Dragon Age: Inquisition
News, coverage and analysis tracking Dragon Age: Inquisition across the outlets.
Latest coverage
Warlock is "fundamentally a linear story," Wizards of the Coast says
Wizards of the Coast and Invoke have stated that their upcoming Dungeons and Dragons title, Warlock, will feature a fundamentally linear story, contrasting with the player agency seen in games like Baldur's Gate 3. While set in an open world, the narrative will focus on a pre-written campaign for the character Kaatri, with no branching paths or morality system. This approach is intended to deliver a strong narrative experience, with Invoke's VP Dominic Guay emphasizing that the core campaign outcomes are set.
Diablo 5's narrative lead is a BioWare vet who says the new caravan system gives the ARPG the "best elements of traditional RPGs" like Dragon Age and Baldur's Gate
Diablo 5 will feature a new caravan system instead of traditional towns, inspired by BioWare veteran Jennifer Hepler's experience with games like Dragon Age and Baldur's Gate. Hepler, Diablo 5's narrative director, stated this system brings traditional RPG elements to the ARPG formula, allowing interaction with followers who have personalities.
Former Dragon Age lead says Baldur's Gate 3 studio Larian is taking a "risk" by making Divinity right after its 2023 RPG hit, but he applauds the devs for it
Former BioWare producer Mark Darrah believes Larian Studios is taking a calculated risk by focusing on a new Divinity game immediately after the success of Baldur's Gate 3. He applauds Larian's strategy of focusing on one project at a time, contrasting it with BioWare's past issues of juggling multiple series.
EA selling BioWare and Mass Effect would be the best news ever - Reader's Feature
A reader expresses concern over Electronic Arts' financial situation and its potential impact on BioWare and the Mass Effect franchise. The author suggests that EA selling BioWare would be beneficial, allowing the studio to regain independence and potentially revive the Mass Effect series, which they believe is unlikely to continue under EA's current management due to financial pressures.
BioWare veteran says Baldur's Gate 3 was such a great sequel because it didn't try to be too much like…
BioWare veteran Mark Darrah believes Baldur's Gate 3 succeeded because Larian Studios embraced its own identity while drawing inspiration from the original games and the evolution of CRPGs. He suggests that instead of trying to replicate the past, Larian's unique approach, blending elements of Divinity: Original Sin, made Baldur's Gate 3 a standout sequel that overshadowed its predecessors.
An All-Digital Future Isn’t The Only Threat To Video Game Preservation
Dragon Age creator Mark Darrah explains that remasters of the first three Dragon Age games are unlikely due to a lack of developers familiar with BioWare's proprietary Aurora engine. This contrasts with the Mass Effect Legendary Edition, which benefited from using the more common Unreal Engine. Darrah also reveals his past plans for a "Champion's Edition" trilogy, which were hampered by studio layoffs and internal disagreements at BioWare.
If you bounced off Baldur's Gate 3: now is the time to try again
This article discusses the author's initial negative experience with Baldur's Gate 3, citing its complexity and D&D jargon. After a second playthrough, influenced by watching cast members play D&D, the author found a deeper appreciation for the game's freedom, character depth, and its impact on popular culture and video game acting.
Dragon Age's former producer had envisioned a 'Champions Edition' equivalent to Mass Effect's Legendary Edition, but he doesn't think it will happen anymore: 'There are basically no companies that could help you'
Former Dragon Age producer Mark Darrah believes a "Champion's Edition" remaster for the Dragon Age series is unlikely due to technical challenges. Unlike the Mass Effect Legendary Edition, which benefited from using the consistent Unreal Engine, the Dragon Age games were built on different, now poorly understood, proprietary engines. Darrah suggests that EA's reluctance to form new teams for such projects further diminishes the possibility of a remaster.
Another BioWare veteran steps forth to say a Dragon Age remaster isn't impossible, but that doesn't mean it will happen: "In no means a trivial exercise"
BioWare co-founder Trent Oster believes that remastering the original Dragon Age games is possible, though it would be a complex undertaking. However, Mark Darrah, who co-directed Dragon Age: Origins, expressed skepticism, citing a lack of current BioWare staff familiar with the old engine and publisher Electronic Arts' tendency to keep IPs dormant.
"Basically no one at BioWare" knows how Dragon Age works anymore, says studio veteran, so don't expect a remaster like Mass Effect's even if one would sell "super well"
Former BioWare director Mark Darrah stated that a remaster of the original Dragon Age trilogy is unlikely due to significant technical challenges and a lack of studio expertise with the older engines. Unlike the Mass Effect trilogy, which used Unreal Engine, the Dragon Age games utilize outdated proprietary engines that few at BioWare understand anymore. Despite potential sales success, especially after the popularity of Baldur's Gate 3, the development hurdles and the underwhelming performance of Dragon Age: The Veilguard make such a project improbable.
A Dragon Age Trilogy remaster probably won't happen as no one still employed at BioWare knows how the engine works, claims producer
Former BioWare producer Mark Darrah stated that a remaster of the original Dragon Age trilogy is unlikely because current employees lack knowledge of the proprietary Aurora engine used for Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age 2. Unlike the Mass Effect trilogy, which used Unreal Engine and was successfully remastered, Dragon Age's older engine makes such a project technically challenging and costly for Electronic Arts. Despite these hurdles, Darrah believes a remaster would still sell well.
"Dragon Age: Origins wasn’t the most attractive game": BioWare's old series producer still thinks a DA remaster trilogy is worth it, but the knowhow isn't there
Former Dragon Age producer Mark Darrah believes a remaster trilogy of the original games would sell well, but acknowledges the technical challenges. He cites the proprietary Eclipse and Lycium engines used in the early titles, contrasting them with the more industry-standard Unreal Engine used for Mass Effect. Darrah also notes that expertise on these older BioWare engines is scarce within the company and externally, making such a project difficult to undertake.
BioWare Lost The Knowledge Needed To Remaster Dragon Age, Former Producer Says
Former BioWare producer Mark Darrah stated that a remaster of the Dragon Age trilogy is unlikely because the studio has lost the necessary institutional knowledge to work with the original games' engines. Unlike the Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, which benefited from the common Unreal Engine 3, the Dragon Age games utilized proprietary engines for which few, if any, developers at BioWare remain knowledgeable. This comes amidst reports of Dragon Age: The Veilguard's poor commercial performance and potential future sale of BioWare by Electronic Arts.
Mark Darrah thinks that Dragon Age is dead. If it ever were to continue, it needs to be reset
Former BioWare developer Mark Darrah believes the Dragon Age franchise is likely finished due to Electronic Arts' mismanagement and lack of clear direction. Despite the commercial failure of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the article argues that a reset or even letting the franchise go might be beneficial, drawing parallels to the success of Baldur's Gate 3 in proving the viability of long, deep RPGs.
EA is 'a hedge fund with a videogame hobby,' former Dragon Age boss says, and that's why he reckons the…
Former BioWare executive producer Mark Darrah believes Electronic Arts' (EA) complicated relationship with shipping games makes a new Dragon Age title unlikely. He described EA as a "hedge fund with a videogame hobby" and noted that even if another studio pitched a new game, internal politics at EA would likely prevent it. Former lead writer David Gaider added that EA executives may not understand the franchise's appeal, deeming it non-essential.
Dragon Age veteran says a series comeback would be difficult with EA's "frightening" graveyard of dormant IP: "I suspect that it wouldn't happen"
Former BioWare veteran Mark Darrah believes a comeback for the Dragon Age series would be difficult due to Electronic Arts' management of dormant intellectual properties. He suggests that EA's focus on financial performance over game development, coupled with internal challenges at BioWare and potential ownership changes, makes it unlikely for a new Dragon Age game to be pitched and approved.
WRUP: Welcome to Gleepgurp’s Annual Whatever Awards edition
This installment of Gleepgurp's annual awards features host Feldon Snurch complaining about his long-term contract and the bizarre award categories. Staff and community members share their weekend gaming plans, including Pokemon Go, Guild Wars 2, The Elder Scrolls Online, Warframe, and Crimson Desert, while also discussing hobbies they wish they had pursued.
Dragon Age is "unlikely" to continue at EA, says former lead David Gaider, but if you gave him the keys to the RPG he'd take it somewhere "dark" and "do things that will make people upset"
Former Dragon Age lead writer David Gaider believes the series is unlikely to continue under Electronic Arts due to the company's historical dissatisfaction with its sales performance, despite generally positive reviews for recent titles like The Veilguard. Gaider expressed that if given the opportunity, he would steer the franchise in a darker, more provocative direction, focusing on the core appeal that resonated with fans.
Dragon Age's former lead writer thinks the series is probably dead, but he'd be happy to take it off EA's hands and 'go somewhere dark and dangerous' with it
Former Dragon Age lead writer David Gaider believes the series is likely dead under Electronic Arts, citing a consistent misunderstanding of the franchise's appeal and treatment compared to Mass Effect. Despite his past departure from the series, Gaider expressed interest in reviving Dragon Age if given the opportunity, provided it moves in a 'dark and dangerous' direction away from EA's current strategies.
David Gaider will never play Dragon Age: The Veilguard because he'd be 'wincing' the whole time: 'EA really did a number on them in terms of setting them up to fail'
Former BioWare lead writer David Gaider expressed that he would never play Dragon Age: The Veilguard, feeling that publisher Electronic Arts set the studio up for failure. Gaider, who considers the Dragon Age series his 'baby,' cited behind-the-scenes issues and EA's business practices as reasons for the game's struggles. He also touched upon his own studio's challenges with its game Stray Gods launching near Baldur's Gate 3.
