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Only two weeks remain until the release of the fourth entry in the franchise, but Is Dragon Age: The Veilguard Worth Buying?
Dragon Age is a hugely popular video game franchise that began in 2009 with the release of Dragon Age: Origins. Since that time, two other major game installments have been released, along with an extended universe that has appeared in novels, graphic novels, web series, and other spin-offs. However, it’s been ten years since the last mainline game, Dragon Age: Inquisition was released in 2014.
Now, a decade later, the fourth entry into the series, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, is finally set to bring players back to the world of Thedas. Will this continuation of the story bring original fans back? Can new players jump in without feeling overwhelmed? In the run-up to release, we’re going to be covering the details of what we know about the game. Seeking to answer the question, is Dragon Age: The Veilguard worth buying?
Is Dragon Age: The Veilguard Worth Buying?
Developed by BioWare and published by EA, Dragon Age: The Veilguard has a global release date of October 31, 2024. Furthermore, Dragon Age: The Veilguard will be available on Playstation 5, Xbox Series X\S, and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and the EA App. The game will not be available at release on Xbox/Microsoft Game Pass. Additionally, it will not be available through the Playstation Plus subscription service. Therefore, if you want to play the game at launch, buying it outright is the only way to do so.
In the following sections on development, story, graphics, combat, companions, and more, we’ll review the essential information about the game, with the ultimate goal of helping you decide whether Dragon Age: The Veilguard is worth buying.
Background and Development
The development of Dragon Age: The Veilguard has traveled over a rough road, with the overall vision for the game changing several times and a high level of staff turnover complicating matters. Original development began in 2015, and it was intended to be a smaller, more narrative game. Work on the project halted for a year, as development help was shifted to other games. However, even after resuming work in 2017, it was then canceled because EA was frustrated that it had no room for ongoing monetization.
Next, it was restarted again in 2018, with a different project name. This time with the overall premise of creating a game with a live service component. However, with the success of Jedi: Fallen Order and the uninspiring returns on Anthem, EA finally decided to develop the game as a single-player RPG. Consequently, in large part the game we know of as Dragon Age: The Veilguard has been in development for only three years.
World Setting and Story
The story of Dragon Age: The Veilguard begins about 10 years after the conclusion of the previous game, Inquisition. Because of the amount of time that has passed, you’ll only be asked about three specific, large-scale choices from that game. This will happen during character creation and will focus on the question of who you romanced, the fate of the Inquisition, and your choice regarding Solas.
Your protagonist character in Veilguard, known in-universe as ‘Rook’ has been pulled into a group of companions seeking to stop Solas from tearing down the Veil. This fragile barrier between the physical world of Thedas and the mystical world of the Fade is the only thing that keeps demons at bay. As Solas’s ritual progresses, demons are beginning to attack.
From previews so far, it appears that your attempt to stop Solas takes place in an early portion of the game. You and your companions are successful, but the consequences of your actions are calamitous. Solas claims that your actions have allowed the “Blighted Elven Gods to walk free.” Now, your battle becomes even more fraught and dangerous, as you square up against supremely powerful ancient foes.
Your journey to gather allies and strength for the coming battle will take you to places in Thedas never seen before in the games. The Tevinter capital of Minrathous, the coastal kingdom of Rivain, and the Arlathan Forest, where once an eleven civilization held sway.
Read more: Dragon Age: The Veilguard Progression Systems
Character Creator and Graphics
The art style for Dragon Age: The Veilguard has been a divisive choice that not everyone has been a fan of. It’s a departure from the more realistic designs of the previous games and the proportions on the character models can feel a little off. You can choose from four races during character creation: Human, Elf, Dwarf, and Qunari. Additionally, there are three classes that will determine your build and playstyle, along with six factions that each provide their own bonuses and armor sets.
The Appearance choices in the character creator have a wide variety of sliders for all kinds of body types and facial modifications. Furthermore, there is an amazing amount of hairstyles to choose from. There are more than 20 for the Qunari and over 80 for the other three races! And, over 20 different tattoos are available, which you can adjust the intensity and color of. Overall, the character creator for Dragon Age: The Veilguard appears to give players ample opportunity to create unique in-game characters.
Moreover, the environment and world of Thedas look diverse and beautiful. In this particular case, the adjusted art style really makes some of the locations pop with distinctive features, lighting, and atmosphere.
Classes and Combat
There are three returning classes in Dragon Age: The Veilguard: the Warrior, Rogue, and Mage. Each has a distinct playstyle and fills a particular combat role in a group. Warriors serve as the heavily armored tanks or the frontline damage dealers. Agile Rogues deal physical damage with daggers or bow. Mages cast area-of-effect spells and wield the elements against their foes. Moreover, these can be further refined with new class specializations, with each class having three unique options. These will allow you to further refine your build and focus on boosting the type of combat you like best.
Combat is another major change coming to this new entry to the series. In the past, Dragon Age games have prioritized tactical combat. Furthermore, within that framework, you could take control of individual companions and direct their actions specifically.
The Vielguard will have combat that is much more strongly based on real-time action. The number of companions you can take into battle has dropped from three to two. Furthermore, you can no longer control them individually. However, a new feature that BioWare has added is the ability to combine attacks with your companions. When the right abilities are selected, these combos can be tied together with debuffs and abilities that target the enemy’s vulnerability to devastating effects.
Also read: Max Level in Dragon Age The Veilguard
Companions and Romance
Companions are often considered the highlight of the Dragon Age series. The combination of strong, engaging personalities and a world to save has led to a lot of fun banter and unexpected relationships. Romance can also play a big part in your personal character’s journey. Your choices and dialogue interactions all have an effect on your relationships with your companions, for good and bad.
In this respect, Dragon Age: The Veilguard will be no different. There are seven total companions to gather and all of them are potential romance partners. This holds true no matter what options you select in the character creator for your Rook. This will enable all players to create a Rook exactly to their liking, without locking themselves out of a romance with a specific companion. Moreover, in a new feature, The Veilguard will enable your companions to potentially have each other.
Is Dragon Age: The Veilguard Worth Buying? – Final Words
Longtime fans of the Dragon Age series are likely feeling partially conflicted about what they have seen from The Veilguard so far. The drastic shift in art style and the changes to combat are particular sticking points. Your mileage may vary on the art and character design. Some fans of the previous games may find the look too distracting, but it could also be something you adjust to after playing for a bit.
Combat will likely be a harder adjustment for fans of the more strategic, tactical fighting style. However, new players and others may see appeal in combat that flows more like that in the recent God of War games.
By all appearances, however, the standard of companions, romance, and narrative holds true. While opinions of individual characters are subjective, you are likely to find at least two favorites among the bunch. If BioWare can deliver an engaging story with impactful player choices, then it may have another success on its hands.
Overall, with such major changes to two vital components of the series, it may be best for players on the fence to wait for full reviews of the game before they decide to buy. On the other hand, for beginners looking for an entry point into Dragon Age, this could be an good mix of honoring the traditions of the franchise, while trying something different for moder gamers.
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