Dragon Age Dreadwolf (opens in new tab), the next installment in BioWare's hit RPG series, has completed its alpha milestone, general manager Gary McKay announced today. At least for the developers, that is.

"Up to this point, we have been hard at work on various parts of the game, but the game will not all come together until the alpha milestone," McKay wrote (opens in new tab). Now, for the first time, you can experience the entire game, from the opening scene of the first mission to the very end. You see it, hear it, feel it, and play it, all in one integrated experience."

While there is still a long way to go before Dreadwolf crosses the finish line, according to McKay, being in alpha status means that developers can focus on improving graphics, gameplay iteration, progression, pacing, and "story cohesion" to all fit together properly This is significant, he says, because it means that they can focus on making sure that the "story is cohesive.

"Now that I finally get to experience the whole game," McKay writes, "what I love most are the characters. Whether followers, allies, or villains, they are woven into the game in a way that furthers the concept of "stories about people" that is part of the DNA of Dragon Age more than ever. The characters help explain the world and the stakes, and I can't wait to be able to discuss them in depth. [as in the city of Minrath, the capital of the Tevinter Empire. We have talked about Minrathus in previous games, and we will finally be able to visit it! The city is built on magic and revitalized by magic, and its visual identity and appearance compared to previous cities we have visited in Dragon Age is quite spectacular.

McKay promised to be "transparent" with the community as Dragon Age continues: he also said that BioWare has other new games in the works, including the new Mass Effect (opens in new tab) and Star Wars: The Old Republic, which will continue He informed everyone that updates are planned. He also gently suggested that Mass Effect fans not expect news in that direction, as BioWare has a team "working hard to envision a new single-player Mass Effect game."