Mark Darrah, the former BioWare developer who produced or directed the first three Dragon Age games, has shared a blunt assessment of one of Dragon Age: Origins’ most divisive sections: the Fade.
In a video posted to @mark_darrah_on_games, Darrah called the sequence “not good content” and said he would remove it or break it into smaller, more manageable sections.
“It’s kinda filler.”
The comments came during a discussion about what Darrah would add or remove from each game in the series. His wider suggestions cover Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age II and Dragon Age: Inquisition.
Why the Fade remains so divisive
The Fade appears during the Broken Circle quest in Origins. After the Warden and their party travel to a mage tower to stop a rebellion, a demon puts them to sleep and sends them into the dreamworld.
Players are separated from their companions and must gain shapeshifting abilities to open special doors and continue. The encounters can be challenging, the area takes a substantial amount of time to finish, and there is no way to leave once the sequence begins. For much of the journey, the Warden is also on their own.
Some players appreciate the Fade’s unusual setting and mechanics, while others see it as a lengthy interruption to the main adventure. It remains one of the major arguments within the Dragon Age community, alongside Dragon Age II’s Deep Roads and Inquisition’s Hinterlands.
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The origin Darrah wished had made it into Origins
While the Fade would go in the “remove” column, Darrah said he would have added an Avvar origin to Dragon Age: Origins. The Avvar are tough, big-game-hunting people known for throwing goats.
Darrah explained that another human origin would have been too expensive to develop. The Avvar do appear elsewhere in the series, most notably in Dragon Age: Inquisition’s Jaws of Hakkon downloadable content.
A different ending for Dragon Age II
Darrah’s proposed changes to Dragon Age II would affect its final act. Hawke must choose between the mages, led by First Enchanter Orsino, and the templars, led by Knight Commander Meredith.
Darrah argued that Meredith is effectively proven right regardless of the player’s decision. The conflict asks whether mages deserve the same humanity as everyone else or should be confined because of their dangerous, unpredictable abilities. Yet even if Hawke supports the mages, Orsino eventually uses the blood magic that Meredith has condemned throughout the game.
That outcome creates an uncomfortable “both sides are equally bad” conclusion. Darrah’s preferred change is straightforward: choosing the mages would mean Hawke does not fight Orsino.
Shorter, better-paced Inquisition
For Dragon Age: Inquisition, Darrah’s changes focus more on structure and pacing than on the story itself. He would reduce the game’s overall size by cutting areas and significantly lower the power requirements needed to unlock story missions.
In the released game, players must collect enough power before they can begin certain major quests. Darrah said the system exists for “not-super-great reasons” and suggested that reducing those requirements would create a smoother pace.
It is a familiar role-playing game design problem: a large world can offer plenty to explore, but mandatory progression gates may make the central adventure feel slower. For those interested in bringing interactive entertainment into the home, RETROCADE’s arcade machine buying guide explains the practical considerations behind choosing a cabinet, while the arcade machine collection covers available formats.
Darrah’s proposals do not change what the three games are, but they highlight the trade-offs behind them: the Fade’s extended detour, Dragon Age II’s morally awkward finale and Inquisition’s sprawling progression. For more game-focused viewing, explore RETROCADE’s arcade videos.
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