Yesterday, BioWare released Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, the highly-anticipated remaster of the first three Mass Effect games. With several graphical and gameplay enhancements, Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is the dream game of fans of the franchise, as well as an opportunity for those who may not have played the originals to see what the series is about. However, now that Mass Effect has been remastered, what happens now to Dragon Age?
For the uninitiated, Dragon Age is another highly successful franchise developed by BioWare. While it retained many of the elements that made Mass Effect popular, Dragon Age set itself apart with its unique take on the classic high-fantasy setting with an immersive story and challenging combat. While developers at BioWare still haven't revealed any plans as to the possibility of a Dragon Age remaster, here are several reasons why Dragon Age should see a definitive return.
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Despite being the oldest entry in the Dragon Age series, Dragon Age Origins remains a fan favorite because it was able to introduce players to the world of Thedas and the game's various classes and factions. Dragon Age Origins was able to encapsulate what the first game of a series should be, as it set the tone that would carry over in succeeding games. However, as wonderful as Dragon Age Origins is, the biggest drawback is its clunky combat. Although the Awakening expansion and several mods have remedied most existing bugs and glitches, a remaster is still the best way to update the game and introduce it to a new generation of players.
As far as Dragon Age 2 is concerned, it is worth noting that the sequel was able to bring massive improvements to combat and gameplay. However, due to EA instituting a shorter development period on BioWare after Dragon Age Origins, the game's overall quality suffered. Dungeons lacked any semblance of variety, weapons and gear were limited, and the story seemed a bit rushed. Both Dragon Age Origins and Dragon Age 2 are not even playable on PS4 and Xbox One, so a remaster could pave the way for these games to be released on those consoles, possibly even on the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
Although Dragon Age Inquisition still holds up pretty well, including it in a remaster alongside all its DLC would be the perfect primer in preparation for Dragon Age 4. Additionally, some players were able to finish the main story of Dragon Age Inquisition, though not necessarily the story of any of its paid DLC, which are essential to its plot and basically sets up the events leading to Dragon Age 4. Having the main game and all of its expansions in one package would prepare new players for the upcoming next installment, and give veteran fans something to do while waiting for Dragon Age 4.
In the end, a Dragon Age remaster would benefit BioWare and the Dragon Age community as a whole. Not only does it open the opportunity for BioWare to the fix bugs and shortcomings of the original games, but it is also a chance for the studio to unify all existing Dragon Age games and DLC with updated visuals and gameplay. That'd be especially beneficial for fans, considering it appears Dragon Age 4 is still a year away at the earliest.