‘Dragon Age: Inquisition’ Trailer is All About Player Freedom

The developers at BioWare may have made their name thanks to a commitment to storytelling, but with the next-gen fast approaching, the team is intent on heightening all aspects of their design philosophy. The latest trailer for Dragon Age: Inquisition gives another look at the first release which will represent BioWare’s goals for next-gen gaming.

With an emphasis on a fully-realized world, cutting-edge graphics and a storyline that any fan of Dragon Age, or fantasy in general can appreciate, the developers of Inquisition maintain that this time around, “it’s all about player freedom.”

The developers have already spoken at length about the story that will be driving the events of Inquisition, but for those who may have missed out, the latest developer diary – dubbed ‘A World Unveiled’ – offers a quick refresher. As the Inquisitor, it falls to the player to handle the investigation and defense of the sudden tear between the world of the living and that of the dead. Loyal to no one and nothing by default, the player must decide how to handle the situation, and if need be, who to leave behind.

It’s no surprise that a greater emphasis on customization is one of the main selling points of Inquisition thus far; the race of the Inquisitor can once again be human, dwarf or elf, and without any loyalty to either the Mages or Templars, much of the game’s content depends on the decisions made by the player early on. In addition, as is pointed out in the video, this game marks the first time in the history of Dragon Age that the player is granted power and authority from the get-go, not forced to assemble a ragtag team of underdogs, and work uphill against a stagnant establishment.

Those elements will certainly still exist within Thedas, but with the developers claiming that they’re putting more power into the hands of the player than ever before, the basic plot of the game seems to back them up. also hinted at in the video is Inqusition‘s Assassin’s Creed-like system of agents – operative who can be used to carry out the player’s will. That remains just one of the additions we’re curious to see in greater detail, but the gameplay video shown in the trailer should placate fans for now.

We’ll keep you updated on Dragon Age: Inquisition – and how it may impact the next Mass Effect – as the launch approaches, but have you decided your stance? Does the series still hold a place in your heart, or has the increase in next-gen competition gotten you looking elsewhere? Sound off in the comments.

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‘Dragon Age: Inquisition’ Video Talks Return of Playable Races

If there was one issue that fans of the original Dragon Age: Origins tookBioWare to task over omitting in their much-hailed follow-up, it was the complete lack of multiple playable races, and a significantly reduced amount of choice in their character’s origin story. Where fans had previously been able to choose between human, dwarf and elf heroes (of varying classes), Dragon Age 2 took those choices away, and fans made their frustrations known.

Now, it seems that a lack of playable races is a mistake that Dragon Age: Inquisition won’t be repeating. While it had previously been claimed by creative director Mike Laidlaw that the hero of Inquisition would still be human, the latest peek behind the scenes of development claim that’s not the case, and players will once again be able to play as non-human characters.

While the lengthy series of delays that have kept Dragon Age 3 – explanation of the name change can be read here – are bad news for fans, this seems to be the one bright spot. As the development team explains to Game Informer, the decision to push release back until after the launch of next-gen consoles gave the team the time required to add elves and dwarves back into the mix. The decision meant much more work for the team, but as Laidlaw notes, he believes it will be “money well spent” – we’re inclined to agree.

Have a look at the character models featured in the video below:

Although Laidlaw admits that the inclusion of playable races was completely a response to fan demand (apparently they really were valuing player feedback), he claims that there were plenty on the team who had also hoped to make the extra choice a reality. It’s not surprising to hear optimism from the developers that their additions will be appreciated, but Laidlaw seems to realize which aspects of varying hero races were most important to players of Origins.

It was more than just shiny sets of armor in all shapes and sizes – and the earlyInquisition gameplay footage promises they’ll be even shinier – but a completely different way to interact with the game’s world. The few examples given in the video – elves being viewed differently in Orlais, dwarves seen as outcasts anywhere above ground – promise unique dialogue while hearkening back toOrigins‘ strongest story lines.

Given the task before the Inquisitor, the selection of race may have serious repercussions when it comes to recruiting specific factions. If you have yet to see the video detailing the story, check it out below.

Are you convinced that BioWare has heard the fans loud and clear, and are taking the necessary time to right the previous game’s wrongs? Or do you remain skeptical until more is shown? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Dragon Age: Inquisition is expected to release in 2014 for the Xbox 360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

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Morrigan Not a Party Member in ‘Dragon Age: Inquisition’

Dragon Age mage Morrigan is about as close to an iconic character as the series has yet achieved. A darkly seductive sorceress and shape shifter, the outlaw ‘apostate’ appeared at this year’s E3 festivities, to announce her return to the chaotic realm of Dragon Age: Inquisition.

As spellbindingly beautiful as she is deadly, Morrigan’s mysterious comeback follows the conjurer’s creative attempts to conceive a child back in 2009′s Dragon Age: Origins. Whether players chose to indulge her wishes or not, Morrigan would eventually find her way into a nameless dark realm, effectively disappearing from Fereldan in order to pursue greater, god-like power.

Following Thursday’s extensive Inquisition detail drop, Mike Laidlaw, creative director of Dragon Age: Inquisition has been sitting down to discuss Morrigan’s magnificent return. Speaking to Game Informer on Monday, he explained:

“[Morrigan] will not be a party member […] that’s going to disappoint some people, but I think it’s important for us to be upfront about that […] It’s not a cameo. She plays a significant role.”

Is it possible that Morrigan could reappear here as an arch-villain? Origin players will certainly recall the character’s feisty temperament, callous attitude and at times, utter indifference toward NPC suffering. A role in narration could also await the mighty mage, as the character’s voice-over work has already appeared in conjunction with the game’s E3 trailer.

Laidlaw goes to on hint at the sheer scope and centrality of Morrigan’s role, stating –

“The story of Inquisition is [Morrigan's] moment […] She has a human role in this plot, which I think may surprise some people because they might only think of her as a plot device […] I’m taking her to a human place.”

Given Morrigan’s well-known mother issues – the character was raised by an aging witch [spoiler ahoy!] intent on possessing her youth – she could certainly make for a very ‘human,’ even sympathetic villainess. Depending on Bioware’s chosen canon, the character may also have a particularly large axe to grind, as Laidlaw confirmed that many of the decisions taken in DA:O would carry over here.

“[There are] various states that Morrigan can be in […] whether or not they [reflect previous choices pleasingly] depends on the person. But we do recognize them and it does play a role of varying degrees depending on the surroundings.”

Are you excited for Dragon Age: Inquisition? What role do you think Morrigan will play? Are there any other characters you would like to see reappear here?

Dragon Age: Inquisition will return order to the realm, when it releases sometime in the third quarter of 2014. The game is scheduled to appear on Xbox 360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4 & PC platforms.

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New Dragon Age: Inquisition Details Emerge

Fans of the expansive role-playing series Dragon Age were granted plus-10 excitement back in September, with the news that a third major installment, titled Dragon Age: Inquisition, was well under way at developer BioWare. Keen to avoid a repeat of DA: 2‘s much maligned ‘Mass Effect worship,’ the studio has since set about ditching its sequel’s painfully linear questing, in favor of a more open-ended approach to adventure.

Scheduled for release at the tail end of 2014, precious little is yet known about the epic scale dragon slasher, aside from the one or two interesting tidbits gleaned from the games’ first development diary on Tuesday. With new information scarcer than the series’ winged lizards, one enterprising NeoGAF user has emerged to blow BioWare’s overstocked stash of secrets right out into the open.

Going by the handle Sn4ke_911, the user, collecting write-ups from a number of forum contributors, revealed a whole host of tweaks, improvements and unexpected additions, allegedly obtained from the latest issue of Game Informermagazine. They include –
Playable Male and Female Humans, Dwarves, Elves & quite possibly Qunari (a large humanoid species sporting ram’s horns).
Return to 3 playable classes – ‘Warrior,’ ‘Rogue’ & ‘Mage’ – Your character will be fully voiced but named by the player. Specialization trees appear to be locked.
Warrior Class utilizes a Kratos-style chain to bring adversaries into melee range.
A new central feature similar to Assassin’s Creed‘s ‘Brotherhood’ mechanic. As the player’s influence expands, their army grows – the larger the army, the easier it becomes to curry favor, bully enemies and/or capture their settlements via sieges.
Strongly suggested multiplayer elements – this is EA we’re talking about.
The overworld is divided into multiple regions, with progress – and entry into these expansive zones – linked to the size of your Inquisition.
An emphasis on ‘playing your way’ – there are many methods to success i.e expanding your army, so no one should be stuck doing something they dislike in order to progress.
More questing & environmental variety. Much more emphasis on exploration in general.
Each region is bigger than anything the studio has worked on previously – if this is true, the world map could be huge.
The world is stocked full of random enemy encounters, though the player has the choice to get around on horseback. (No word on any fast-travel mechanics, as of yet).
The environment will react to player spells and incantations. New secrets can be revealed just by starting a hailstorm, raining down fire, etc. Likewise certain weather types can negatively impact the player, muddying up the ground or blasting adventurers with sandstorms.
New context-sensitive environmental actions, including the repair of dilapidated building for use by the Inquisition.
PC controls will revert back to a more traditional scheme, similar to the original Dragon Age: Origins system.
Individual and party-based battle tactics have renewed importance. DA2‘s frantic scraps are a thing of the past, though the game still retains 1:1 strikes over queued attack bars.
Allies can be given behavioral instructions – similar to Final Fantasy 12‘s ‘Gambit’ system.
No more mindless, swarming enemies – opponents now do a better job of forcing players to swap up their tactics on the fly
The majority of enemies do not level with the player, some will be too hard to fight at first
Confirmed party members include Vivienne the mage, Varric & Cassandra – Morrigan is neither party member nor a cameo, meaning she could well turn out to be a villain this time around.
Crafting is enhanced, customization forms a bigger part of the experience.
Greater communication options to flesh out conversations.
Inquisition may utilize player choices from previous titles, as Mass Effect did between games.
Game is set 10 years after ‘The Blight.’ A new evil has bridged the world with the demonic ‘Fade’ plain, allowing demons to spread throughout Thedas at will. The player must split with the ruling religious order of The Chantry, reform the independent Inquisition movement and tackle the threat personally.

Recall: In 2011 there were rumors that EA was developing a multiplayer component for the next Dragon Age and several insiders heard as much back then as well. Mass Effect 3 added multiplayer as a way to make more money via microstransactions and it was a success for a good few months before he appeal ran out.

In essence, many of these improvements are simply returning the franchise to its celebrated Origins. EA acted rather rashly in ordering up Dragon Age 2, following the success of the first game – and even greater success of stablemate series Mass Effect (a game it ended up sharing a number of simplified mechanics with) – with the end result that both the game’s continuity and progress suffered.

It’s ironic that a game centered on rebuilding a respected order should have so much rebuilding work of its own to do. Whether the game can mount a serious challenge to the likes of Skyrim, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt or The Elder Scrolls Online remains to be seen, though its eventual success may just depend on how much good faith the series retains from its earliest outing.

Are you excited for Dragon Age: Inquisition? On which platform will you be playing the game? How will fan favorite Morrigan return to the mix? Have your say in the comments below.

Dragon Age: Inquisition looks to breathe flaming life back into the franchise when the title arrives sometime in the third quarter of 2014. The game will be available on Xbox 360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4 & PC platforms.

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‘Dragon Age: Inquisition’ Game Informer Cover Revealed; First Look at Gameplay

The launch of a new generation of consoles just wouldn’t be the same without a major BioWare RPG, but while the march towards the PS4 and Xbox One continues, news regarding Dragon Age: Inquisition has been hard to come by. That may be about to change, as Game Informer has revealed the third entry in the medieval-fantasy epic as the star of its September issue.

Along with new details in the magazine’s coverage itself, the reveal trailer features some of the most well-known faces from within BioWare discussing their hopes for Dragon Age on next-gen, and provides some of the first looks at (pre-Alpha) gameplay. Story hints, references to Baldur’s Gate and the new Frostbite engine in motion are better than still images, so have at them.

As is usually the case with RPGs as large as BioWare tends to make, the exact plot and characters of Inquisition are still a bit of a mystery; the E3 2013 teaser trailer showed some returning faces (and the usual claim that only the player can save the world from destruction), and the first batch of screenshots failed to feature the protagonist which players will embody.

That veil of secrecy has yet to be lifted (or…torn?), but the magazine’s cover proves that the game will live up to its name, featuring a prehistoric-looking dragon doing battle with Dragon Age 2‘s Varric and Cassandra. Take a look:

If it wasn’t clear before, it should be now: players will be facing some truly grueling challenges in the game’s open-ended environments. While the main character’s appearance may be a mystery, their task is not: by accepting the role of Inquisitor,the player must lead a new Inquisition – an investigation into the barriers between the world of the living and The Fade being torn.

Beginning as an official branch of the Chantry – the group tasked with policing all magical activities on the continent of Thedas – the video reveals that players will need to forge their own path, not march to the beat of a higher authority’s drum. If that claim can truly be realized in the game, it may offer a level of choice and decision-making rarely seen in the series to date, not to mention support their claims of removing the ’3′ from the name to signal a brand new chapter in the franchise.

It’s no surprise to see the architect of the Mass Effect series, Casey Hudon on hand in the video, since BioWare has made it clear that the foundations lain by theDragon Age team will be shared by the next Mass Effect. But in case that raises any suspicions about the target audience of Inquisition, the development team is quick to mention Baldur’s Gate – the company’s most iconic RPG, and the original game to which Dragon Age was conceived as a spiritual successor.

Considering just how much that structure was abandoned with Dragon Age 2, it’s less than startling to see the game name-dropped in the first in-depth video. Only time will tell of the allusions amount to anything more than clever marketing, but BioWare has been seeking input from fans for some time now. Although the brief clips of pre-Alpha gameplay seen in the video won’t put those fears to rest, they do show that from a technical standpoint. Inquisition holds serious promise.

One of the main reasons so little has been revealed about the story of Inquisitionthus far is the development team’s focus on “the raw capabilities” of Frostbite 3, and what the new engine makes possible on Xbox One and PS4. Every in-game asset glimpsed in the footage seems highly polished, and with the Frostbite 3 engine allowing the team to focus on the art design and not the technical limitations, the only limits may be the developers’ own creativity.

There is sure to be more news coming regarding Dragon Age: Inquisition as the magazine’s coverage kicks off, but which part of the game are you most interested to see highlighted? The story, or the gameplay? Sound off in the comments.

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Dragon Age: Inquisition is expected to release in 2014 for the Xbox 360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

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News Wrap Up: Dragon Age Saves, Firefly Online, New Borderlands 2 DLC & More!

With Comic-Con 2013 (and the Assassin’s Creed IV party pirate ship!) now under our wings, it’s time to play catch-up on a few key news items. PS4′s PlanetSide 2 aims to offer the best PC gameplay; Joss Whedon’s Firefly finall gets a game; Borderlands 2 DLC goes beyond the season pass; Torchlight II & SimCity sell two million each; Dragon Age saves somehow carry to next-gen consoles (we think); Disney’s Toy Box gets showcased; Prince of Persia 2 returns; David Jaffe’s name doesn’t help one Kickstarter campaign, and more!

Read on for the details and more stories.

PlanetSide 2 on PS4

With large-scale shooters like Battlefield 3 taking a huge hit in performance and player counts in its console version vs. PC, Matt Higby, creative director ofPlanetSide 2, wants to let fans know that SOE’s massive shooter will not suffer from similar issues thanks to the power of the PlayStation 4.


“Our plan right now is to basically take the PC game with maximum settings and have that be running on the PS4… So there won’t be any limitations in terms of number of players, there won’t be any limitations on the map.”

Source: NowGamer

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Pay For More ‘Borderlands 2′ DLC

If you missed it, pre-paying for Borderlands 2 DLC doesn’t actually give all of the DLC. The last content add-on released was Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep, and that’s all you get. Sorry, the Season’s Pass covers a limited “season” and Gearbox is releasing more campaign DLC that will be charged for separately. We have reached an era where there are literally layers of season’s passes, it’s DLCception. As if DLC prices weren’t already out of control, Randy Pitchford tells Nerdist:


“We did a season pass for Borderlands 2 and the season pass was like hey, if you buy the season pass we would be doing four campaign add-ons and you can buy all four of them for the price of three, if you buy upfront. So everyone was under the expectation that those would be the four DLCs and that’s it.”

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Browncoats Go Mobile!



Firefly is another one of those TV causalities, placed on a bad night and out of order by Fox, because at the time, someone didn’t trust Joss Whedon – the guy who’s now know for writing and directing the third biggest box office success of all time. Firefly is finally getting a game… but it’s a mobile title developed by Spark Plug Games described officially as a “social RPG.”
Assume the role of a ship captain – create a crew and customize a ship
Aim to misbehave in space and planet-side adventures
Cross-platform player experience across devices (pick-up and play from anywhere)
Unique social features connecting Firefly fans
Create a shiny ship and explore the Verse

Firefly Online releases next year, sign up and read more here.

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Don’t Need DRM

Diablo 3 is one of the best-selling PC games in years but it released to negative buzz and server issues thanks to its anti-consumer always-online requirement, something EA also suffered from in their decision to release SimCity with the same requirements (that it didn’t really need). Interestingly, Torchlight II – arguably the main competitor to Diablo 3 - didn’t have any type of DRM and in the end, it sold as much as SimCity did, at 2 million units each. Unfortunately, it’s a far cry from the long-anticipated third Diablo which has sold nearly seven times that and is on its way to selling more when it releases on consoles.

Sources: Destructoid, VentureBeat

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Dragon Age Save Files

Dragon Age players, your work in the previous games matters, even with Dragon Age: Inquisition coming to next-gen platforms. BioWare producer Cameron Lee wouldn’t say how, but at PAX Australia, Lee said ”We know what we want to do. It will absolutely come across – your decisions carry [and] will matter.” Whether that’s an online transfer somehow or an interactive sequence not unlike Mass Effect 2 featured, we don’t quite know.

Source: GameSpot

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Disney’s Toy Box



One of the most exciting features of Disney Infinity is the fact that players and mix and match characters and items from the many different Disney movie realms together in Toy Box mode. Know that down the road, Marvel and Star Wars will be a part of the formula as well only helps boost our anticipation. The above and below videos help demonstrate the unusual pairings of characters that players can enjoy, along with some of the limitless creations they can craft in Toy Box mode.


Kickstarter Fail

Not unlike the abysmal Kickstarter campaign for Shadow of the Eternals which didn’t come close to its initial funding goal, but was recently relaunched, the crowdfunding campaign for the David Jaffe supported MotorGun title was unable to achieve even 10% of its funding goal, with only 766 players backing it. It was also canceled and aims to relaunch in the future. The latest update reads:


Kickstarter is a harsh mistress. Lots of projects are pitched to the community and sometimes they resonate and sometimes they don’t. In this case, what we were pitching wasn’t exactly what you guys wanted. So, as a result we’re making the tough decision to not drag it out, and we’re going to cancel the campaign and start working to reformulate it.

Source: Kickstarter

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Prince of Persia Returns



After rumblings and rumors hinted that Ubisoft might be bringing back the Prince of Persia franchise with a new title, we instead have a remake of the original sequel, Prince of Persia: The Shadow and the Flame. The game released 20 years ago and is now available for Andoid and iOS.

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First ‘Dragon Age: Inquisition’ Screenshots Released

BioWare may be keeping their plans for the next generation of consoles under wraps for now, in regards to Mass Effect, Dragon Age and a still-unannounced franchise. Next up for the developer is Dragon Age: Inquisition – a brand new chapter in the series’ fiction that looks to be bigger than any which preceded it.

While fans (or former fans) of the series may be anxious to see the levels of customization or RPG systems in store for Inquisition, for now, a few screenshots will have to suffice. The images are as technically impressive as is to be expected, but does provide even more of a hint of which returning characters will play key roles in the game’s plot.

The images comes from BioWare directly, the first embedded within a blog post from studio programmer Matt Komsthoeft. It may not be as promising as some of the early concept art for Dragon Age 3 – before the number was dropped from the title for some interesting reasons – but seeing as it represents actual in-game assets, we’ll take it.

Feast your eyes on the first official Dragon Age: Inquisition screenshot:

An image of what appears to be a military war room is no surprise, given the leaked story details of a game world standing on the brink of total chaos. Unfortunately, eagle-eyed fans will notice that the screenshot is a direct pull fromthe E3 2013 cinematic trailer, albeit in higher definition. The central figure in the image is none other than Dragon Age 2‘s Cassandra Pentaghast; her presence in the trailer implied she would be a main character, and this being the first image released confirms our suspicions.

A few more grabs from the trailer have since appeared on BioWare’s Facebook page, so have a look in case these moments were too quick to catch:

Komsthoeft went on to explain his excitement over the current state of development on Inquisition, as the studio is making one of the first RPGs built on the Frostbite 3 game engine. It’s the same engine that will be powering the nextMass Effect game, so the raw potential for creating bigger and more detailed worlds is good news for all of the studio’s fans.

Of course, with Skyrim putting nearly all other open-world RPGs to shame on the previous generation, and games like The Witcher 3 raising the bar on next-gen systems, BioWare will have to truly excel to garner attention. Only a closer look at gameplay will put concerns to rest, so hopefully we’ll have more details and evidence sooner rather than later.

What do you think of Dragon Age: Inquisition so far? Will the story be what finally convinces you that it’s one to watch out for, or is there just too much competition in the next-gen RPG space to decide before launch?

Dragon Age: Inquisition is expected to release in 2014 for the Xbox 360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

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‘Dragon Age 3′ Name Change, Shift to Next-Gen Explained

Fans of fantasy RPG’s likely had their hopes buoyed by the cinematic E3 2013trailer for Dragon Age: Inquisition (viewable above), bringing back old characters for a brand new chapter in the series. Yet savvy viewers likely picked up on something else in the footage: that BioWare had severed ties to the title Dragon Age 3, and the presumed connections the game would have to the series’ last numbered entry.

With next-gen on the horizon and marketing as strategic as ever, plenty of reasons for the name change were proposed: poor fan reception to Dragon Age 2, saving the numbered sequel for next-gen, and more. Now EA has offered an official explanation, claiming that the decision isn’t meant to fool anyone, but make the message clear to fans and newcomers: Dragon Age: Inquisition will be telling a story completely separate from either game that came before it.

It wasn’t long ago that BioWare finally announced Dragon Age 3: Inquisition, releasing little more than a continued pledge to put fan complaints to rest with the third entry in the franchise, and a logo treatment. After that announcement was made (before Xbox One and PS4 were publicly confirmed), evidence began to suggest that BioWare wasn’t quite locked into any portion of their development.

Screenshots and concept art were uncovered depicting worlds far bigger and more elaborate than the series had enjoyed on consoles, and employee resumes hinted that a next-gen release was being targetted. Then came the E3 trailer confirming that not only would the game be coming to next-gen systems, it would do so under an adjusted name.

Speaking with IGN, EA Labels president Frank Gibeau explains the decision to swap number for simply subtitle, citing a desire to focus players not on the games that came before, but the task of Inquisitor awaiting them:

“I think there’s always this debate over numbers versus no numbers, what works, what doesn’t work… We felt like we wanted to bring more attention to the word Inquisition, because that’s more the story arc of what it’s like. There’s a whole bunch of gameplay and features and big story choices related to how you go through this Inquisition that happens in the world.”

“It’s a tactical marketing decision… There wasn’t anything that strategic about it, to be blunt. We just wanted to draw more attention to the fact that Inquisition is an all-new chapter inside of the Dragon Age universe, as opposed to people expecting a follow-on to Dragon Age 1 and 2 in a literal, linear sense.”

It’s common these days to hear any sizable franchise seeking larger audiences to promise that “you don’t need to play the old games to enjoy this one,” and cynics maintain that while a third act may be fun, story and investment are essential to role-playing experiences. It’s too early to tell how much Inquisition will deliver on those claims – since Morrigan, the trailer’s narrator isn’t the only returning character – but there is more good news for consumers not yet convinced that next-gen consoles are for them (in their current states, at least).

The number being dropped to establish Inquisition as a standalone chapter makes sense (although causes us even more confusion over Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag), but what about the sudden enthusiasm for next-gen consoles as well as current? Gibeau points to motivation from the technical side, aided greatly by DICE’s work on the Frostbite engine:


“Just the raw capabilities of Frostbite 3 and gen 4 features… We’re going to have PS3 and Xbox 360 and PC versions of Dragon Age III, so there will be a very broad-based experience there, but the new platforms are giving us the opportunity to tell stories in much larger worlds with more features and more things. From our perspective, we didn’t want to launch a “current-gen” game in a next-gen market. We took the opportunity to add resources, add time, and we brought in new technology. Frankly, we’ve raised our expectations.”

There are few at BioWare or EA who haven’t come to realize the weight of audience expectations over the past few years, so it’s wise of Gibeau to explain that they’re at least attempting to become their harshest critics. BioWare general manager Aaryn Flynn has also spoken of his excitement over Frostbite 3, which impressed audiences for what it makes possible in games like Battlefield 4.

It remains to be seen what the engine can offer to the visuals and core mechanics of Dragon Age: Inquisition – mechanics it will be sharing with the next Mass Effect – but there’s no question the team is looking to impress with their first gameplay footage. If nothing else, expect plenty of discussion over split-gen releases like these in the coming months, since there are sure to be massive differences.

What do you think of the name change and next-gen releases? Are you optimistic about BioWare’s decision to step away from the story and characters of Dragon Age 2, or do you think the game was better than it was given credit for? Sound off in the comments.

Dragon Age: Inquisition is expected to release in 2014 for the Xbox 360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

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Next ‘Mass Effect’ Will ‘Share Core Systems’ With ‘Dragon Age 3′

It may seem that little time has passed since Mass Effect was making headlines, but BioWare is already working toward the series’ next installment. Although the developer hasn’t moved beyond hinting which stories the next Mass Effectcould tell, recent comments confirm that the studio’s two biggest RPG franchises will continue to walk similar paths.

Shortly after Dragon Age: Inquisition was mentioned during E3 2013 – release for next-gen systems may be confirmed, but is still a long way off – the studio director at BioWare Montreal has offered an update on Mass Effect development, and how it will be building on the foundations of Dragon Age 3.

While neither game was spotlighted at E3, both of the properties are counted on to be big releases for publisher EA for next-gen consoles. Given the increase in hardware potential – and the somewhat mixed critical reception to both series’ last outing – BioWare seems committed to making the wait worth the fans’ time. Not only will both be developed using the Frostbite 3 engine, but the Dragon Ageteam remains committed to addressing the fan criticism of Dragon Age 2.

Although we still don’t know much about Inquisition – beyond a leaked Xbox One listing and rumored customization details – BioWare Montreal’s studio director, Yanick Roy, took to Twitter to prove that Mass Effect development is alive and well:

It’s obvious from the size of the design document that Roy was using the term “first pass” lightly, implying that some aspects of the next Mass Effect‘s design are much farther along than others. Roy’s followers brought up the same point, which the director admitted was the case. But when fans voiced their concerns that they were hoping the next ME game wasn’t years away (which is the implication, since it only exists in binder form), Roy assuaged their fears.

According to Roy, the Montreal studio has been hard at work for some time, and since both ME4 and DA3 were being built in the same engine, presumably for the same platforms, the team would be able to “borrow” some elements from their colleagues once development began. Roy went on to elaborate that instead of starting completely from scratch, the “core systems” would be adapted.

Whether that’s good news or bad depends on your feelings toward the growing similarity between Mass Effect and Dragon Age on a philosophical level – foregoing the more ‘hardcore RPG’ elements and systems for a more ‘action-shooter/slasher’ slant. Without more details on exactly which systems will be “borrowed,” fans can choose to take the news as they will. What we do know is that not only will the sci-fi and fantasy RPGs be targetting next-gen gamers, but the size and scope of the two may just be comparable.

How do you feel about this news? Are you simply glad to hear that Mass Effect will benefit from the efforts of the team behind Dragon Age: Inquisition? Or are you more interested in the more hardcore competition in both genres? Sound off in the comments.

The next Mass Effect is currently without a release date or further details.

Dragon Age: Inquisition is expected to release in 2014 for the Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

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‘Dragon Age 3: Inquisition’ Announced by BioWare

After rumors of BioWare developing a next-gen installment for the Dragon Ageseries, one that would introduce multiplayer to the franchise much like Mass Effect 3, caught the industry’s attention, the true details began to leak for the of the inevitable threequel. BioWare began quizzing Dragon Age fans for input towards the followup earlier this summer and a few weeks later, a pile of details and images spilled out from a survey which revealed pertinent plot information that they definitely did not want us to see.

That information and story outline we know is accurate, as Dragon Age 3: Inquisition is nowofficial.

Dragon Age 3 is being developed by BioWare Edmonton and BioWare Montreal and much like a lot of the upcoming high profile Electronic Arts releases, is being built with DICE’s Frostbite 2 engine, the same engine BioWare Victory is using for Command & Conquer. BioWare has developed a brand new RPG game engine with Frostbite 2 and DA3 will be the first title to utilize the technology.

General Manager of BioWare Edmonton and BioWare Montreal Aaryn Flynn:

“The Dragon Age team has been working on Dragon Age 3: Inquisition for almost two years now. We’ve been poring over player feedback from past games and connecting directly with our fans. They haven’t held back, so we’re not either. With Dragon Age 3: Inquisition, we want to give fans what they’re asking for – a great story with choices that matter, a massive world to explore, deep customization and combat that is both tactical and visceral.

At the same time, we know we need new technology to truly make this vision become fully realized. And we’ve been working with DICE to make Frostbite 2 the foundation for the engine that is going to power Dragon Age 3.”

Flynn intentionally namedrops all the key features fans desired most from the series after Dragon Age 2 offered a smaller, limited environment with seemingly less RPG features (a la Mass Effect 2) than its predecessor. Dragon Age 3 is a very important title for BioWare since their latest titles in both of their main franchises have been met with substantial controversy and a certain extent of disappointment. Dragon Age 2 was a step down from the original and Mass Effect 3 didn’t offer the epic conclusion to the story many fans were expecting. Throw in the fact that Star Wars: The Old Republic couldn’t sustain its subscription model and the news that Command & Conquer: Generals 2 is dropping its campaignand going free-to-play online-only, and it’s prime time for the studio to step onto a path of positive buzz.

As for the story of the next Dragon Age 3, we can look towards the leaked survey details for information on The Inquisition:

The great nation of Orlais, the most powerful empire in Dragon Age, tears itself apart in civil war. The stout men and women of Ferelden struggle to recover and reclaim their nation from the horde of evil Darkspawn that lay waste to its lands a decade ago. The Chantry, the once-unified faith of the Dragon Age world stands divided. the Templar order has broken away, claiming the church has become too lax in policing the dangerous power of mages. The Mage circles have rebelled, believing the Templars have become too strict, zealous in their duties, and too quick to slaughter those who step out of line.

The world of Dragon Age is one on the brink of collapse, and when desperate gathering in the name of peace becomes the epicenter of a magical blast that decimates the Chantry’s leadership, it becomes clear that someone or something is manipulating events to drive the world into chaos.

From the ashes of that explosion, something new rises: The Inquisition. As the Inquisitor, it falls to you to build up your power and martial your forces, uncover secrets and build connection across the world. You must explore forgotten spaces, uncover ancient mysteries and uproot those who would destroy the fabric of the world.

A portal between the worlds unleashes hordes of demons in the land, civil wars rip apart nations and the corruption is limitless. Someone is behind the shadows, pulling the strings which destroy the world. Time has come for the Inquisition.

Take the Inquisitor’s cloak and lead the only force able of bringing light into the darkness. Choose the direct method and gather your armies, send spies into the shadows or engage in a political war, make friends and use your connections indirectly: it is up to you how you lead the inquisition. But you’ll have to take lead of it from the beginning. Make your player a rogue, warrior or mage and set up your crew from up to ten complex companions to lead them against those who attack you by systematically spying on, revealing and destroying them.

If you’re a fan of the Dragon Age series, we highly recommend you read Executive Producer Mark Darrah’s open letter to the fans on the official Dragon Age site. There Darrah talks about his love of D&D and his background, having worked on Baldur’s Gate and Jade Empire, and promises to listen to the fans, be open with them, and most importantly, attempt to the deliver the game we all want to play.

What we know and have heard about Dragon Age 3 previously:

Dragon Age 3 will feature ‘decisions that matter’
Rumor: Dragon Age 3 includes multiplayer
Dragon Age 3 allows for follower customization

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‘Destiny’ Details: Bungie Talks Customization, PC Release, Microtransactions, & More

Over the past few days, Bungie has unleashed a ton of new details regarding their forthcoming multiplatform shooter Destiny, covering everything from the world of the game to specific details like control options and player interaction. With a game that appears to have a very rich mythology and a sprawling universe, there’s a lot for Bungie to cover, and while they’re not ready to reveal everything, the developer does want to give gamers as clear a picture as possible.

In the latest trailer for Destiny, dubbed the “Moon” trailer, Bungie showed another one of the game’s “Strikes,” which are repeatable missions scattered throughout the universe. While the strikes will vary depending on which planet the player inhabits, the mission featured in the trailer saw the player team exploring a deep cavern carved into the surface of the moon.

In addition to the new trailer, a few members of the Destiny dev team sat down PlayStation Access to discuss customization in their game. Specifically, the Bungie devs outlined the three weapon classes in Destiny: primary, special, and heavy. Each will come in many different flavors, and suit a number of situations, with the exotic weapons sitting at the top of each tree.

Exotic weapons, as the developers explain, are unique weapons that have their own back-story, a specific design, and can only be found by completing certain missions. Players can also unlock exotic armor types, to help their Destinycharacter stand out from the pack. When all is said and done that’s presumably the end goal of these exotic items: to give players greater rewards for completing more challenging objectives.

Customization also extends to vehicles in Destiny, with players having three types of transportation to select and alter. The Sparrow and the Pike are ground-based, hover-type vehicles that come in a few different variations. The Pike, for example, resembles a speeder bike from Star Wars.

But while the Pike and Sparrow will have their distinct advantages, the major selling point as far as Destiny‘s vehicles are concerned is the personal ship. Ships inDestiny are fully customizable, but even so, Bungie wanted to stress that their game is not a space sim. Each player will use their ship to travel from planet to planet, but the game is primarily made up of ground travel.

Check out the full interview in the video below:

Although Destiny bares some similarities to Bungie’s previous franchise, Halo, the developer set out with the goal of differentiating their current work from their previous work. In fact, Destiny was, at one point, envisioned as a medieval style game, with knights, swords, and sorcery.

However, Bungie saw that, in trying to differentiate Destiny from Halo, they were limiting their creative potential. And so, rather than avoid sci-fi altogether, the development team decided to incorporate fantastical elements into their current ideas and eventually landing on Destiny‘s current design.

“Really, the artists were trying to push hard away from sci-fi because of the Halo legacy and history. They were just thinking, ‘What can we do that’s radically different after 10 years?’ So there’s actually some concept art that you can find online of a very fantasy-driven world of knights, swords and sorcery in a white city on a hill. That was very much pure fantasy, but the more they continued to work and the more their ideas formed over time, the more they realized that the lure of sci-fi was just something they loved and they were denying themselves that creative space. So they thought, ‘What if we just take these two things and smash them together?’”

Elsewhere, Destiny Senior Writer Eric Osborne talked about microtransactions in the game, specifically addressing players’ concerns the game might deploy a play-to-win approach. Luckily, as Osborne reveals, microtransactions will not be used to give players an advantage in the game. He wouldn’t say how exactly microtransactions will impact gameplay – our guess is that players will be able to purchase cosmetic changes – only that the $60 retail product will be a complete experience.

That retail product, unfortunately, is not currently planned for the PC, which will come as a disappointment to many gamers out there. Bungie does understand that the PC community is equally as interested in Destiny, but, as Osborne explains, they don’t want to spread their efforts too thin and hurt the console releases. In other words, console release first, and then maybe a PC port.


“It’s a huge challenge to ship four platforms and a massive opportunity to reach a new audience. We know there are a lot of people out there asking for PC and we know that there are a lot of gamers that would willingly give us money, but what we have to do is make sure we’re focused enough to bring a good experience to any platform that we ship on. What we 100 percent are not going to do is spread ourselves so thin that it negatively harms the other platforms. So right now we have the four platforms, which is a lot to focus on.”

And finally, a Q&A session with Bungie Community Manager Deej broached the topic of next-gen support, and how Destiny might take advantage of the DualShock 4′s touch pad. While Deej couldn’t confirm anything, he did say that Bungie has next-gen dev kits in-house and they are looking at what each new system offers. Aside from that, though, the Q&A was a lot of interesting questions followed by noncommittal answers.

Clearly, there’s a lot to cover with Destiny, to the point that it feels like we still haven’t scratched the surface of Bungie’s forthcoming game. There are plenty of elements that Bungie still isn’t ready to talk about, from PvP to deeper story elements, which leaves us more curious than ever. One thing’s for sure, we’ll know more about Destiny when the beta goes live next year.

What element of Destiny are you most curious to know more about? How would you like to see Bungie use microtransactions?

Destiny is slated to release in Q2 2014 for the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.

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‘Destiny’ Trailer Goes To The Moon; Beta Access with Pre-Order Confirmed

While the premise for Destiny has thus far centred around the last human city on Earth, Bungie has expanded the universe just a little by taking gameplay to the Moon in a new trailer. Confirming Destiny isn’t going to be earthbound and that it will feature a little space travel, even if it is just to our closest neighbor, should be exciting for those who thought one city might have struggled to keep environments fresh. Although those people must have missed the previous gorgeous and varied concept art.

Looking into the premise further, it was known that the game would feature several enemy races. This trailer shows that even the Moon isn’t safe from alien hands. In fact, we learn that some of Earth’s enemies were “buried deep within the core of our moon.” That is a little close for comfort, as it seems humanity found out.

Take a further look in the ominous, dungeon-crawling, alien filled trailer below:

At the end of the trailer, it is also confirmed that those who pre-order early on will gain access to the Destiny beta. There had been previous rumors that this could be happening and it didn’t take long for Bungie and Activision to confirm their plans. The beta will be going live in early 2014 across all platforms – readying the game for release in Spring. While fans may have been hoping for an earlier taste of the action, the public trial will make sure that the beta is a fairly polished experience with hopefully only minor bugs to report – unlike the server crashes that accompanied the recent launch of Grand Theft Auto Online.

Some might resent the move of using a beta as a bargaining chip to secure an early purchase, but it does at least make sure it is used by fans for its intended purpose and not just by casual playing it as a demo. With an investment in the game already, it may assure that more players give Bungie and Activision useful feedback in order to revolutionize the shooter genre. At the very least, it is good that the companies aren’t forcing desperate players to buy another game altogether.

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‘Destiny’ Box Art Revealed; Beta Releasing As Pre-order Bonus?

Destiny has been a game on many lips ever since it was first announced in February. As well as being Bungie‘s follow up to the Halo series, Destinyplays with the term “MMO” and mixes it with a “AAA” first-person shooter experience. Winning a flurry of E3 and Gamescom awards, the game has garnered some of the biggest hype going into the next-generation.

Bungie has been working away on their new long-term IP after a summer of showcasing Destiny at various conventions and expos. Working towards their 2014 release date, updates have been a little scarce of late but today the box art for the game has been released showing its marketing direction, with a promise of a new announcement and a trailer tomorrow.

What’s interesting about the Destiny box cover art is that instead of focusing on the ‘Traveler’, the big mysterious white sphere that hovers above Earth’s last city in Destiny, it’s been pushed to the for the background in favor of faceless, generic sci-fi action protagonists. Read into that what you will, but the Traveler is the more unique and interesting element that’s been the centerpiece of most of the game’s art and placeholder covers to date.

Also, a rather interesting observation is that even though the bottom-right image is the back of one of the Guardians, the design bares an odd resemblance to another sci-fi, cloak-wearing super soldier with a Bungie past…

In other Destiny related news, fans who invest in the game early may be given the chance to jump into the universe of Destiny before release. MMOs are often tricky things to manage on the server side and have a history of falling apart when first put up to the test of going public (see: Diablo 3 launch). To alleviate concerns, publishers and developers are increasingly taking advantage of beta periods for players in order to catch server problems and bugs early. Destiny is going to be no different, and according to a Reddit user claiming to have found the news on theDestiny website , all it could take to be a Destiny tester is pre-ordering the game.

If true, as long as players are willing to pre-order the game, they could enjoy a sizable amount of gameplay early on to help Bungie work through bugs in the system a la. This is the second time in less than a week that a major development for a game has been found on a company website and posted onReddit before it has been announced.

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Destiny is due out in Q2 or Q3 of 2014 on the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

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New ‘Destiny’ Trailer: Bungie Says ‘Thank You’ To The Community

Bungie’s post-Halo future looks brighter than ever thanks to a busy summer introducing Destiny to the world at both E3 and Gamescom. Destiny was nominated for and won numerous accolades, including several ‘Game of the Show’ awards at both expos. If you were lucky enough to catch one of Bungie’s presentations, you’d know why. The sheer breadth and scope of the project is fairly astounding and excitement for the new property is at fever pitch as Bungie fans and the broader video game community look on eagerly for more details.

As thanks for the warm reception that Destiny received, Bungie has put together a trailer showing off video from both E3 and Gamesom intercut with a smattering of new gameplay footage from the game.

Bungie is following up their trail-blazing Halo series with what they plan to be a long-running franchise with Destiny, which is set to bring a thriving, evolving and connected world to a player’s finger tips.

This year has seen a a slew of connected worlds announced in the AAA console market. Ubisoft’s The Division and The Crew has also taken the connected world idea and established it in a different setting, while games like Watch Dogs, Need for Speed: Rivals and Grand Theft Auto V have lighter yet still intriguing shared spaces to explore with friends. However, Destiny’s could be the most impressive due to its stunning graphics, beautiful world, extensive customization options, raiding elements and co-op centric gameplay.

It remains to be seen how successfully the game will mix an MMO world with a AAA first-person shooter experience. To date, it is an ambition that has never quite realized its potential, but Destiny is being forged by a world class studio who has lofty ambitions for the game. Bungie has as good a chance as any of pulling it off, and if they do, there is massive potential for this world to exist for years to come.

At the end of the trailer, it reads:


“We can’t wait to show you what is next – ❤Bungie”

We can’t wait either.

Destiny releases 2014 for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

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Activision: Bungie’s ‘Destiny’ Can Coexist with ‘Call of Duty’

After watching the live demo of Destiny at Sony’s E3 Press Conference, and seeing various members of the Bungie development team join in on the action, one thing was clear: this game is ambitious. While Bungie doesn’t seem to want to compare Destiny‘s experience to an MMO, their multiplayer cooperative events instantly call to mind the type of epic battles (instances) seen in games like World of Warcraft.

And much like World of Warcraft, there is a significant financial backing behindDestiny, one that Activision believes sets a precedent for new IPs. Obviously, Activision would like to turn Destiny into a blockbuster franchise like Call of Duty, but that takes a substantial amount of money.

According to Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg, his company’s investment in Destiny is“probably one of the biggest investments in a new IP that’s ever been made in this industry.” Clearly, Hirshberg and Activision believe in the title’s potential – and Bungie’s loyal Halo fan base – to the point they were willing to make what Hirshberg calls “a sizeable investment.”

It didn’t take much convincing on Activision’s part, mind you, as the publisher was impressed by Bungie‘s vision from the get-go:

“First, let’s start with the vision. From the earliest days of sitting down with Bungie and hearing their vision for the game, it was a truly impressive and ambitious idea. To me, the best thing about it is that it has elements that are tremendously familiar as well as elements that are tremendously innovative. I think that’s a great combo…There are certain mechanics in this industry that people want to be able to pick up and play and immediately be having fun with. At the end of the day, it’s a first-person shooter by Bungie. Everyone who loved Halo is going to love Destiny.”

However, with Destiny being, at its core, a shooter, one has to wonder whether Activision would want to bring another triple-A FPS under their banner. After all, they have a pretty firm stranglehold on that market with Call of Duty.

In Hirshberg’s mind, though, Call of Duty and Destiny (if it becomes a franchise) can “peacefully coexist.” They each have their inherent appeals and rabid fan bases, and at the end of the day sales from both games go back to Activision.

“They’re very different games made by very different creative visionaries, I think that they can peacefully coexist with one another. I think that what Call of Duty has done, it’s done better than anybody. The multiplayer is a visceral, impactful, white-knuckle-ride experience. What Bungie has done, they have done better than anyone as well. The first-person shooter genre has shown tremendous staying power, as well as tremendous capacity in terms of the appetite people have for it. I think what we’ve seen is that if there are good games in this genre, people will show up to play them. But if you have to compete, it’s nice to compete with yourself.”

In a way, Destiny might be a contingency plan for Activision – a way to hedge their bets heading into the next generation of consoles. With Call of Duty showing signs it may have peaked, many gamers might be looking to other franchises for their FPS fix, and Destiny could potentially provide that fix.

Granted, Destiny‘s experience is markedly different from Call of Duty‘s – and is much more focused on the cooperative multiplayer experience (at least based on the E3 demo) – but we’ll have to wait and see how the presence of one Activision title impacts the other.

Do you think that Destiny will be one of the biggest IPs of this next generation? Can Destiny and Call of Duty peacefully coexist?

Destiny is set for a 2014 launch on the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.

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Bungie Not Sure if ‘Destiny’ Can Stretch to PC

To the surprise of no one, game developer Bungie has announced that their ambitious new sci-fi shooter, Destiny, will be released on both the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4, as well as current-generation consoles. There’s been plenty of concept art released already to keep anticipation warm, but E3 will finally allow us to get a better look at some actual gameplay, and hopefully clear up some specific details about the game.

The game has not yet been announced for either the Wii U or the PC, and though the latter is the more likely of the two to be added to Destiny‘s list of release platforms, there’s still been no indication either way as to whether or not Bungie is co-ordinating a PC release.

Speaking to IGN, Bungie’s senior writer and head of community, Mark Osborne, said that the company hasn’t definitely decided to release Destiny on PC, but that they haven’t written the idea off completely yet:

“We haven’t said yes, and we haven’t said no. The more platforms we take on, the more work it ultimately becomes, and what we don’t want is to compromise the core experience on any platforms. We have a lot of people who play on PCs. We have a lot of appetite to build that experience. We haven’t announced it yet, but we’re looking forward to talking more about that kind of stuff in the future.”

Towards the end of the quote it becomes a little ambiguous as to whether Osborne is referring to the PC experience or the core experience of the game, but the particularly salient part is at the beginning, where he seems to be saying that Bungie’s resources might not be able to stretch far enough for a PC release.

Since it’s been strongly suggested, particularly by the latest cinematic trailer’s focus on the “wolfpack”, that co-operative, online and multiplayer gameplay will be central to Destiny, the work involved with porting the game to PC wouldn’t end at release. In addition to providing technical support for an extra platform, Bungie would also ideally need to have additional dedicated servers to support PC players, since the game be always-online even in single-player.

The first two games in Bungie’s best-known series to date, Halo, were eventually ported to PC, but neither of the most recent Halo games ever saw a PC release. Having said that, with the Halo series handed off to 343 Industries and Microsoft, Bungie now has the opportunity to set their new IP up on PC as well as next-gen consoles. This would go a long way towards supporting design director Joe Staten’s claim that Destiny will be better than Halo in a number of different ways.

Destiny is undoubtedly one of the most exciting new games coming out over the next year and, speaking as a PC gamer, it would be fantastic to see it released on the platform. However, it might be argued that no PC version at all would be better than just another bad console port. Either way, we probably won’t find out until Bungie makes a clear decision, which at this rate may not happen until after the game is released on consoles.

Would you like to see a PC release of Destiny? Do you think it’s going to happen?

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Destiny still doesn’t have a launch date, but is currently confirmed for release on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

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‘Destiny’ Cinematic Trailer: Star Wars Without Lightsabers (That We Know Of)

Bungie is no stranger to designing pulse-pounding cinematic trailers, and the first extended look at Destiny is no exception. It may not contain any actual gameplay, but it will definitely get fans excited for the Halo-developers next journey into deep space.

Stunning screenshots and inspired concept art prove that the studio’s desire to build movie-level settings and environments, but nothing compares to a highly-polished CG cinematic. A dusty landscape reminiscent of Star Wars and an emphasis on pack-hunting take center stage in this minute-long trailer, giving gamers an introductory lesson to ‘the law of the jungle.’

While it’s true that we would like an extended look at Destiny gameplay – now that it’s confirmed to be releasing on both the PS4 and Xbox One – the cinematic certainly succeeds at its main goal. That is, getting gamers anticipating the chance to see what it’s like to navigate alien environments as whatever type of playable character class they choose. The trailer gets us so excited, we almost forgot that Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad, Revolution) is reading from Rudyard Kipling’s “The Jungle Book.” Fame doesn’t mean power in the jungle, friend.

All of the bits and pieces that have been either alluded to in screenshots or talked about in great detail in past interviews are present in the trailer, from speeder-bikes to the massive armored enemies that players will be encountering. While the trailer certainly puts style over substance in terms of differentiating one character type from another, it gets one point across: working with other players isn’t just central to the gameplay, it’s central to the marketing as well.

The developers at Bungie aren’t exactly strangers to cooperative gameplay, in singleplayer or multiplayer, but how the studio plans to live up to their claims that Destiny will revolutionize the shooter genre remains to be seen. Obviously the ability to group up with other players and head into the chaotic wastelands (and sands) will be a large factor in gameplay; but we’ve done all that before.

At this point Bungie has earned the benefit of the doubt, so we’re willing to just enjoy this trailer for what it is: a not-too-subtle statement that the same kind of sci-fi/cowboy wonder and setting that made us all love the original Star Warstrilogy is alive and well. Particularly in the developer’s offices.

Given that “the strength of the wolf is the pack,” it’s obvious that Bungie is doing their best to subtly push more and more of their fans into online cooperative gameplay; an interesting request since their previous game was one story that many players preferred to experience on their own. Besides encouraging player interaction and teamwork, it also seems that the ‘story’ of Destiny will be much less restricted by the idea of a ‘beginning, middle and end’ than shooter fans may be used to. If not, at least we still get to go to Mars, right?

What do you think of the trailer? Does this look to be another hit for the studio in your eyes, or will you wait to see how the developer handles the shift from current consoles to next-gen before passing judgement? Sound off in the comments.

The trailer also promises a full reveal during Sony’s press conference at E3 2013, so stay tuned to Game Rant for that and more.

Destiny is without a launch date, but expected to release on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

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The Worlds and People of ‘Destiny’ Revealed in High-Resolution Concept Art Gallery

By this point you could fill several galleries with the amount of concept art that Bungie has released for Destiny, but these images are so pretty that it’s difficult to get tired of them. If anything, they only serve to increase the demand for less concept and more finished product, and unfortunately the best concept art in the world can’t guarantee a good game. After all, a single brush-stroke in one of these drawings takes an awful lot of coding to recreate in an interactive 3D game environment.

Gameplay details are still a little hazy at this point, but we know that Destiny is a sci-fi shooter with very strong RPG elements and a social, co-op campaign that runs alongside the single-player game. Bungie assures their potential customers that their new IP will be accessible for players of all skill levels, meaning that it could potentially be a good introduction to gaming for those who have never held a gamepad (or rested their fingers gently upon WASD in readiness) before. Everything about it seems to scream ‘sandbox’, to the point that it’ll be almost disappointing if players end up being forced down a linear path after all the promise of brand new worlds to explore.

Destiny still doesn’t have a release date, but Bungie continues to be very open about sharing concept art and renders for it, and are even starting to share modest amounts of gameplay footage and actual screenshots. Here is the latest collection of wallpapers from the official website, which give a closer look at the worlds, creatures and characters that players can expect to encounter when the game finally hits shelves.

Conceptually, Destiny sounds similar to the Mass Effect trilogy and to Bungie’s current biggest hit franchise, Halo. The story, which sets up the player as a hero rising up from the ruins of a once-great civilization to be mankind’s one true defense against an alien threat, is a pretty broad and familiar meta-narrative but that’s not too much of a worry since some of the best games out there have had very basic premises.

The playable classes pretty much boil down to the standard Wizard-Warrior-Rogue triad, which suggests that Bungie has taken the “don’t fix what isn’t broken” approach for this potentially risky IP launch. Studio writer Joseph Staten has also said that no single class will be inherently better than the other and therefore choosing a class will be as simple as, “Bam. I’m going to be a robot.”

One notable highlight about the character design is that, as far as we’ve seen, nearly all of the characters wear some kind of helmet or breathing apparatus, suggesting that the war which nearly annihilated all life on Earth also managed to mess up the atmosphere, though one of the concept art wallpapers shows a pet white tiger unmasked and breathing the air comfortably. The Titans pictured with a simple air-filtering masks might be the first look we’ve had at actual human faces inDestiny.

The developers certainly aren’t short on ambition or – thankfully – resources. Bungie has a ten-year plan for this new franchise and it will be their first release on next-generation consoles, so they’ve said that they’re throwing more or less everything they have into it. Talk of monetization – potentially including microtransactions or season passes – has suggested that Bungie – and publisher Activision – is going to do everything they can to turn Destiny into a reliable and ongoing earner. The game will also be always-online, even in single-player, which might make gamers with an unreliable broadband connection a bit wary of investing in it.

Destiny could go either way in terms of quality, but let’s pray that it’s as awesome as it looks – if only for the sake of having something new to obsess over.

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