Dragon Age: The Veilguard is coming out on Halloween. The release date for BioWare’s fantasy RPG is a little unconventional, as most big video games come out on Fridays, but The Veilguard is landing on a Thursday instead. To Dragon Age fans, this reads like a clever nod to Halloween being considered when the “veil” between the living and dead is at its thinnest, as the sequel is all about the barrier between the real world (of Thedas) and the spiritual realm (known as the Fade) coming down. However, when I was playing BioWare’s latest, I couldn’t help but notice how the vibes were actually perfect for a spooky season game.
Much of this is because of Emmrich Volkarin, one of the new companions in The Veilguard who is destined to be a fan favorite. The necromancer is an older gentleman who, despite how scary that might sound, is one of the kindest members of the titular group. He’s a chatterbox, and it felt like every time I went back to my home base, the mage was ready to talk about death as a cultural touchstone of the Dragon Age universe. Emmrich feels almost witch-like compared to mages we’ve seen in previous games. No, he’s not casting spells over a bubbling cauldron, but his enchantments on the dead are performed with incantations about the boundaries of life and death, all elevated by actor Nick Boraine’s flamboyant and utterly charming delivery. I fucking love this dude, y’all. Shit, Davrin, don’t read this, you’re still my man, but damn.
All of this helps sell the Grand Necropolis, a region you explore in The Veilguard that’s occupied by the Mourn Watch, fantasy morticians who work in necromancy and tend to the dead. This isn’t one of the more populated areas you explore like the big cities of Minrathous and Treviso, but the place is filled with undead and people whose entire day job consists of caring for them, and if need be, reanimating their bodies to help around the house. Emmrich has a personal assistant he calls Manfred, a goggle-sporting skeleton that helps him with his work, and as much as the necromancer’s story is about his views on death, it’s just as much about his relationship with his bony little helper. The two’s story has big Tim Burton vibes, marrying spooky aesthetics with a bit of whimsy to create something that is actually pretty heartwarming when all is said and done.
This is all to say that, if you’re skipping a Halloween party to play The Veilguard on Thursday, you’re valid for that. But also, you might find yourself feeling a bit of the Halloween spirit flowing through you as you play through Emmrich’s story, and it’s one of the best in the game, so do yourself a favor and take the time to see it through.