Flemeth’s revival

With Dragon Age II, BioWare started earnestly looking for a way to franchise the series. It had built itself a new cage as the “choice and consequence” studio thanks to the Mass Effect series, and Dragon Age followed suit by importing your Origins save to pepper in cameos and references to your past deeds. That includes whether or not you killed Flemeth, but since BioWare still wanted to use the mysterious witch either way, it had new hero Hawke unwittingly carry her to safety through an enchanted amulet even as she fought for her life against the Hero of Ferelden. Reviving Flemeth is one of the most effective moments in all of Dragon Age in showing how playing as different protagonists in each game could create satisfying meta moments. As she rises from the ashes, you watch the impact of one of your hero’s actions be undermined by the one you’re playing as now. Dragon Age takes place over decades, and a big part of its appeal is watching different stories you’ve helped write weave in and out of one another. It’s a course correction, but one that is still bone-chilling to watch unfold.