Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is the fourth main installment of the popular RPG series launched in 2009. The game was developed by the BioWare studio, which supervises the development of the brand, and whose portfolio includes such projects as Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect series and Neverwinter Nights.

The project was initially known as Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, but during production, its creators decided that it was not Solas, the "Dread Wolf", who plays the main role. Instead, the focus changed to the Veilguards trying to stop the threat he brought. As a result, it was decided to change the title.

Plot

The story of Dragon Age: The Veilguard is set after the events presented in Dragon Age: Inquisition and its add-on Trespasser. Solas, one of our companions in the previous part of the series, turned out to be the Dread Wolf, Fen'Harel - a powerful entity that once created the titular Veil separating the fantasy world of Thedas from the Void, which is home to demons.

Given that he simultaneously took away the elves' ancient glory and immortality, he eventually recognized this as a mistake and decided to fix it by performing a magical ritual that destroyed the Veil. The ritual ended in failure, releasing into Thedas two powerful elven deities wanting to dominate the world of mortals at all costs.

During the game we take on the role of a character known as Rook. As one of the titular Veilguards, we must gather a team and set off on a journey through Thedas to stop the forces of evil before things get completely out of control. Our actions and the choices we make shape the course of the story and its ending.

Companions

Dragon Age: The Veilguard allows us to lead a three-person team, whose members we choose from among seven available companions. They are:

1. Emmrich (necromancer);
2. Davrin (Grey Warden);
3. Neve (a mage, and at the same time a private detective from Tevinter);
4. Lace Harding (an archer we met in Dragon Age: Inquisition);
5. Lucanis (mage killer);
6. Taash (dragon slayer from the Qunari race);
7. Bellara (Veil Jumper).

Each of them has their own story to tell, which we can learn during the game by performing quests related to it.

Romances

Dragon Age: The Veilguard allows us to form friendships and romantic bonds with allies. It's worth noting that there are no restrictions in this matter, and the gender of our character and their potential other half doesn't matter at all. Interestingly, if we decide not to have a love relationship with a given character, he or she may find another lover not only among the remaining members of our party, but also among other neutral characters.

Gameplay

In Dragon Age: The Veilguard we watch the action from a third-person perspective (TPP). We start the game with opening the character creator, choosing our race (we can choose from a human, a dwarf, an elf and a Qunari), a faction (we can become, among others, one of the Shadow Dragons from Tevinter) and a class (the game allows us to play the role of a warrior, mage or rogue), as well as deciding on our appearance. We have nothing left to do but to throw ourselves into the whirl of adventures.

The main story of the game leads us through various locations, such as Minratus (the capital of Tevinter), Weisshaupt fortress (the main headquarters of the Grey Wardens) or even the Deep Roads (where dark spawns nest). In addition, places such as the land of Rivain and the dense forest of Arlathan are waiting to be visited.

The Crossroads, which are a separate dimension suspended between worlds, serve as a kind of hub, from where we go to other, separate regions. Our starting point is the lighthouse, where we can rest from the hardships of the journey and spend time with our companions.

The core of the adventure are quests pushing the plot forward, accompanied by side missions. We engage in conversations with various characters and make choices, as well as fight against encountered enemies. Due to the fact that the combat system is action-oriented, there is no real active pause in the game, known from the previous installments of the series.

It is replaced by a special skill wheel, the activation of which pauses the game. It allows us to choose the desired ability of our character, indicate the target or give commands to companions and activate their special skills. Over time we can also find information in it about the weaknesses and strengths of opponents on the battlefield.

And speaking of adversaries - on our way we encounter, among others, dark spawn, Venatori cultists or even demons from the void. As we progress, we develop our character, unlocking new skills related to their class. We also collect better equipment, thanks to which we can face more challenges over time.

Game modes

Unlike its predecessor, Dragon Age: The Veilguard features only singleplayer. There is no co-op mode or any other multiplayer variant.

Engine

Dragon Age: The Veilguard uses the Frostbite engine, known from Dragon Age: Inquisition, Mass Effect: Andromeda and Anthem developed by BioWare, as well as from other productions published by Electronic Arts, including the Battlefield series.

Last updated on 12 June 2024