After a long wait, BioWare has revealed more about its upcoming fantasy titleDragon Age 4. The studio revealed more concept art, a few clips of box creatures, and additional commentary about the creation of the game.
In the new video, one developer said thatDragon Age 4’s story was created with a focus on “what happens when you don’t have power.” This hints that the player protagonist will be quite different from the player character inInquisition, and that is a good thing.
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Inquisition’s Protagonist Problem
The Inquisitor fromDragon Age: Inquisitionis seen as the Herald of Andraste from very early on in the game. Playing into the Chosen One archetype, the player is compelled to complete the main quest from there rather than through their own unique motivations. It is generally more satisfying when RPGs give the player reasons for their own motivations to align with their character’s. For example, by the timeDragon Age: Origins’ main quest kicks in after the Battle of Ostagar, the player has been given reasons to want to explore the world, to get revenge on a major character, and to prevent a looming threat that they have witnessed first hand.
The Warden fromDragon Age: Originsdoesn’t have nearly as much power socially or magically at the start of the game as the Inquisitor does by the end ofInquisition’s first act. InInquisition, the player leads the Inquisition almost immediately. InOrigins,the player isn’t the leader of the Ferelden Grey Wardens, they’re just the last one left.
The fact that the Warden becomes the most important character inDragon Age: Originsis way more circumstantial in the story, and feels more immersive and organic thanInquisition’s Herald plotline. The Warden, however, is still “chosen” to some extent. AllGrey Wardenshave to survive a ritual involving darkspawn blood, which, if they react poorly, ends in their deaths. But it’s not really on the same level.
InDragon Age: Origins, the player heads off on the main quest having lost almost everything. Their previous life has been taken from them, and their new life in the Wardens has been all but destroyed. By the end of the game, this makes it feel like real growth and achievement has taken place, as if success was achieved against all odds. It’s a satisfying story, and more than 10 years after its release, it still has fans calling for aremake ofDragon Age: Origins.
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BioWare’s New Path
The early identification of the Inquisitor as the Herald of Andraste puts the player character in a position of power too early on for their success to ever feel like a satisfying underdog story. There’s evidence to suggest that RPGs where players can progress from rags to riches could be what a lot of people are looking for right now. For example, A survey done on player planning to buyCyberpunk 2077suggested theStreet KidLifepathwas the most popular by far.
It is possible BioWare may fully commit to creating a player protagonist who does not have any special powers and is not “chosen” in any particular way. Many fans will be hoping that, as a result,Dragon Age 4’s storywill have to be more complex and make its player character feel less like the generic chose one protagonist in a video game and more like a character in that world.
Dragon Age 4is in development.
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