With each new Dragon Age game , BioWare wreak a unexampled evolution of its RPG series that build up on what came before . 2011’sDragon Age 2transitioned away from the CRPG roots of its predecessor for a more engaging and real - meter action battle system . Then , 2014’sDragon Age : Inquisitionfully embrace gaming ’s clear - world course at the time and delivered a report fill with political intrigue .
Ten years afterward , Dragon Age : The Veilguardtakes all of the in force aspects ofDragon Age 2andDragon Age : Inquisition — from fighting to world - construction — to create what could very well be the full biz in the serial so far . Digital Trends spent four hours playingDragon Age : The Veilguardand spoke with game director Corinne Busche about the game ’s background and what players can bear after such a long evolution cycle .
Introducing Minrathous
Dragon Age : The Veilguardstarts off in Minrathous , the capital of the Tevinter Imperium . The game ’s prologueopens with the customizable main protagonist , Rook , as they travel to terminate Solas from opening up a portal to the Fade , a magical property replete with grave monsters . It ’s an explosive showtime that really grabs your attention , and that ’s by plan grant to Busche .
“ I think about the prologue of games as being a declaration that we make with the player about what you could await , what is the promise of the game , ” Busche tells Digital Trends . “ I wanted players to have that chance to leap right in and really get a spirit for the bet , the depth , and the emotion of the secret plan , right from the scuttle import . ”
After the prologue , I learn who the dead on target enemy are : Elgar’nan and Ghilan’nain , two ancient and powerful elven Supreme Being that make Solas look like little fry in comparison . Throughout the secret plan , they ’ll continually make appearing , making them feel like ceaseless threat .
In one of the later portions of the demo I played ( when the party assay a siege on the castle Weisshaupt ) , the gods take the form of jumbo thunderclouds , give them an oppressive bearing . They spread blight wherever they go to sow topsy-turvydom and upset . It ’s a dandy change of pace fromInquisition , where its chief antagonist , Corypheus , barely feel like he was even in the game .
The Veilguard ’s telling visuals fend out to me in these early hour . After consume replayedOriginsa few months ago , the Minrathous ’ sapphire and emerald chromaticity look arresting in comparison . Lore also plays a part in making it look vibrant . Other metropolis are affected by the blight , cover them in oozing cerise and black soil . The contrast between these areas show off the game ’s prowess direction , Busche explains .
“ Northern Thedas is a very unlike part of the world . This is a part of the world that embraces illusion . Magic is literally ooze through these ancient ruins using conjuration like people use electricity to illumine up the city streets of Minrathous , ” Busche say . “ What that mean is we knew that there would be look of this plot that absolutely are more vibrant with those magical energies , but a vital part of it are those dismal and blighted lands , sincerely horrific moments where you ’re campaign alongside people as they scramble . That dark is still very much a part of the game . ”
My best-loved area so far popped up when the political party went into an underwater prison to deliver Lucanis , a vampiric assassin with opprobrious wings . As I was navigating the keep , I finger like I was in Atlantis ; the flowing water visuals made me leave that the serial originated during the Xbox 360 and PS3 era , wheremany RPGsstuck with slow Gray and Brown University for their people of colour pallet . BioWare really went out of its way to create as many various biome as potential , and it already shows in the scuttle hours .
Making friends
Of course , the most important aspect of Dragon Age is its characters — andThe Veilguardis already offering some memorable ones . Lucanis is quickly turning out to be my favorite fellow traveller ; he has a ogre residing at heart of himself that sporadically takes form and only he can see . That make the other companions await at him laughable as it seems like he ’s just talking to air travel .
The dialogue steering wheel makes a return , where Rook can opt the kind of tone they require to set during conversation , unremarkably between nice , sarcastic , and stern . The Veilguarddoes a great job in visualizing the wallop of your selection . For lesson , flavor text on the screen will in reality spell out that characters could find glad or upset because of what you said or what action you select .
The Veilguardemphasizes conclusion - qualification , but so far , I have n’t seen how impactful my choices will be farsighted - term . During the prologue , Rook can take between two fellow traveller — the dwarf Harding or mage Neve — to follow you to stop Solas . Whomever you choose ends up with seeable bruises for a secure while afterward . I in person pick out Neve , and project those bruises on her face in reality made me find bad for her .
There ’s another giving choice to make subsequently in the secret plan that involve redeem a city , and calculate on what I did , I thought there would be a huge change in how the story progressed . However , all that really vary was the purchase order of smaller events go up to a side quest with Lucanis where we hunt down down an old witch who bathe in blood to stay youthful . I enjoy that side quest , as its closing moderate to an interesting secret plan twist in Lucanis ’ family history , but I did n’t really notice how the big decision beforehand really bear on that much . Hopefully it ’s a longer - terminus affair .
Fighting around
The Veilguard ’s fighting is most reminiscent ofDragon Age 2 ’s , where it plays much more like a standard console activeness RPG . Players will have to continually press buttons to dish up out attacks . This is a going away fromOriginsandInquisition ’s armed combat where heroes had motorcar - attacks , letting players just press a button once to continually assault enemies . I ’m a snatch thwarted that it ’s not there , but it does force me to be more occupied with the instant - to - minute gameplay .
Combat feels responsive and impactful among the three main classes you may choose : warrior , mage , and rogue . I loved the warrior ’s ability to throw a shield , and there are skills that would allow me to throw it consecutive times . The direction the shield strike enemies and came back to me feel like I was handle Kratos ’ Leviathan Axe fromGod of Waragain . The rogue feel the most various , being capable to evade attack with precision and switching between double swords and a stem and arrow . The mage is my least pet of the cluster so far , as I felt like it was n’t dishing out as much damage as the others , but I could see its untapped potential difference with its humongous multi - target magical spell .
Companions come in clutch when fighting bosses . In particular , the magic bow - wielding Bellara was integral to ticktock those hard conflict because of her healing spells , as I could only carry three potions at a metre . Neve ’s shabu - based illusion let her slack down time and enemies , which allowed me to regroup whenever fights became too hectic . Mixing and matching fellow traveller is incredibly fun , and you ’re recoil to find a few favorites . The only downside is that you may only land along two companions or else of three like former games . It ’s an odd restriction and feel like a little gradation backward .
Dragon Age : The Veilguardis mold up quite nicely . I ’m interested to see what Northern Thedus has to offer , particularly since it ’s a new , unexplored surface area within the Dragon Age games . The updated gameplay feel modern , despite some strange omissions , and the art commission is impeccable . If the first four minute are indicative of the entire journey , the consequence should hopefully be an RPG that bet as good as it feels .
Dragon Age : The Veilguardlaunches on October 31 for PS5 , Xbox Series X / S , and PC .
