Going back to Dragon Age: Origins today for what was far from my first playthrough, I realised it’s never really had a true sequel (or if maybe that’s a little harsh for some: it’s never had a sequel that followed it’s classic RPG spirit in quite the same way). Yes, the world of Thedas has been further explored by Hawke and The Inquisitor – with Rook soon to be added to the list of overworked protagonists with a mate called Varric – but it’s never felt like the spirit of Origin’s Dungeons and Dragons-inspired design has ever truly been iterated on within the franchise. While lore has been fleshed out and new stories have irrevocably changed Thedas’ future (and everybody’s opinion on Anders and explosives), the core gameplay of Dragon Age has moved on from intricate tactical positioning and D&D-lite roleplaying to a sense of more ‘current’ combat and exploration – or at least what seemed like it was current, in the games of its time.
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