Dragon Age launched its franchise in 2009 and quickly became a hit among players everywhere. Developers BioWare capitalized on the success of Dragon Age: Origins and quickly set out to expanse its new IP. There have since been three mainline Dragon Age games along with several games for browsers and on Mobile. It's been a total of six years since the last installment of the series, Dragon Age: Inquisition, took home the Game of the Year award in The Game Awards 2014. It's time to look at the continuation of BioWare's epic fantasy RPG.
Returning to the world of Dragon Age
BioWare released a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming game known only as Dragon Age 4. The game is in the early stages of development so many things will change between now and its release. The teaser featured gameplay footage and concept art that may or may not make it into the final game. Dragon Age Narrative Director John Epler expressed what fans can hope to expect from the story in the upcoming game.
“The things that you can expect in the next installment are going to be stories that focus on the people around you and the friends and family you make.”
Several key members of the BioWare development team shared their thoughts on the franchise and how they're working to create a great experience for the fourth installment. There's very little for fans to cling to but it's refreshing to see that the game creators value the franchise so much. The video testimonies undoubtedly showcased their passion for the franchise and that can hopefully translate into a great future Dragon Age game.
The saga continues
Development on Mass Effect: Andromeda and Anthem directly impeded progress on Dragon Age 4. Fortunately, the game studio can now focus their attention on Dragon Age. The final DLC for Dragon Age: Inquisition made it clear that the story was far from over. This is why millions of fans awaited another entry to the series. BioWare game director Casey Hudson previously alluded to the development of the game in September of last year.
“We have several other big projects in the works. I wish I could tell you more about them, but they’re mostly super-secret right now. I can say however that one of our projects has a large and growing team in Edmonton working through pre-production, and based on the progress I’m seeing, I can confirm that indeed the Dread Wolf rises.”
It's safe to assume that players will assume a brand new player character in Dragon Age 4. BioWare makes it a point to start each game in the franchise with a different hero. Hopefully, we'll get to see some of the beloved characters from past games. Dragon Age: Inquisition featured some playable characters and NPCs from the initial installments. Fans speculate the return of Commander Cullen or King Alistair as both have appeared in all three Dragon Age games so far.
The game may be set in the Tevinter region of the Dragon Age world. The finale of the Trespasser DLC for Inquisition capped off with the Inquisitor stabbing Tevinter on a map with a dagger. It's not so subtle way to tell fans and audiences where the story is headed. BioWare initially scrapped development on Dragon Age 4 when its Edmonton Studio was shifted to work on Mass Effect Andromeda and Anthem. Fortunately, fans will finally get their proper Inquisition sequel.
The waiting game
Dragon Age 4 will most certainly be an RPG game baring any surprise announcements from BioWare. Any real details on the game's development have been kept under wraps but we may have something more concrete. BioWare touted the first build of Dragon Age 4 to center on heists and focus on strong narrative choices. It's hard to tell whether the same focus persists with the second attempt at building the game.
Unfortunately, BioWare has not made any concrete announcement on whether or not the game will be online-only. An online-only mode benefits the game developers greatly but earns the ire of many players. Players emphasize their distaste towards such a predatory system. Hopefully, there wouldn't be any shenanigans with the upcoming Dragon Age game.
It's looking to be a long wait time before any of us get to play the new game. EA CFO Blaker Jorgensen indicated that the game “probably comes after fiscal 2022”. This means that players and fans will have to wait at least two years before they get to slaying monsters again. Let's hope that BioWare puts us out of our misery with another update video sometime soon.
Follow Us
Subscribe