Kudos to the marketing team at BioWare for releasing a Dragon Age: Dreadwolf teaser hours before GTA VI leaked. GTA VI also leaked before its trailer was unveiled, which probably feels like a slap in the face. However, that’s news for another day. For now, this article focuses on the teaser, which suggests that a trailer for the game will be released in summer 2024.
It also introduces a new character who is as menacing as he sounds in the teaser. However, nobody at Player.com knows the actor yet. Moving forward, we now know the setting of the game and the themes we should expect. The teaser is a combination of in-game footage and cinematic, so players can miss the juicier details. Read on to fill out the gaps in your knowledge.
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Supported Platforms and Release Date
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf’s development cycle is marred by game delays that took years. There’s evidence tracing its development back to 2015, so it’s nearing a decade and the game still hasn’t gone gold. This has been due to the changes made to the staff and the overall design of the title. Keep your fingers crossed because BioWare hasn’t announced a release date.
The only release date we have is for the trailer, which will be released in 2024. It’s also called a “Full reveal” by the studio. So, we can expect in-depth gameplay on its character classes, powers, regions, monsters, and combat. Hopefully, it’ll be as fluid as we hope it will be. Thankfully, we know the game will be released for the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Microsoft Windows PC.
Concrete News About Dragon Age: Dreadwolf’s Release
Nevertheless, there’s still some good news. For example, a financial report leaked and suggested that Dragon Age: Dreadwolf would be released in 2024. So, next year’s full reveal may be followed by a release date that’s sooner than any of us ever expected. You should also know that some BioWare members were able to play the game from start to finish.
That news should be taken with a grain of salt, but it’s still reassuring, especially as BioWare also said, “Up to this point, we’ve been working hard on the various parts of the game, but it’s not until the Alpha milestone that a game all comes together. Now, for the first time, we can experience the entire game, from the opening scenes of the first mission to the very end. We can see, hear, feel, and play everything as a cohesive experience”.
The Game Looks Good at First Glance
We love the next-gen visuals, but we also love some other features. For one, it seems like the map table from Dragon Age: Inquisition is making a return in the sequel. Also, we saw several locations that have been mentioned in the lore. However, this is the first time that we’re visiting them, and the experience should be different. One of the cities that we saw was Treviso, which is located in the region of Antiva.
The city thrives due to its coastal trade and lush vineyards, which are both tended to by Dwarves, Humans, and Elves. However, those are just businesses covering up the city’s true intentions.
Treviso is actually the home city of the Talons, so you’ll find members of House Valisti here. The city’s vibes scream cloak-and-dagger, so players should meet many politicians before the campaign ends. Pulling the strings behind these figureheads are the Antivan Crows, who are experts at assassinations and espionage, perfect tools for rigging elections and creating more societal injustices.
Let’s also discuss Rivain, which is a possible ally in the game. It’s a matriarchy occupying a peninsula that can be found north of Antiva. However, they’re mostly memorable because they follow a separate religion from the rest of Thedas. Finally, there’s the kingdom of Anderfels, which is a stronghold for Grey Wardens who hunt darkspawn, similar enemies to Alan Wake 2’s Taken.
You Come In During the Power Struggle
The teaser announces Dragon Age: Dreadwolf as a beautiful open world that should rival The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’s lush sandbox. It’s also as treacherous as it’s gorgeous because of the various beasts, races, and demons that roam it. You can expect to explore many dungeons and battle unique bosses for their loot. Don’t forget that politicians are still deceiving the people of Thedas, regardless of the region. For the most part, though, its cities glitter!
Amid the strife, deceit, and war, Thedas allegedly needs a new leader who will bring peace to the reign of the Crows. So, players can challenge themselves by creating key alliances, partnering with useful characters, and farming for resources to craft better upgrades for their gear. It’s touted to be a tale of violence, friendship, and gaming romance, with tons of drama mixed in between.
God of War-Like Combat
A recent leak of Dragon Age: Dreadwolf appeared on Reddit a while back, and it highlights Weisshaupt, the fortress of the Grey Wardens. In the leak, the character blocked with a shield dodged unblockable attacks and jump-kicked an enemy into oblivion. It’s similar to a brawler style that relies on brute strength for melee attacks. However, sword and ranged attacks still look awkward, which isn’t surprising because this is supposedly pre-alpha footage.
The protagonist also seemed capable of infusing magic into his sword to deal extra damage in fights. It’s reminiscent of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice because Kratos only uses an axe, spear, and chained blades. Hopefully, we’ll see some special moves reminiscent of God of War Ragnarok’s runic attacks. We’re referencing God of War because fans believe combat in Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is inspired by Kratos’ hack-and-slash style. This means that the camera is over the shoulder now, so fighting enemies is much more intimate.
However, looking back to the prequels, combat hasn’t been the most impressive part of the game. Heck, fans didn’t like the Dragon Age series for its combat but rather for its story, lore, and politics. Nevertheless, character development will still play a huge role in many gamer’s decisions to pick up a copy of Dragon Age: Dreadwolf.
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf Characters
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf spots many new and old characters. Among them is Varric Tethras, the rogue narrator behind Dragon Age 2 and Dragon Age: Inquisition’s story voiceovers. He says “We’re the only ones who can stop him” at the end of the scene in reference to Solas, the Dreadwolf. So, it’s highly possible that fans will see the rogue storyteller once more in-game. Nonetheless, our biggest concern is the lack of character revealed this far in the game’s development.
We expect BioWare to reveal the cast along with 2024’s full trailer. Along the way, we want to know the protagonist too, including his or her abilities, race, and more. If we follow the suggestions from leaks, we theorise that the protagonist will be new to the series. This means that even newcomers are welcome to play Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. For one, previous games were also beginner-friendly.
- Dragon Age: Origins thrusts us into the role of a Grey Warden. We fought hard to stop the Blight and ultimately earned ourselves the title of Hero of Ferelden.
- Dragon Age 2 shifted the focus to Hawke and his/her family, who flee to the city of Kirkwall for their safety. Therein, they get caught in the crossfire between the mages and templars.
- Dragon Age: Inquisition is the prequel to Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, and it follows the Inquisitor. He’s a protagonist who gains a magical mark on their hand that can seal tears in the Veil. The mark is known as the Anchor.
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf’s New Protagonist Means a Standalone Experience
The good thing about Dragon Age games is that they each focus on a new protagonist who witnesses the events of the realm from a unique perspective. So, we expect a standalone experience starring a new character in Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, who can strike from the shadows. This is because spymaster Leliana has already reported that Solas knows the Inquisition and is fully aware of how its people operate. So, we may just be placed in the shoes of a Crow, who are renowned thieves and spies. Otherwise, gamers might be given the chance to create their own characters from scratch.
This means that picking a class, hairstyle, skin tone, and other physical attributes may just be part of the process. The first entry allowed us to pick from three races, which are Elf, Human, and Dwarf and in some scenarios, it’s possible to pick a political side. This also means that the games have different endings depending on your choices throughout their single-player campaigns. Also, like the previous games, we hope the world will react to us based on our actions throughout the campaign. Who knows? We might even be able to choose our faction.
Frostbite Engine Has Been Overhauled
The only news concerning Dragon Age: Dreadwolf’s engine is that it’ll use Frostbite, which isn’t a leap forward like we wanted. However, the game has seen multiple design changes and a switch of product managers, animators, writers, and other creators. So, there’s the possibility that BioWare might have overhauled its in-house engine. Most of all, the evidence is Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, which uses a modified variant of Unreal Engine 3.
However, Unreal Engine 5 is out, and it impresses with photo-realistic visuals, detailed textures, and gorgeous animations and physics. So, it would be nice to see them modify the engine for their purposes. Otherwise, they can iron out the issues with Frostbite, such as choppy cutscenes, because the in-house engine is versatile too. Its ability to create facial animations and hair is incredible, and the proof is Anthem.
A New Villain Is Introduced
The teaser also shows one of the antagonists, who utters, “All the world will soon share the peace and comfort of my reign”. It’s good to see that our goals don’t align with his, since we need an opposition sooner or later. Moreover, narcissists like this are always capable of large-scale violence. We look forward to crossing blades with him in Dragon Age: Dreadwolf.
Prior to this teaser, everyone pictured Solas as the main villain of Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. After all, he’s also known as the Dreadwolf, who is a former Elven god. Solas has awoken from his slumber and seeks to wipe out anyone who isn’t an elf by destroying the magic barrier between the material and magical realms. At this point, we don’t know if BioWare has a new actor for Solas in Dragon Age: Dreadwolf or if there’s a secondary villain who’s as menacing as the Dreadwolf.
The Recent Lawsuit
Recently, the former creators of Dragon Age: Dreadwolf sued the studio because they shortchanged them. Besides that, their severance pay wasn’t considerate enough and didn’t meet the standards of the Alberta court. It’s up to BioWare to compensate their former workers, but that’s just wishful thinking. After all, the studio laid off 50 of its employees for a reason, and we can hazard a guess that it’s because of funding. The ex-employees are also requesting additional money for damages.
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf Impresses Where it Counts
The recent teaser shows some in-game footage that is downright stunning. Frostbite isn’t known for its level design, so we hope they weren’t modified too much. However, we expect BioWare’s game to impress because of the technology debt it owes. That said, it should be reiterated that Dragon Age: Dreadwolf will offer a single-player campaign. There’s no option to play online with your friends because this isn’t Elden Ring.
However, like Elden Ring, combat will be savage, and you can bolster your stats with secret magic spells. The gameplay will also feature tons of drama, so you’re actively encouraged to meet NPCs and hear their stories. Some will lead you on treasure hunts, while others will show you a hidden route around enemy strongholds. Beyond everything, most gamers yearn for the artistic vision of the creators of Anderfels, Antiva, and Rivain.