Summary
- BioWare's recent struggles haven't stopped it from working on Dragon Age: Dreadwolf and Mass Effect 4, which could help get the studio back on track.
- Leaks indicate that Dragon Age: Dreadwolf might ditch CRPG elements for action combat, potentially signaling similar changes for Mass Effect 4.
- Dragon Age has gone through major gameplay changes in the past, while Mass Effect has remained more consistent, but both franchises could see significant combat overhauls in their upcoming installments.
BioWare hasn’t had the most successful run in the last several years. Dragon Age: Inquisition is almost 10 years old, Mass Effect: Andromeda was plagued with issues, Anthem shut down after only two years, and BioWare recently faced significant layoffs. However, Dragon Age: Dreadwolf and Mass Effect 4 still allow BioWare to get things back on track.
While BioWare hasn’t given fans a complete picture of Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, various leaks give fans some idea of what to expect. This includes the controversial decision to potentially drop the remaining CRPG trappings in favor of action combat. Given this possible radical change in combat style, it might suggest that BioWare also has significant changes in store for Mass Effect 4.
BioWare May Have Big Changes in Store for Mass Effect 4
Dragon Age has gone through some significant changes from game to game. Dragon Age: Origins was closer to BioWare’s roots, with gameplay reminiscent of Knights of the Old Republic. Dragon Age 2 had a smaller scope and was more action-oriented, but the gameplay was broadly similar to its predecessor. Dragon Age: Inquisition restored the epic scale and introduced an open world to the mostly DA2-style gameplay. The next Dragon Age is reportedly dropping the open world, but the most significant change is rumored to be the combat, with some comparing Dreadwolf to God of War.
Dragon Age’s inconsistent combat may have to do with the fact that the games weren’t planned from the beginning, at least not to the same degree as Mass Effect. Origins was developed as a standalone game, and each title more-or-less does its own thing. Still, there is no denying that Dreadwolf’s rumored action combat is a major shift for the Dragon Age series.
Meanwhile, BioWare intended for Mass Effect to be a trilogy from the start, and as a result, it feels more consistent than its sister series. The second and third games had simplified RPG mechanics and different exploration, but third-person cover shooting was a core part of all three games. That didn’t change until Andromeda, which emphasized mobility over the trilogy’s more static cover-based shooting.
After Andromeda’s blunder and Mass Effect: Legendary Edition’s success, Mass Effect 4 might double down on recreating the classic Mass Effect experience. However, an action-oriented Dragon Age: Dreadwolf could signal that BioWare is open to radically changing its tentpole franchises. It’s unclear what this could mean for Mass Effect 4, but there are many ways that BioWare could overhaul the game’s combat.
On the more extreme end of things, BioWare could make Mass Effect 4 a first-person shooter. There is no evidence BioWare will do that, and this is probably one of the least likely possibilities. Rather, if developers really want to emphasize the action side of things, a change in camera perspective could be a way to accomplish that. Of course, this would have the side effect of encouraging more comparisons between Mass Effect 4 and Starfield, which BioWare may or may not want.
Alternatively, BioWare could lean into the advantages of a third-person camera perspective by expanding on Mass Effect 4’s melee combat. That doesn’t mean turning Mass Effect 4 into a full sci-fi hack-and-slash game, but it would be a good way to shake things up. Even in the much more likely scenario that Mass Effect 4 is still a third-person shooter, moving away from cover shooting might be the way to go. The game’s lore could simply explain the change as a new shield and armor technology making cover less important.
Another option might be to take some inspiration from Anthem’s flying mechanics. Despite the game’s many problems, flight was one thing many people loved about Anthem, and it would be a great addition to the new Mass Effect. Even if none of these happen, the point is that anything is possible in the new game.
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is in development.