The story (while intriguing) doesn’t always give its earth-shattering reveals time to marinate or focus.
This review was made possible thanks to a review code provided by Electronic Arts.
The company did not see the contents of this review before publishing.
Petting the griffin is an important part of team-building.
What is Dragon Age: The Veilguard?
Varric, one of Solas' former companions, is determined to keep him from destroying the world.
Enter Rook, hailing from some chunk of northern Thedas.
Arguably, even more important than Solas are the Veilguard, the companions that Rook gathers in their quest.
I also wish the decisions from past games carried over here.
It’s not tolerable or okay, it feels downright great to play.
TheMass Effectinfluence here is strong, and it works well.
My Rook ended up with a Saboteur specialization, unleashing enhanced explosive traps.
General exploration and combat takes place over tight zones, with mostly-linear missions that have little space for exploration.
The Dread Wolf claims to have a plan.
Eschewing a hyperrealistic visual tone, The Veilguard instead opts for something more ethereal at first glance.
Dark, towering spires and lush coastlines are awash in color, giving the game an almost paintedaesthetic.
The ray-traced reflections BioWare has implemented work wonders here, mirroring a thousand streetlights and magical wonders.
Shadowy organizations like the Antivan Crows can be powerful allies.
At multiple key points, BioWare dips back into its dark fantasy origins.
The one real exception is the Darkspawn.
Solid audio design work complements the game’s visuals, with fantastic feedback as blades ring and spells fly.
The Darkspawn are back, and they’re seeing red.
There’s a strength but more importantly an urgency in this score that suits the game’s high stakes.
Each entry has evolved and changed the formula, for better or worse.
Coming a decade after its predecessor, that constant change never been more evident than here with The Veilguard.
Combat is hectic, but you can pause and issue orders at any point.
I’ll forever mourn no longer directly controlling my companions.
By that ultimate personal metric, Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a success.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a gorgeous action-RPG from BioWare and Electronic Arts.
The forest of Arlathan evokes haunting beauty.
The Tevinter Imperium is fallen from grace, but Minrathous is still spectacular to behold.
The Darkspawn are one of many constant threats to the Veilguard.
Manfred is the best skeleton that any necromancer could ever ask for.
