Dragon Agefans have been waiting for the next game in the series since it was teased at the end ofDragon Age: Inquisition’sTrespasserDLC. While BioWare has been relatively open aboutDragon Age: Dreadwolf’s development, fans still haven’t seen much of the game. However, recently leaked footage from the game’s alpha gave a first look at the upcomingDragon Age: Dreadwolf.
Though leaks should be taken with a grain of salt,Dreadwolf’s leaked footage was controversial as it seemsDreadwolfwill have more in common with modern action games than the series’ CRPG roots. Specifically, the leak claims thatDragon Age: Dreadwolf’s gameplay was inspired by 2018’sGod of War. Whilemany people enjoyed the newGod of Wargames, this speaks to BioWare’s ongoing problem with chasing trends instead of creating its own identity.
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Dragon Age Dreadwolf’s Gameplay Leak
Reddit user Revanchisto made a post on February 4 claiming that a playtester showed them someearly alpha footage fromDragon Age: Dreadwolf.While some fans were skeptical, Revanchisto linked to a gif and screenshots. They were all from the same level, depicting an Elven Knight battling Darkspawn in the Grey Warden Fortress of Weisshaupt. The links were later removed, but these images and videos offeredDragon Agefans a glimpse of what BioWare may be working on.
The lengthy Reddit post offered a lot of information aboutDragon Age: Dreadwolf’s alpha that mark a significant departure from previous games. This includes the introduction of special moves and combo attacks, as well as BioWare removing the ability for players to take control of their party members directly. Revanchisto also mentioned that the game was heavily influenced byGod of War(2018), with UI elements fromDragon Age: InquisitionandFinal Fantasy 15. WhiletheFinal Fantasy 15comparison is not new,Dreadwolfreportedly wears itsGod of Warinfluences on its sleeves.
The Dragon Age Series' Identity Problem
Originally founded as a company that developed medical training software, BioWare saw its big break during the CRPG boom of the 1990s and early 2000s. Its popular titles from the era include theDungeons & Dragons-based gamesBaldur’sGate,Baldur’s Gate2, andNeverwinter Nights, as well asthe legendaryStar Wars:Knights of the Old Republic. These helped establish BioWare as a narrative-focused developer focused on branching storylines.
While BioWare would releaseMass Effectin 2007, 2009’sDragon: Age Originswas a direct continuation of the studio’s CRPG legacy. However,Dragon Age’s identity has always been a bit more fluid. WhileOriginswas a fairly typical CRPG in the BioWare style,Dragon Age 2andInquisitionwere significantly more action-focused. One could even argue that both games attempted to find a compromise between modern action and the more heavily stat-driven gameplay of a CRPG.
Gameplay is not the only area whereDragon Agelacks a strong brand identity. The art style, tone, and story structures change from game to game.Origins’ Hero of Ferelden is nearly a blank slate, whileHawke is closer to Commander Shepardin terms of role-playing. All three games featured different approaches to dialogue, quest structure, and basic mechanics, meaning one could argue that each game is a functionally separate entity.
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BioWare’s Pattern of Trend Chasing
Dragon Age’s lack of a clear identity is a problem, but that’s only part of the larger issue. The fundamental problem is how it enables BioWare’s habit of trend-chasing. BioWare never intentionally positionedDragon Age: Inquisitionas a direct competitor to TheElder Scrolls:Skyrim, in fact members of the development team even tried to distance the two games. Nevertheless, EA and BioWare did confirmSkyrimhad a massive influence onInquisition, including the latter’s semi-open world. WhileDragon Age: Inquisitionwas by no means a bad game, its sandbox maps were the weakest part.
The fundamentalproblem withDragon Age: Inquisition’s open worldseemed to be that BioWare didn’t know what to do with it. Developers populated beautiful landscapes with overly similar encounters, and while the game features 10 properly open zones, players can complete the main story having only ever visited three. Meanwhile, most important story moments take place in unique areas that the player can only visit once.
BioWare’s trend-chasing continued withAnthem. While development technically began in 2012,Anthemdidn’t enter full production until the last 18 monthsfollowing radical changes in vision. This included borrowing elements fromDestiny, which lead producer Michael Gamble acknowledged in a March 2019 interview. It was never intended to be a looter-shooter, andAnthem’s titular Anthem of Creation is similar to the Spark fromDestiny. It would not necessarily be fair to callAnthemaDestinyclone, especially considering the former’s flying mechanics, but emulating the success ofDestinywas clearly a part ofAnthem’s design philosophy later in development.
Dragon Age: InquisitionandAnthemhad development problems separate from BioWare chasing trends. However, both games saw the company move outside its comfort zone to capitalize on whatever was popular at the time. Neither attempt was successful, and only weakened the brand by inviting comparison to other franchises.
BioWare still seems to be chasing trends, reportedly basingDreadwolf’s combat on the recentGod of Wargames. Not only is this a radical departure from previousDragon Agetitles, it’s questionable whetherDreadwolfcan beatGod of War Ragnarokat its own game. Even if it does,Dragon Agestill deserves more of an identity than “BioWare’sGod of War.”
