Dragon Age: Dreadwolf Can't Leave the Original Games Behind Entirely

While BioWare might be keen to ensureDragon Age: Dreadwolfappeals to players both new to the series and long-time fans, it could be detrimental to the fourthDragon Agegame to ignore its origins. Despite its reputation as a developer for creating complex, player-driven narratives spanning multiple games, BioWare has assured players thatunderstanding the originalDragon Agetrilogywon’t be required forDA:Dreadwolf. However, betweenDragon Age: Inquisition’s DLC ending with Solas’ twist reveal andDA:Dreadwolf’s various trailers, it doesn’t seem possible for the upcoming game to deny its position as a direct sequel to this ongoing narrative.

But since BioWare appears to acknowledge thatDragon Age: Dreadwolfis still dependent on the earlier games, its accessibility to new players shouldn’t completely overshadow the continuation of the series’ story. AlreadyDA:Dreadwolf’s trailers have seemed to tease the return of characters like Varric Tethras fromDragon Age 2andDA:Inquisitionalongside Solas, something fans of the series could take as an assurance that BioWare will keep its word. Yet, with little else confirmed about the upcoming game beyond a few key characters and locations, there is still a risk thatDA:Dreadwolfcould stray too far from the original games for long-time fans.

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The Larger, Interconnected Story Behind Dragon Age

Though eachDragon Agegame has established its own story with bespoke heroes and villains, the series is still best experienced as a whole, starting fromDragon Age: Originsup toInquisition’s final Trespasser DLC. Much likeBioWare’s work on other games, includingStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic,Baldur’s Gate, and, in particular,Mass Effect, one of the defining features of theDragon Ageseries was how player choices shaped the story, characters, and world at large. As a result, these decisions will even impact future games.

By extension, this means there has been a larger, overarching story unfolding throughout theDragon Ageseries, a narrative that seemed to converge in its most recent game,DA: Inquisiton. For instance, as the series' first game,DA: Originsintroduced key world-building elements ranging from the Grey Wardens, Blights, and Darkspawn, while its sequel added new depth to the socio-political turmoil betweenDragon Age’s various playable races, classes, and factions.DA: Inquisitionsaw these narratives come together between Corypheus, its Darkspawn antagonist, and stronger divisions between magi and both the Templars and the Qunari, with Solas leading a potential Elven uprising in its Trespasser DLC.

Dragon Age: Dreadwolf Has To Continue This Story

SinceDA: Inquisitionhas brought many of these narratives into a larger, interconnected story, it seems thatDA: Dreadwolfwill have no choice but to continue to build onDragon Age’s previous games. Considering that the sequel’s subtitle takes after Solas' given name, the “Dread Wolf,” andDA: Dreadwolf’s expanded settingwill likely include Tevinter and Anderfels, which connect to the Qunari and Grey Wardens, distancingDreadwolffrom the original games could be detrimental, especially for players who have kept up withDragon Ageso far. No matter how determined BioWare might be then, a compromise betweenDA: Dreadwolf’s accessibility and overarching story is inevitable.

Dragon Age: Dreadwolf Could Conclude This Story

A more radical solution might be forDA: Dreadwolfto bite the bullet and bring the franchise story to an end. Though this might risk losing the more particularDragon Agefans, it may be better in the long run forDA: Dreadwolfto tie up the series' loose threads from the original games and provide a final, climactic conclusion to a story more than a decade in the making. Ultimately, long-time players can be rewarded for their loyalty to the series and, followingDA: Dreadwolf,BioWare can work on newDragon Agegamesopen to players both new and old.