“If we’re on a kick re-mastering video games from the aughts,” David Gaider, lead author of all three Dragon Age video games, mused on Twitter (opens in new tab), “what about Dragon Age Origins? Its graphics had been behind the curve even on the time of launch… are you able to think about it with model new PS5-era bells and whistles? 🥳”
We’ll forgive the PS5 point out to deal with this query with the seriousness it deserves. Following the well-received remake of 2008’s Useless House, and with remakes of 2003’s Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, 2005’s Resident Evil 4, and 2007’s first Witcher recreation all on the way in which, it certain does appear to be the interval’s time. Although Gaider prompt a remaster relatively than a remake, there is a superb line between the 2, as one other former BioWare staffer, Mark Darrah, defined (opens in new tab).
Dragon Age: Origins could be a superb candidate for both. Whereas the 2009 RPG runs on trendy PCs it would not achieve this with out challenge, and a model the place the textual content is not too small to learn at excessive resolutions could be a blessing. It may gain advantage from loads of quality-of-life enhancements too, like a toggle for hiding occasion members’ helmets and an choice to have the canine as a companion with out having to depart another person behind to take action.
In fact, improved graphics could be good as effectively, even when they did not go for absolutely ray traced shadows as you sit across the campfire taking turns to ask everybody inappropriate private questions. “Even Inquisition-level graphics could be nice!” Gaider mentioned. “Look, all I need is for Morrigan to not have the shoulders of a linebacker and for the intercourse scenes to not appear to be somebody bashing marionettes collectively and shouting ‘now kiss!'”
Since this dialog occurred on Twitter, Gaider was instantly knowledgeable that it is OK for girls to have shoulders like linebackers, so he made the next clarification: “All feminine fashions in DAO used the male animation rig. I believed this seemed esp odd on Morrigan, whose distinctive mannequin had a really slender body and was altered (significantly on the shoulders) to match. I can not unsee the change. No different implications meant. 😅
“Did Morrigan nonetheless look nice in DAO? Certain. May there have been extra physique sorts all through DA for each sexes, together with even broader shoulders? That will have been nice, however the modelers and animators had been restricted by the number of rigs out there. Merely the way it was, people.”
And, sure, somebody replied to idly speculate in regards to the broodmother—an enormous bare ghoul who provides delivery to Darkspawn encountered in Origins’ Useless Trenches—and simply what she’d appear to be with 2023 graphics. “Simply assume: extra-realistic slimy nipple textures”, Gaider mentioned in response.
On condition that EA printed a remastered model of the Mass Impact trilogy in 2021, the concept of giving the early Dragon Age video games an analogous remedy has been introduced up earlier than. Gaider himself beforehand mentioned his concepts for a Dragon Age 2 Snyder Minimize. A Dragon Age remaster is not that prone to truly occur, nonetheless. As Gaider says, “I think EA would solely do it in the event that they thought it will promote like *gold-plated* hotcakes. They’ve… by no means actually gotten DA, or understood why it bought higher than Mass Impact, was my impression.”
BioWare’s Dragon Age workforce is at the moment busy with Dreadwolf, although the newest developer weblog would not inform us a lot about it in favor of explaining its considering on ability tree design. Having left BioWare in 2016, David Gaider is engaged on Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical, which is due for launch in 2023.
In case you’re planning a Dragon Age replay, you must in all probability simply remaster it your self by selecting from this collection of the most effective Dragon Age: Origins mods.
