Dragon Age: The Veilguard was a dud, which isn't surprising when studio bosses demanded a live-service game, only to pivot mid-development and force BioWare to conjure up a single-player RPG from the carcass of a misguided MMO. The aftermath saw the studio gutted and all of its resources shifted to the next Mass Effect; in so many words, Dragon Age is dead.
But with whispers that Richard Garriott might get his hands on the copyright to Ultima and other series from BioWare's past — like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Baldur's Gate — continuing elsewhere, PC Gamer posed a question to series creator David Gaider: what if you got the IP back?
“If you had asked me in the past, I would have said absolutely not. That I took my time,” Gaider said. “But I like a challenge. So if someone from some strange constellation of stars gave me the Dragon Age franchise back and said, 'Breathe life into this kid'? That would be hard, but I think that would be an interesting thing. To go back to the basics of what made Dragon Age appeal to so many people, to make it do things that are dangerous, to make it dangerous. That's what I'd like to do with it.”
Gaider pointed out that all the reviews for Origins praised how deep and tangible the characters felt, something he believes future games should lean into more, rather than trying to create a “more broadly acceptable” sequel designed for mass appeal. “If you're not making a game for an audience that loves those games, are you trying to make that game acceptable to some action gamer who doesn't like difficulty? Who is that?”
On the other hand…
I'm sure the prospect of a David Gaider-led Dragon Age aping the grittier dark fantasy of Origins must have a disillusioned fanbase – especially after they waded through The Veilguard 'don't talk to me before morning coffee' – but it's not quite dry.
In the same interview, Gaider expressed disappointment that “nobody wants to really commit to a project unless they think it's a sure thing, and that boils down to existing IP, sequels, things like that.” He pointed out that new projects are struggling to find funding, including his heist RPG, which the team had to expand in hopes of getting a publisher's attention. Returning to Dragon Age and resurrecting the franchise with a back-to-bass approach might sound like exactly what the series needs, but everything is wrong with the industry right now.
Still, as Larian Studios proved, returning to an older franchise with the right creative freedom can be just as invigorating for the industry, as Baldur's Gate 3 set a whole new bar for RPGs that probably won't be met anytime soon. But judging by the rest of the interview, Gaider's passions lie elsewhere. “Oh, what I wouldn't give to work on Owlcat's game The Expanse,” he said. “The Expanse is right up there with my main interests. I've watched the show a few times, I've read the books. That would be great. If I could find something that lit a fire under me, that would be perfect.”
- Released
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November 3, 2009
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence, Language, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content
- Engine
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Eclipse Engine
- Cross-platform play
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on
- Cross Save
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on
- Steam Deck compatibility
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no
