Having begun development in 2011, BioWare used EA DICE's Frostbite 3 engine to power the game, though this created many development challenges for the team.
Ultimately, BioWare wanted the third Dragon Age game to combine the elements of the first two games in the series. BioWare sought to address player feedback for Dragon Age II as a major goal, which influenced the design decisions of its sequel. The release of Dragon Age II was met with a mixed reception from players who lamented the loss of the complexity of the first game, Dragon Age: Origins (2009).
