Hey y’all. It’s me, ya boy, back with another Dragon Age: Dreadwolf update. Whereas once I was filled with a sort of passive dread(wolf) for the series’ future, lately it’s been proving that it’s working hard to completely lift itself out of development hell. The most recent source of elation for me is the news that Mark Darrah—yes, THAT Mark Darrah—will be returning to Dragon Age developer BioWare as a consultant, for the remainder of Dreadwolf’s development.
For those who don’t know, Mark Darrah was one of the series’ OGs, as well as a former BioWare exec. He left of his own volition and has been making game dev insight videos for the curious-minded ever since. But be that as it may, it makes sense that he’d want to come back as a consultant, considering how long the team’s been laboring to put this game together.
At this point, whatever shackles EA had placed upon the multiple dev teams that have tried to make the fourth Dragon Age title have ostensibly loosened, if not fallen off entirely. No longer will this be a live-service, multiplayer title, Ã la Anthem, and no longer will it feature in-game purchases. Dreadwolf is shaping up to have its very own vision, long-fought, and with that comes a great deal of positive potential.
Therefore, inviting Darrah back is not only smart—it’s a great sign! They’re willing to allow one of the original molders of Dragon Age’s spirit to come back and give guidance on how the game finishes up, and Darrah’s a very multitalented person. He’d be able to give insight not just with the writing, but also with the art direction, the gameplay, and the overall marketing that will go into this game.
As well as this, though, Dreadwolf has been showing other promising signs. As shown below, it’s inviting all kinds of talented people to help it polish up before release:
In totality, what we know about Dreadwolf is that it’s inviting studio veterans to make it as enjoyable as possible, and that even EA is allowing them the time and resources to become what they want it to be. While yes, some people were leery after seeing the gameplay leaks, overall I’m feeling pretty optimistic! Like come on, guys, we’re getting Dragon Age back! And we’ll be getting it after it’s been passed through the hands of its origins! That’s pretty cool, in my opinion.
Hopefully, we can see even more trends like this. In a time when so many creations are being taken from their creators just to make a quick buck, it’s heartening to see a game (and its devs!) being given the time and respect to let their creativity marinate.
(featured image: Electronic Arts)
