Bioware is my favorite video game developer—a fact I realized just this year, having finished the Dragon Age trilogy. For four years straight I would replay the entire Mass Effect trilogy once a year, until the release of the Legendary Edition, when I replayed it twice. This leaves only Neverwinter Nights, Shattered Steel, MDK2, and, of course, Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood on the list of their games that I have yet to beat.
Imagine my shock when I heard the new Bioware game is, once again, mission-based. Weirdly, though all their series share so much of the same DNA, I never see much analysis of the influences one had on the other. Dragon Age is a unique series in gaming at large, but not unique for Bioware. The second installment shifting into a set character with minimal influence on the overarching story is straight-up Mass Effect, Andromeda taking so much from Inquisition as to even have their own “dragons” with the Abyssals. Here, with each trailer it was clear as day: this will be Dragon Age’s Mass Effect.
Veilguard finally committing to a more linear structure and action combat feels like a delayed, though inevitable turn. Mass Effect has outlasted their other series to the point where if you ask people who made the original Baldur’s Gate, most superfans of the franchise’s newest entry would guess Larian Studios. Dragon Age got little to no talk until Veilguard’s trailer; Mass Effect 2 is widely considered to be their magnum opus. This review contains mild story spoilers.
Dragon Age being Bioware’s second series to transition into action, Veilguard does a much better job than Mass Effect 2 in that department. It is not as freeform as Mass Effect 3 either; instead, it retains a lot of build personality and delves into archetypes as opposed to the stats of your standard RPG. The sheer number of ways to approach each tool is what impresses me the most, alongside an expansive skill tree that, despite offering seemingly small boosts on occasion, feels a lot more impactful than other games like it. Meter-based combat, with three abilities and one “ultimate” of sorts active, rarely feels this good for this long.
This is largely due to the length of regular combat being much shorter. Perfect-length skirmishes on higher difficulties are an aspect I came to cherish in Bioware’s best work, and even some of their damage sponges can feel appropriately epic, getting dangerously close to MMO raid fights with Inquisition’s or Andromeda’s super-bosses. Veilguard finds the right balance without sacrificing the wonderful hours of crafting your dream build.
Having picked a dwarven rogue, I loved crafting my approach to counter whatever I had trouble with at the current time. Like Mass Effect 3’s Cerberus-Geth-Reaper trio, each faction has unique ranged, melee, and special units using combinations of health, barrier, and armor that is best dealt with using different afflictions and attack types. The first few hours consisted of attacking and parrying low-level enemies, but after hitting the first roadblock I had to change my approach.
The first scarier boss I found, almost ten levels above me, forced me to get out as quickly as I got in, but having noticed that certain special abilities provided me with invulnerability frames, similar to my dodge, while also slightly staggering the enemy, I was able to craft a bleed build to put even the most casual of Elden Ring players to shame. I could stack the ticking damage in between ability activations and merely reset it with a swing just in time to keep it going.
This lasted me up until the late game, where after obtaining a considerable amount of gear I found that each piece of equipment possessed a fourth upgrade tier, and each one was build-defining. By the end I was using infinite triple arrows to deal with the annoying, armored Qunari ranged units even though arrows are intended to deal the most damage to barriers, setting up life-leeching turrets, throwing out high-damage explosions by combining the abilities of my two companions and forgoing the restorative properties of my healing potions, instead having them charge up my ultimate ability which would heal me to full upon use.
This is just one character of one class who experienced maybe three builds out of dozens, if not hundreds in a hundred hours of playtime. The amount of ways in which any two mechanics can coexist is pleasantly staggering. Best part? If I wanted to, I could change everything at any time. All skill points and equipment changes are refundable out of combat, meaning that you can experience it all in one run, but there still exists a sense of commitment thanks to a well-balanced economy, so if you commit, you will have to wait a good bit before buying an upgrade to fit a different playstyle. Or maybe it was just me spending too much money on all the cosmetics. Who can tell?
Despite my usual distaste for small percentage upgrades littering modern skill trees, I gladly welcome this switch for Dragon Age. Bioware has been largely great at short-form action, for which they do not get enough credit. At the same time, I understand the many voices desiring a gameplay separation between Bioware’s two major franchises. It always felt like Dragon Age was originally intended to be this series of vignettes into a universe, rather than one, overarching narrative. With Veilguard departing from that vision, in no small part due to the messy execution of Inquisition and its DLCs, I pondered on what I want out of a new entry in this series specifically.
To me, after Baldur’s Gate II, in which my favorite part is summoning a Djinni with five random dialogue options hoping one will reset all your spells in the middle of the final fight, Bioware is at its best when it does the least. I am fascinated by its structure, its balance of hub and dungeons, tighter playable areas that still manage to communicate a grand scope of the world, companions discussing recent events, sharing perspectives, an all-consuming and all-corrupting cosmic horror, revelations changing the understanding of the world’s history and the shockwaves they spread throughout the land.
All the while you are completing basic tasks for a bit of currency, helping or ruining the lives of random people in relatively small affairs for a bit of experience, and taking the time off to chase something a companion, perhaps one you want to get lovey-dovey with, wants—that is a modern Biowareian RPG. Along the way you may complete a tower defense minigame or complete a block puzzle, just to spice it up a little.
What I ultimately wanted most out of a new Dragon Age is more interaction between these elements. Too often did those games feel isolated, life stays still while you are not around, and companions have nothing to say after the initial burst of communication. Imagine Varric, now an icon of the series, returning to recruit the player character—Rook—yet hilariously because I played every previous game as an archer, I know so little about him aside from his main quests just because he never fit my team. So my number one concern is: I want this world and the people I surround myself with to feel alive irrespective of my presence.
That is exactly what Veilguard delivered. While to many this will be an underwhelming Dragon Age game, and there are very valid reasons for that, I found it to be a delightful Bioware game. Their structure, their style that I felt was missing from their past three games is back here in spades. It is a comforting return to a form—their form of mission-based RPGs that time seems to have forgotten—though they still chase after successful modern trends to mixed results, perhaps more so than ever.
Their inconspicuous, yet addictive mapping style, which fascinated me most while examining their catalog earlier this year, now leans more towards modern action RPGs, but similarly to the combat, does not feel unnatural. Mixing the collectible-filled locations of Inquisition with the traditional, tight, corridor-laden exploration I came to expect, each area feels perfect in size, retaining the exquisite pace of familiarization. Unlocking new areas and quests means that you can come back to a different environment, fight a different set of enemies, do some puzzles, grab new loot, and listen to locals talk about rumors and recent events across the world.
Nevarra’s Grand Necropolis is a huge highlight, with a more classic approach for Bioware. Consisting neither of the open, winding streets of Treviso and Dock Town nor the linear, combat-heavy areas like Rivain or the Anderfels, it is a maze-like set of chambers filled with puzzles set behind by fickle and playful spirits. It also opens up much quicker than the majority of other locations, where, weirdly, companions have to lead you to new areas for them to open up, with walls of white blocking you from entering otherwise. This means you can never clear out a map on your first visit and will be returning to each to grab any newly unlocked loot on top of anything else.
This constant changing of pace is accentuated by the exquisite art direction of the game. As your team can travel through the Crossroads in the Fade, a realm of the spirits with portals to distant lands, each area needs a distinct look. As a result, the game is uniquely colorful, filled with gigantic points of interest in the distance, possible remnants of the multiplayer-focused origins of the game. In the current, small explorable areas they serve the incredible vistas, showing once more how smaller areas can still feel gigantic—another Bioware staple.
Though far tinier than Inquisition, Veilguard makes me want to explore. Its loot is far more impactful, and the land more picturesque. Though before I could climb a mountain and look down at a cave, it filled me with nothing. Here, despite knowing I will never get to see it up close, staying a while to take in the local architecture or a giant statue in the distance sparks so much creative enthusiasm within me.
If there is one RPG trait that this developer has instilled within me throughout the years, in particular, it is that incomparable sense of scale. Bioware’s locations never feel finite, no matter the size of the location you are exploring. I think back to Jade Empire, where the supposedly massive capital, a monument to the empire’s glory, consisted of four tiny locations and two dungeons. Populating each zone in clever ways, creating memorable architecture up close and in the background, quests having you run between locations, and adding less than minor characters to chat with while on said runs—Bioware has returned to its best style, and I could not be happier.
Of course, I also care deeply about the most discussed aspects of Bioware games: the characters. From romance candidates to your new best friends, teammates were a highlight of each setting, offering unique perspectives on the world and special skills to benefit your team’s composition, often with rich backstories to boot. A Bioware companion, unlike, say, an Obsidian companion, is typically very upfront. You get to know them very quickly if you just up and ask or wait one or two story beats.
While I truly adore all my favorite idiots, it feels like Bioware has never really figured out a place for companions during any one game’s story. They felt most real in Mass Effect 3, having something to say about the last finished mission, moving around on the ship with unique scenes you would just walk into, such as drinking after a successful mission or mourning a loss together, depending on the outcome.
Veilguard is not quite there due to it being less focused. Companions do move around The Lighthouse, this game’s primary hub, to chat with each other, and though they talk plenty about main missions, the nature of the exploration maps and side-quests contained within them make it so they have little reactivity to the majority of side-quests. However, these seemingly miniscule side activities tend to meaningfully reappear in other ways as you explore the world.
Take for example a quest in the Anderfels, where the Blight has overtaken a small village. Not only does clearing it repopulates the area the next time you show up, but a demon previously hiding in its well later reappears in the Crossroads, near the portal to the Anderfels, all without any marker. The game has plenty of reactivity for everything you do, just in its own way for each element.
The characters still talk to each other back at the Lighthouse, though only once you gather a sizable group. For me, as I was completing everything available to me at any given time before proceeding with story quests, this took around thirty to forty hours. After that, however, there was not a single trip back to the hub that did not have every companion throw out a piece of unique dialogue while visiting their room or while passing them by. They move around too, though without any unique meet-up scenarios like Mass Effect 3, replacing them with sort of mini-event cutscenes where another companion may join in on occasion.
One of the most clever tricks here is repurposing the exploration dialogue for these hub chats. Typically, Bioware games had tons of character interactions hidden away by only having them play while exploring with the two specific companions. I mentioned Varric earlier, but entire companion romances may not come to pass just because you did not take some of them out enough. These exploration conversations are also present in Veilguard, but should you choose to keep any duo stationary for too long, these conversations can also take place back at the hub, further adding to the reactivity of companions.
Even the character you create, your Rook, while an independent persona with plenty of adventuring and personality-building history before you take control of them (extremely similar to Commander Shepard in that regard), has a surprising amount of unique dialogue depending on their faction or race. Typically not game-altering, such as Inquisition’s mages being able to dish out a unique punishment for criminal mages, it retains the series’ identity of being filled with rich roleplaying details depending on your background. A certain moment where my character’s dwarven origin came into play after a key revelation as to his race’s history was particularly impressive. Dwarves do not play a major role in Veilguard’s story, but even they have some dedicated powerful moments.
Everything is to say that as a huge Bioware enthusiast, I had an absolute blast playing Veilguard. Its moment-to-moment feel is extremely rewarding and the pacing is some of the best in any Bioware game. The changes to combat and structure form a strong vision for the studio’s identity going forward, and with its sublime ending and several fantastic bits of lore, I am more than satisfied. Yet, it is not all roses.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard does not do justice to Dragon Age. It tap dances around so much of the series’ identity just to exist. It does not shy away from taking from its past, yet rarely does justice to the emotional baggage that comes with that. It hopes to keep the status quo in times when the perception of the world is fundamentally altered. I suppose I should have seen it coming from the start, with only three choices from Inquisition being imported into this new installment. Yet, under the right circumstances, it too can be beautiful.
The first act is undoubtedly its weakest, with only four companions, three disappointing factions, and about thirty hours of content. After a truly fantastic intro, you get introduced to the Veil Jumpers, a faction who explores the forest surrounding the ancient elven capital, meaning that they are a group of people who are into exploring elven history. Their representative companion, Bellara, proved to be one of my favorites, being deeply affected by the elven gods returning as time goes on, though the player’s first meeting with her is really rough. She explains puzzles and cracks weak quips, which only later do you learn is likely a coping mechanism caused by recent tragic events in her life.
Poor, simplistic first impressions with something to bite into only after a considerable investment describe the majority of story beat and character introductions. On occasion, it is the endings that leave me with nothing to chew on. From overly verbose to complete silence, few moments grabbed me with any intrigue. The beginning feels like introducing pieces, but they lay dormant for far too long, with several not paying off in the slightest. Some even made me question the reasons for their inclusion.
Take Treviso, for example, one of the early locations that you visit to recruit Lucanis, a Crow. The Antivan Crows always were a fascinating organization of assassins from a distant land, the main representative of theirs being Zevran from Dragon Age: Origins, who abandons them after failing a mission and is chased by them throughout all subsequent games in cameo appearances. He tells you all about their rigorous training, shady practices, and noble beginnings. They are presented as a cutthroat, dubious and immoral organization. In Veilguard, they are just one of many heroic factions you cooperate with on your journey, standing up to corrupt politicians and vowing to defend Treviso their way. The whiplash I felt while interacting with them could be heard across oceans.
Gentrification is a word that comes to mind. Veilguard sands off the edges of so many previously extreme lore aspects. It would not be until Lucanis’ final companion mission, sixty or so hours in, that he reveals that the Crows used immoral practices during his training, which is swept under the rug as soon as it is brought up. What about Tevinter, the land of the barely hidden blood mages and open slavery? Only the very bad, very evil mind-controlled group of fanatics engage in those practices. You help maybe one slave trade victim and only get to explore the outskirts of the capital: Dock Town.
It is rough to get over these and many other cases of expectation mismatches. It is not like everything here is misusing the lore, there are plenty of fantastic revelations about the world’s ancient history, but it feels like the characters never react strongly enough to extreme situations. It feels like there is some force preventing anyone from intervening too strongly in anyone’s affairs, like a certain world state must be preserved, and introducing too many repercussions would take away from a possible future game.
Returning characters stay largely silent, as if they are there just to fill a quota rather than introduce a strong perspective as they once did. This is reinforced in the faction system; it is here that Veilguard feels most like a remnant from the initially planned multiplayer version of this fourth Dragon Age entry. Their bases of operation are hubs for launching into a questing map, similar to other online co-op action titles. Completing quests in the area ups their combined power which comes into play much later in the game. This requirement for every area to have heroes you can turn to almost forces them into a position of moral superiority, which permeates the experience.
Rook suffers the most from this. Your player character has a role to fill, they must be this inspiring leader and often talk in platitudes. They talk too much in general and too often do conversation options feel like they do not need to be there. The symbol-based style of the conversation wheel, which has less to do with making choices and more with roleplaying a style of character, makes a return from Dragon Age II and, more recently, Mass Effect Andromeda.
The payoff of it in Dragon Age II was shaping a character to the point where they can convincingly use their personality during unique dialogue checks. Veilguard is simply too long for this to work, instead offering different vibes to certain scenes, missions, and moments depending on your most chosen option, but too often do conversations themselves have a dialogue choice that feels like it exists just because every cutscene needs at least one or two. You are long done forming your character, by that point you want it to provide you with some noticeable change but it just keeps going. Rook is an established character that just does not fit all that well into some conversations.
Temporary antagonists make me feel like entire parts of their story were completely cut out. Treviso’s Butcher, The First Warden, each has a scene or two of a commanding presence, yet moments of confrontation end suddenly and are thoroughly unimpactful. The end of Act 2’s big decision, one which every companion reacts to with either approval or disapproval akin to other major decisions throughout the franchise, is almost laughable with how little it matters at that moment, yet, somehow, it comes back unexpectedly. Decisions here are different, this game that feels like it desperately wants to reach its end goal misuses them one moment only to surprise with its repercussions in another.
It took a while for this style to convince me, and the deciding factor was Emmrich and his home of the Grand Necropolis. It feels fitting that the game where the presentation style got flipped is the only one that could present the most disturbing area in this known world as a real place people live in. Though undead fill the halls, Emmrich, an eccentric elderly gentleman who brings forth all the best images of Mordin from Mass Effect, can convincingly explain how a society so fascinated with death can even reasonably function. Where is the humane beauty, the entertainment, the joy in all of it?
This style’s greatest strength is shedding light on the darkest places in the Dragon Age universe. Inquisition portrayed Orlais as a fantastically comical and inept monarchy decided in a game of lies and assassins, whereas Veilguard presents Treviso, Tevinter, and Nevarra as more functional societies. It tiptoes around too many areas to be the portrayal of these places the fans deserved and lacks character input, but when it frees itself of the past it has some of the best moments in Bioware history. Emmrich, for example, lands near the very top of my favorite companion list.
I am also incredibly happy to see Bioware still standing at the forefront of exploring sexuality in games. In an industry where non-binary and trans player characters can at best be implied and have no impact on the game aside from the character creator menu, Veilguard lets your player character share these life experiences in relevant conversations. Not just about sexuality either, a struggle with identity can be compared to other kinds of struggle just to show general solidarity during all kinds of discussions.
It is not perfect: Taash, a Qunari who ends up realizing that they are non-binary after meeting up with a few people from a different culture to discuss gender identity, is a messy case of a storyline that could do more harm than good if interpreted in certain ways, ending on a relatively weak note focusing way more on their multicultural upbringing. Leaning towards the Qun (which, contrary to things you may hear online, does not acknowledge non-binary individuals, instead allowing for women to take on typically male roles under the Aqun-Athlok term as explained by Sten in Dragon Age: Origins) feels like a possibly weird choice given their newly realized identity, though perhaps their goal would be to implement positive change.
Despite it all, Bioware is one of the few studios whose reputation for exploring such topics allows them to continue to do so despite the backlash. Discussing such topics in this space is too rare of an occurrence, despite many devs hinting at wanting to do more and hundreds of games with similar messaging coming out in all kinds of places. I hope that the reach Veilguard has can open up the room not just for AAA RPGs to incorporate these kinds of stories more meaningfully, but also for indies with similar perspectives to break out more often.
It goes to show how important a studio Bioware still is, that despite all the modern pressure they hold steadfast in their dedication to their identity. There is plenty of palpable struggle to Dragon Age: The Veilguard, a lot that is disappointingly conventional, yet plenty that is also honestly wonderfully weird. Analyzing Veilguard is simply exciting; the game feels great to play, and despite limited choices and weak first impressions, the big moments shape the experience so much that I have been constantly thinking about a replay ever since finishing it.
Veilguard needed more brutality and more honesty in the world it chose to inhabit. Every off-screen death and “that just happened” quip killed me a little on the inside, but every quiet moment spent with Rook’s companions brought me back in. Every new location resonated with unseen beauty, but every returning character standing around idly at a faction hub left a bitter taste in my mouth.
This is not my favorite effort from my favorite studio, which is a disappointment in the current year, but I think time will be kind to Veilguard. It has a stronger structure and snappier pacing than even some of Bioware’s shorter titles. Though far from an ideal execution of this new format, to me it makes it clear that with some tweaks there is still room for lengthy mission-based RPGs, and that Bioware is still the very best at making them.
Mateusz played Dragon Age: The Veilguard on PC with his own bought copy.
