BioWare might be testing the limits of its gamer goodwill.
Developer BioWare detailed plans for a four-player cooperative mode for its upcoming role-playing game, Dragon Age: Inquisition, today. Inquisition is coming out for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC on Nov. 18.
In an extensive post, BioWare detailed the cooperative mode while assuring fans that the multiplayer experience will stand separate from the single-player campaign. “The single-player campaign is separate from multiplayer,” BioWare explained. “In single-player, you have the support of three specialists who can send agents to missions. multiplayer characters are agents. At the start of a multiplayer mission, you will hear one of the specialists explaining the goal of your mission.”
BioWare also stated that multiplayer won’t affect your ending in the single-player mode, which was the case in the studio’s Mass Effect 3. That feature received criticism from fans who felt forced to play a multiplayer component that they had no interest in.
BioWare also revealed that the mulitplayer mode will use a currency that you can buy with real money for in-game purchases. However, it also states that players can use an in-game currency for the same purchases. “Everything is accessible with gold coins,” BioWare explains. “You can use premium currency, but you don’t have to.”
Dragon Age has previously been a single-player only game, so we’ll have to wait for the game’s release to see how fans take to this cooperative mode. BioWare constantly references Mass Effect 3’s multiplayer as a success in its post, but many fans criticized the feature as unnecessary and unwanted. Players usually love BioWare games for their characters and story, while multiplayer modes usually focus on pure action. That, coupled with the in-game purchases, could turn off role-playing enthusiasts. We’ll see if BioWare can create something that will please fans of both play-styles.
