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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.

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.

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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.

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Two of the biggest names at BioWare are leaving the legendary studio. General Manager Casey Hudson and Dragon Age Executive Producer Mark Darrah are both departing, effective immediately.

The announcement was posted on December 3rd, 2020 on BioWare's blog. In the statement, Electronic Arts Chief Studios Officer Laura Miele thanked Hudson and Darrah for their contributions and noted confidence in BioWare's current generation of talent's ability to take the studio forward. Samantha Ryan will continue to oversee the studio. Christian Dailey, a former Blizzard alum who ed BioWare, will step up to take over for Darrah as Dragon Age Executive Producer, presumably starting with the ongoing development of Dragon Age 4.

Hudson does not have a replacement as of yet. Miele said the search is on for a new General Manager.

Hudson and Darrah also left personal messages to fans and colleagues on the BioWare blog. Hudson clarified that he had "made the decision to retire from the studio and make way for the next generation of studio leaders." Hudson left his immediate future plans unannounced. Still, he said that he wants "to start by rediscovering [his] creative ion through more personal work."

In his statement, Darrah reassured readers about the state of the next Dragon Age title. He also expressed confidence in the leadership of Christian Dailey, as well as Dragon Age Creative Director Matthew Goldman.

"BioWare has always been about telling emotional stories through characters," Darrah said. "We have wandered away from this central guiding pillar at times, but I am confident that the next Dragon Age will show that we remain committed to this kind of game."

Meanwhile, work will continue on BioWare's current projects. This includes the Mass Effect Legendary Edition remaster, as well as ongoing for MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic. The team is also redeveloping beleaguered online shooter Anthem.

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is the studio's next announced project. (Read more about it here.) It's scheduled for release on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC in Spring 2021. There's no release date yet for the next Dragon Age game. Until then, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and other BioWare games are immediately available on PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC.

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Dragon Age is one of those series where people have been waiting over six years now for word on the next installment. While there’s no official announcement, there is a Dragon Age 4 update from someone involved in its creation. BioWare’s Mark Darrah, who is the series’ Executive Producer and even worked on Baldur’s Gate, has offered an update assuring people they “are making process.”

Darrah took to Twitter to confirm the current status of the new Dragon Age game. He went over four points, which basically confirmed it is in development and people are working on it remotely, and that comes with its own challenges.

Here’s his statement.

I realize that most of you are here for Dragon Age news and there hasn't been a lot of that lately...

Let me just run down some things I an say:

1. We are working on the next Dragon Age

2. Yes we are working from home

3. Working from home is harder

4. We are making progress

— Mark Darrah (@BioMarkDarrah) July 22, 2020

The third Dragon Age game, Dragon Age: Inquisition, left off on quite the cliffhanger while also revealing some rather major truths about certain characters in the world. It was teased at The Game Awards 2018. The clip there even had that mysterious character providing voice over and noting, “I suspect you have questions…” There was also a Dragon 4ge Day teased back on December 4, 2019, suggesting a Dragon Age 4 reveal of some sort, but nothing came of that.

A new Dragon Age game is in development, so we know that eventually the Dread Wolf will rise again.

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News about Dragon Age 4 could be on the way. BioWare took to Twitter on November 3, 2019, to remind people that the series is now ten years old. In addition, it hinted at news about the next installment. Specifically, it declared that December 4, 2019 will be Dragon 4ge Day. It didn’t note any possible announcements, but did say it will “ the community’s party.”

The first sign of the next Dragon Age game appeared at The Game Awards 2018. During the show, a teaser appeared including a #TheDreadWolfRises hashtag. In the clip, Dragon Age Inquisition’s Solas says, ““I suspect you have questions.” Since then, Dragon Age 4 has been missing in action. Instead, BioWare’s more recent focus was on Anthem.

Dragon Age Inquisition left off on quite a cliffhanger. It also involved the reappearance of Fen’Harel, the elven trickster god. Also known as the Dread Wolf, he awoke from his sleep during the course of the third game.

Dragon Age Inquisition is available on the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC.

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The new Dragon Age game had its first teaser appear at The Game Awards 2018. Its clip began with a look at a mural, a shadow of a dragon, and someone standing before it. We then heard a familiar voice say, “I suspect you have questions…”

After hearing the clip, which was spoken by someone who appeared in Dragon Age: Inquisition, a hashtag appeared. It read, “#TheDreadWolfRises.”

Here is the clip. After it, there will be spoilers.

"I suspect you have questions..." #TheDreadWolfRises pic.twitter.com/oT7L6LOFKA

— BioWare (@bioware) December 7, 2018

Now, for the spoilers. In Dragon Age: Inquisition, the elf mage Solas is eventually revealed to be Fen’Harel: The Dread Wolf. It is his voice that we hear. Given his actions at the end of the last game, it seems we will find out why he did what he did.

The new Dragon Age game is in development.

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With EA publishing Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening, a retail expansion pack to Dragon Age: Origins later in March, industry site Gamasutra caught up with online producer at Bioware, Fernando Melo, to discuss why Awakening is being published at retail rather than as a digital .

The answer, according to Melo, is fan demand. "We already had some thinking around it," he told Gamasutra. "The team has been working on Awakening for over a year, but the idea of releasing it as an actual boxed product came from a lot of what the fans were asking for."

Melo went on to elaborate that Awakening was developed as a "content" and story expansion, meant to explore the Dragon Age lore, rather than a "features" expansion (even though it does feature re-balancing and the ability to re-spec), and that further content to continue to drive this initiative is in the works.

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