Dragon Age: Absolution

[Winter]

It's safe to say that BioWare knows it's in trouble, while the company has won back some of the good will with the Mass Effect: Legendary Edition on the whole the company has lost many fans after the rather massive bombs with Mass Effect: Andromeda and Anthem. So, needless to say, they have a LOT riding on their next two upcoming projects with Dragon Age: Dreadwolf and the next Mass Effect game.

As of right now most of the effort is going into DADW which the company has been working on for about 8 years now in which time the game went from a single player game, to a Live Serve Game then BACK to a Single Player game with many of the developers leaving the company During development. And if that makes you nerves I can't blame you but let's take a look at what the original lead on the project said about how he thinks the upcoming game will turn out.


youtu.be/mfjTv5CkDdg

And keep in mind this is someone who, before, after and DURING the post this video was originally attached to called "BioWare Magic" Bullshit and has no issue with expressing his opinion on how the company is runned so if He says not to worry I'm incline to take his word for it.

That then leads us to how BioWare is going to market this game which is likely going to get a LOT of hype in marketing in the months/year leading up to the game's release. That will likely start on December 4th which is Dragon Age Day for fans and we'll also likely see some major trailer during the Gaming Awards on December 8th. However, the one bit of marketing that will likely make or break the upcoming game is the Netflix Animated show/possible miniseries Dragon Age: Absolution.

This won't be the first time BioWare has dipped its toes into the Animated Media before but it will be one of the few times as the only other Animated Property BioWare has made was the Highly Underrated Mass Effect: Paragon Lost which was a prequel to Mass Effect 3 that told the story of James Vega and his squad going up against the Collectors.

However, that was 10 years ago and the film, while good, is rather flawed with a rushed plot, awkward animation (there's one scene where Vega smiles and it's kinda terrifying when it's clearly meant to be charming) and while it's meant to tie into ME3 it was released Nine Months After the game was released so it kinda got lost in the heat of ME3's controversial ending.

In that regards DAA is MEPL done right, at least from a technical standpoint. It will be, at least, a six episode miniseries so there's more room for the story to breath, the animation is Massive improvement over MEPL and is likely being set up as a Prequel to DADW (I expect to see a "To Be Continued in Dragon Age: Dreadwolf" at the end of the show). I honestly do wonder if this will only be a miniseries or if BioWare intends this to be a series released over the course of the next year to help build up hype for the game but regardless I'm honestly kinda interested in how this is all going to play out.

Like I said BioWare is going to be putting a LOT into the marketing of DADW and while trailers are good a show on one of the most popular streaming serves in the world is better especially if the show does well and again, as I said before, I think MEPL is really underrated and if DAA is as good as that film only with the flaws ironed out then we'll likely have a real hit on our hands.

At the very least it looks good and I'm glad their going with 2D animation instead of trying to go 3D to match the games and the animation looks really good.

To the future, let it be as bright and filled with good fortune for us all.

[CharlesPhipps]

The simple fact is that I don't actually have any attachment to the Dragon Age setting the way I do Mass Effect strangely enough. Shepard is a character independent of the character blank slate that you could do movies starring them (and should) but the Grey Warden isn't. HAWKE could be but they didn't develop them that way.

And frankly, barring THE MASKED EMPIRE I think all Dragon Age Expanded Universe content has been pretty disastrous.

Okay, I'll make an exception for the Alistair comics. I'd read Alistair comics.

Leliana and Morrigan comics too.

But I CARE about those characters in a way I don't for the setting.

[Winter]

The simple fact is that I don't actually have any attachment to the Dragon Age setting the way I do Mass Effect strangely enough. Shepard is a character independent of the character blank slate that you could do movies starring them (and should) but the Grey Warden isn't. HAWKE could be but they didn't develop them that way.

And frankly, barring THE MASKED EMPIRE I think all Dragon Age Expanded Universe content has been pretty disastrous.

Okay, I'll make an exception for the Alistair comics. I'd read Alistair comics.

Leliana and Morrigan comics too.

But I CARE about those characters in a way I don't for the setting.

I can't speak for stories I haven't read or seen but the ones I have I've overall liked. I read and enjoyed Knight Errant, Deception, Blue Wraith and Dark Fortress which had a lot of characters I liked and made better use of other DA characters like Fenris who I found to be rather weak in DA2 but I like him in Blue Wraith and Dark Fortress and Vaea was a really engaging character.

As for Shepard, I have to half disagree because while they have some character the character is still largely defined by the player. Case in point one Shepard can be a xenophobe while the other is open minded and views Aliens as equals. One can commit genocide while the other does everything in their power to save as many people as possible.

The only time I would say that Shepard had a character that was mostly defined by the game itself was ME3 where we're given almost no say in how Shepard behaves & acts and the game can outright ignore us for 5 or even 10 minutes at a time or doesn't give us any opportunity over how we behave.

Honestly I think the best Protagonist in the BioWare canon is the Inquisitor because the game gives us so much control over that PC. With Shepard you're restricted by the Paragon and Renegade System in how you can act but with the Inquisitor you're given more range and can be as cruel, as kind or as sarcastic as you want and can even play the middle ground.

I once played my Inquisitor as this scheming mastermind who managed to win the trust of those around her who was only interested in my own power but presented myself as this kind person who only wanted the best for people. I got ride of the Circles, rebuilt Celene's relationship with Briala and helped my companions with their problem and yet I never felt I was breaking character.

Outside of using exploits to max out my P and R I HAD to play Shepard as one extreme or another so my Shepard felt more flat which was not helped by how little the game asks you personal questions. I was regularly asked by the game how I felt on certain events, my opinion on the rights of others and what I believed in. Shepard is mostly asked those questions in ME3 and ONLY a handful of times and most of those times you're not really allowed to say what you want the game says it for you.

But that's just me and more power to you if you feel the opposite.

[hammerofglass]

I mean Shepard has enough of a distinct personality that they put an expy/parody of her in Wreck It Ralph, she ain't exactly a blank slate.

[Winter]

I mean Shepard has enough of a distinct personality that they put an expy/parody of her in Wreck It Ralph, she ain't exactly a blank slate.

Who was the Shepard Expy in Wreck It Ralph?

[hammerofglass]

I mean Shepard has enough of a distinct personality that they put an expy/parody of her in Wreck It Ralph, she ain't exactly a blank slate.

Who was the Shepard Expy in Wreck It Ralph?

Calhoun.

[CharlesPhipps]

Yes, you could do a Male or Female Shepard in media by Bioware and no one would particularly bat an eye (maybe a little) but you can't do that with the Inquisitor who could be any number of races or classes or personalities.