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12 Years Later, the Best Fantasy Video Game Quote of the 2010s Still Hits Hard
An article marking the twelfth anniversary of Dragon Age: Inquisition revisits what it calls the standout fantasy video game quote of the 2010s, delivered by the villain Corypheus during the "In Your Heart Shall Burn" mission. BioWare's 2014 release won the first-ever Game of the Year award at the Game Awards and is remembered for its ambitious worldbuilding and dialogue, with this particular confrontation held up as an encapsulation of the wider Dragon Age saga and a high point for villain writing in the genre.
The scene occurs when Corypheus, an ancient Tevinter magister seeking to destroy the Veil and declare himself a god, attacks the Inquisition's base at Haven after his conclave ritual is thwarted by the game's protagonist. The article credits the moment's impact to a combination of factors: Corypheus's unsettling design, his lyrium dragon, Trevor Morris's tense score, and actor David Sterne's booming vocal performance, alongside dialogue writing praised as clever, informative and menacing.
In short
- Article revisits Dragon Age: Inquisition's Corypheus villain speech, 12 years on.
- 2014 game won the first-ever Game Awards Game of the Year.
- Scene praised for design, score and David Sterne's voice acting.
Explained simply
Thedas is a fantasy continent whose stability rests on the Veil, a barrier separating the everyday world from a spirit realm called the Fade. Dragon Age: Inquisition, released by developer BioWare in 2014, put players in charge of the Inquisition, an organisation formed after a catastrophic explosion tears a hole in that barrier and kills the leaders gathered to broker peace between warring mage and templar factions. The player's character survives and is left with the power to seal the resulting rifts.
The game's central villain is Corypheus, an ancient, corrupted magic-user seeking to become a god by exploiting the breach. Much of Inquisition's lasting reputation comes not from its combat or setting alone, but from its writing, and Corypheus in particular is remembered for lines of dialogue that critics and fans still quote today.
More than a decade after its release, the game continues to be cited in discussions of the best writing in fantasy video games, which is the context for renewed attention to one of Corypheus's quotes.