BioWare has shared another look at Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, giving us a taste of Solas in the villain role. Narrated by Varric, it even suggests that the fan-favourite dwarf will be returning as a companion yet again, as he says that "we're" the only ones who can stop the Dreadwolf.
The animated short is, admittedly, a little light on details, and doesn't give us any look at the gameplay or even in-game visuals. But it does, however, suggest that we could see a return to 2D animated cutscenes that were used in Dragon Age 2, as Varric told Cassandra the story of Hawke.
"I knew him as Solas, a thoughtful mage obsessed with dreams," Varric opens. "But long ago, he had a different name: Fen'Harel, the Dreadwolf. Ancient elven god of lies, or heroic rebel against tyranny - depending on which story you believe."
Varric goes on to catch everyone up on the story of Fen'Harel, but any long-term Dragon Age fan will already be very familiar with how the tale goes. Yet the trailer also serves to hammer home that Solas will likely be our primary antagonist, hellbent on destroying the world - not the head of a faction you can join as some fans were no doubt hoping.
The trailer ends with Varric saying that "we're the only ones who can stop him", which suggests that Varric will be a playable companion for the third game in a row. If true, this would give him more appearances as a companion than any other character, as he's currently tied with Anders (Awakening, Dragon Age 2), and Oghren (Origins, Awakening). It is possible though that he won't actually be part of our squad, and will simply be in Tevinter on behalf of the Inquisition, helping them stop Solas' villainy.
This new trailer is part of the ongoing Dragon Age Day celebrations, which have also seen Thedas-themed items added to The Sims 4. Sadly, the reveals from today have not included a release date for Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, so it's possible we won't see the game next year at all. But BioWare does state that the game is "deep" in development, so we might get some gameplay trailers in the new year.