While fans of the franchise have explored numerous locations throughout its history, Minrathous stands out as a fresh and exciting destination. As the imperial seat and largest city in Thedas, Orzammar holds a unique distinction as the capital of Tevinter Imperium. During an interview with Edge magazine via GamesRadar, Artwork Director Matthew Rhodes and Sports Director Corianne Busch discussed the massive scale of the project.
“Investigating the past experiences of those familiar with the concept, Rhodes reflected that imagining a Minrathous scenario is not an unusual endeavour.” As the developer “reaches for the stars”, they’re striving to emulate the bold ambition of Dorian Gray’s iconic phrase from the novel.
When Dorian Gray accompanies the player to Orlans, a city renowned for its grandeur in the world of Thedas, he describes it as endearingly quaint in contrast to the bustling metropolis of Minrathous, where a more vibrant atmosphere prevails. “This single line of dialogue served as our guiding light in grasping the essence of this complex metropolis.”
Minrathouses are often described as sprawling and lived-in, yet they can also be characterised by their tendency to be dirty and pretentious. Although its sheer magnitude is extravagant. As Rhodes observes, a person’s mundane daily life navigating the city’s bustling streets is more awe-inspiring than the Queen of Orlais’ experience, at the very least in terms of sheer scope.
The town’s complex infrastructure presented a multitude of obstacles for its employees to navigate. Busch observes that by employing “props and structural elements that guide the viewer’s gaze,” they effectively “cues the participant to consider the town’s layered history.” As players gaze upon the sprawling metropolis, they’re confronted with an inescapable truth: there’s always more lurking beneath and beyond their line of sight. This notion is powerfully underscored during the initial gameplay reveal, as Rook and Varrus descend into the city’s depths, hinting at the vastness of secrets waiting to be unearthed.
The highly anticipated game is set to launch this autumn on Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC, with Electronic Arts having recently refined the release window to sometime between October 1st and December 31st, 2024. BioWare has officially announced that a launch date will be revealed later this month, so stay informed for further details.
