Dragon Age 2 announced; expected March, 2011

Update: Februrary 1, 2011 was from an earlier statement made about this game. The press release actually says March 2011. Today, Bioware put up a website for Dragon Age 2! The site goes into some detail about the premise of the game, as well as offering two pieces of concept art, included in this article. The press release, as reported on Kotaku, reveals some further information about the character in the game.

The site adds that they're updating the graphics with a new visual style, while they're beefing up the cinematic aspect of the game. They'll also be updating the combat mechanics, making them more "dynamic," putting you in the "heart of battle." There's a trailer coming August 17.

A specific character name would enable a Mass Effect-like system, wherein characters in the game can refer to you by name, while you could potentially have a voice. You'll still be able to choose gender and class, but not race. There's still no word on whether or not your character will be voiced in the same manner, which might imply a dialog system like that of Mass Effect.

More, concept art and spoilers for Dragon Age: Origins after the jump.

So this guy/girl, Hawke. The concept art for him reminds me a bit of Morrigan. Black hair, his eyes... I don't know what it is, but yeah. I'm thinking the structure of the series will largely be following this character. Dragon Age: Origins gained its subtitle by telling the story of this character's origin, then the press around this game has been saying "rise to power," over and over.