With Dragon Age 4 in development, many players are excited to learn about corners of the world that, so far, BioWare has kept shrouded in mystery. Much of what makes Thedas feel realistically huge is the lack of knowledge the player and many of the characters they meet have of its peripheries. This makes Dragon Age companions like Sten the Qunari in Dragon Age: Origins all the more compelling due to fans' limited windows into other parts of the world, creating the immersive feeling of living in a fantasy land where much remains to be explored.
While the series’ first two installments kept players contained to one country, Inquisition's map broke the trend, allowing the Inquisitor to explore both Ferelden and its neighboring nation, Orlais. Dragon Age 4 should stick to Inquisition’s two-country map set up, allowing players to gain new insight into some of the civilizations mentioned throughout the series, but keeping the world and the story it’s telling immersive by maintaining a limited scope.
Potential Settings
With the series' last installment turning towards a more open world, some players found areas like Dragon Age: Inquisition's Hinterlands to be just too large. Nonetheless, the ability to journey through locations in two different countries struck a great balance between allowing the player to explore the cultures and strained relationships of the Dragon Age world, without making that world feel so easily traversed as to be un-intimidating.
By the end of Inquisiton’s Trespasser DLC, there are fan-favorite characters spread all over the continent, with Varric taking on the role of the Viscount of Kirkwall and Dorian becoming an ambassador for the Tevinter Imperium to name a few. Dragon Age 4 could see characters explore both the Free Marches and Tevinter, which share borders and connect these two characters, allowing some of the impact of player choices made in Dragon Age in places like Orlais and Ferelden to play out more drastically in the story without limiting gameplay.
There are also countries that have played smaller roles in the games' narratives so far, but which could consequently give the BioWare team the opportunity to tell new stories unencumbered by some of the big decisions made in previous games. This includes other city states like Starkhaven, and countries like Antiva, Nevarra, and the Anderfels, any of which could cast new light on some of the big mysteries of the Dragon Age franchise.
It would be interesting to see one of the nations on the border of Dragon Age’s known world, perhaps one of the ones that borders the northern sea that the Qunari crossed to arrive in Thedas, exploring one of the major mysteries set up in the series. Dragon Age 4 even has the potential to introduce a new race, and the choice of setting for their arrival could have huge implications for the way the story plays out.
Dynamic Duos
Part of what makes the Ferelden-Orlais dynamic in Inquisition interesting is the strained relationship between the two countries. Ferelden has still only recently gained its independence from Orlais, with many in Ferelden old enough to remember living under the iron thumb of its western neighbor. While Ferelden resembles a country going through the Dark Ages, Orlais is wealthier and more modern, with palaces and aesthetics that at times appear as modern as the 19th century, and Vivienne's outfits alone showing how decadent the country can be in contrast to its poorer neighbor.
There are plenty of countries in Dragon Age that have contentious relationships, but a few stand out. The Free Marches broke free of Tevinter after Andraste’s invasion, which could lead to an interesting dynamic if players are able to explore both regions, especially with Varric in charge of Kirkwall, though BioWare is far from announcing which companions will return for Dragon Age 4.
Tevinter itself seems like an obvious starting point for a key setting in Dragon Age 4, its looming and sometimes sinister presence being felt throughout the series, as well as its magocracy striking a contrast with the subjugated mages seen throughout the series so far. The effects of the Mage Rebellion in Inquisition will no doubt have also been felt in Tevinter, just as the refugees from Ferelden after the events of Dragon Age: Origins had an impact on Kirkwall in Dragon Age 2.
Most of the countries surrounding Tevinter were once under its control at some point in the Dragon Age timeline, and any of them could be interesting candidates to contrast the waning empire. The Anderfels holds some particularly interesting opportunities, being both the home of the Grey Wardens and bordering the unexplored lands to the north, where the Qunari and potentially some other races in the Dragon Age universe originated. The contrast between the fortified heart of a once great empire, and the mysterious borders at its peripheries could pose a very interesting dynamic for players to explore.
Unexplored Stories of Thedas
With Solas intent on destroying the Fade from which the Tevinter Magisters draw their magical power, the effects on both Tevinter and its former client states could be very interesting as the balance of power shifts in Thedas. The fact that the Tevinter Imperium originally gained access to the Fade by subjugating the elves also sets up some potential major changes as Solas seeks retribution for his people. With the mysterious Red Lyrium also back in the mix, the possibilities are immense.
The new information gleaned about the Deep Roads from Inquisition’s The Descent DLC could also have big implications for the Grey Wardens of Anderfel, especially if Dragon Age 4 explores the long-hinted possibility of a Darkspawn civil war.
Dragon Age: Inquisition’s war table also tells players that Sebastian from Dragon Age 2’s The Exiled Prince DLC was able to reclaim control of Starkhaven, with an alliance between Starkhaven and Varric’s Kirkwall having the potential to reshape the power of the Free Marches, with Hawke’s dialog revealing in Dragon Age 2 that such a pact would be “the strongest alliance the Free Marches have ever seen.”
Dragon Age 4 has some big shoes to fill, but no matter which locations become available, BioWare should take the opportunity to both expand upon the mysteries of the world players know so far, while keeping the scope of their ambition limited to two countries as in Dragon Age: Inquisition to maintain the sense of mystery that keeps that world compelling.
By choosing two countries for players to explore, BioWare would open the door for the same diversity of locations as in Inquisition, where locales ranged from desert dunes to snowy mountaintops, while also setting up some big decisions as the balance of national power shifts in the world of Dragon Age. With former allies across the countries of Thedas, BioWare could take the opportunity to set up some very complicated choices that could shape the world going forward, and with the return of the Dread Wolf the fate of nations could very well rest in the player’s hands.
Dragon Age 4 is in development.