Dragon goes on: BioWare confirm they're working on a new Dragon Age
Dragon and on and on
Hurrah! Mark Darrah has gone so far as to confirm that BioWare is working on a new Dragon Age game. He's the executive producer for both Anthem and Dragon Age, and he's tweeted to say that while Anthem is next in line, "there are people hard at work on both franchises". We've heard roundabout confirmation before but this is solid and direct.
And yet, as the Coen brothers would say, would that it were so simple. According to Kotaku's sources, BioWare only have a small team working on Dragon Age - with the bulk of their staff focused on Anthem. That's not too surprising considering the new Dragon Age game hasn't even been announced, but it does mean it'll be a loooong time before we see Dragon Age 4. As far off as it may be, I'm still gonna stop me using this as an opportunity to tell you about what I want to see from BioWare's next fantasy RPG.
Here's the tweet:
Now, what do I want from Dragon Age 4?
I've been thinking a lot about how we move around in games lately, probably because I've been playing free-running stealth-action RPG Seven: The Days Long Gone. I'm not saying Dragon Age should add parkour, although leaping around on rooftops in a city like Kirkwall does sound fun. I'm thinking more about stuff like Far Cry's wingsuit, or Just Cause's grappling hook: traversal tools that make getting from one side of the world to another something I look forward to rather than a necessary chore. Obviously neither of those would quite work, but there must be a good fantasy equivalent. Am I saying I want to ride a dragon? I think I'm saying I want to ride a dragon.
I'd also like to see them knock down the number of characters a tad. While I eventually formed a connection with almost all of the 9 party companions and 3 advisers in Inquisition, for most of the game I felt overwhelmed. The game doesn't help itself by introducing each character in a very short space of time and expecting you to instantly care about them all, but I still think focusing on just a handful of meaningful relationships is the way to go. I normally love the bits in BioWare games where you return to your base/camp/spaceship and check up on everyone, but the sheer hassle of touring the castle grounds to visit all 12 important characters in Inquisition meant I ended up skipping a lot of them.
Some of Koutaku's sources whispered that the game will have more "live" elements, though they did stress it'll still be focused on characters and story.
What do you want from Dragon Age 4, dear reader?