BioWare has several iconic series under its belt, including Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect, and Baldur's Gate. One of its most prominent trademark franchises is Dragon Age. It started with Dragon Age: Origins in 2009, and two sequels spawned from there, the newest one being Dragon Age: Inquisition in 2014.
Since the highly revered third entry, fans have been chomping at the bit for a sequel. While one is in the works, people still have to wait some time for it to come out. Fans are cautiously optimistic for several reasons, most of which will be pointed out here as this list details five reasons we're worried for the next Dragon Age, and five reasons we're excited for it.
10 Worried: Frostbite Engine
Recently, all games under the EA Banner have switched to Dice's Frostbite Engine. A few exceptions exist, such as Respawn Entertainment's upcoming Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, but most developers have fallen in line. BioWare's two most recent games, Mass Effect: Andromeda and Anthem, both utilized the powerful engine to disappointing results. The tools were designed with for first-person shooters, and not open world RPGs. If the new Dragon Age will use it too, why should people think the same problems won't plague it upon release?
9 Excited: Next Gen
The current generation is getting quieter as big name developers gear up for next hardware wave. A few impressive titles in this cycle are on the horizon, like Death Stranding, Cyberpunk 2077, and The Last of Us Part II, but other studios will soon start showing players what the next consoles have in store. Because Dragon Age 4 is at least two years away, it goes without saying that it'll probably end up on the future systems. It may end up on the current hardware too, but people are more excited for the future's potential.
8 Worried: Morale At BioWare
Saying the developer has had a rough go of it these past few years would be an understatement. Their recent output did not live up to their once stellar reputation. The people working for the studio are undoubtedly putting their all into the projects, but mismanagement takes its toll on the final products. Putting so much care and effort into something that ultimately fails is devastating, but hopefully the folks at BioWare are keeping their heads up high. Fans want them to succeed and recapture their former glory, but their morale must be at an all time low these days.
7 Excited: It Has Been Five Years Since The Last One
Dragon Age: Inquisition came out in November, 2014. By the time the next one comes out, it'll have been even longer since the highly venerated third game. The longer the wait, the more excited fans are for the project. While almost nothing is known about the project, the mere prospect of returning to Thedas has mouths watering. Of course, it also means expectations are higher, meaning it is more likely to disappoint, but as of now, people just want to live in their favorite fantasy world once more.
6 Worried: Live Service Components
As the story goes, a version of Dragon Age 4 was in the early stages of development before the project was scrapped and restarted from scratch. The reason for the old plan shutting down was because it didn't allow for a live service format, which would involve microtransactions. A live service model isn't what people want out of a Dragon Age game. On top of that, everybody knows how well it worked out with Anthem. Hopefully they change their mind and make it a more focused experience like the rest of the series.
5 Excited: It's Currently Their Only Project
As of now, the newest entry in their ten year old series is BioWare's only announced project. Assuming they have nothing else in the pipeline, this means all hands are on deck to make this one as great as possible. Of course, some people are still working on Anthem, but it is a smaller team than before. Bad management of personal was one of the reasons their recent output has flopped, so maybe they learned their lesson and won't spread themselves too thing by tackling two big projects.
4 Worried: BioWare's Recent Track Record
Starting with Mass Effect: Andromeda, the studio hasn't been able to catch a break. While both it and Anthem had some neat ideas - the latter's flying did make people feel like Tony Stark, after all - they were both held back by technical issues and poor design decisions. Does this signal a downward spiral for the company, or will they redeem themselves when they come back to Thedas in a couple of years? People have come back from worse mistakes.
3 Excited: BioWare's Last Chance
Most of the developer's goodwill has vanished, but plenty still remember when they were producing some of the best western RPGs on the market. They know the stakes are high for them and their reputation, and they must realize the amount of pressure on them to make Dragon Age 4 something special. If it flops or something goes wrong, the whole company would be at stake. While they have fumbled the ball twice in the past, no one wants to see them demoted to making Battlefield maps, much like Neversoft did after the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and Guitar Hero franchises waned.
2 Worried: Mike Laidlaw Left BioWare
Mike Laidlaw served as a designer on Dragon Age: Origins. After that, he was the lead designer on the sequel and director on Inquisition. His impact on the series is unquestionable. Unfortunately, he left the company two years ago to work with Ubisoft. Perhaps he saw the direction the company was headed and jumped ship. Short of rejoining the company, Mike will have no involvement with the fourth Dragon Age. Considering his hand in all the prior games, his absence may make the new entry unrecognizable as a part of the series.
1 Excited: Mark Darrah
While some important figures left the company, some are still marching on and doing their best to crank out high quality games. Mark Darrah, for example, is the executive producer for the whole series. He also worked on Anthem, but was recently taken off that project post-launch to focus on a new Dragon Age. With him at the helm, there is hope that the new game will please fans of the series. Ultimately, it's hard to know how anything will shape up until the studio gives fans a first glimpse at the game play.