After the release ofDragon Age: Originsin 2009, theDragon Ageseries became one of BioWare’s most critically lauded and beloved franchises. With three mainline releases, various awards, and a multimedia reach that encompasses comics, books, and board games,Dragon Ageis a popular fantasy RPG with a dedicated fanbase. Speculation was rife for years regarding the next installment in the series, news was sparse as other BioWare franchises pulled focus, andDragon Age 4languished in a seemingly stop-start development cycle. Now, asDragon Age 4’s rumored 2023 release window creeps ever closer, fans are slowly starting to learn more details about the upcoming title.
Besidesa Tevinter settingand a singleplayer focus, not much is known aboutDragon Age 4. That’s why the small peaks behind the curtain are so exciting for fans, as bit by bit they can begin to build a picture of what the game will be. The final DLC forDragon Age: Inquisitionhelped to set the stage for what will no doubt be a showdown of epic proportions between the main characters and the Dread Wolf himself, but much of the game’s story still remains shrouded in mystery. Thanks to a few hints given by members of the development team, players know that character will be a big focus for the next installment; a vital aspect that will help elevateDragon Age 4from its predecessors.
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Latest Dragon Age 4 Updates
Details aboutDragon Age 4have trickled out in a sparse stream ever since it was announced, and fans have been keen to learn more. In arecent BioWare Community Update, the development team wanted to offer “a more transparent look” at some of the titles that are underway at the studio, includingDragon Age 4andMass Effect 4. Alongside a deeper look at just who is on the development team, the posts aim to answer player questions and give more updates on how the games are taking shape.
Dragon Age’s technical director, Maciej Kurowski, was particularly positive about how the latest game was coming along. Kurowski said he couldn’t “wait to talk more about some of the interesting things [they’ve done]” when it comes tothe tech side ofDragon Age 4, which opens up some exciting possibilities while still remaining frustratingly vague. A more concrete statement from Kurowski was his comment about characters, which the team is apparently taking “very seriously,” doing “a lot of work to give them more personality than they have ever had in the past.”
A Focus On Characters
While these comments don’t reveal too much, the team has promised to provide more details soon. They do also point toward some of BioWare’s priorities when it comes toDragon Age 4, and putting character at the forefront will be an important factor in the game’s success. In many of BioWare’s previous games, strong leading characters and an equally interesting cast of supporting NPCs are some of their most memorable aspects. While theMass Effectseries contains some amazing missions and interesting mechanics, it’s thecharacters like Shepard, Garrus, and Tali that really stand the test of time.
In thetypes of RPGs that BioWare usually makes, story is key. There is no better way to infuse a narrative with meaning and heart than by populating it with well-written and detailed characters.Dragon Age: Originswas superior toDragon Age 2in many ways, mostly because the sequel was rushed through development, but one of the best parts of the first game was the way it handled characters. Players were able to craft their main character by picking an origin story through the selection of their race and class, and this added a layer to their experience of the game.Dragon Age 2stripped this back, only allowing gamers to play as a human with an already determined backstory, and this became one of the game’s main criticisms.
Dragon Age 4’s declaration that it will be elevating characters both in a technical sense and through characterization is exciting. Making players care about characters and what happens to them is an integral part of creating a great gaming experience in a story-focused RPG, and the more realistic and complex they seem, the more interesting they are.Dragon Age 4is already setting up a fascinating story arc, with Solas returning as the vengeful but nuanced villain and the complicated hierarchy of Tevinter serving as its setting, so it has all the ingredients for an engrossing narrative.
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A New Direction For Dragon Age
Dragon Age 4has already had a long and slightly troubled development. With parts of the team being pulled off to work on other titles likeAnthemduring the last few years and a pandemic to contend with, things have taken longer than fans expected. BioWare’s declaration thatDragon Age 4would represent a huge departure from previous installmentsand focus more on a multiplayer and live service experience also caused some staff changes, but afterAnthemstruggled to find a dedicated player base, this decision was reversed. The switch back to a story-focused singleplayer campaign indicates how BioWare is doubling down on things like character to craft the nextDragon Age.
The franchise has spawned a seemingly endless amount of fan art and has engaged a community of gamers for years. This tends to be the case when games have compelling characters, helping them to have a long life outside their playtime.Dragon Age 4has the potential to push the franchisein new directions, both technically and on a story level. The lore that it can tap into is deep and involved, and with BioWare’s commitment to creating characters with distinct personalities, this could help to elevate the narrative ofDragon Age 4alongside its gameplay.
BioWare has an established tradition of crafting complex worlds and storylines, and with more recent releases such asMass Effect: AndromedaandAnthemhaving slightly mixed releases, it will be keen to breathe new life into established franchises as well as reestablish itself as a developer that makes award-worthy titles. Fans will no doubt be excited to see howDragon Age 4portrays old favorites while simultaneously introducing brand-new characters into the expansive world of Thedas.
Dragon Age 4is in development.
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