This is the correct answer.
However, if you do, do a bit of research on how to "program" your companions.
Basically, you can go in and set up if-then chains in their interface to guide their actions and behaviors.
You'll particularly want to focus on your tank & your mage if you're letting them be NPCs. The AI cannot tank without going into their settings.
Also, you will hear "enchantment" in your dreams. Welcome it.
The first one is the best one in terms of everything
2 was very much a rushjob and despite having a interesting story, just drags on otherwise
Inquisition was just too fucking bloated and very little of it was worthwhile. By the time I finished the first area I felt like I was done with the game and instead it was like "Guess what boyo, here's fifteen other places that will take just as long"
I enjoyed Inquisition, that's the only one I've played though. I like how varied you can play your character and how your party choices actually change dialogue.
Origins. That said the hate for Inquisition is overblown. It's fun and has some interesting lore and great areas. You can buy the ultimate edition of Origins on gog and if you wait for an RPG or bioware sale you can probably get it for a few bucks. The other two unfortunately can only be bought on origin (if you're playing on a PC that is) last I checked. Their sales are more infrequent but if you're really patient you can probably pick up DAI: game of the year edition for $30 or so which includes both expacs (EA expac prices are always rip-offs so do buy that edition rather than the base and trying to buy the others later). Dragon Age II is worth playing for the story but mechanically and as far as size of the world and feel it isn't that great compared to 1 or 3.
Also the graphics for origins are kind of dated so if you really can't stand your first impression being a low pixel game from 2009 (that was made earlier and has lower fidelity graphics compared to others of its age because of the shear amount of graphical assets and size of the game files already) then you might want to start with DAI and consider working backwards.
My answer would be "none", though I haven't played the second one
It's a weird one, like they did this suuuuper intense world building, and the setting and everything was very clearly a labour of love for someone, with tonnes of history and backstory and lore, and the characters never shut up about telling you the backstory etc etc - but for the most incredibly boring and generic and drab Western FantasyTM setting you could possibly imagine, like there's just nothing interesting or novel about it at all. Kinda sad, just felt like a big waste
The gameplay itself was pretty meh as well, from memory. If you want a modern western party-based RPG, I reckon Pillars of Eternity or Divinity Original Sin 2 would be better bets
I loved being an edgy atheist dude and just picking fights with followers of genderswapped fantasy Jesus
I pirated origins and it was good enough that it made me pre order the second game.
The second game was so disappointing that I've never pre ordered anything since, and never played inquisition.
