Mass Effect Legendary Edition vs. Dragon Age Remaster: Why One Exists and the Other Likely Won't

The Mass Effect Legendary Edition, released in 2021, offered a modernized way to relive BioWare's beloved sci-fi trilogy. Unfortunately, a similar treatment for the first three Dragon Age games seems unlikely, according to Mark Darrah, co-director of the first game and director of the second.

The Internal Push for a Dragon Age Re-release

It’s not for lack of effort. Darrah revealed to FRVR that there was an internal campaign to re-release the original Dragon Age installments, but logistical challenges proved insurmountable. "I think what you want is a Champion’s Edition," Darrah suggested.

He elaborated on his vision: "My plan was like, we're going to do a 'Champion’s Trilogy.' These are three games with three different important figures. And we're going to group them in, collect them together [...], we're going to retroactively turn it into a trilogy."

Why a "Champion's Edition" Was Never Realized

The term Champion's Edition originated from Street Fighter. The re-release of Street Fighter 2: Champion Edition became the third most successful arcade game of all time. On paper, bundling Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, and Inquisition into a single package might sound like a great idea, but the technical obstacles are significant.

The first two games in the series were built using the Eclipse Engine, while the third used Frostbite. Unlike the Mass Effect trilogy, which was developed entirely on the Unreal Engine, the Dragon Age games do not share a unified technical foundation. In Mass Effect, each sequel was explicitly designed to carry over your character and choices from the previous game. For Dragon Age, importing your save from Origins to Dragon Age 2 was possible, but for Inquisition, players had to upload their save to an external app, making the process cumbersome.

The Technical Hurdles

Darrah highlighted a critical issue with the technology: "There is basically no one at BioWare anymore that understands the Aurora Engine [the foundation for Eclipse]. There's basically no one outside of BioWare anymore that understands the Aurora engine. So unlike Mass Effect, which is Unreal, there are basically no companies that could help you."

Additionally, the outdated tech presents a significant barrier for any potential remaster. Even if BioWare or EA had the desire to pursue the project, finding technical support would be challenging given the engine's obsolescence within the industry.

Lack of Momentum for a Dragon Age Revival

The situation is further complicated by the underwhelming sales performance of the most recent game in the series, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which followed a turbulent, decade-long development cycle. This weak commercial reception diminishes the incentive to invest in the franchise, even though nostalgia could potentially drive strong sales.

Darrah remains optimistic about the demand for a remaster. "Could a Dragon Age remaster sell really well? Yeah," he said. "I think it sells super well because even at the time, Dragon Age: Origins wasn't the most attractive game. There's a lot you could do there to make it [...] a lot better looking."

The Challenges of EA's Dormant IPs

However, Darrah is skeptical about the likelihood of such a project coming to fruition, citing EA's "frightening" graveyard of dormant intellectual properties. "I suspect that it wouldn't happen," he concluded.

A Missed Opportunity in the Post-Baldur’s Gate 3 Era

The timing for a Dragon Age revival could have been ideal, especially following the success of Baldur's Gate 3, which has introduced a new generation of fans to fantasy RPGs. Unfortunately, the combination of technical challenges, lack of internal expertise, and EA's priorities makes a remastered trilogy a distant dream.