A lovely list where I am thankful for #DragonAgeInquisition & other Paste writers gave game thanks <3

http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/11/13-games-were-thankful-for.html

The internet fuels negativity. There’s so much cynicism and pessimism about games online that it can be hard to remember why we play them in the first place. This Thanksgiving we asked some of the contributors to our games section to write about a game they’re thankful for, something that cuts through the bad vibes and reminds them why they love games. Thirteen writers participated, writing about everything from a massive RPG released two weeks ago to a handheld classic older than some of our readers. Join us in reflecting on these games that matter to us, and let us know in the comments what you’re thankful for.

I’m thankful for Dragon Age:Inquisition because it gave me a lot more of Thedas to explore, and learn and love. Getting to meet and welcome back companions over the course of the game made that week of vacation I took worth it. Getting to know their backstories, how Josephine was going to be a Bard at one point, filling in the blanks of what had happened since Kirkwall with Cassandra and Varric. Getting to see my Hawke again, and letting them have a last run of it with the Inquisitor and company was a bit painful but totally worth it.

Since I’m a lore nerd, getting those little codex pages from everywhere we went made me happy, and gave me a bit more knowledge to run around with as I met others that helped to tell the Inquisitions story. Lastly I’m thankful for Trespasser, a DLC that gives me an ending for my Inquisitor as well as a hint as to what could come in the future. It was good to have an ending for everyone, no matter how friendships lasted or shattered.

So thank you Bioware for making me love Thedas, while breaking my heart, making me cry and laugh usually all at once. —Tanya DePass

Published by cypheroftyr

Tanya DePass is the founder and Director of I Need Diverse Games, a non-profit organization based in Chicago, which is dedicated to better diversification of all aspects of gaming. I Need Diverse Games serves the community by supporting marginalized developers attend the Game Developer Conference by participating in the GDC Scholarship program, helps assist attendance at other industry events, and is seeking partnership with organizations and initiatives. Tanya is a lifelong Chicagoan who loves everything about gaming, #INeedDiverseGames spawn point, and wants to make it better and more inclusive for everyone. She founded and was the EIC of Fresh Out of Tokens podcast where games culture was discussed and viewed through a lense of feminism, intersectionality and diversity. Now she’s a co-host on Spawn on Me Podcast. Along with all of that, she’s the Programming Coordinator for OrcaCon, she often speaks on issues of diversity, feminism, race, intersectionality & other topics at multiple conventions throughout the year. Her writing about games and games critique appears in Uncanny Magazine, Polygon, Wiscon Chronicles, Vice Gaming, Paste Games, Mic, and other publications.