self-directed as possible.  When playing through the area, you will notice fewer scripted plots than in other areas.  This was intentional on our part.  We really wanted to push the idea of you making your own stories in the area.

In the Storm Coast, we tried to give players multiple avenues in approaching one problem: the bandits. Sure, you could eliminate the entire lot; you’d be right to do so since they slaughtered inquisition troops. However, a better approach may be to cut off the head, then use the organization for your own purposes. Especially if you need that little extra boost in power (did you find the journal near your soldiers?).

The other aspect we really enjoy is that the area actually looks stormy – Andrew, the level artist, did a fantastic job! One of our favorite moments is walking down to the coast, just in front of the first camp and seeing the dragon flying around in the fog above the crashing waves.

Being so self-directed, the area has a lot of neat little things for you to discover.  Have you found the hermit’s hut halfway through?  He’s out running errands and doesn’t like it when people take his stuff! – Jason Hill, Technical Designer & Kaelin Lavallee, Lead Narrative Designer

4.       The Hissing Wastes

The Hissing Wastes is named after the sound the sand makes in the wind, and sand is one thing it has plenty of! This is by far the largest play space in the game, and perfect for the exploring player out for every little tidbit of information, or fans of dwarven culture. It is a desolate but beautiful place, with large vistas and a real sense of unlimited space. There are good rewards for coming here; uncovering the long-lost secrets of a famous dwarf is reason enough for the Venatori to come here, and also for you! – Baastian Frank, Lead Level Designer

5.       The Fallow Mire

The Fallow Mire was one of my favorite areas to develop because it was intended to be a “thematic” level. That meant we selected a single gameplay theme for the area, and played up the atmosphere. We wanted to create a contrast between the “safe path” and the exploration areas, so that exploration in this area would feel more daring and rewarding.

What I liked even more is creating the backstory to what really happened in this area, and explaining some parts through the visuals only, for people to extrapolate as they explore. I think this area is best suited for daring explorers who enjoy good atmosphere and challenging gameplay. – Francois Chaput, Level Designer

I always liked the atmosphere in this level, and how you can see the swamp reclaiming the empty village. We left a lot of scrap-notes and soggy journals around for players curious about what happened in Fisher’s End. Horror fans may have already noticed that the family names in those journals are all taken from H.P. Lovecraft stories. It seemed appropriate, given the Mire’s gloomy mood. – Sylvia Feketekuty, Writer

6.       The Forbidden Oasis

The Forbidden Oasis was a really interesting space to work on. The idea for the region was born out of a desire to try something different than we were used to – a vertical map that challenged the player's exploration abilities. In the past we were limited to creating virtually two dimensional spaces with minor height variations. The move to Frostbite meant that this restriction was no more.

The look and feel of the level was inspired by the geography of the Canyonlands in southern Utah. At the surface a hot, bleak, and endless desert surrounds you. But as you work your way through the maze of canyons below, you'll discover the Intrinsic Pools, a watery oasis teeming with wildlife.

Despite being one of the smallest maps in the game, the Forbidden Oasis offers a surprising amount of exploration, challenging your navigational skills by pulling you through twisty caverns that travel up and down as much as they do forward and back. As you peer through the oculara that litter the rock faces, you'll discover shards and loot in locations you didn't even realize you could get to.

At the center of the oasis lies an ancient, magnificent door that opens up a network of dungeons deep in the desert rock. Using the power of shards found all over Ferelden and Orlais, you can unlock these dungeons and uncover magical loot sealed away for centuries. Coffins within the dungeons release spells that upgrade your Inquisitor's magic resistance, which can come in handy when fighting dragons.

My favorite spot in the Forbidden Oasis, however, has to be the lookout point at Stratos. For successfully navigating the canyon maze and reaching this high overlook, you are rewarded with a magnificent view of the entire canyon and the endless desert that lies beyond. – Brad Paras, Lead Level Designer