the first time I encountered the run up to (and met) the Broodmother in the Deep Roads, I literally just had to sit there and *process* for like 30 minutes.

Different set of emotions but the run up to the twist with Leandra in DA2, same thing. I'd done the side quests. So as soon as Bodahn, who after a game and a half I freakin adored, said she'd been sent white lilies and I REMEMBERED the other sidequests, the next stretch of gameplay the first time through was played at almost a panic. Because for a game and a half I'd come to learn that DA could be lighthearted but it also tended to not pull punches.

After that quest ended I stopped for the night.

The next game doesn't need to be some grim ongoing nightmare, and shouldn't be devoid of lighthearted moments, but it feels like the emotional resonance of Inquisition cut out most of the darker end of emotions and just left the fun and neutral stuff and made it feel...flat.