Dragon Age: The Veilguard Review – Sticking The Landing
After what felt like an eternity, BioWare has finally returned to its roots with Dragon Age: The Veilguard. As the first single-player RPG from the studio in over seven years, the anticipation surrounding this title has been immense. We’ve had the opportunity to delve deep into the world of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and we can confidently say that while the central narrative may leave some wishing for more, the overwhelmingly strong character-driven side quests and a revitalized combat system ensure that this is a journey well worth embarking upon. This review is based on our extensive playtime on PC, with the game also available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.
A Striking Return to BioWare’s RPG Roots
BioWare has built its legacy on crafting immersive worlds filled with memorable characters and compelling stories. Dragon Age: The Veilguard endeavors to recapture that magic, and for the most part, it succeeds. The game throws players headfirst into the action, a bold choice that immediately immerses you in the high stakes of its narrative. Our protagonist, the player-created Rook, finds themselves alongside series veterans like Varric and Harding in the heart of Minrathous, attempting to thwart the plans of the repentant apostate, Solas. Solas, driven by a profound regret for his past actions, seeks to dismantle the Veil, a magical barrier he once erected to sever the connection between the Fade and reality. However, as is often the case in the Dragon Age universe, nothing is as straightforward as it seems. Events quickly spiral out of control, leading to the unwelcome release of two ancient Elven gods – Elgar’nan and Ghilan’nain. This dramatic turn of events sets the stage for the core conflict: stopping these resurrected archdemons from plunging the world into chaos and uncovering the complex motivations behind Solas’s destructive endeavors.
The Art of Character Creation: Building Your Legend
Before the world-shattering events unfold, players are treated to one of the most impressive character creator systems we have encountered in recent memory. The sheer breadth of customization options is staggering, offering hundreds of sliders and intricate model blending techniques that allow for truly unique character designs. This meticulous attention to detail extends to a sophisticated lighting system, a welcome improvement that helps mitigate the common post-creation regret of a character’s appearance not matching their in-game presentation, a pitfall we experienced in previous BioWare titles like Dragon Age: Inquisition.
The choice of class is a significant one, with three distinct archetypes available. While the swift dagger-wielding Rogue and the heroic, almost Captain America-esque Warrior presented tempting paths, we ultimately found ourselves drawn to the arcane arts. Choosing the Mage specialization, we later honed our abilities to focus on magical dagger attacks and devastating electrical spells, a potent combination that proved highly effective against the legions of enemies we encountered. The depth of customization within each class ensures that players can truly sculpt their playstyle to their preferences.
A Visual Masterpiece: Frostbite Engine Unleashed
Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a visual spectacle, a testament to the capabilities of EA’s often-maligned Frostbite engine. Here, the engine is truly firing on all cylinders, producing one of the most visually stunning games of 2024. While some long-time fans might initially be taken aback by the Fable-esque whimsy woven into the art style, we found it to be a refreshing departure from the relentless pursuit of photorealism that can sometimes make fantasy worlds feel sterile.
The opening area, Minrathous, is a particular highlight. The city pulsates with magical neon lights, bathed under thunderous skies and a perpetual downpour that paints a vivid noir-punk aesthetic. This initial impression sets a high bar for the environments that follow. From the sun-drenched shores of the Rivain Coast to the oppressive gloom of the Necropolis Halls, each location is rendered with exquisite detail. However, while the individual areas are undeniably beautiful, we did find them to be somewhat streamlined for the grand adventure Veilguard purports to be. As we traversed unexplored regions of Thedas, the sense of awe was certainly present, but the largely linear level design, with limited branching paths and only a few secrets to uncover, occasionally left us wishing for more opportunities for genuine exploration and discovery. We yearned for more moments where the environment itself felt like a puzzle to be unraveled, rather than a corridor to be navigated.
Breathing Life into the World: The Power of Side Quests
Fortunately, where the main exploration might feel a touch constrained, the side quests more than compensate by injecting vibrant life into each location. These quests are intrinsically linked to the personal journeys of each companion we recruit to our cause, forming the emotional backbone of the game. We were particularly captivated by Emmrich’s companion quest line, which masterfully explores his deep-seated fear of death and the profound existential questions that arise from it. Other standout companion quests include Taash’s journey of self-discovery within a rich cultural melting pot, Neve’s struggle to define her purpose and best serve her city, and Davrin’s heroic undertaking to protect the iconic griffin creatures of Grey Warden lore.
It’s in these deeply personal narratives that Veilguard truly shines, delivering the emotional resonance and role-playing depth we’ve come to expect from BioWare. Ironically, the moments when the central plot felt less engaging were precisely when these character-focused side quests stepped up, offering surprising twists and turns that made our past choices feel significant and our future decisions impactful. This is where the game felt most like a true RPG, where the narrative was sculpted by our actions.
A Narrative’s Arc: From Rote to Revelation
It’s not that Veilguard’s main storyline is inherently flawed; rather, at times, it can feel a bit rote and predictable, especially during the extended sequences dedicated to tracking down the archdemons. However, any time the enigmatic Solas graced the screen – and we found ourselves wishing he was present far more often – he unequivocally stole the show. His appearances were potent enough to elevate the game’s finale, making it a truly exceptional conclusion that managed to overcome the narrative shortcomings of the preceding seventy-five hours. The closing hours of Veilguard are imbued with immense heart and deliver on the promise of the critical acclaim garnered by Inquisition’s Trespasser DLC.
Engaging Mechanics: A Refined Combat Experience
Despite any reservations we may have harbored regarding the main narrative’s pacing, the gameplay mechanics consistently kept us thoroughly engaged. The robust combat system is a significant step forward for the series, offering meaningful abilities and skills to unlock and master. Veilguard actively encourages experimentation with its power progression. As a Mage, we were given the freedom to explore diverse paths of magical mastery. While we ultimately settled into the Spellblade specialization, the allure of the other available specializations was undeniable. Fortunately, the generous respec system made it easy to indulge these curiosities and revisit our build choices without significant penalty. The visual spectacle of unleashing Spellblade attacks and other flashy Mage abilities remained a constant delight throughout our playthrough. Our only significant wish for improvement in this area would be more combat progression beyond the Level 50 cap and greater variety in enemy AI tactics, which occasionally became somewhat repetitive.
Final Verdict: A Worthy Successor with Room to Grow
While we yearned for a more consistently impactful main story, Dragon Age: The Veilguard more than makes up for it with its exceptional side quests that deliver the heart and passion we craved. The new action combat system feels refreshing and offers ample opportunity for future expansion and refinement. Our experience with Veilguard will undoubtedly be influenced by individual players’ history with the Dragon Age franchise. It represents a significant departure from its immediate predecessor, though it’s worth noting that each Dragon Age installment has always carved its own unique identity.
The game bravely tackles some long-standing questions within the lore while simultaneously posing new ones, leaving us hopeful that BioWare will have the opportunity to address them in future installments. Ultimately, Dragon Age: The Veilguard fulfills the core promise inherent in every Dragon Age title: it provides strong characters, engaging combat, and a classic BioWare role-playing experience that is both deeply personal and epic in scope. It’s a triumphant return that, while not flawless, solidifies the series’ place as a cornerstone of the RPG genre.
Score: 8/10
This review reflects our thoughts on the game’s current state at the time of publishing. Post-launch updates were considered in our final assessment.