Dragon Agebecame one of BioWare’s most popular IPs and was markedly different from its other IP,Mass Effect, in both setting and mechanics. More centered onDungeons and Dragonsstyle of gameplay,Dragon Age: Originswas a hit with its branching story, characters, lore, and setting. WhileDragon Age 2wasn’t as well received as its predecessor, it’s got a core base of dedicated fans and made strides in developing the lore, whileDragon Age: Inquisitionopened the world and changed everything players thought they knew about the story.
It’s been nearly ten years since the release ofDragon Age: Inquisition, and expectations forDragon Age: Dreadwolfare higher than ever. WhileInquisitiondid excel in many areas, there are parts of its predecessors that have been missed by players thatDragon Age: Dreadwolfcan bring back, from storytelling and lore to companions and crafting mechanics.
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Dragon Age: Origins’ Warden is Still the Best Protagonist in Thedas
A cameo fromDragon Age: Origins' Warden is still requested from players, and it’s because they’re considered to be one of BioWare’s best protagonists. While a cameo from the Warden is unlikely due to the various endings possible inDragon Age: Origins, including the possibility that they’re dead or the Ferelden monarch, it’s important to understand why the Warden was so popular as a player character and how BioWare can replicate this success inDragon Age: Dreadwolf.
One of the reasons why the Warden was so popular with players was because of the multiple origins open to each Warden, with notable differences in race, gender, background, and personal relationships in that background. NPCs reacted differently to the Warden depending on their background and, whileDragon Age: Dreadwolfcould definitely update the reactions to female protagonists, it added a level of replayability and detail that wasn’t present inDragon Age 2or even inDragon Age: Inquisition. Aside from the origins, the ability to choose the player character’s race beyond human was incredibly important; its removal was one of the main criticisms aimed atDragon Age 2,and it absolutely needs to make a return inDragon Age: Dreadwolf.
Dragon Age 2’s Companions Are Still Iconic
WhileDragon Age 2was considered a step back in a lot of ways, it created a game with a plot that was centered on a core group of characters that remain popular today. The Friendship/Rivalry system inDragon Age 2provided a new way of interacting with companions where players didn’t have to choose between being best friends with companions and having them leave. This system createdrelationships more nuanced than those inDragon Age: Originsand evenDragon Age: Inquisition, and a return of a relationship system like this would be welcomed, along with the gift system ofDragon Age 2where Hawke would gift a meaningful item to a companion which would trigger a cutscene.
Dragon Age: Inquisition’s crafting systems is regarded as one of the best mechanics in the game, and is the best crafting system across all threeDragon Agegames.Dragon Age: Dreadwolfneeds to adopt a crafting system like it, while at the same time creating in-game items that match and exceed what players can craft in-game, avoiding the problemDragon Age: Inquisitionhad with crafting weapons and armor that far exceeded anything found in the wild, essentially making looting pointless.
Dragon Age: Inquisition’s crafting system especially lent itself to companion armor styling. WhileDragon Age 2attempted to keep companions' individualities intactby giving them their own gear, it had the drawback of limiting player control.Dragon Age: Inquisition’s solution was to have each companion have their own style, and each piece of armor changed appearance depending on the companion it was equipped to.
