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Dragon Age: The Veilguard will appear on PlayStation Plus in March 2025. The game initially released in October 2024, which means PlayStation Plus subscribes will be able to access the title through the service just some four months after it released.

Other games that will appear on the PlayStation Plus service in March 2025 include the following:

• Sonic Colors: Ultimate
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection

Only two other titles will be available to play, with Sonic Colors: Ultimate exclusive to PlayStation 4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection will, however, be available for both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. These titles, along with Dragon Age: The Veilguard, will be available starting March 4, 2025 through PlayStation Plus. When these titles could leave the services was not shared.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is the fourth entry in the Dragon Age series. It picks up after the events of Dragon Age: Inquisition, and ties up some loose threads left dangling by The Treser DLC. Pivoting further towards more action-focused combat, this entry completely pivoted from the pause-and-play gameplay of the first title. Like previous games players recruit companions, with some available to romance.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is available right now for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

The post Dragon Age: The Veilguard s PlayStation Plus Games in March appeared first on Siliconera.

When discussing games that embody the spirit of epic fantasy, Dragon Age stands as what I consider one of the best examples. Bioware’s series, beginning with Dragon Age: Origins in 2009, captured the sweeping grandeur of low fantasy while grounding its story in gritty realism and political nuance. It masterfully balanced classic fantasy tropes. Heroic quests, ancient evils, and mythic creatures blended with the intricate dynamics of kingdom politics, war, and personal agency.

Dragon Age: Origins series embraced both sides of high fantasy conventions. Fighting darkspawn, demons, and dragons while delving into the political strife that divides kingdoms like Ferelden and Orlais. The Grey Wardens, ancient protectors sworn to fight the darkspawn, serve as a focal point of this tension. The backdrop of Origins is not merely the Blight, a catastrophic invasion of monstrous darkspawn. Additionally a civil war threatens Ferelden from within. These dual conflicts lend the series a unique complexity, as players must navigate both battlefield heroics and political intrigue.

It’s impossible to overlook the literary inspirations that influenced Dragon Age. The series bears the unmistakable marks of A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin. Like Martin’s novels, which were later adapted into the Game of Thrones television series, Dragon Age doesn’t shy away from morally grey characters, shifting alliances, and the murky ethics of leadership during wartime. In Ferelden, leaders such as Loghain Mac Tir embody this complexity. His controversial actions to preserve his nation’s independence blur the line between villain and patriot.

In addition, Dragon Age owes a significant debt to Dungeons & Dragons. As with many RPGs, Bioware built upon the legacy of tabletop role-playing games, borrowing from their deep lore and mechanics. Dungeons & Dragons set the gold standard for collaborative storytelling and detailed fantasy worlds. The influence is clear in everything from branching dialogue trees to its meticulous codex entries catag history, religions, and culture.

The game acts as a high point of worldbuilding in the realm of gaming. When Dragon Age: Origins debuted, it felt like the culmination of an era. It came at the tail end of the 1990s and early 2000s PC CRPG boom. This was a time when games like Baldur’s Gate and Planescape: Torment drew heavily from fantasy novels or even adapted them outright. Bioware itself had been instrumental in that era, with Baldur’s Gate bringing the Forgotten Realms to life.

It’s interesting, then, to see how Baldur’s Gate III has sparked a resurgence of this kind of vast, narrative-rich worldbuilding. Set within the official Dungeons & Dragons universe, Baldur’s Gate III feels like a natural successor to those earlier games. Yet, some have referred to it as the spiritual successor to Dragon Age. On one hand, this makes sense—the games share sprawling narratives, tactical combat, and a focus on player choice. On the other hand, it’s a somewhat redundant comparison, given that Dragon Age borrowed and improved upon the same narrative traditions and mechanics as Baldur’s Gate III.

However, This resurgence gives me hope that we might see more games with the kind of expansive worldbuilding that Dragon Age perfected. The series didn’t just stop at the games—it extended its universe into novels and comics. Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne, for instance, is a standout example of how supplemental material can enrich the main narrative. The novel explores the early reign of King Maric and the rebellion against Orlais. Events that are only mentioned in the games but carry immense weight in the series’ lore.

What makes this so satisfying is how self-contained these stories feel. The Stolen Throne works as a standalone fantasy novel, even for readers unfamiliar with the games. This kind of depth in worldbuilding is rare and harks back to the interconnected nature of epic fantasy universes. One where every story, no matter how small, feels meaningful within the larger tapestry.

Of course other games feature tie-ins, but many lack the same sense of cohesion. Plenty of modern franchises have books or comics. However, these can often feel like marketing tools rather than integral parts of the lore.

It’s worth noting that other games today are celebrated for their intricate lore and worldbuilding. FromSoftware’s Dark Souls series is perhaps the best-known example, with its cryptic storytelling and layered mythology. However, the nature of Dark Souls’ storytelling is fundamentally different. Its narratives are primarily told through environmental design, item descriptions, and subtle hints, leaving much of the story to interpretation.

While this approach has its merits, it doesn’t replicate the experience of Dragon Age’s epic, interconnected fantasy world. There’s something unique about a series that tells its stories so overtly. Players engage directly with the politics, history, and personal drama of its characters.

Ultimately, what makes Dragon Age special is its ability to create a vast, living world that feels both intimate and epic. The series captures the sweeping scope of epic fantasy while allowing players to shape its narrative through their choices. It’s not quite the same as losing yourself in a multi-volume book series, but it’s an experience all its own. One that transcends the screen and spills into other mediums.

As the gaming industry continues to evolve, I hope we see more worlds like Thedas. One where every character, codex entry, and side quest contributes to the sense of something larger than ourselves. Whether it’s through novels, games, or entirely new formats, there’s something magical about these epic worlds that keep us coming back for more.

The post Dragon Age Nailed the ‘Epic’ in Epic Fantasy appeared first on Siliconera.

Where are you, BioWare? This is a question I have been asking for about a decade now and, sadly, with the release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, it seems I won’t be stopping anytime soon. Dragon Age: The Veilguard features solid, engaging action RPG combat and decent characters, but it does little to make up for an overall linear, by-the-numbers product.

The past Dragon Age games have been BioWare on its richest fantasy lore, and The Veilguard finds itself in a strange position. This is one of the most unwelcoming RPGs in recent memory to newcomers, as it hinges entirely on the events of the previous title, Inquisition, and even as a diehard fan myself, I felt lost at times.

But then, on the other side of the coin, The Veilguard feels so disconnected from the rest of the series. Sure, it continues the ideas of the Fade, Darkspawn, and even has familiar characters like Solas. But it all feels almost like a reboot, with a completely different vibe and tone compared to past titles. This is even more apparent in certain brief cameos where characters act almost completely differently. A huge part of this issue comes from the lack of depth to the writing and story.

Outside of the linearity (more on them in a bit), the story of this BioWare RPG is the most disappointing part. Even when I didn’t love Dragon Age 2 or Inquisition, they made up for it in the writing department. This isn’t the case here. The main plot takes a good bit to get going and I don’t find the end result as worthwhile as it needed to be in the decade since the last game.

Worse still, the moment-to-moment elements lack depth as well. Take, for instance, the myriad throwaway side quests in the experience. There is an early optional quest where you have to go to various areas to appease a ghost and lay them to rest. In another BioWare game, this would include tearjerker moments about this person and their group’s lives. Instead, it felt like checking off a list to complete a quest for rewards. Even the final cutscene with the ghost was way too short and almost incoherent to the point where I still don’t understand why I was doing this.

This is a far cry from what I expect from BioWare. Heck, even this year’s The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak did a better ghost girl side quest in a shorter time, too. This general writing problem is seen in the main story, too. Conversations are far too short and rely on mostly pointless responses. Outside of some key choices here and there, most options your annoyingly optimistic player character, Rook, picks are just there to pad out the story.

An example of the seemingly rushed and underwhelming storyline is your Rook’s background. You pick from several options of a faction you were part of. There is apparently some elaborate and fascinating backstory for your character but you don’t see it. Instead, my Rook’s epic standoff against an undead army just happens to be a quick summary noted in a couple of sentences in a couple of conversations. This was a great chance to let players experience their unique origin again, and it didn’t happen. It honestly has me wondering why it exists in the first place.

The only saving grace for the plot are the party . In general, I liked these characters overall more than in Inquisition. Characters like the possessed hottie Lucanis was always a blast to speak with. Bellara is a little goofy and always hilarious to chat with. Heck, even a previous side character like Harding was upgraded to a full-time party member in a surprisingly great way.

The most joy I had with The Veilguard came from these chats with the titular group. Getting to know these characters showed the remaining hopeful glimmer BioWare is still in there somewhere. But even Mass Effect Andromeda had ann interesting cast. Fortunately, BioWare also continues its expertise when it comes to action RPG combat. I primarily played as a Mage, but all three classes feel better than ever in this experience.

Strangely enough, I didn’t even notice the lack of being able to play as party . The combat is fast, fluid, and constantly engaging so this missing feature didn’t matter. Being able to command the two party to throw down priming skills for me to detonate with my spells never got old. Battles are challenging but don’t take too long thanks to the swift pace. There is a constant flurry of effects that constantly had me in awe.

So, while I didn’t have much fun with the story or missions, the combat and party always kept me going. Unfortunately, the locations don’t help with this, though. Dragon Age: The Veilguard takes a step back from the open-world environments of its predecessor for more linear missions. This restricted the progression of the game way too much and hindered a lot of my desire to keep going.

There isn’t much reason to explore except for mandatory puzzles and the occasional chest. I got to the point less than 10 hours in where I would rush through missions just to get to the next story beat. Even in the more opening areas, the mission structure of quests halted any enjoyment of exploration. I miss the good old days of gathering some side quests and completing them together as I go through an intriguing new locale.

The same goes for the cities, too. I looked forward to visiting the Tevinter Imperium for so long but the execution fails to deliver in any way. Like the mission areas, these cities are bland and empty of anything interesting to do. There might be a side quest to accept here and there or a merchant or two but that’s it. It seems BioWare didn’t learn from the city mistakes with Inquisition and give NPCs with memorable conversations or anything like that.

Part of the problems with Dragon Age: The Veilguard feels possibly tied to its original multiplayer focus. The mission structure, linearity, and lack of depth story-wise harken back to its origins. To BioWare’s credit, though, it could be much worse.

After all, the party are a delight to spend time with and woo. The combat is some of the most fun I’ve had in a while with an action RPG. It is just a shame everything else falls short. The exploration is far too uninteresting, the story is haphazardly put together, and the mission structure is too linear. There is a good enough RPG to enjoy in Dragon Age: The Veilguard for diehard fans like myself, but this is certainly no second coming of BioWare. I have disliked each new Dragon Age more than the previous one and, unfortunately, The Veilguard continues that.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is available right now for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

The post Review: Dragon Age: The Veilguard Continues BioWare’s Downward Spiral appeared first on Siliconera.

If there is one element of a BioWare game that the studio is known for, it is the characters. This is a trend in the Dragon Age series where the characters are your pals, party , and even potential love interests. But when it comes to the best Dragon Age romance of all time in of the character, writing, and plot, these are our picks.

Siliconera Speaks Up: Best Dragon Age Romance of All Time 1qy23

I don't know if he's the absolute "best," but I'm a sucker for Fenris in Dragon Age 2. I loved his storyline and the sense of trust you build up with him over the years. It takes time for that relationship to grow and you to reach a good place together. However, this is understandable given everything he's been through.

Also… I'm one of those people who genuinely enjoyed the Solas romance in Dragon Age: Inquisition. This was mainly because of how interesting it was narratively. When you considered your life as an elf and the insights you got into his personality as a result of it, it really ended up being fascinating. -- Jenni

Life as the Inquisitor is hectic. Even when you're not dealing with magical powerhouses or ancient evils, your companions are reminding you every waking moment about the end of the world. In Dragon Age: Inquisition, Josephine's romance helps you feel normal. Where other romances in Dragon Age are based on romantic tension or casual thrills, Josephine's is based on intimacy. There's an innocent chemistry between her and your Inquisitor that leads to warm and tender moments. This is far removed from the cataclysm they're both fighting against. It's a beautiful reminder. At the end of a hard day, we don't need coy euphemisms from powerful heroes; we just want someone to come home to. -- Giancarlo

While I vastly prefer the Mass Effect side of BioWare romances, Morrigan will always stand out to me. I didn’t exactly love this somewhat toxic romance, but it is one of the most fascinating. Morrigan as a character is phenomenal and one of the standouts of Dragon Age Origins. The implications of this particular romance and a certain endgame plot decision make this one of the more complicated romances in BioWare’s history. Also, shout out to the also complex and wonderful Dorian in Dragon Age: Inquisition. -- Cody

Dragon Age: The Veilguard releases for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on October 31, 2024.

The post What’s the Best Romance in the Dragon Age Series? appeared first on Siliconera.

The Dragon Age series focuses on three core RPG classes for players to choose from: Mage, Rogue, and Warrior. They all have their own strengths and weaknesses players will likely gravitate towards. Within each of the three core classes across the mainline games thus far, these are the best Dragon Age classes and specializations worth using.

Best Dragon Age Mage Classes and Specializations 2h27a

The Mage class is all about magic and the different specializations within it focus on different areas of magic. My favorite of the Mage specializations is the horrifying but impressively unique Blood Mage. This forbidden magic is powerful and uses HP instead of mana to power it.

In addition to it, Spirit Healer with its immense healing spells is invaluable in some of the hardest challenges of the series. Finally, coming from Dragon Age: Inquisition, my second-favorite specialization for Mage is Necromancer. It acts exactly as you might expect, allowing the player to raise the dead, terrify enemies, and use incredible DPS and crowd control possibilities.

Best Dragon Age Rogue Classes and Specializations 44qi

Assassin is the quintessential Rogue specialization. It is the only one available in every RPG in the series thus far, and for a good reason. It is basically the evolved form of the Rogue, specializing dual daggers and able to deal some of the best damage of the classes. But it is pretty tame unlike its fellow best Rogue specializations.

Bard is a specialization that very much needs to come back. It acts as a for the party, buffing them and being quite fun to use because of this. Then there is, finally, the Ranger. This very Dungeons & Dragons-feeling class lets the player attack from afar and also command the wildlife to fight for them in a great way.

Best Dragon Age Warrior Specializations 3p3wk

The Warrior class is the basic close combat and often tank-like archetype. Oddly enough, it feels like this class has experimented the least of the three, as it often features the same old specializations. That said, if you want the most straightforward idea of the Warrior, you’ll want the Champion. This is like the tank in a way, able to command the entire battlefield by inspiring allies, defending them, and even terrifying foes.

My personal favorite of the Warrior specializations is the Reaver. This bloodthirsty class uniquely uses fallen enemies to feed their thirst for battle and go into a bloody frenzy. The sheer power of the Reaver is unmatched. Finally, the other best specialization for Warrior is the Templar. Like the Blood Mage, Templar has some of the best lore for a class in Dragon Age. This servant of the Chantry is built to take out Mages and other magical beings, and has some of the best skills for the Warrior class.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard will release for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on October 31, 2024.

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With three mainline RPGs and counting, it is finally time to revisit all Dragon Age titles and determine the best companions. I decided to break it down per game and give my thoughts on the best companion per title. There are some fantastic BioWare characters throughout each game, but these are the best Dragon Age companions in of writing, romance, and more across all three titles.

Best Dragon Age: Origins Companion: Morrigan 5o2632

It is quite difficult to pick a best companion from the first Dragon Age title. After all, this is arguably the best group of characters in the series thus far. But if I had to pick a single member of the group, I would go with Morrigan. This infamous witch has a deep story and the most compelling writing out of anyone in this initial game.

Without spoiling too much, her story goes in a wild direction no matter what path you take. Furthermore, her personality is intoxicating. She is certainly a prime example of “less is more.” If you like that more hard-to-get style of character, Morrigan is one of the best companions to travel alongside.

Best Dragon Age 2 Party Member: Varric 4g4av

If I had to pick a single character to be the best overall companion in all of this fantasy BioWare series, it would be Varric. He appears in Dragon Age 2 and reprises his party member role in the next couple of games, too. There is a reason BioWare keeps bringing back Varric compared to the other numerous party .

This wise-cracking Dwarf is one of the funniest characters in all of video games. He is constantly making memorable quips and bringing some much-needed levity to this otherwise quite serious fantasy world. Varric is synonymous with this RPG series much in the same way as someone like Garrus in Mass Effect.

Best Dragon Age: Inquisition Companion: Dorian 493tg

I don’t want to bring up Varric yet again for the third mainline game in this series, so the best companion from this title has to be Dorian. Like Varric, Dorian is quite funny and one of the most charming characters in the series thus far. But the most beautiful part about Dorian is he epitomizes the idea of don’t judge a book by its cover.

If you take the time to get to know Dorian well, his backstory is tremendously written and heart-breaking. His outer shell belies the emotional lore he has. Dorian has such a complex story almost no one else in Dragon Age: Inquisition is able to compare to, whether you romance him or not.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard will release for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on October 31, 2024.

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Two new Dragon Age plushes are available to pre-order, which includes Manfred, the skeletal assistant of Emmrich Volkarin in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and the griffon Assan. Both plushes will cost $41.99, not including shipping, and will arrive sometime in late 2024 or early 2025. These plushes by Sanshee are being made in collaboration with Dragon Age developer BioWare.

Sanshee will also sell pins of Assan and Manfred, which are also available for pre-order. Each enamel pin will cost $12.99. The Dragon Age: The Veilguard pins and plushes can be pre-ordered in a bundle, which will cost $46.73. Additionally, the plush will come with a special collector's card.

Assan and Manfred are secondary characters, though tied to companions that will appear in the game. As mentioned previously, Manfred is the assistant of Emmrich Volkarin, a necromancer of sorts, and Assan is the adorable companion of Devrin, the Grey Warden.

With the release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard just around the corner, BioWare has shared pre-load and release times for the highly anticipated installment in the Dragon Age series. This includes when the game will release in specific regions.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard will release worldwide for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on October 31, 2024.

The post New Dragon Age Plushes Feature Baby Griffon and Manfred the Skeleton appeared first on Siliconera.

The long awaited Dragon Age: The Veilguard finally has an exact release date of October 31, 2024. The release was planned to be announced alongside a trailer, but it appears to have leaked early (thanks, @Wario64!).

The trailer appears to show more of the city of Minrathous, which previously appeared in June's gameplay reveal trailer. There's another peek at the combat shown there, as well as a look at how Pride demons and antagonist Solas will look in the game. Also visible right at the end are two figures standing by Solas, but possibly on the other side of the veil. Both appear mostly humanoid. However, one has a mass of tentacles and extra hands, while the other has some kind of horn-like structure protruding from their back.

You can find the leaked trailer via @Wario64's tweet. When the trailer officially goes live on August 15, 2024, you can watch via Youtube below:

Back in June, 2024, Bioware confirmed a Fall release window for the game alongside a trailer focused on the companions. The company has also confirmed that it will be playable via Steam Deck on launch.

The Dragon Age: The Veilguard release date is October 31, 2024. It will appear on the PC and Xbox Series X.

The post Dragon Age: The Veilguard Release Date Falls in October appeared first on Siliconera.

BioWare announced that it will be easier for people to play Dragon Age: The Veilguard at launch, as the game will run natively on Steam and the Steam Deck. The official Steam product page also updated to show it is fully Steam Deck compatible.

The official reveal noted that Dragon Age: The Veilguard will be “all-in on” when it comes to being compatible with Steam. However, the product page doesn’t completely reflect that yet. For example, it doesn’t note for Steam Achievements cloud saves, or other features just yet. The page also doesn’t note any EA App requirement, just as BioWare promised. However, it does confirm a third party EULA will be in effect.

This is the second major announcement tied to Dragon Age: The Veilguard in July 2024. BioWare recently revealed the game’s voice actors ahead of SDCC 2024. That reveal only covered some of the major cast and companions we’ll encounter, as well as different avatar voice options for our protagonist. This came after the June 2024 Xbox Games Showcase reveal noting the game would launch in Fall 2024.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard will come to the Xbox Series X and PC in Fall 2024.

The post Dragon Age: The Veilguard Can Be Played on Steam Deck appeared first on Siliconera.

The long awaited fourth Dragon Age game, recently renamed The Veilguard, finally has a release date window. We can expect the game to release in Fall 2024, according to the announcement trailer at the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase.

The trailer gives us an overview of what look to be our future party , including the return of Scoutmaster Harding from Inquisition. ing her will be Neve, the magically adept detective, Lucanis the mage-hunting assassin, and the veil-jumping Bellara. The rather dapper looking Emmrich will provide reinforcements in the form of summoned skeletons, while Davrin looks to be a Dalish Gray Warden who hunts Darkspawn alongside a Gryphon-like companion. Taash the Qunari (Or possibly Vashoth?) will provide some muscle against the titular dragons, which Harding promises will appear. Interestingly, the trailer ends with the presumed player character stand-in dropping an iron chandelier on foes, potentially indicating a new focus on environmental combat. Most importantly, however, is the return of fan-favorite character Varric from Dragon Age 2, though he looks to be an advisor rather than a party member.

You can watch the full trailer via Youtube below:

Veilguard was previously announced under the name Dragon Age: Dreadwolf back in 2022, with the game taking it's current name more recently. Also announced at the Xbox Showcase was Doom: The Dark Ages, featuring a more fantasy-styled adventure for the Doomslayer.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard will launch for PC and Xbox Series X/S, with a release window of Fall, 2024.

The post Dragon Age: The Veilguard Launches Gets Release Window appeared first on Siliconera.

While Baldur's Gate III may be relatively fresh, as one can imagine there are a series of games that came before it. While some may argue that these entries in the Baldur's Gate series aren't required to fully enjoy Baldur's Gate III, there are some threads connecting the previous narrative to Larian Studios' take on the series. This guide outlines how to play all Baldur's Gate games in chronological order, and what order to play them in.

Thankfully, it's easier than ever to get your hands on all of the Baldur's Gate games, and play them in chronological order if you're looking to play Baldur's Gate III further down the line. Or even just experience the Bhaalspawn Saga after you've wrapped up your Illithid laden adventure. And for those wondering, the events of the first two Baldur's Gate games do have some impact on Baldur's Gate III, specifically the Dark Urge origin. Certain locations in the first Baldur's Gate game even hold some significance. So playing the two games will either enrich your experience with the third entry in the series, or you may want to uncover what made these locations (and the city of Baldur's Gate) so important, and who the Lord of Murder is.

Those interested in experience the Bhaalspawn Saga can purchase Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn on just about any platform. The Enhanced Editions of both games (with Baldur's Gate II coming packaged with the Throne of Bhaal expansion) can be found on PC, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. So you can pick any of your chosen platforms to play the older games.

All Baldur's Gate Games in Chronological Order 293k2y

• Baldur's Gate
• Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear
• Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn
• Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal
• Baldur's Gate III

Not included in the list are the Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance games, of which two exist. This is due to the fact that they are not tied into the Bhaalspawn Saga, which is comprised of Baldur's Gate, Baldur's Gate II, and all accompanying DLC. That said, if you want to continue traipsing around the iconic city, you can check out the Dark Alliance games (Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance not included, though it takes place in the same campaign setting of The Forgotten Realms). They are set after the Bhaalspawn Saga and are more or less action adventure games set in The Forgotten Realms.

Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition and Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition are available on the PC, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. Baldur's Gate III is available on PC and will release for the PlayStation 5 on September 6, 2023.

The post How to Play all Baldur’s Gate Games in Chronological Order appeared first on Siliconera.

EA and BioWare offered an update on Dragon Age 4, which is officially known as Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. It also offered a first peek at the logo. The blog post announcing the title confirmed a returning character would appear as an antagonist. Finally, the announcement closed by saying additional details will come up at the end of 2022.

At The Game Awards 2018, a Dread Wolf rises teaser appeared. It offered a hint that a certain person would return. In Executive Producer Mark Darrah offered hints work was being done on Dragon Age 4 back in 2020. An additional update came at Gamescom 2020. However, it wasn't until The Game Awards 2020 that a better look at the game showed up.

Editor's Note: There will be Dragon Age Dread Wolf spoilers below that suggest elements that will appear in Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. 71ov

In Dragon Age, there is an elven god called the Dread Wolf Fen’Harel. In Dragon Age: Inquisition, people learn that one of players’ party , Solas, is that person. The game ends with a fateful encounter between Solas and another important, recurring character from past installments.

Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is in development for unspecified platforms. More news will come in 2022.

The post Dragon Age 4 is Dragon Age Dreadwolf appeared first on Siliconera.

Bioware revealed its second Mass Effect character dakimakura, that is a body pillow case, and this time it feature Tali. People can immediately pick up the pillow case with the Quarian on it. It ships immediately after purchase and is $35. [Thanks, Wario64!]

The Tali dakimakura features two different designs. Each one was drawn by Chris Claxton. On one side, the pose makes it look like she could be sleeping. The other side’s design looks like she is standing normally. She’s wearing her standard suit from all three games in the art. The pillow case will fit any 20 inch by 54 inch body pillow.

Here’s a better look at the Tali Mass Effect dakimakura. It is made of polyester satin and can be machine-washed if someone uses the "delicate" setting.
[gallery columns="2" ids="889621,889622" link="file"]

This is the second in a line of official dakimakura. The original one featured Garrus. Like Tali’s, his features him in two different positions. Prior to Bioware's official versions of the pillow cases, people tended to make their own unofficial designs.

The new Mass Effect Tali’zorah dakimakura body pillow case is available now. Mass Effect Legendary Edition, which includes all three games in the Shepard trilogy, is available on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

The post Next Mass Effect Dakimakura is a Tali Body Pillow Case appeared first on Siliconera.

Years ago, when I caved to the pressure and bought my first Xbox console ever, a friend who worked at Microsoft bought me copies of Mass Effect and Lost Odyssey. She said she knew I would love these games, and had to give them a chance. It wasn't until after Mass Effect 2 released that I finally jumped into the first game—I ate Lost Odyssey up as soon as it arrived—and here I sit, multiple playthroughs throughout all three games and three Mass Effect tattoos later. It was an absolute honor to get to review the re-release of the trilogy, Mass Effect Legendary Edition. After playing and reviewing Mass Effect Andromeda a few years back, I (and we) definitely needed a palate cleanser.

While Legendary Edition was indeed that palate cleanser, it also deeply showed the age of the games. Even though I love Mass Effect more than most people, it's incredibly hard to recommend the re-released trilogy to newcomers due to how outdated so much of it is.

Upon starting the original Mass Effect, it's impossible to miss the visual upgrade. The first game released in the early days of the Xbox 360, and by the time the third game released the original was looking a bit rough. But now it's up to par with Dragon Age Inquisition graphics from the PS4/Xbox One era. That said, though, not all of the visual upgrades were improvements. Things are highly textured for sure, but it comes with weird costs. For instance, the backgrounds look like green screens set behind characters, like it doesn't really fit where they are. The biggest issue is the strangeness of the white of the eyes. More than once, I had to turn away from my TV screen because someone's eyes would creep me out.

[caption id="attachment_885331" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Uh Lieutenant? What's wrong with your eyes?[/caption]

But hey, now my original Shepard design carries over across all three games. Those who played on Xbox 360 will that even though you could import your design from ME1 to ME2, for whatever reason, ME3 did not that second import.

Not to mention, the eyes issues and oddly fitting backgrounds clear up in the other two games. Thankfully. Other issues pop up, like how Shepard looks while running (yeeesh), but it's somewhat expected of a port of older games.

Other things are outdated as well. Let's look at the gameplay, because I forgot how janky things were in the original game. This was one of BioWare's earlier RPGs for consoles, and, well, they uh, tried? All three Mass Effect games have weapons and powers wheels, for better or for worse, and they improved over time. But good God Almighty, those original concepts were rough. This also includes the idea of weapons overheating, Shepard running out of stamina while running, and those gosh-darned QTE mini-games. Those QTEs from the first game are like getting a tattoo. You forget how bad it is until you get another one, and then you exactly how much it sucks while you're under the needle. Mass Effect 2 only slightly improved them, in that they had some variety (sort of). The dev team learned its lesson by the third game, where mini-games for hacking were tossed out all together.

So if you were expecting a gameplay overhaul, you aren't getting anything major. That is, except for the Mako. No one has fond memories of driving that Mako all over planets from the first game. We did it, and all of the insane side quests too, but we weren't happy about it. Even BioWare knew it was bad to the point that the Mako never appeared again until Mass Effect Andromeda, and that game made fun of the original. For good reason. It handled poorly, it flipped over if you looked at it funny, and it was all too easy to send it careening into rivers of lava. For the Legendary Edition, BioWare completely redid the Mako for one smooth ride. After a while, I started to try to flip the thing over, and I never did, no matter how fast I had it zipping down a sheer cliff. Even when it looked like it was going to flip, it bounced on its side back upright. I can't believe I'm typing this, but the Mako was actually enjoyable to drive! And thanks to the new Photo Mode, you can take beautiful horizon screenshots like this:

[caption id="attachment_885333" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] It's a Mako with a view[/caption]

Outdated mechanics and weird running animations aside, the story and characters of the Mass Effect trilogy still hold up. Even though I have played the first two at least three times each, I still loved every minute of the story, the side quests, and the characters. I laughed at Garrus' and Joker's snark. I got emotional all over again when Kaidan dumped Shepard on Horizon. I cried when I couldn't save Mordin. Learning the truth about the geth and quarian war is still just as heartbreaking. And I felt that same thrill of excitement barreling through Ilos to reach the Conduit as I did the first time. The blaring horns of the Reapers still made me jump. There's just something about Mass Effect that keeps me and thousands of others coming back to it.

The best part about having all three games at your fingertips to play them back-to-back-to-back? It's ing all of the NPCs Shepard dealt with along the way. There's a pregnant woman and her brother-in-law you can talk to in the first game about gene therapy. By the third game, I was looking for them at the Citadel, wondering what has happened with the baby boy. I'm able to that one random decision I made one or two games back when NPCs reach out to say hi or ask for another favor. It completes the overall experience and really helps me see how the little things I chose in the first game affect the third game, even if it's just one or two War Asset additions.

[caption id="attachment_885336" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] I'm getting verklempt all over again![/caption]

While I loved every second of replaying Mass Effect for the fourth and definitely not final time, I have that history and nostalgia keeping me through the outdated gameplay. I would recommend anyone jump into this series if they love BioWare RPGs, but I'd have a string of caveats. A lot has not aged well, especially from the first game, even though the first game arguably has the best story of all three. The Mass Effect Legendary Edition is an absolutely incredible walk down memory lane, but that's really all it is. If you're a newbie to the trilogy and you're dying to see what all the fuss is about, better buckle in for one bumpy ride.

Mass Effect Legendary Edition is currently available for the PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.

The post Review: Mass Effect Legendary Edition is a Trip Down Memory Lane appeared first on Siliconera.

Ahead of the Mass Effect Legendary Edition debut, BioWare shared bonus items like a free soundtrack and complementary materials. Until May 31, 2021, people can get a compilation soundtrack with the collection’s new song, two art books, two comics, and a lithograph. However, access to the free digital art books, comic books, and music could be pulled earlier if an unspecified “ capacity is reached.”

The good news is, even if the of the free Mass Effect Legendary Edition soundtrack is pulled, people can still listen to it. The official YouTube channel for the series also includes the 88-track album. It includes timestamp links to every song, grouped by the game from which they’re pulled. If people only want to hear the “new” track, “Resynthesis” appears at the 4:06:29 mark.

As for the other media, they also are designed to prepare people for adventures into the universe again. The Mass Effect 2 and 3 art books are a part of the 1.7GB . So are Mass Effect: Redemption issue 1 and Mass Effect: Invasion issue 1. The former takes place between the first two games, while the latter follows Mass Effect 2 ing character Aria T’Loak.

There is also a custom My Shepard key art creator website for people to make custom designs. You choose the squates who appear in the design, then turn it into a PS4 or Xbox One cover insert or wallpaper.

The Mass Effect Legendary Edition will come to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on May 14, 2021 with multiple “calibrations.” It will be “forward compatible” with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. BioWare is also talking to modders for the PC edition.

The post Free Mass Effect Legendary Edition Soundtrack Includes Its New Song appeared first on Siliconera.