Teaser:
I can’t even with this. I’m so excited. And they dropped the Mass Effect trailer as well I’m just beyond euphoric at this point
With both Mass Effect and Dragon Age trailer debuting without a number or subtitle - I can’t help but feel like they are turning these into MMO or MMO-lite games. Dragon Age leans into it a little bit more heavily with the “YOU ARE THE REAL HERO” subtext, and the storyline being more open ended. Mass Effect already had a conclusion, whether you were happy about it or not, so not sure where they are going with that.
I’m cautiously excited to revisit these worlds, but I’m thinking we aren’t going to be revisiting what exactly I liked about those worlds.
I mean sure, we can start dreaming up reasons not to get excited about new entries in these franchises, why not?
Hopeful me says it reminds a little of Origins and how choices along the way had an effect on the story. Your just not Destiny’s child or the Chosen one (The Grey Warden) in this one. Hopefully, the choices and how you get there are different but I suspect the end game goal is mostly the same. An even more open ended progression path with more consequential choices with a branching story than Origins. You can really tailor the story your way.
You weren’t the “chosen one” in Origins, you were just one of very few remaining grey wardens left, as the rest were all killed.
Dragon Age Origins was fun. It felt like you had some meaningful choices but it also felt like you did something. Mopping up bandits in various alleys in the second one was… meh.
I guess being the last of an elite, uber exclusive cadre of super demon fighting soldiers isn’t quite the “chosen one” but its kinda close.
It conveniently dumps you right in the main story as well since fighting said Demons and Blights is Wardens main reason for being.
You weren’t the last one, Alistair was a grey warden also. But yes, you’re certainly special and not just another peasant.
Pretty sure he didn’t make it in my storyline ; )
Choices!
The Deep Roads.
It took me three tries through the game to push through this.
That’s in O right out after you dig 2 takes you back?
My sister played dwarves in O and I played a mage, and it just surprised me how parts of the story changed because of she got betrayed in her origin and I’m like I have choice words for templars.
It was just good and memorable… and oh my gosh the horrific reveals.
I don’t often game and drink. Not opposed to drinking just not a gaming choice for me usually.
I drank my way through the Deep Roads. It wasn’t pleasant but at least it’s blurry.
I don’t recall a ton in Origins where background actually mattered beyond the…origin.
I never got the impression you are the ‘Chosen One’ in Origins, just the unlucky fool who ended up joining the Grey Wardens at precisely the wrong time (as if any of the origin characters have much choice). The existence of all the other possible ‘chosen ones’ underscores how you’re not playing anyone all that special.
DA2 was Hawke’s story, obviously.
The Inquisitor in DA3 can be shaped somewhat, but you’re certainly pretty limited. It’s somewhere between 2 and Origins.
I don’t know what they’ll do in DA4. I am dreading it is an MMO thing, but I sort of doubt it. Then again, The lack of a number or subtitle in the trailer does leave me worried. I hope not - I’d like to see where the narrative goes and an MMO basically ends good storytelling.
I really like the world of Thedas and I’m fond of the background characters - I don’t want it end, but I guess all video game storytelling that doesn’t standalone is a bit like a political career - it always ends in failure.
It mattered if you let it matter. I allied myself with a dwarf in that part of the game that apparently betrayed her. I, of course, didn’t have that background. It didn’t matter if it was the better choice. That bastard betrayed her, and she wasn’t going to have it. So her ending story, you remember that big text summary, was different than mine because of it.
Nothing forced her to make that choice when she came back, she just knew what a bastard he really was more than I did when I played the same game. It was literally a different experience. It doesn’t matter what we both fought the same boss in the end, that experience for her resonated in a different way because she was a dwarf.
That experience might not mean something to some players or even devs since they just trashed it but it led to meaningful conversations between us, and conversations I still remember. I could talk to people who played the same gamed as me and be enriched by their experiences which differed from mine, easily.
Also having done a few origins, elf mage seemed to have the least hooks, by far. The dwarf origin had the largest impacts. Elf mage had some minor elements, but they never really committed to the templars as your enemies thing.
There were bits for sure, but usually only the parts where you went back to your origin location.
Human noble also had a pretty large impact - hell, you could even wind up king or queen of Ferelden if you picked that one.
Oh right! I forgot that aspect.
I’m not saying Origins wasn’t neat - it totally was (Deep Roads excepted) and it did a wonderful job with world building.
I don’t know if all the origins were the same, but as a human mage, I was treated liked a human mage throughout the entire of the game. I mean any mage and templar encounter, even minor ones, it came up. I don’t recall a game doing that before. It was a nice take I thought they could build on for future games. Instead I got Hawke whom I was supposed to care about but struggled to do so.