Dragon Age: The Veilguard Review – BioWare Returns to its Roots… Somewhat

As a seasoned veteran of the Dragon Age saga, spanning from Origins to Inquisition, I must say, the anticipation for The Veilguard was palpable. A decade since the last mainline installment, my heart yearned for a return to the rich lore and immersive gameplay that defined this series. However, stepping into The Veilguard, it felt like I had stumbled upon a different realm entirely.

It’s surprising, given the studio’s prestige in RPG gaming, that they haven’t released a new title from their most sought-after franchises like Mass Effect or Dragon Age in the last 7 and 10 years respectively. While games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Baldur’s Gate 3 have demonstrated that there’s still a huge demand for single-player RPGs, BioWare chose to follow an industry trend during this period, leading to Anthem’s less-than-successful outcome.

Fortunately, it seems that the higher-ups at EA have now come to their senses, and after a prolonged absence, Dragon Age has returned under the title Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

In The Veilguard game, you assume command of a little-known, emerging hero, thrust into battle to prevent elven deity Solas from destroying the Veil, causing global darkness. Unbeknownst to Rook and his team, their actions led to the release of two dangerous and power-hungry evil deities. Now, Rook needs to assemble a group of northern Thedas’ top recruits to thwart Elgar’nan and Ghilan’nain’s sinister plans, which jeopardize the world’s future and all who inhabit it. With blights, high dragons, and countless Darkspawn to tackle, Rook and his allies certainly have their hands full.

Following BioWare’s signature style, you’ll start by establishing your own clan from scratch and bring order to the chaos caused by two unruly elven deities. Narratively speaking, The Veilguard offers a well-crafted storyline. Granted, the dialogue between characters might seem overly dramatic at times, and the plot may appear disjointed, but as the narrative unfolds, it becomes more coherent. While Dragon Age isn’t renowned for its choice-driven narratives (although it has that aspect in its history), The Veilguard significantly improves on this front, particularly in the later chapters. In fact, the climax of The Veilguard comes remarkably close to matching Mass Effect 2’s suicide mission, making for an exciting conclusion.

Instead of the Inquisition focusing on an expansive open world, the settings in Veilguard are intricately handcrafted and filled with captivating high fantasy landscapes, making it easy to get lost in them. To put it simply, the scenery of Veilguard is breathtaking from start to finish. From the grandeur of Arlathan Forest, complete with its floating elven structures, to Minrathous, a city that boasts winding alleyways and gothic architecture, BioWare has truly outdone themselves with the setting of Veilguard. Furthermore, the character models in this game are visually stunning, particularly their hair which is among the best I’ve seen in video games. Unfortunately, the lip-syncing could use some improvement, as it was also a challenge for them during Inquisition.

Compared to Dragon Age: Inquisition, The Veilguard feels more streamlined and polished. Players who have experienced the mage class in Inquisition are familiar with the limitations it imposed, particularly when it came to mobility. However, in this latest version, regardless of the chosen class, mobility concerns are no longer a problem.

My biggest criticism, however, is that while the game is more responsive and agile, it does seem that BioWare have opted to make The Veilguard an action game rather than an RPG. For instance, there aren’t tons of different armour and weapons (or even crafting) that you’d expect from a Dragon Age game, instead there are a handful and you just upgrade them from common to legendary. In fact, I pretty much used the same armour and weapons throughout, which is almost a hate crime against RPGs but unfortunately how the game is effectively designed. On top of that, your companions don’t get downed anymore, and enemies seem to focus on you unless one of your squad mates uses an ability to taunt them, meaning they’ve gone from being an integral part of the battle, to almost meaningless pawns. Sure, you can still control their abilities, but The Veilguard is definitely less tactical.

In this game, it’s not only the focus on weapons and armor that’s limiting, but also the restriction to using just three skills (including an ultimate ability). This means you end up repeatedly using the same set of skills throughout your gameplay – at least I did. Given the extensive skill tree available in the game, being confined to such a small number of skills and having a meager mana pool is quite disappointing.

Regarding the action aspect, The Veilguard truly stands out in an impressive manner. However, it’s worth noting that the series has significantly evolved since its Origin days, a change that some may find exciting, yet might leave role-playing game enthusiasts such as myself slightly disheartened.

Apart from some minor differences, The Veilguard delivers everything you could ask for in a Dragon Age game: stunning landscapes, an impressive soundtrack, and engaging elements to keep you hooked. What’s more, the companion quests – initially appearing somewhat sluggish – gradually build into a captivating tale of their own. In fact, they are almost on par with those crafted by BioWare in Mass Effect 2.

In The Veilguard, there are numerous references to past games, with many familiar faces reappearing, making it a real treat for Dragon Age enthusiasts. While Solas may not be the central figure he was once portrayed as, his cameo is still significant. However, the inclusion of the Inquisitor could use some improvement; it feels forced and somewhat awkward. Ultimately, The Veilguard is overflowing with fan service, a skill that BioWare has honed over time.

All in all, The Veilguard is equally fascinating and somewhat puzzling. Although its moment-to-moment gameplay seems more refined and reactive, the transition from RPG to action-RPG to action game might leave fans feeling let down. However, despite this shift, BioWare’s immaculately designed world offers a stark contrast to the asset reuse issues that plagued Dragon Age 2. Thedas has never been more inviting. In essence, Dragon Age: The Veilguard is an engrossing package, featuring excellent companion quests, but we can’t help but wonder if BioWare inadvertently omitted some roleplaying aspects from their RPG title.

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2024-11-09 22:42