Dragon Age fans have been waiting years for news on the next entry in the series. Developer BioWare has long since confirmed that a new Dragon Age is coming, but the timeframe of its release is still unclear. Fans of the series are also anxiously waiting for news on Dragon Age 4, as some of BioWare's recent releases were disappointing for fans, and some are worried that the same could be true for the newest Dragon Age.
However, BioWare's most recent release, Mass Effect: Legendary Edition was far from a disappointment. The Mass Effect series started around the same time as Dragon Age, and the recent remaster bundled together the first three games with visual improvements and nearly all of the series' DLC on modern hardware. Mass Effect and Dragon Age have crossed over here and there in the past, and the two series are built on a lot of the same DNA and design philosophies. However, the success of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition may be better news for Dragon Age than many fans realize.
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Mass Effect: Legendary Edition was a real treat for fans of the series. Not only did it bundle all of the games together, but it also featured a new build of the original Mass Effect that brought mechanical changes along with its visual improvements. Playing through all three games in a row with all of the content available is a special experience, especially for players who are revisiting some of their favorite characters. In fact, the remastered trilogy was so successful with fans that it encouraged many players to revisit the less popular Mass Effect Andromeda after completing it.
Like Dragon Age, Mass Effect 4 is also currently in development at BioWare. For fans waiting on Mass Effect 4 and hoping it will compensate for some of Mass Effect's previous shortcomings, Mass Effect: Legendary Edition provided a lot of hope. The game did not feature any new content that was too substantial, but it was emblematic of the developer hopefully recognizing what fans love about the original trilogy in the first place. This made those same fans feel a lot more excited for Mass Effect 4, as well as the game serving as a great bit of content for fans while they wait for the next entry in the series.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition's success, however, could also influence how BioWare and EA handle the Dragon Age series while fans wait for Dragon Age 4. With how well Mass Effect: Legendary Edition performed both financially and critically, it would make a lot of sense for the companies to be considering a similar treatment for the original three Dragon Age games. Of course, it has been many years since Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age 2 were first released, and they have never received an official remaster or port to more modern hardware. Dragon Age Inquisition is a more modern title, but the first two games in the series could have a lot of their visual elements improved. This would be even better for players who want to revisit the games to understand Dragon Age 4's story.
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Dragon Age 4 also seems to still be quite a ways out from releasing. Development of the game was reportedly restarted after Anthem failed to find an audience, leaving the development team to change the game's focus from a live service title to a more traditional RPG. Despite this change, EA and BioWare have shared very little about the game beyond just a few short teasers. Dragon Age 4 even skipped this year's EA Play Live event, leaving fans anxious to see it. This puts the series in a great position to tide fans over with a remaster of the original Dragon Age trilogy. Not only would that help keep fans engaged while Dragon Age 4 is in development, but it also would help drum up excitement for the new title, and could increase that game's sales as well.
The game that would need the most work would undoubtedly be Dragon Age: Origins. The game's visuals are the most dated, and a similar rebuilding to the first Mass Effect would bring about many welcome changes. However, Dragon Age 2 could also do with some mechanical changes. In Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, Mass Effect had its mechanics updated to better align with the other two games. Something similar could be done to Dragon Age 2 to help the gameplay more strategically like Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age: Inquisition. Of course, the trilogy would also likely bundle together all of the trilogy's various DLC packs. This would be a great benefit for fans, as it would provide an easier way for them to get caught up on the series' lore and various characters that will all undoubtedly impact Dragon Age 4 and its villain.
Another benefit of a trilogy remaster would be easing the process for save file imports. All three of the games have many choices for players to make that can have sprawling consequences across later games. As of now, importing save files can be a bit tricky with players having to re-enter their choices in another website to transfer them into Dragon Age: Inquisition. A remastered trilogy would allow Dragon Age: Inquisition to import these files more smoothly and make the experience seamless. It also could allow Dragon Age 4 to do so smoothly. This would help allow the newest entry in the series to properly compensate for the dedication of its fans by being able to bring back Dragon Age: Origins' Warden character with better accuracy to each individual player's experience. Hopefully, players will get some more news on Dragon Age sometime soon.
Dragon Age 4 is currently in development.