Dragon Age: Inquisition's quest "In Hushed Whispers" saw the Inquisitor go to Redcliffe, a familiar location from Dragon Age: Origins. The quest didn't just give nostalgic fans the opportunity to see the long-term effect of the Warden's decisions, however. "In Hushed Whispers" introduced time travel to the series, and there's evidence suggesting time travel could return in Dragon Age 4.
Dragon Age 4's setting, its main plot, and the events of Inquisition all point towards the return of the time travel plotline. Here's a breakdown of the role time travel played in Inquisition, and why the inclusion of time travel in the last game could have been done with the sequel in mind.
Dragon Age: Inquisition's Time Travel
It's no secret that Dragon Age: Inquisition was made with a multi-game arc in mind. This is particularly clear with the introduction of Solas, the Dread Wolf, who is set up as Dragon Age 4's villain. Dragon Age: Inquisition introduced time travel, that time travel aspect doesn't seem to have a huge effect on the plot overall. The quest "In Hushed Whispers" only appears if the player decides to go to Redcliffe and side with the mages in the Mage-Templar War. The Inquisitor visits Redcliffe and learns that the mages have been taken over by Tevinter Magister and Venatori cultist Gereon Alexius. With the help of future follower Dorian Pavus, the Inquisition finds out that Alexius has "the power to reorder time itself."
During a confrontation, Alexius flings the party just one year into the future. They fight their way back to Alexius, freeing their companions, and eventually make it back to the present to recruit the mages into the Inquisition. It's an interesting quest, but the use of time travel seems strangely restrained. Not only is it part of a quest that only activates if the player chooses to pursue recruiting the mages, but they only travel one year ahead. It could be that this time travel plot was introduced to experiment with the idea in the setting before using it to more dramatic effect in Dragon Age 4.
Dragon Age 4 will be set in the Tevinter Imperium, where both Alexius and Dorian come from. Tevinter is ruled by an exclusively mage upper class, and a different points in history Tevinter's rulers have used dangerous magic to achieve their ends. Centuries before Dragon Age takes place, the Imperium used blood magic to raze the capital of the Elven empire.
The Dread Wolf's Plan
BioWare hasn't revealed many details about Solas' plan in Dragon Age 4. Fans know that he plans to tear down the Veil between the Fade and Thedas, a magical barrier the Dread Wolf himself put up eons ago to free the Elves by trapping their false Elven "gods" in the Fade. It has been suggested that tearing down the Veil now could be hugely risky, but Solas has expressed his willingness to sacrifice the other races of Thedas if it means reviving the Elven empire. However, it's unclear how Solas' plan would end with the Elves rising back to power and the other civilizations crumbling.
One of the few ways that could actually let Solas reset the clock on the Elven empire is using the same magic Alexius Inquisition on a much larger scale. With the magic unleashed from the Fade, it could be possible for Solas to send Thedas back to the age of the Elven empire. This would allow Solas to stop himself from putting up the Veil to begin with, which severed the Elves from most of their magic and ultimately made them vulnerable to the Tevinter Imperium. It would also effectively erase the human nations of Thedas from existence, also likely preventing the Qunari from taking over Par Vollen and stopping the Dwarves from growing in power.
The Dread Wolf wants to restore the Elven empire, but without a plan destroying the Veil seems more likely to flood Thedas with demons that kill every human, Dwarf, and Elf they find. A plan to literally prevent the mistakes of the past rather than just correct them could explain why Solas feels so confident unleashing the power of the Fade into Thedas.
Time Travel In Dragon Age 4
This could manifest in a few different ways. Players might find themselves in the present day with history retroactively change, or, as in Dragon Age: Inquisition, may find themselves chasing Solas through time to prevent him from destroying the Veil. In fact, Solas' entire plan might rely on going back and preventing his old self from creating the Veil to begin with. This would stop him trapping the Elven gods, but it would also likely stop the Elven empire from being destroyed.
This would allow BioWare to show lore locations like Arlathan in all their glory. It would give the storytellers a chance to show everything that the Elves have lost, and it would show just how tragic Solas is as a villain driven entirely by regret. At the end of Inquistion, Solas also appeared to absorb the soul of Mythal, AKA Flemeth. It was Mythal's betrayal by the other Elven gods that led to Solas' revolution against them. It could be that he plans to use her soul to save Mythal in that moment, allowing them to defeat the other Elven gods without the need to create the Veil.
If time travel is used at all, however, it won't be without controversy. Some fans felt that Inquisition's use of time travel didn't fit the setting, and opened the possibly for plot holes down the line, especially when used for minor storylines. If Dragon Age 4 uses time travel it could explain why that plot was included to begin with , as well as finally explaining how Solas' plans would really save the Elves and doom the other races of Thedas.
Dragon Age 4 is in development.