Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Dynamic third-person role-playing action with a slasher combat system, Dragon Age: The Veilguard transports players to the magical fantasy world of Thedas, in the heart of the Tevinter Empire. The recent breach of the Veil—a magical barrier separating the spirit world from the realm of the living—has triggered the merging of the Fade with reality and the incursion of threats from another world. It falls to new heroes to restore order. They traverse diverse regions, each filled with unique quests and events, ensuring a balance between storytelling and exploration.

The Veilguard features high-quality graphics, where the color palette, occasionally cartoonish elements, and stylized simplifications create a unique visual style. But BioWare skillfully plays with visual contrasts: on one side—opulent cities of Tevinter, on the other—corrupted villages and the bleak, oppressive atmosphere of the Deep Roads. Bright and vibrant animations, along with an abundance of effects, make the action spectacular and visually rich.

The Dragon Age universe reflects a world in constant struggle for survival. At the center is the continent of Thedas, torn apart by periodic disasters known as the Blight. Its onset is linked to the Blight—an ancient corruption that infects all living things, turning humans, elves, and dwarves into monstrous Darkspawn. Each Blight is led by an archdemon—a powerful dragon afflicted by the Blight.

The root cause of the Blight is unknown, but it is associated with the Veil—a magical barrier that separates the real world from the Fade, where spirits and demons reside. The Veil not only serves as a protection but also remains a source of constant threat, as breaches in it lead to incursions of beings from the Fade onto the continent.

As if that weren't enough, Thedas is torn by constant conflicts. In the north, the human empire of Tevinter, once a powerful magocracy, struggles for influence, facing resistance from powers such as Ferelden to the south, Orlais to the west, and Antiva to the east. Dwarves living in underground cities fight not only against the Darkspawn but also among themselves for control over scarce resources. Elves, having lost their former glory, are in decline, gradually disappearing from the world stage. Wars, political intrigues, and social conflicts only add fuel to the fire.

Warriors of the ancient order of the Grey Wardens have dedicated themselves to the fight against the Blight and Darkspawn. They are also represented in The Veilguard. The conflict between mages and their templar guardians, which reached its peak in Inquisition, has concluded, and in the new game, the focus shifts to other factions. For instance, the famous assassins—the Antivan Crows—offer unique opportunities and quests, as well as the Mourning Watch and Shadow Dragons.

The game actively encourages exploring the world through dialogues, notes, and chronicles, but instead of a deep dive into the lore, players receive an abundance of meaningless information. Veilguard essentially undermined the rich lore foundation of previous installments. In an effort to make the game an accessible entry point into the series and attract a new generation of players, BioWare's writers simplified the setting and atmosphere, and retconned the canon. They avoid revealing key events from previous installments to not overwhelm newcomers, replacing complex character motivations with simplified plot twists, and serious themes with light fairy-tale motifs.

Long ago in Thedas, a civilization of elves thrived, ruled by powerful leaders known as the Evanuris. Gifted with divine power, they cruelly oppressed ordinary elves. Driven by a sense of justice, the god of deceit Fen'Harel rose against the oppression and tyranny of his kin. He created the Veil, where he imprisoned the Evanuris. The people were free, but happiness did not last long—the emergence of the barrier led the elves to lose their immortality and their civilization to decline.

Centuries later, during the events of Dragon Age: Inquisition, elven mage Solas discovers the ancient secrets of the Veil and decides to restore the former glory and power of his people through its destruction. This threatens to bring chaos and the destruction of Thedas due to the unleashed demons of the Fade.

In the prologue of The Veilguard, the main character known as Rook and his allies interrupt Solas's ritual. This, however, leads to unpredictable consequences. Two Evanuris with bloodthirsty and sadistic tendencies manage to escape from the Fade: Gilanaine and Elgarnaan. They unleash a new Blight of unprecedented scale, as if it has united the forces of all previous ones. New archdemons, the strongest of all known, lead huge armies of Darkspawn, threatening to destroy all life.

The Veilguard offers to immerse players in a dynamic fantasy story, albeit devoid of narrative depth, moral dilemmas, and emotional swings characteristic of Origins. And most importantly—it is no longer dark fantasy. The plot consists of 14 large chapters and moves through a set of key events that are logically but not dramatically connected. The writers occasionally attempt to evoke emotions, but do so by avoiding confrontations and sharp conflicts, which prevents the plot from reaching the desired intensity. Instead of a growing catharsis, the story features an "eco-friendly drama," and even the villains are not insulted but are instead tried to be understood and convinced otherwise.

The main conflict revolves around the protagonist's team battling the Evanuris, with new friends and foes introduced in each chapter, and one major plot twist and a couple of smaller ones prepared for the finale. The construction and composition of the plot follow BioWare's classic formula: the hero gathers a team, helps companions with personal matters, solves others' problems, embarks on a "suicidal mission," where all are defeated in two squads. And it all ends with one of five possible endings. The developers did everything to ensure the player experiences the game perfectly: they remind about unfinished quests, provide hints for key steps, and otherwise guide towards the best outcome.

The writers limited the player's influence on the unfolding events: choices are simplified, consequences are predictable, and the results of most decisions are cosmetic in nature. It won't be possible to play the role of a "cynical egoist" or a "good paladin." The dialogues suffer from predictability, as all response options lead to the same outcome, and there's no opportunity to pressure, bribe, or make mistakes in conclusions. The protagonist avoids complex or ambiguous topics, making conversations "neutral," although in previous games in the series, the player felt responsible for their overly talkative nature.

The Veilguard features one of the deepest and most detailed editors for creating realistically-looking characters. You can choose a race (human, elf, dwarf, kunari), gender, class (warrior, mage, rogue), backstory (starting conditions and bonuses), and faction (dialogue options and interactions with NPCs). You can adjust appearance — hairstyle, beard, scars, skin sagging, ear shape, and many other details.

The protagonist is more of a functional figure in the plot than a charismatic leader who evokes empathy. Although he is presented as the most important character in the series. Becoming the savior of the world by chance, lacking special talents or status, the hero's interaction with the world is built on fulfilling a predetermined role, and personality is lost behind generic, unremarkable lines.

The seven companions provide a complete variety of characters, mostly faceless, lacking color. The best moments are related to a necromancer who dreams of becoming a lich and an inventor digging into elven heritage. But even so, the contentious discussion of necromancy morals ends with apologies to each other.

Character designers aimed to meet all standards of inclusivity, but it came off as overly forced. Thus, a non-binary companion becomes the embodiment of cringe, generating 80% of all awkward moments. Instead of showcasing temperamental natures with personality revelations and skeletons in the closet, the companions' stories focus on external attributes and identity issues, even, using modern internet language, failing to delve deeper. Personal quests feel like a waste of time: the hero faces a problem, an antagonist appears, and the quest ends with victory over them. As a result, the player influences the ending and receives unique abilities and armor for the companion.

Fast-paced and spectacular, it requires the player to "kite" enemies, constantly move (missed hits deal significant damage), use active skills, and consider enemy characteristics. Some enemies are better dealt with using the warrior's power abilities, while others are best approached with the mage's ranged attacks.

Each class offers its approach to combat. Warriors dramatically charge into the thick of battle with massive weapons. Rogues set traps, use turrets, and engage in both close and long-range combat. Mages have received a huge arsenal of spells, including necromancy, elemental spells, gravitational anomalies, and summoning through rifts in space. Mages are not limited to ranged attacks with a staff — they also use swords and magical orbs for close combat.

At its core lies typical slasher mechanics: strong and weak strikes, positive and negative statuses, abilities. Dodges, parries, counterattacks diversify the defense mechanics. Thus, with a successful series of reflected attacks, the parrying system will imbue the weapon with the effect of burning flames, and some builds allow parrying even red attacks, from which one can often only dodge. The interactivity of the environment allows players to throw enemies off cliffs.

In battle, the hero can take only two companions, while the tactical element is preserved in giving them commands through a special menu. All characters use three active abilities and one ultimate attack. The basic attacks of companions are weak, but they are almost invulnerable to enemies and are perceived as an "extension" of the available arsenal of skills. The system allows freely restructuring the character's build, but changing classes is only possible at the start of a new game.

The combat system is flexible, but situations and opponents do not encourage full utilization of it. Success in battle is influenced by both the protagonist's skills and their interaction with other classes, as well as the character's level and equipment. Ability combos are implemented: one character applies a debuff to the enemy, while another activates it with a detonator, dealing additional damage. A combo can always be found, and the interface will hint at what and for what is the initiator-detector. Filling the stun meter allows for a spectacular finishing move, and accumulating rage enables a super attack against bosses.

A diverse bestiary includes opponents with various types of attacks and defenses. In addition to standard health, enemies are often armored or protected by barriers. Mini-bosses are of greater interest than main bosses, although both categories suffer from an excess of health points, turning battles into prolonged confrontations. Dragons hold a special place in the game — the main type of large opponents. This time, they do not have unique attacks and vulnerabilities; all battles follow the same scenario, although they consist of several phases. Sometimes the player fights simultaneously against several dragons, using ballistae and coordinating the team's actions.

The Veilguard campaign will take 40-60 hours, during which the player will complete dozens of both diverse and repetitive quests. The quest roster is small: find clues, defeat enemies, solve puzzles, conduct mini-investigations, solve spatial puzzles, destroy Blight growths, loot chests, and gather resources. Completing side quests will help level up the character, which greatly influences the difficulty — the progression system uses auto-leveling.

Side quests provide experience and rewards, as well as strengthen the factions of the game world, which will be useful in the finale. This occurs through the collection of various resources that act as currency for trading: each faction has its preferences, requiring specific materials such as minerals, wood, or rare artifacts. In the end, it often comes down to clearing locations or gathering resources.

Equipment of heroes and companions differs from each other, which adds uniqueness but reduces variability. Weapons can be upgraded by "gluing" them with a duplicate, resulting in an even more powerful specimen. Armor can only be upgraded in the hub by a special character, in exchange for resources. The upgrade system is tied to trading: collected resources are used as currency to purchase equipment from merchants. Their assortment is limited and updates rarely, while access to more advanced gear opens only when the faction level increases, which happens closer to the end.

This is why the exploratory element of The Veilguard heavily influences gameplay: side quests, puzzles, riddles, and secrets reward players with far more valuable equipment than the crafting system. Inventory size is not limited, allowing players to store all previously collected gear.

There is no open world in Dragon Age: The Veilguard; instead, there are compact, linear locations across various biomes with a high degree of detail, connected by magical portals, which makes travel quick and emphasizes exploration and gameplay. Each location has a unique atmosphere and details that highlight its features, while still feeling like part of a cohesive world, where attention to detail compensates for the corridor-like structure.

The Arlatan Forest showcases the awakening of ancient magic among the ruins of the elven empire. The swamps of Hossberg are shrouded in the darkness of Mora. The capital of Tevinter, Minrathous, impresses with its grandeur, luxury, and skyscrapers. Not all locations are corridor-like; their structure combines linear paths with branching routes, hidden passages, and elements of "verticality." Reaching hard-to-access points is possible with a zipline, which speeds up movement, adds new routes, and allows for better hiding of secrets and resources.

Visual contrasts—from majestic ruins to infected villages and nocturnal cities—enhance immersion, while platforming elements and simplified puzzles make exploration engaging.

The central element of the game world is the Lighthouse—a hub location that has become a true home for the player and their companions. Here, players can customize rooms, upgrade equipment, and develop relationships with companions through interaction. Each hero has their own room where personal stories unfold, and as players progress in the game, new functions and areas become available. By collecting special keys from secondary bosses, players can unlock locked doors in the Lighthouse, gaining unique armor and the opportunity to unlock the best ending.