A fantasy role-playing game of astonishing spectacle. This is the best Dragon Age, and perhaps BioWare, has ever been.
There are moments in Dragon Age: The Veilguard where all I can do is stop and gawp. To see a fantasy adventure brought to life around me at such scale and with such drama is astonishing. I keep expecting the illusion to falter and for the game to tire but it never does. Always, the ante is upped and the centrepiece grows. I gawp. I hold my breath. I have never been on a BioWare ride like this.
But around that is a game of surprising breadth and depth, one I hadn’t necessarily expected. I feared it shallow but there’s crunchiness to the role-playing systems. I feared it narrow but there’s a magnificent world that yawns open as you play. It’s as filling as any Dragon Age game before it and every bit an RPG, and yet, it’s also more.
We pick up events in The Veilguard 10 years after the story of Dragon Age: Inquisition ended, following new hero Rook on the path of our old frenemy Solas, the Inquisition companion revealed to be an ancient elven god at the end of that previous game. He’s trying to tear down the barrier he created (the Veil) between the waking world and the dream world (the Fade), and in doing so cause a right old cataclysmic mess, so we’re trying to stop him. You’ve seen this prologue in gameplay trailers before: Tevinter’s capital Minrathous at night, in the rain, and a breathless descent down through the city as demons hurtle from the sky and chaos erupts around you.
Immediately, it’s a statement of intent: this is how impressive Dragon Age: The Veilguard can look. Cinematic blends into hellter skelter traversal, enlivened by now being able to mantle and contextually leap over obstacles, which then leads into combat with clusters of enemies, a sprinkling of dialogue, some meaningful choices, set pieces and boss fights. It’s BioWare showing what the series’ new mission-based approach can achieve – an approach we’re more familiar with from Mass Effect. Scripted missions with designed routes can deliver incredible bombast. But can the rest of the game keep it up? Yes, in spades.
I said it earlier but the sheer scale and exuberance of some of the major missions in this game is staggering. Even as soon as the end of the first act – there are, loosely, three acts – we experience the kind of blockbuster, ‘everyone’s here’ showcases that other BioWare games have ended with, and somehow it just gets bigger from there. Huge bosses, huge moments, surprises, drama. And the ending of the game is an all-timer; it left my jaw on the floor. It trumps anything BioWare has done before, and that includes the renowned ‘suicide run’ from Mass Effect 2.
What I find even more impressive, though, is how these big moments are not reserved for the major story beats, but find their way into companion missions and even exploratory side quests. There’s a generosity right across the game in this regard.
It makes The Veilguard capable of catching your breath wherever you go, even if it’s on the smallest errand. Much of this is to do with the divisive new graphical style. BioWare has gone for a more stylised approach here, exaggerating features and smoothing textures, as though aiming for something closer to an animated film in appearance, and it really works. The exaggeration helps enhance facial gestures and draws out the inherent fantasy and emotion in scenes and environments.
One thing that surprised me about The Veilguard was how open its world turned out to be. As you progress and new companions join you, they’ll introduce you to a zone that houses a faction they belong to, in which there will inevitably be a merchant related to them, various people to talk to, and a larger exploratory area around it where various things can be done – big quests, small quests, environmental puzzles. There’s a necropolis, there’s the city of Treviso, there’s the wartorn area of Hossberg Wetlands – there are many, you’ll return to them repeatedly, and they are each distinct and varied.
They also house pick-up, incidental quests, but don’t worry, lessons from Inquisition have been learned. Even when your tasks are at their smallest, they’re never fetch-quests and there’s an appreciable level of effort gone into them. Plus, as with everything in the game, there’s an inherent and interconnected value in them, in everything you do, meaning no task is superfluous.
Let’s get onto more juicy stuff. There’s a new roster of companions here and, just as in a game like Mass Effect 2 – a surprisingly accurate comparison, I’m pleased to say, after angling my preview of The Veilguard around it – you’ll be sent out to gradually collect them. It’s a relatively slow start with them, in terms of who’s available from the beginning – I found the initial ensemble a bit twee and saccharine – but as characters like Lucanis and Davrin, and especially Emmrich and Taash arrive, the group dynamic improves dramatically.
In many ways it is a game about them, your companions. Through them The Veilguard speaks to our hearts, and it’s how the game approaches complex topics from our own world – topics like gender identity, neurodiversity, personal trauma, and parenthood – and each is handled gently and unobtrusively, and with maturity and care. Romance is of course part of the game, but I’m pleased by how restrained it is here, and how it refocuses relationships on the emotional side rather than being about trying to bang someone. I flirted with everyone for hours before committing to Taash, but no one was giving anything away easily.
The companions in a BioWare game have never been so consistently present as a group as they are here. They have their individual homes around your Lighthouse base, as in other BioWare and Dragon Age games, which are lovely reflections of the characters in them, but they also move around to talk to other companions and in some cases, develop relationships with them. But whenever you debrief after something big, or whenever you plan for something big, you’re all together, talking about it – not just some of you. It fosters a sense of togetherness, that you’re all in it together, not some of you while others stand idly by. Incidentally, the game does still suffer from companions being stabled while others go out, so they don’t level up as much, but game does what it can to alleviate this, such as enforcing companion choice on certain missions, encouraging using companions when exploring their home areas, and, at certain major points, it will make everyone’s Bond score increase.
Concerning the gameplay mechanics, The Veilguard introduces a more action-packed combat system compared to previous Dragon Age titles. Each class has a variety of abilities and attacks, creating a more immersive and intense experience for players. The game challenges you in ways that previous titles haven’t, both in combat and overall gameplay. The aggressive nature of the enemies and the intense boss battles make for a thrilling experience.
Overall, The Veilguard is a remarkable achievement in the world of role-playing games. With its intricate storytelling, engaging gameplay, and stunning visuals, BioWare has set a new standard for the genre. This game is a testament to the dedication and talent of the team behind it, showcasing their ability to create unforgettable gaming experiences. The Veilguard is not just a game; it’s an epic journey that will captivate players from start to finish.