Going all the best way again to Origins, your selections – and the results of these selections – have been a serious a part of Dragon Age historical past, with every participant character making choices which have huge implications on the world of Thedas. Did you may have the outdated god child with Morrigan in Origins? Did you facet with the mages or templars in Dragon Age II? Did you drink from the Well of Sorrows in Inquisition? And, for the love of The Maker, who did you smooch?
In line with that theme, beginning with Inquisition, you might truly import your world states from earlier video games by way of BioWare’s on-line database, The Keep. That means when you did have the outdated god child with Morrigan, the child might truly present up in Inquisition, together with many different little nods to your earlier selections.
But Dragon Age: The Veilguard took a unique method – as an alternative of leaning on The Keep, BioWare as an alternative permits you to recreate your protagonist from Dragon Age: Inquisition within the character creator and choose sure choices you made in Inquisition by way of tarot playing cards. However, the sport affords solely three world state choices: whether or not or not you disbanded the Inquisition, whether or not you vowed to redeem Solas or cease him at any price, and, in fact, who did you smooch in Inquisition?
Speaking to us for our IGN First protection again in September, the BioWare workforce defined they wished to deal with selections in The Veilguard that they may react to meaningfully. Still, that didn’t change the truth that many followers have been majorly upset upon listening to concerning the restricted choices – particularly given the truth that they solely tie again to Inquisition, with no updates from Origins’ Hero of Ferelden or Dragon Age II’s Hawke.
However, there’s a glimmer of excellent information for these hoping to see their earlier selections mirrored in future Dragon Age video games, ought to BioWare determine to make one other sequel. Game Director Corrine Busche and Creative Director John Epler lately sat down with IGN for a wide-ranging, spoiler-filled interview (which you’ll be able to learn right here), the place we requested if the workforce wished that they had built-in any further previous choices in The Veilguard. Here’s what Busche needed to say:
The massive factor for us is we wished to make this story, each single selection you make, really feel related to it. One factor that we might have acknowledged extra clearly or possibly alluded to extra clearly within the recreation is the concept simply because these selections from the previous library of video games did not essentially influence this explicit story, that does not imply they’re gone. This is an opportunity for us to actually key in to what issues with these occasions and what’s occurring in Northern Thedas. I do totally anticipate that these selections going clear again to Dragon Age: Origins will once more matter. So simply wished to be on document with that. Every one in all your selections that individuals have made all through their Dragon Age journey, these are nonetheless your selections.
While that ought to be encouraging for followers hoping to see their selections mirrored in Thedas’ future, the large caveat right here is whether or not or not Dragon Age: The Veilguard will certainly find yourself getting a sequel, and that’s unclear as of but. While it acquired optimistic opinions and have become EA’s largest single-player recreation on Steam at launch, an analyst lately informed IGN that it faces an “uphill battle” to match Inquisition’s launch gross sales. Plus, it was already a rocky sufficient journey to get to Dragon Age 4, and BioWare has shifted its consideration to Mass Effect 5 with no plans for The Veilguard DLC.
Still, that’s to not say the top of The Veilguard didn’t trace at occasions from earlier Dragon Age video games and the way they may come into play for potential future video games. We requested Busche and Epler about that as properly, however be warned: Full endgame spoilers for Dragon Age: The Veilguard to observe.
A Hint at What a Potential Dragon Age 5 Could Be About
Curiously, The Veilguard has a “secret ending” that comes within the type of the post-credits scene, which you’ll be able to solely view as soon as you discover the three mysterious circles by fixing a puzzle and finishing a pair facet quests (learn IGN’s information to getting the key ending right here). Or when you don’t really feel like doing all that, don’t fear, you possibly can simply view it beneath:
While it begins with displaying our baddies from The Veilguard – Elgar’nan, Ghilan’nain, and the Dread Wolf – we additionally get glimpses of occasions and characters that shall be acquainted to followers who performed earlier video games, together with depictions of Loghain, Meredith, Orsino, Bertrand, Corypheus, and Flemeth. Busche introduced up this secret ending when speaking concerning the potential of earlier selections coming again into play, including, “when you’ve seen the 2D ending we talked about, a few of these occasions being fairly pertinent, it’s straightforward to see how these selections can and shall be related into the long run.”
But along with the extra recognizable characters, that secret ending additionally reveals off a mysterious group of masked figures who’ve clearly been pulling some strings. While solely well-researched followers would possible guess that this group is The Executors – a shadowy group that’s simply been referenced right here and there in issues like a Dragon Age: Inquisition War Table mission – Epler talked just a little bit about what their look may imply for the way forward for Thedas.
“Without moving into what possibly the long run holds for them, their purpose is to take away the elven gods from the desk,” Epler mentioned. “Again, [the gods] are essentially the most highly effective forces on Thedas up up to now. And no matter [the voices’] plans could also be, one other highly effective magical pressure on the desk like that’s going to pose some obstacles.”
“I believe the opposite factor concerning the Executors, they’re very threat averse,” he continued. “They’ve been enjoying the extraordinarily lengthy recreation as a result of the one factor they do not need to do is go away any of their items in examine. They’re at all times going to go for the choice that retains them the furthest away from hurt, whereas additionally advancing these targets.”
Epler went on to level out that there’s a frequent chain of world-shattering occasions from Origins by way of the top of The Veilguard. “Why now? Why on this age, why this particular time?” he continued. “You begin to get a way of why that is likely to be – not as a result of anybody’s entering into and controlling kingdoms or taking on armies. Someone is seeing the endgame coming and possibly they’re organising for it.”
When pressed additional if we’d see extra of the Executors’ plans in a possible Dragon Age 5, Epler responded, “by no means say by no means.” So, whereas it nonetheless appears clear that Dragon Age 5 hasn’t been formally greenlit as of but, the artistic workforce actually has some plans for the long run.
For extra on the conclusion of The Veilguard and what it might imply for Dragon Age’s future, take a look at our full ending defined.
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing leisure reporting. When she’s not writing or modifying, yow will discover her studying fantasy novels or enjoying Dungeons & Dragons.
