Can you believe it’s been 10 years since the last Dragon Age game? For as decent as Dragon Age: Inquisition is, I can understand the hesitation that many would feel when it comes to diving back into this, given developer BioWare’s recent track record. Mass Effect: Andromeda was average at best, while Anthem barely had the legs to keep anyone around for the long run.
That sounds a little harsh, but it’s for good reason. Enter Dragon Age: The Veilguard. While this latest entry in the long-running series isn’t perfect, it’s an incredible return to form for BioWare and one of the best games of this year.
Be it the fun and functional combat mechanics, lush and dense environments to explore or simply the charming supporting characters that join you for this epic ride, there’s plenty to love about Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
The Road Ahead
Dragon Age: The Veilguard sees you playing as Rook, who as expected, can be customised to your liking. Set 10 years after the events of Dragon Age: Inquisition, we find Rook teaming up with friends Varric Tethras and Lace Harding, returning characters from Dragon Age: Inquisition, along with Neve Gallus, a newcomer as far as the Dragon Age games are concerned. They’re on their way to stop returning villain Solas, from opening The Veil, a mystical doorway to another dimension.
After a somewhat impressive and cinematic introductory sequence, you put a stop to Solas’ actions, only to find he is now stuck in the Fade, a limbo realm of sorts, while other elder gods are now set to return and destroy the land. Your job is to essentially stop these gods while managing an uneasy alliance with Solas along the way.
I will admit that for as interesting as the story is in places, it also plays a larger part in the surrounding world and lore, and can unfortunately at times, lie dormant in the background. Even as a technical continuation of the Dragon Age series, it’s not trying to connect itself to any of the games that have come before.
For as urgent as that plot description sounds, it does disappear at times to make way for more personal missions and quests in which you befriend companions and develop relationships with characters who will venture with you into battle.
BioWare has always done a great job at providing a sense of depth and variety through companion characters, and I believe the story, writing and general voice performances get much more time to shine here, while the stakes feel strangely larger than the main quest at hand. While I won’t spoil anymore about the story beyond this, it certainly makes for some fantastic moments later on, where things do finally come together.
Strike First
Players will be able to choose between one of three classes when creating their version of Rook. The Rogue class specialises in a mix of both ranged and melee attacks, prioritising a stealthy approach via traps and quick manoeuvres. The Mage class utilises magic to control the battlefield to both attack enemies and support allies, with a mix of spells and weapons alike. Finally, the Warrior class feels like the most direct approach for those who like to get up close and personal, although all three classes do offer a nice mix of ranged and up-close strategies and abilities.
You’ll also be able to choose between one of four races when creating a character, with Humans, Elves, Dwarves and Qunari, the latter of which look like your typical minotaur. I was also surprised at the amount of customisation options on offer here, and while not a foreign feature for a BioWare game, is always a welcome addition.
Once you’re in the thick of things, Dragon Age: The Veilguard feels much more like a competent third-person action game than I would have expected. You’ll be able to mix light and heavy attacks with ranged and special abilities, which can all be upgraded and expanded upon throughout the game.
Regardless of class, Dragon Age: The Veilguard does a great job of making the experience feel familiar across the board in terms of its overall controls and mechanics so that switching between classes or new character builds feels natural and intuitive.
Each class also has a massive skill tree with unique abilities that can be unlocked and upgraded along the way. That also feels par for the course with a BioWare game at this point, but I also personally love how skill points can also be refunded at any time, should you wish to rebuild and prioritise another ability. It’s also a great way to test everything out and find a playstyle you’re comfortable with.
Overall, no matter your class, the action is fun, fast and consistently engaging, with plenty of options to upgrade and tweak your character as you see fit. While the class selection generally dictates your playstyle, the strong and consistent mechanics never make you feel like you’re missing out on something awesome or incredibly satisfying to take on enemies with.
The Art of Bonding
Beyond the immediate combat, the first half of Dragon Age: The Veilguard essentially sees you rounding up your group of seven companions, each of whom you’ll do missions for to recruit, but also romance and engage along the way.
Similar to the Mass Effect games, you’ll be able to shack up with pretty much all of these companions as well as strengthen your bond with each of them as the narrative progresses. Take care, however, as characters can die, and while the game makes these risks and situations clear, some tough choices must ultimately be made.
Companions can also be brought into battle, and come loaded with their gear and abilities, which can also be upgraded and adjusted as you push forward through the story. The amount of customisable options here feels a little limited when compared to previous Dragon Age games, but I much preferred these characters as companions thanks to some decent voice acting and unique background lore.
The only gripe I have with the companions here is that the immediate risk in combat situations is lacking, as companions can’t be killed or incapacitated here. They can’t even come to Rook’s aid if you go down, and you instead fail the mission entirely, which just feels like a missed opportunity to bolster their effectiveness in these situations.
Look the Part
Dragon Age: The Veilguard isn’t technically a fully open-world game, but does give you significantly large areas and levels to explore, each with its secrets and collectibles. It’s also smaller than Dragon Age: Inquisition, but you never actually feel it.
BioWare does a great job at packing each of these environments with a sense of variety and gorgeous visuals to boot. From the lush greens of Arlathan Forest to the beaches of Rivainand and the dense city of Treviso, Dragon Age: The Veilguard isn’t short of places to visit.
Its cinematic quality and art style are also admirable. While I thought the art style looked a little goofy earlier on based on trailers and concept art, I’ve come to love it. As far as character designs are concerned, it does feel different from previous Dragon Age games, but I feel like the charm shines through a little more here.
While Dragon Age: The Veilguard doesn’t lack anything visually, the performance leaves a little more to be desired. We reviewed this on the PlayStation 5, with Performance and Fidelity modes on offer. Performance mode aims for a 60 FPS experience, but frame rate drops are unfortunately consistent and inevitable. Fidelity mode drops to 30 FPS and adds ray-tracing for added detail. While I feel like this always comes down to personal preference, I just wish the Performance mode was a little more solid.
Final Thoughts
Dragon Age: The Veilguard might not only be one of the best games in the series but also one of the biggest surprises of 2024. While its larger story feels a little absent at times, it rarely detracts from the solid gameplay and gorgeous visuals.
While I wish this ran better on consoles, the art style makes up for what is otherwise a gorgeous game. I feel fans of the series should return, but I feel as though there’s no better time for anyone to jump in and enjoy BioWare’s stunning return to form.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Fantastic gameplay; Unique companion character missions are great; Gorgeous visuals
Lowlights: The main story gets a little lost in the mix at times; Performance mode frame rate dips
Developer: BioWare
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows PC
Available: Now
Review conducted on PlayStation 5 with a pre-release code provided by the publisher.
