By Samantha Anteau
Staff Writer
Though game developer BioWare is currently focusing the majority of its attentions on its ambitious new game, Anthem, many fans of the developer have expressed their desire for the next game in the Dragon Age series.
While an official announcement has yet to come, it has been made clear that another installment in the series is in the pipeline.
Granted, the most detail fans have gotten is Casey Hudson, a general manager at BioWare, tweeting that it is going to be “story and character focused,” which is a description suiting… pretty much every original BioWare game.
It’s not much to go on, or even an official announcement, but it is enough to have fans speculating what could be coming next and creating wish lists of what they would like to see in the next game.
After spending a significant amount of time playing and thinking about the Dragon Age series, I have settled on a top three wishlist.
Bringing Back Familiar Faces
While lacking the direct connections that are seen in the Mass Effect trilogy, the Dragon Age games are interconnected. As they exist in the same world within the same handful of years, you often find yourself running into characters you recognize from previous games.
The protagonist from Dragon Age 2 had a big part to play in Dragon Age: Inquisition, and Leliana, a party member from the original Dragon Age, returned in Inquisition as a spymaster and main member of leadership.
Call me overattached, but I’m not totally ready to leave Inquisition characters behind. There were plenty of party members that you got to know, and any number of them could have a place in the next installment of the Dragon Age series.
I would be especially sad to never again see my favorite Tevinter mage, Dorian Pavus, which brings me to my next request.
Setting the Game in the Tevinter Imperium
In my opinion, the Tevinter Imperium is one of the most underutilized settings in the game. It has been a source of contention and mystery, as well as the birthplace of some truly interesting characters (see: Dorian and Fenris).
However, we have never gotten to see it. Thus far, the games have stayed mainly within the bounds of Ferelden and Orlais.
This move into the Tevinter Imperium would certainly be an interesting one, as it would shift the game from a culture that is mage-hating to one control by mages.
Actually, in Inquisition’s Trespasser DLC, there is a fairly big hint suggesting that the next game will focus on the Tevinter Imperium. I’m really hoping it wasn’t just a tease, because this is an intriguing area that should be explored.
A Main Plot Focusing on Elves
In the second Dragon Age game, the main focus was on the struggle and oppression of mages. An often overlooked struggle when it comes to plots is that of elves, who are just as oppressed – if not moreso – than mages.
There have been plenty of elf-related side quests in the games that can display the struggle of oppression that elves go through in the DA universe, but never has it been a main focus of the game.
Just like with the Tevinter Imperium, there was a fairly big (if not totally blatant) hint that this was going to be, at the very least, a huge source of conflict in the next game.
I’m honestly surprised it has taken this long for them to utilize elves to their fullest potential. In a genre where elves are often painted as near god-like, with wisdom and a deep understanding of… pretty much everything, Dragon Age’s take on elves is refreshing. Frankly, BioWare should have leaned into that a long time ago. 
