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How Do You Feel About A Game Called Dragon Age Tactics?

Ben-Dutka 8 Comments

This certainly sounds interesting, doesn't it?

Dragon Age executive producer Mark Darrah has asked a question on his Twitter page that has gotten everyone talking.

It's a pretty straightforward question but it leads to lots of other questions, and you can see it below. If you're wondering, he's talking about a game that would be similar to franchises like XCOM and Fire Emblem , which would be fantastic because we don't have lots of titles like that.

Your options for an answer are "Yes," "No," "Only on PC," and "Only mobile/handheld." Vote now so BioWare can make a decision! Of course, there's no guarantee that anything will come of this poll and as Darrah explained in a follow-up Tweet , there are lots of reasons why we may never learn of the fate of this idea.

However, were it to happen, he did clarify that while it would be a "full game," it wouldn't replace the mainline Dragon Age franchise. That's a no-brainer to me but I'd still love to see a turn-based strategy game based in this particular universe. Dragon Age Inquisition was excellent but this would be a very cool twist on the standard RPG experience.

Vote now!

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BioWare On The New Dragon Age: We Did Our Homework

Ben-Dutka 8 Comments

Did you know that Dragon Age: Inquisition started its life as a multiplayer-only game?

In a recent GamesIndustry International interview , BioWare executive producer Mark Darrah explains the significant changes implemented in the latest Dragon Age installment. Firstly, it was going to be all about the multiplayer:

"Weirdly, we actually had a project code-named Blackfoot which was the first game we had that was looking at Frostbite. It was a Dragon Age game, multiplayer only, that was in development before Dragon Age II came out. That became the core of what became Dragon Age Inquisition, the techlines, more than any of the development, so we've actually been looking at [multiplayer] a long time."

The multiplayer mode in the latest title is a separate co-op experience that has nothing to do with the main quest. And of course, the campaign is large and story-driven, a definite must-have for most die-hard role-playing fans. Darrah also spoke about how open-world RPGs like The Elder Scrolls have changed the face of the genre forever:

"Skyrim changed the landscape for role-playing games completely. Now the expectations of your other fans, they're changing too. People age, they typically have less time for games, so it changes their expectations in terms of gameplay segments. It also results in some nostalgia. so they may become even more firm in their attachment to previous features. Now suddenly you have 15 million people that have basically had the first RPG they've ever played as Skyrim. They have totally different expectations of what storytelling is, what exploration is, and I think exploration is really where we've seen the biggest change."

It seems abundantly clear that BioWare examined what was working in the industry today, compared that with what the fans have been screaming for, and delivered what they believe to be the ultimate RPG experience in Dragon Age: Inquisition . Did they succeed? You'll have to wait until November 18 to find out for yourself, but don't forget that reviews will start hitting the Internet a week before that.

Related Game(s): Dragon Age: Inquisition

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The Dragon Age BioWare “Always Wanted To Make” Is Gold

Ben-Dutka 5 Comments

It's almost time.

One of the most anticipated games of the year and in fact, one of the most anticipated role-playing games ever, will soon be here: Dragon Age: Inquisition has gone gold.

The news, as posted at BioWare's blog , means the game will definitely release for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC on November 18. Executive Producer Mark Darrah had this to say:

"This milestone is a testament to the hard work of the developers (and their families!) who put so much into this game, and took on every challenge that was put before them. That we've made it this far is also an acknowledgment of tremendous support and patience from our fans: you've been an inspiration to us since the beginning."

The team began working on this new installment way back in 2010, even before Dragon Age II was on store shelves. BioWare's goal for Inquisition was to "tell the biggest story we've ever told in the Dragon Age universe," and it seems they've done exactly that. The game had to be delayed a few times but now, it's cleared to land. Finished Darrah:

"Looking over the vastness of the game we've finished, it really is the Dragon Age experience we've always wanted to make for you. The biggest story of the year is yours to play, very, very soon. Thank you."

Related Game(s): Dragon Age: Inquisition

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Dragon Age: Inquisition Hits 1080p On PS4, 900p On Xbox One

Ben-Dutka 25 Comments

It has become a common refrain, and I'm willing to bet Xbox fans are sick of hearing it.

Yet another high-profile multiplatform game will perform slightly better on Sony's next-gen console, as BioWare recently confirmed via Twitter .

As you can see, Dragon Age: Inquisition will run in 1080p HD on PlayStation 4 but it will only hit 900p on Xbox One. The studio frankly said it was the best they could do, as they "maximized the current potential of each platform." We've heard this many times before from other developers, although recently, Ubisoft evened out Assassin's Creed Unity so it would look the same on both PS4 and Xbox One.

We've heard that Microsoft has been in touch with designers in an effort to get 1080p out of the system. Do you think the two consoles will eventually manage 1080p with relative ease in the future?

Related Game(s): Dragon Age: Inquisition

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BioWare: Inquisition On PS3/360 Won’t Be “Scaled Back”

Ben-Dutka 5 Comments

Let's say you haven't taken the next-gen plunge yet, and you're not planning to for a while yet.

Does this mean you'll get a lesser version of the upcoming Dragon Age: Inquisition ? From a graphical perspective, yes, of course the PS3 and 360 iterations won't look as good as the PS4/Xbox One versions. But from a gameplay standpoint, you needn't worry.

BioWare producer Mark Darrah told GameSpot that the gameplay in Inquisition hasn't been "scaled back" for the older systems:

"I would say we're definitely making this game to take advantage of the hardware that we have. I don't think we've had to make any compromises. Because this is ultimately about you controlling a party. The combats are designed to be controlled in size, and that's really meant that scaling for the lesser platforms has been a manageable exercise. I don't think we're making any gameplay compromises. Graphically, yeah, I think you're gonna see some compromises on the last-gen stuff, but in gameplay, I think we should be able to keep parity."

Some developers aren't big fans of developing a game across multiple generations. Take CD Projekt Red, for instance; they've said in the past that trying to put The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on the PS3/360 would be difficult, and it would definitely compromise the overall experience. But BioWare knows what they're doing, and Inquisition won't be as massively huge as Wild Hunt .

Of course, if you're a big role-playing fan, you'll definitely want the latest and greatest hardware to play these potentially amazing games, right?

Related Game(s): Dragon Age: Inquisition

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Does BioWare Need To Reclaim Lost Fans With Inquisition?

Ben-Dutka 20 Comments

It's easily one of the most anticipated games of 2014 and now it has a solidified launch date .

The question is: Does BioWare need to make up lost ground? Is this the game that tells gamers that in fact, this developer is just as good as ever?

Maybe so. Many believe that BioWare hasn't entirely recovered from the Mass Effect 3 fiasco, although given the fickle nature of consumers in general, most will likely have forgotten about it by the time Inquisition launches. Then again, the pissed off hardcore remain very vocal about that situation, and some even boycotted the developer. Therefore, it's possible that BioWare needs to win back some fans they lost.

The other issue is that Dragon Age II , while still a really good game in our estimation, fell a tad shy of fan expectations. From where I stand, it made too many concessions to the mainstream side of gaming, which makes zero sense, as this is hardly a franchise designed for the masses. We just lost too much in the way of good old-fashioned role-playing depth, as the environments weren't big enough and we couldn't even fully outfit our allies (only the protagonist could be fully equipped).

Therefore, despite this developer's illustrious history, it's feasible that there's more pressure on Dragon Age: Inquisition than anyone wants to admit…

Related Game(s): Dragon Age: Inquisition

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