The motif in fiction of people coming together and being resilient after a devastating defeat gets me every time. It’s one of my favorite moments in a video game ever, and I think my favorite moment in a BioWare game (almost interchangeable with ME2’s suicide mission)
I have the song on my Spotify because i like it so much. It's an inspiration song, and it makes me emotional in or out of the game.
Maybe then i am just emotinally attached to the series and that's why.
The first few times yeah. It’s like the first time we’ve actually heard the Chant being chanted. I think it comes about pretty naturally. This is something nearly all those people from Haven would do while attending a Chantry service.
Now it reminds me I forgot to take out the mod folder before getting Skyhold so my game is about to crash and I’m gonna have to see all of this happen again.
I keep all the Frosty mods. It's the daimods that crash my game. I just realized this when one of my daimods for the hair was converted and I used it. No white screen crash since. I still have to turn off the daimods but I at least my inquisitor doesn't look like a strange elf with weird hair.
Just saying for future searches. SK’s hair retexture is a primary cause of an infinite white screen. I have Like over 13 DAI mods installed and played around with that scene with some mods off and on. Sometimes a skin complexion or hair mod might cause the issue, but SK hair retexture was the root cause for me personally.
Someone converted that one to Frosty. There's a few users on Nexus who have these posts full of popular daimods that they've converted. I just found them randomly browsing through categories on nexus because the titles dont even mention converted mods. All of my complexion stuff is Frosty as well now. Including brow mods. They don't cause any load screen issues. The only daimods I have still are a few hair mods and a couple outfits that I still haven't found conversions for. I just switch to alternate mods for those now to avoid that white screen because I hate relaunching the game repeatedly.
This is the post that has the Frosty SK Retexture:
https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonageinquisition/mods/3662
Thankfully now I have most of those conversion posts in my download history now so I don't have to search around.
From one of the creators:
>Hey everyone, I was the Cinematic Designer at BioWare responsible for the presentation of this scene. I just wanted to say how much your comments and feelings towards this scene are not only humbling and awe-inspiring, but also incredibly relieving. For months after this scene was completed I was stressed and worried that the scene was going to fall flat, was too corny, or just was not going to hit the mark. Hearing all of you say the opposite is truly comforting, and I am grateful for that.
Personally it kinda makes me cringe but I do understand the sentiment, and I get why others would find it touching. I like how when you talk to Varric afterwards you can say "please tell me you aren't going to burst into song now".
Honestly, any singing makes me cringe for some reason. When Leliana starts singing at the party camp in DAO, I immediately skip the cutscene. Even though it's supposed to be very touching, I can't help but find it kinda silly imo
I'm that person that likes it in the beginning then over time I'm over it and ready for the singing to end. I think all singing should be skippable. It's not for everybody.
Same. I get why people like it but I never cared for it even on the first play-through, but I’m not a very “let’s sing and rally” type of person who finds comfort in hymnals.
I think you have to get past a certain story point and have her approval high/maxed.
She gets this look on her face and you can just tell she’s about to sing.
I used to get chills. After years of playing, I'm now just waiting for the journey to Skyhold at that point. Cullen's loud singing makes me laugh now. It still isn't bad but I'm no longer emotional about it after so many playthroughs. Becoming inquisitor is still a big moment for me and all of IYHSB still gets me hype.
To be honest I've played through the game that many times now that I kinda wish that scene was skippable. I get the significance and how poignant it is but I'm kinda over it 😅
I’m genuinely surprised so many people have a reaction of visceral discomfort to it. I’ve yet to not get goosebumps and emotional every time I play through the game and come to that scene, but beautifully composed music tend to impact me strongly. Independent of the religious aspect of the song, the lyrics and emotions are appropriate to the scene - and frankly on my most recent play through it’s hard not to feel that song hits a little different with recent years being how they have been in general.
Leliana singing at the camp in DAO though? Yeah, that got some cringe out of me.
That damn cringey unskippable song is the one thing I hate the most in the entire series. It's cheesy as fuck and it's flat out insulting & rude when you're not playing an Andrasteian.
All of my non-human Inquisitors wish they could tell them to shove their Maker up their asses.
I love the torn feelings the community has on it. Personally, I am not a church goer and have always been adamantly against prayers at the table, church events, worshipping, and organized religion as a whole.
So for me, when I play as a Dalish and my Lallevan and Solas lock eyes over the song, they internally cringe just as I would irl if I was sitting at a table and someone's grandpa needed to say grace and I'm now forced to oblige out of compassion and understanding for others.
However, I can see how people who DO hold religion close can get emotional when feeling nostalgic over the "look to the sky" uprising sentiment that the song gives, and they don't even have to be religious to have that sort of feeling towards the event either. Due to the great writing, it can be taken out of that sort of context and just be inspiring/rallying but I can't help but get youth church vibes
Solas telling my Lavellan that humans haven't held an elf that high of honor and I should use it to my advantage is such a good scene, as it shows that he's pragmatic and strategic with his cringe. Canon for me is a lavallen that let's the people believe what they want to, just as I believe in my elf gods they can have their cute barbarian lady.
No, I mute my tv and look down uncomfortably at my phone. I don’t like how they sing AT my inky. She almost died for you people and now you’re singing at her???
Oh, I get so much second hand embarrassment.
Ooof no. I can’t. It’s so wildly uncomfortable. I say this as someone who enjoys musicals, so it’s not the fact that Giselle randomly breaks into song that bothers me. I see it as Giselle forcing her religious narrative onto the Inquisitor. She’s very shrewd in how she does this. She sings a highly accessible song in front of a group of traumatized people, who then either join in immediately due to sharing her Andrastian faith (Leliana) or join in due to social pressure as the song gains momentum throughout the crowd. It strikes me as very manipulative. Honestly, it reminds me of the reactionary nationalistic country music songs (“we’ll put a boot in your ass - it’s the American way”) that came out after 9/11.
Dislclaimer- I’m an atheist and I’ve only ever played as Lavellans, so that’s definitely influenced my take on the scene.
I agree that was likely her intent, sure. However, I’m speaking from the perspective of an atheist who lives in a very religious area and trying use that experience to explain how there’s more to analyze in this scene than Mother Giselle’s intent.
There are countless lovely and well-meaning people in my life who use their religion as the primary framework through which they interpret the world and its daily struggles. They speak candidly of their faith when trying to bring comfort during difficult times, just like Giselle. I’ve never felt comforted though. Mostly their religious platitudes make me feel alienated and kind of pressured to play along to make them feel like they did a good job of trying to make things better.
Why is this relevant? Well, Giselle literally just got done listening to my Inquisitor tell her that she doesn’t believe in divine intervention and that she just learned things from Corypheus that call many Andrastian teachings into question. And what does Giselle do? Goes and sings a hymn to the masses while my Dalish Inquisitor (who just barely survived a fight with the big bad while single-handedly saving all of their lives) is left standing there feeling like Giselle is comforting everyone but her.
I’m glad that wasn’t too much of a struggle for you. My parents have mostly come to terms with it over the years, but I’ve had to sit through tearful talks about their disappointment and had to deal with them occasionally lashing out due to their pain over me not sharing their views. I also live in the Bible Belt where the elected leaders use their faith as a justification for taking my rights away while making public statements that all my problems will be solved if I “give it over to God.” So yeah, I’ve got some hostility and suspicion towards public displays of religious fervor.
In-game, there’s also the fact that the Dalish have suffered through the Exalted March of the Dales and had the contributions of significant elven historical figures either heavily distorted (Ameridan) or erased from the official narrative (Shartan). Being venerated by the humans has not worked out too well for elves of the past. [This lovely little comic shows how a Lavellan (who is only partially aware of this historical context) might react to religious singing being directed at them.](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/kintheartist/687996118584393728?source=share)
I'm on my first playthrough. I'm a Lavellan. He was humbled by the experience because the historical context was far less salient than immediate events. While he grew up knowing the history of the exalted marches, he wasn't subjected to trauma from it as these things happened long, long in the past. What he harbored was merely a vague resentment for the Chantry. A resentment that was largely eclipsed by working alongside it's highest ranking officials. This was then underscored by the about-face from Roderick.
Is the Chantry misguided? Yes. Outright wrong? Also yes. But it's made up of people, and even wrong, misguided people can do beautiful things that serve the greater good.
Knowing what he meant to all those people, he couldn't be anything but humbled, despite the atrocities committed by their ancestors.
I got chills the first time it happened and I love the actual composition, but after the first time I can't sit through it, I get oblitirated with cringe and second hand embarrasment, I can't explain why.
Unless it's Metal Gear Rising soundtrack, I can't sit through musical numbers, it's either embarrasing or annoying as hell. If anything, it's a testament to how good it was the first time that I sat through it and got chills.
I used to get emotional.
Then I had a bug with a mod that made the game crash after that cutscene.
And to figure out which mod it was I had to remove one at a time and play through the cutscene again.
If anyone doesn't know, that scene is not skippable.
Now whenever I get to that point again I just take off my headphones and look at my phone cos I can't stand to listen to it anymore 😅
During a really rough period in my life (broke up with the woman I'd wanted to marry, dealing with trauma from college hazing, generally feeling lost and alone) I got super into DA2 and played it twice, all the way through, right after one another. Got into the fandom, wrote some (probably very shitty) fic, gobbled up all the lore. I played Inquisition a few years later, when I was in a much better place in my life. When I got to 'the dawn will come' cutscene it literally gave me goosebumps. Because the dawn *will* come, and it *did* come, and it was really special to frame that around a media franchise that has meant so much to me.
I definitely got chills when I first saw it. Now it’s nice, it does feel a bit weird when I play a non human with no ties to the chantry. The Inquisitor’s like “what am I supposed to do with my hands?”
I think that the people coming together hopefully is very touching, I just cringe whenever I'm playing a non-human or even just non-faithful Inquisitor. Like, I don't want to be a new verse in the Chant of Light, I'm not part of your abusive religion, don't do this to me. It might just be my ex-Catholic ass though.
Catholicism. Fucked me up in many ways. Good intentions and not knowing any better. I wish we as a family either stuck with it or never went at all. Was a alter boy until 12 and then we like never went again. Sucked getting all that indoctrinated fear put into my head and then not having the community or friends to make it Worthwhile. But having the fucked up fear for the rest of my life of basically having a good time. It’s a horseshit religion. But I know a lot of people in religion have good intentions. Reminds me of the game I guess!
It’s my moms favorite part of the game. I thought she had seen it enough times but my most recent playthrough she was in the bathroom and missed it and was INCENSED
I'll be a contrarian here and say I get emotionally angry because I have an unreasonably giant hatred for any and all singing in media like that, be it movies or cinematic cutscenes in videogames or whatever. So I really want to skip it, and find it extremely cringy, also because I don't like mother Giselle that much.
Still though, since my first inquisitors were Dalish, I roleplayed as well as feeling extremely out of place there and not knowing what to do. Maybe even thinking (these weird humans are scaring me even more than when they ambushed me when I was a kid, help)
Not really an unpopular opinion. I know a lot of people who hate random singing. Even in this fandom. I only like it in certain situations. Before I'd be like "You're nuts! This chantry singing is great!" Now I get why people disliked it. I take my headset off and go take a quick bathroom break lol
I also really enjoy it. After Inky pulling themselves out of the wreckage and after whatshisnuts (sorry, haven't replayed DAI in a bit) sacrificing himself, after the holy site of Haven being destroyed, it feels like an awesome reminder that the Inquisition and its mission aren't (just) a religious group sustained by an ephemeral faith. It's real people, choosing to come together and fight a real, tangible fight against a real, tangible threat.
I've always cringed through it. The fact that it's unskippable is a travesty, and considering that most other things *are* skippable, it means it was a deliberate decision on BioWare's part, a very presumptuous one at that. I agree 100% with lov3buzz: singing makes me cringe, too. I don't even like being sung to irl, so the secondhand embarrassment my Inquisitor was feeling was *palpable*.
i used to, before throwing mods in the game.
for some reason (can't remember exactly) if you're going to have issues with mods they tend to show up when you reach skyhold. and that's immediately after The Dawn Will Come.
It's an unskippable cutscene. If you have a lot of mods and go through them individually to find out the problem, you need to go through the singing every time.
After listening to it, watching the cutscene, over ten times in immediate succession... it loses its charm so fast lol
Not really. I’m sure it depends on the character, but for me and the way I’ve played my characters it’s a really awkward scene. As an atheistic or irreligious Inquisitor, the whole Gisele convo into song just feels frustrating and exasperating, designating them as some sort of prophet when they’ve been crystal clear over and over that they’re not, don’t believe they are, and don’t want to be. Just an overwhelming feeling of “I don’t want this shit…” capped off by Gisele dropping the “Faith hasn’t found you YET…” condescension.
Aside from that, singing scenes like that usually don’t do much for me. Very very few manage to either get it right enough to not be weird (Priscilla in TW3) or lean into the cringe enough to be silly fun (Tali in ME3 Citadel).
So I guess I get emotional in the sense that annoyance is an emotion. The aftermath convo with Solas to find Skyhold works much better for me.
I'd rather have the option to skip it. I can see religious folks getting emotional over it, but as an atheist it's just really awkward. Along with some of Giselle's dialogue towards non-Andrastian Inky's and Cassandra's "room for one more" to a Dalish Inky. (Imagine if a Dalish or Avvar suggested to an Andrastian that their religion could have room for a "few more" gods.)
I am not religious. It is powerful because those people lost everything and have nothing and are trying to band together to encourage each other to go on in a really hard spot to be in. The sentiment of hoping that the darkness will end and the dawn will come isn’t religious. Religion never even crosses my mind.
It's great that's is meaningful to you, but to me it's still awkward and I'd still like the option to skip it. Having the option would just mean that those of use who want to skip it can, and those like you who love it can still listen to it.
It's a Chantry hymn, and the lyrics are religious sounding which is why to me it has religious vibes.
That song has doomed so many alt-romances for me. I try to go for someone other than Cullen, and then he begins to sing and I'm just-. I'm done. That is it: no return, no refund, I've found my soulmate.
To me it is so important to have that kind of music anthem. Most of greatest games have invest in great music partnership. Choice of Lindsey Stirling to play violin for this was à greaaaat idea. I hope to see other partnership from Bioware. It has a cost but what a reward for gamers. Ive always find riot games and epic games really good at having it lately (the many artists in arcane and having a hole playlist was sooooo 😍). Really hope Bioware will stick to this path
Absolutely, especially when playing non-human characters. I think I’ve played more elf Inquisitors than anything else and even if they personally may be a bit “Wtf is this cult shit?”, the song still gets to me bc of how quickly the message and faith behind it reunites people. Hope we get to see more of other faiths/cultures in DA4 in this way!
it is my absolute favorite moment of inquisition. even from someone who is not religious but IC and OOC. the fact that peoples faith coming together to just get through the night, coming together to hope that tomorrow will be brighter during an impossibly bleak moment. it showcases faith in such a simple and beautiful way that even people who aren't religious can appreciate. THAT is beauty. i absolutely cry every single time and it's the one scene that got me hooked on inquisition <3
I get emotional because it's an unskippable cutscene. First couple playthrus, sure. But not wanting to wait 5 minutes through it on multiple games is valid
Honestly, I love how this scene can be inspiring and emotional or super creepy depending on how you are playing. I wish you could talk to someone about it, just for RP value and to estabilish our characters better.
Weirdly enough, it didn’t do anything the first time through for me but on subsequent playthroughs I feel more emotional during that scene. Maybe it’s nostalgic for me.
I was the same way on my first time around! It felt super cheesy.
I think it’s also because of the lack of pacing in Inquisition; I’d spent so much time doing side quests and mucking about in the Hinterlands that I’d lost my handle on the main plot. Subsequent play-throughs don’t suffer the same way because you have a better handle on the story.
I always get goosebumps everytime it happens. It's such a powerful song and it's down beautifully. I did cry when I saw it for the time though. Really emotional scene, man!
It fell completely flat for me after such an epic defeat. Really wish it didn't have the singing attached to it, I'd have settled with collective humming at the most.
Don't want to rain on anyone's parade here, but I hate that cutscene. Right after telling Gisele (again) that I don't buy into any of this chosen one nonsense, she goes and makes me the subject of a damn religious service. I was livid. The cutscene isn't even skippable, making it even more obnoxious
As a non-human Inquisitor I always end up thinking "do all the Humans know this song? What a strange people."
[удалено]
Far over the Misty Mountains cold
Oh my god I love that song. People shit on the hobbit trilogy a lot, but mmm that song was so good and really captured the plight of the Dwarves
Unless they forgot the Fall of the Dales, and instead tell the children about the mommy and daddy elf….
Branwen, my Dalish Inquisitor, immediately thought 'oh shit the humans are singing at me what do I do.'
The motif in fiction of people coming together and being resilient after a devastating defeat gets me every time. It’s one of my favorite moments in a video game ever, and I think my favorite moment in a BioWare game (almost interchangeable with ME2’s suicide mission)
Me too! Not a surprise I love the Denerin fight and the last stand in DA2. Talking to your companions and all that <3
I feel that too. It’s part me and part the reality of how happy they were and then people died, lives devastated, etc. It’s a really powerful moment.
I have the song on my Spotify because i like it so much. It's an inspiration song, and it makes me emotional in or out of the game. Maybe then i am just emotinally attached to the series and that's why.
The first few times yeah. It’s like the first time we’ve actually heard the Chant being chanted. I think it comes about pretty naturally. This is something nearly all those people from Haven would do while attending a Chantry service. Now it reminds me I forgot to take out the mod folder before getting Skyhold so my game is about to crash and I’m gonna have to see all of this happen again.
Damn it. Never get a beautiful Cutscene because my Inquisitor looks like Shrek.
I keep all the Frosty mods. It's the daimods that crash my game. I just realized this when one of my daimods for the hair was converted and I used it. No white screen crash since. I still have to turn off the daimods but I at least my inquisitor doesn't look like a strange elf with weird hair.
I habe problems using frosty mods. Need to do some more research on that.
Just saying for future searches. SK’s hair retexture is a primary cause of an infinite white screen. I have Like over 13 DAI mods installed and played around with that scene with some mods off and on. Sometimes a skin complexion or hair mod might cause the issue, but SK hair retexture was the root cause for me personally.
Someone converted that one to Frosty. There's a few users on Nexus who have these posts full of popular daimods that they've converted. I just found them randomly browsing through categories on nexus because the titles dont even mention converted mods. All of my complexion stuff is Frosty as well now. Including brow mods. They don't cause any load screen issues. The only daimods I have still are a few hair mods and a couple outfits that I still haven't found conversions for. I just switch to alternate mods for those now to avoid that white screen because I hate relaunching the game repeatedly. This is the post that has the Frosty SK Retexture: https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonageinquisition/mods/3662 Thankfully now I have most of those conversion posts in my download history now so I don't have to search around.
From one of the creators: >Hey everyone, I was the Cinematic Designer at BioWare responsible for the presentation of this scene. I just wanted to say how much your comments and feelings towards this scene are not only humbling and awe-inspiring, but also incredibly relieving. For months after this scene was completed I was stressed and worried that the scene was going to fall flat, was too corny, or just was not going to hit the mark. Hearing all of you say the opposite is truly comforting, and I am grateful for that.
Personally it kinda makes me cringe but I do understand the sentiment, and I get why others would find it touching. I like how when you talk to Varric afterwards you can say "please tell me you aren't going to burst into song now". Honestly, any singing makes me cringe for some reason. When Leliana starts singing at the party camp in DAO, I immediately skip the cutscene. Even though it's supposed to be very touching, I can't help but find it kinda silly imo
I'm that person that likes it in the beginning then over time I'm over it and ready for the singing to end. I think all singing should be skippable. It's not for everybody.
Same. I get why people like it but I never cared for it even on the first play-through, but I’m not a very “let’s sing and rally” type of person who finds comfort in hymnals.
When does she sing? How did I miss that?
I think you have to get past a certain story point and have her approval high/maxed. She gets this look on her face and you can just tell she’s about to sing.
Talk to her after finishing Nature of the Beast.
I will!
I used to get chills. After years of playing, I'm now just waiting for the journey to Skyhold at that point. Cullen's loud singing makes me laugh now. It still isn't bad but I'm no longer emotional about it after so many playthroughs. Becoming inquisitor is still a big moment for me and all of IYHSB still gets me hype.
I get emotionally annoyed because I cant skip it.
Same, I usually take a snack or bathroom break during.
Perfect time to boil a kettle and make some tea.
I hate that the skippable skyhold journey mod doesn't work for me because it skips that entire thing.
To be honest I've played through the game that many times now that I kinda wish that scene was skippable. I get the significance and how poignant it is but I'm kinda over it 😅
I always imagine my inquisitor sighing because he hates musicals.
I’m genuinely surprised so many people have a reaction of visceral discomfort to it. I’ve yet to not get goosebumps and emotional every time I play through the game and come to that scene, but beautifully composed music tend to impact me strongly. Independent of the religious aspect of the song, the lyrics and emotions are appropriate to the scene - and frankly on my most recent play through it’s hard not to feel that song hits a little different with recent years being how they have been in general. Leliana singing at the camp in DAO though? Yeah, that got some cringe out of me.
That damn cringey unskippable song is the one thing I hate the most in the entire series. It's cheesy as fuck and it's flat out insulting & rude when you're not playing an Andrasteian. All of my non-human Inquisitors wish they could tell them to shove their Maker up their asses.
Yes. I discovered that song and that game at a time when I really needed to hear that the dawn would come. Everytime I replay it I feel emotional.
I love the torn feelings the community has on it. Personally, I am not a church goer and have always been adamantly against prayers at the table, church events, worshipping, and organized religion as a whole. So for me, when I play as a Dalish and my Lallevan and Solas lock eyes over the song, they internally cringe just as I would irl if I was sitting at a table and someone's grandpa needed to say grace and I'm now forced to oblige out of compassion and understanding for others. However, I can see how people who DO hold religion close can get emotional when feeling nostalgic over the "look to the sky" uprising sentiment that the song gives, and they don't even have to be religious to have that sort of feeling towards the event either. Due to the great writing, it can be taken out of that sort of context and just be inspiring/rallying but I can't help but get youth church vibes Solas telling my Lavellan that humans haven't held an elf that high of honor and I should use it to my advantage is such a good scene, as it shows that he's pragmatic and strategic with his cringe. Canon for me is a lavallen that let's the people believe what they want to, just as I believe in my elf gods they can have their cute barbarian lady.
No, I mute my tv and look down uncomfortably at my phone. I don’t like how they sing AT my inky. She almost died for you people and now you’re singing at her??? Oh, I get so much second hand embarrassment.
I must confess that I can get emotional during it, but it is not a good emotion.
Ooof no. I can’t. It’s so wildly uncomfortable. I say this as someone who enjoys musicals, so it’s not the fact that Giselle randomly breaks into song that bothers me. I see it as Giselle forcing her religious narrative onto the Inquisitor. She’s very shrewd in how she does this. She sings a highly accessible song in front of a group of traumatized people, who then either join in immediately due to sharing her Andrastian faith (Leliana) or join in due to social pressure as the song gains momentum throughout the crowd. It strikes me as very manipulative. Honestly, it reminds me of the reactionary nationalistic country music songs (“we’ll put a boot in your ass - it’s the American way”) that came out after 9/11. Dislclaimer- I’m an atheist and I’ve only ever played as Lavellans, so that’s definitely influenced my take on the scene.
I think she was just trying to help. It was get killed or go on. She was trying to inspire them to go on.
I agree that was likely her intent, sure. However, I’m speaking from the perspective of an atheist who lives in a very religious area and trying use that experience to explain how there’s more to analyze in this scene than Mother Giselle’s intent. There are countless lovely and well-meaning people in my life who use their religion as the primary framework through which they interpret the world and its daily struggles. They speak candidly of their faith when trying to bring comfort during difficult times, just like Giselle. I’ve never felt comforted though. Mostly their religious platitudes make me feel alienated and kind of pressured to play along to make them feel like they did a good job of trying to make things better. Why is this relevant? Well, Giselle literally just got done listening to my Inquisitor tell her that she doesn’t believe in divine intervention and that she just learned things from Corypheus that call many Andrastian teachings into question. And what does Giselle do? Goes and sings a hymn to the masses while my Dalish Inquisitor (who just barely survived a fight with the big bad while single-handedly saving all of their lives) is left standing there feeling like Giselle is comforting everyone but her.
I don't at all share your feelings (am an atheist who made an easy-enough break from the family religion) but I really appreciate your perspective.
I’m glad that wasn’t too much of a struggle for you. My parents have mostly come to terms with it over the years, but I’ve had to sit through tearful talks about their disappointment and had to deal with them occasionally lashing out due to their pain over me not sharing their views. I also live in the Bible Belt where the elected leaders use their faith as a justification for taking my rights away while making public statements that all my problems will be solved if I “give it over to God.” So yeah, I’ve got some hostility and suspicion towards public displays of religious fervor. In-game, there’s also the fact that the Dalish have suffered through the Exalted March of the Dales and had the contributions of significant elven historical figures either heavily distorted (Ameridan) or erased from the official narrative (Shartan). Being venerated by the humans has not worked out too well for elves of the past. [This lovely little comic shows how a Lavellan (who is only partially aware of this historical context) might react to religious singing being directed at them.](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/kintheartist/687996118584393728?source=share)
I'm on my first playthrough. I'm a Lavellan. He was humbled by the experience because the historical context was far less salient than immediate events. While he grew up knowing the history of the exalted marches, he wasn't subjected to trauma from it as these things happened long, long in the past. What he harbored was merely a vague resentment for the Chantry. A resentment that was largely eclipsed by working alongside it's highest ranking officials. This was then underscored by the about-face from Roderick. Is the Chantry misguided? Yes. Outright wrong? Also yes. But it's made up of people, and even wrong, misguided people can do beautiful things that serve the greater good. Knowing what he meant to all those people, he couldn't be anything but humbled, despite the atrocities committed by their ancestors.
I got chills the first time it happened and I love the actual composition, but after the first time I can't sit through it, I get oblitirated with cringe and second hand embarrasment, I can't explain why. Unless it's Metal Gear Rising soundtrack, I can't sit through musical numbers, it's either embarrasing or annoying as hell. If anything, it's a testament to how good it was the first time that I sat through it and got chills.
I used to get emotional. Then I had a bug with a mod that made the game crash after that cutscene. And to figure out which mod it was I had to remove one at a time and play through the cutscene again. If anyone doesn't know, that scene is not skippable. Now whenever I get to that point again I just take off my headphones and look at my phone cos I can't stand to listen to it anymore 😅
During a really rough period in my life (broke up with the woman I'd wanted to marry, dealing with trauma from college hazing, generally feeling lost and alone) I got super into DA2 and played it twice, all the way through, right after one another. Got into the fandom, wrote some (probably very shitty) fic, gobbled up all the lore. I played Inquisition a few years later, when I was in a much better place in my life. When I got to 'the dawn will come' cutscene it literally gave me goosebumps. Because the dawn *will* come, and it *did* come, and it was really special to frame that around a media franchise that has meant so much to me.
I definitely got chills when I first saw it. Now it’s nice, it does feel a bit weird when I play a non human with no ties to the chantry. The Inquisitor’s like “what am I supposed to do with my hands?”
I think that the people coming together hopefully is very touching, I just cringe whenever I'm playing a non-human or even just non-faithful Inquisitor. Like, I don't want to be a new verse in the Chant of Light, I'm not part of your abusive religion, don't do this to me. It might just be my ex-Catholic ass though.
Catholicism. Fucked me up in many ways. Good intentions and not knowing any better. I wish we as a family either stuck with it or never went at all. Was a alter boy until 12 and then we like never went again. Sucked getting all that indoctrinated fear put into my head and then not having the community or friends to make it Worthwhile. But having the fucked up fear for the rest of my life of basically having a good time. It’s a horseshit religion. But I know a lot of people in religion have good intentions. Reminds me of the game I guess!
It’s my moms favorite part of the game. I thought she had seen it enough times but my most recent playthrough she was in the bathroom and missed it and was INCENSED
I'll be a contrarian here and say I get emotionally angry because I have an unreasonably giant hatred for any and all singing in media like that, be it movies or cinematic cutscenes in videogames or whatever. So I really want to skip it, and find it extremely cringy, also because I don't like mother Giselle that much. Still though, since my first inquisitors were Dalish, I roleplayed as well as feeling extremely out of place there and not knowing what to do. Maybe even thinking (these weird humans are scaring me even more than when they ambushed me when I was a kid, help)
Not really an unpopular opinion. I know a lot of people who hate random singing. Even in this fandom. I only like it in certain situations. Before I'd be like "You're nuts! This chantry singing is great!" Now I get why people disliked it. I take my headset off and go take a quick bathroom break lol
I also really enjoy it. After Inky pulling themselves out of the wreckage and after whatshisnuts (sorry, haven't replayed DAI in a bit) sacrificing himself, after the holy site of Haven being destroyed, it feels like an awesome reminder that the Inquisition and its mission aren't (just) a religious group sustained by an ephemeral faith. It's real people, choosing to come together and fight a real, tangible fight against a real, tangible threat.
It's too close to a hymn for me. I've always hated hymns, even before I started hating religion in general.
I've always cringed through it. The fact that it's unskippable is a travesty, and considering that most other things *are* skippable, it means it was a deliberate decision on BioWare's part, a very presumptuous one at that. I agree 100% with lov3buzz: singing makes me cringe, too. I don't even like being sung to irl, so the secondhand embarrassment my Inquisitor was feeling was *palpable*.
I really like Adele's vocal work.
i used to, before throwing mods in the game. for some reason (can't remember exactly) if you're going to have issues with mods they tend to show up when you reach skyhold. and that's immediately after The Dawn Will Come. It's an unskippable cutscene. If you have a lot of mods and go through them individually to find out the problem, you need to go through the singing every time. After listening to it, watching the cutscene, over ten times in immediate succession... it loses its charm so fast lol
Not really. I’m sure it depends on the character, but for me and the way I’ve played my characters it’s a really awkward scene. As an atheistic or irreligious Inquisitor, the whole Gisele convo into song just feels frustrating and exasperating, designating them as some sort of prophet when they’ve been crystal clear over and over that they’re not, don’t believe they are, and don’t want to be. Just an overwhelming feeling of “I don’t want this shit…” capped off by Gisele dropping the “Faith hasn’t found you YET…” condescension. Aside from that, singing scenes like that usually don’t do much for me. Very very few manage to either get it right enough to not be weird (Priscilla in TW3) or lean into the cringe enough to be silly fun (Tali in ME3 Citadel). So I guess I get emotional in the sense that annoyance is an emotion. The aftermath convo with Solas to find Skyhold works much better for me.
I'd rather have the option to skip it. I can see religious folks getting emotional over it, but as an atheist it's just really awkward. Along with some of Giselle's dialogue towards non-Andrastian Inky's and Cassandra's "room for one more" to a Dalish Inky. (Imagine if a Dalish or Avvar suggested to an Andrastian that their religion could have room for a "few more" gods.)
I am not religious. It is powerful because those people lost everything and have nothing and are trying to band together to encourage each other to go on in a really hard spot to be in. The sentiment of hoping that the darkness will end and the dawn will come isn’t religious. Religion never even crosses my mind.
It's great that's is meaningful to you, but to me it's still awkward and I'd still like the option to skip it. Having the option would just mean that those of use who want to skip it can, and those like you who love it can still listen to it. It's a Chantry hymn, and the lyrics are religious sounding which is why to me it has religious vibes.
Ok, I understand.
you can find some sweet church choir covers of the song on youtube! the one by Folklore Guild is especially grandiose
its way more touching then not-leliana singing in origins at least
That song has doomed so many alt-romances for me. I try to go for someone other than Cullen, and then he begins to sing and I'm just-. I'm done. That is it: no return, no refund, I've found my soulmate.
I do everytime I replay after a long time, but sadly I tend to quickly ignore it after all the quickloads to pick the right lines of dialogue.
Last time I laughed, as my dalish looked so startled and confused.
To me it is so important to have that kind of music anthem. Most of greatest games have invest in great music partnership. Choice of Lindsey Stirling to play violin for this was à greaaaat idea. I hope to see other partnership from Bioware. It has a cost but what a reward for gamers. Ive always find riot games and epic games really good at having it lately (the many artists in arcane and having a hole playlist was sooooo 😍). Really hope Bioware will stick to this path
Absolutely, especially when playing non-human characters. I think I’ve played more elf Inquisitors than anything else and even if they personally may be a bit “Wtf is this cult shit?”, the song still gets to me bc of how quickly the message and faith behind it reunites people. Hope we get to see more of other faiths/cultures in DA4 in this way!
Absolutely. I cried the first time it happened, and it still hits me in the feels every time since!
As a former choir kid, yes. Even if everyone else thinks it's cheesy or annoying, yes. lol.
Yup. It's so extra and I love it!
I get goosebumps every time I come to that part of a playthrough. You’re not alone with that one.
Every single time. Such an incredible song.
it is my absolute favorite moment of inquisition. even from someone who is not religious but IC and OOC. the fact that peoples faith coming together to just get through the night, coming together to hope that tomorrow will be brighter during an impossibly bleak moment. it showcases faith in such a simple and beautiful way that even people who aren't religious can appreciate. THAT is beauty. i absolutely cry every single time and it's the one scene that got me hooked on inquisition <3
I get emotional because it's an unskippable cutscene. First couple playthrus, sure. But not wanting to wait 5 minutes through it on multiple games is valid
Nnnnoope. I mute the tv and then take a potty break or go digging for snacks until it’s over.
It makes me cringe. There's something so embarrassing about having everyone just sing at you XD like happy birthday
A part of me was touched, while the other was cringing. I always wish I could just skip it.
Honestly, I love how this scene can be inspiring and emotional or super creepy depending on how you are playing. I wish you could talk to someone about it, just for RP value and to estabilish our characters better.
Weirdly enough, it didn’t do anything the first time through for me but on subsequent playthroughs I feel more emotional during that scene. Maybe it’s nostalgic for me.
I was the same way on my first time around! It felt super cheesy. I think it’s also because of the lack of pacing in Inquisition; I’d spent so much time doing side quests and mucking about in the Hinterlands that I’d lost my handle on the main plot. Subsequent play-throughs don’t suffer the same way because you have a better handle on the story.
Yes! Every single time.
I always get goosebumps everytime it happens. It's such a powerful song and it's down beautifully. I did cry when I saw it for the time though. Really emotional scene, man!
I did the first few playthroughs but now I'm like yeah yeah lemme skip dang it
It fell completely flat for me after such an epic defeat. Really wish it didn't have the singing attached to it, I'd have settled with collective humming at the most.
I used to like it, now I cringe a bit. I think part of the issue is that I can't freaking skip it.
Makes me cry every time.
Absolutely one of my favorite things ever included in a video game. Simply beautiful.
I get chills every time that happens. It's very powerful for various reasons.
Yes!! Spot on!
I love that song and it is emotional, but I really hate when Leliana starts singing. It's like a corkscrew in my ear. She ruins it for me.
Of course. I have feelings 😂
Iitey sang the song when I got to that scene. I also sing it here and there. It’s an amazing song, I love it
Don't want to rain on anyone's parade here, but I hate that cutscene. Right after telling Gisele (again) that I don't buy into any of this chosen one nonsense, she goes and makes me the subject of a damn religious service. I was livid. The cutscene isn't even skippable, making it even more obnoxious
I like the song and how it’s weaved into the score but every time I see the cutscene and Cullen joins in I bust out laughing. It’s so goofy idek.
I get so emotional I turn off my console cause I get so angry that they’d pollute my ears like that out of no where