If you still didn't know, BioWare will be using DICE's Frostbite 2 game engine to power Dragon Age 3: Inquisition. Frostbite 2 is an internal game engine developed by DICE, which was first used on Battlefield 3 and is now being used heavily by some of EA's other studios for their own games.
While transitioning from one game engine to another normally brings in a whole new set of problems, that doesn't seem to be the case with Dragon Age 3. In an interview in the latest issue of OXM, BioWare artist Neil Thompson admits that they were "disappointed" with Dragon Age 1 and 2 from a visual standpoint, but are now blown away by Frostbite 2.
The Dragon Age artists were always slightly disappointed at how their work was visualised in the final product with Eclipse, but with Frostbite, they've just done some amazing stuff…There was a pre-production period where almost on a weekly basis I'd be sitting in the environment reviews and being blown away by what was coming out – it looks stunningly beautiful. So I think when we do start releasing screenshots, people won't be disappointed.
The Eclipse engine is, of course, the tech that powered Dragon Age 1 and 2 and a few other BioWare-developed games.
Thompson adds, "We think we have something special for Dragon Age 3: Inquisition," and comments that Dragon Age 3 will shun the "subdued color palette and harsh brown feel" that's typical for most current fantasy media.
While Dragon Age 3 is expected to ship later this year, people (including me) are speculating whether it's set for current-gen consoles or if it will be a next-gen launch title. I guess we'll know for sure in a few months' time.
Are you optimistic with Dragon Age 3 using Frostbite 2 or should BioWare create a new engine from scratch for their own games?
