Dragon Age fans are adamant about keeping full party control in Dreadwolf

When it comes to Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, there are a few big questions about what the next game has in store for us. Newcomers might be wondering who the Dreadwolf is, while established fans are pondering specific game mechanics. Being able to control your party members in combat is a big part of the experience for many players, and they want to make sure it stays that way in Dreadwolf.

ResetEra forum member BossAttack was wondering about this, and they posted a poll that asks, “Will you be okay if Dragon Age 4 ditches party control?” The votes are a bit split right now. As of the time of this writing, just over 50% believe direct party control is essential, 41% “don’t care as long as combat is fun,” and the remainder feel that losing that control is a step toward streamlining the game’s battle system.

The votes might vary, but those who want to preserve party control are the most passionate group, dropping more than a few swear words while defending their position. Forum member Antrax also claims that the series’ Nightmare difficulty demands micromanaging of party members in order to win. As somerandomweirdguy points out, streamlining combat for its own sake isn’t great either. Keeping the option to directly control party members means more options for everyone. Many responders are expecting a battle system akin to Mass Effect, where the player determines when their squadmates use their special abilities but not much else.

We expect that we have a ways to go before we see any official gameplay. The game has reached its alpha milestone of development, but that doesn’t mean it’s ready for the general public to see. That said, The Game Awards 2022 are happening just days after this poll, and that could be a time for us to learn more. We don’t know when the Dragon Age: Dreadwolf release date is, but the general expectation is that it’ll launch in late 2023.