The Veilguard’s Plot Twist Means More on a Second Playthrough

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home November 8, 2024 34 Views 8 Min Read
The Veilguard's Plot Twist Means More on a Second Playthrough



The following contains MAJOR spoilers for
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
.



Dragon Age: The Veilguard‘s story may be lighthearted and fun, but it has its dark moments as well. Despite its new colorful art style and bubbly companion personalities like Bellara, Dragon Age: The Veilguard does its best to maintain those edgy moments that make a Dragon Age game, particular in its final act.

Consider this the point of no return for
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
spoilers.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard‘s story isn’t filled with as many surprising twists and turns as past Dragon Age titles, but it still has some that players are likely to remember. One twist, in particular, arguably takes the cake as the game’s biggest, as it involves one of the most beloved characters from the Dragon Age series.


Mass Effect Liara and Dragon Age The Veilguard Solas with Blood Dragon

Related
Dragon Age: The Veilguard Revived a Tradition the Next Mass Effect Needs to Continue

Dragon Age: The Veilguard revived a BioWare crossover tradition that the next Mass Effect game should continue to establish a return to form.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s Varric Plot Twist Hits Harder on a Second Playthrough

Varric Seems to Narrowly Escape a Fatal Wound at the Beginning of Dragon Age: The Veilguard

In Dragon Age: The Veilguard‘s opening hours, Varric elects himself to attempt to talk some sense into Solas and stop him from using his Lyrium Dagger to remove the Veil, which would ultimately destroy Thedas as well. In the meantime, as Rook works together with the others to disrupt the ritual, Solas is distracted for a moment and Varric seizes the opportunity to take the Lyrium Dagger. Unfortunately, this leads to Solas stabbing Varric in the chest with the dagger. Luckily, Varric survived the attack and then takes on more of a mentor role for Rook, primarily from his sick bed, throughout the majority of the story.


Dragon Age: The Veilguard Eventually Reveals That Varric Only Survived in Rook’s Mind

As Dragon Age: The Veilguard‘s story matures and begins to reach its closing moments, it is revealed that Varric did, in fact, die when Solas stabbed him at the beginning of the game. The reason Rook was able to see and speak with Varric is because they were tricked by Solas into believing Varric was alive. This means that every conversation Rook has with Varric during the story is only taking place in his mind, and it’s also why Rook initially doubts that Varric ever survived being stabbed by Solas’ Lyrium Dagger.

Varric’s Presence Throughout Dragon Age: The Veilguard Makes His Death Hit Harder

For longtime fans, Varric’s death is going to hit the hardest. Those who have been with the sarcastically charismatic dwarf since his debut in Dragon Age 2 are bound to feel gutted by the revelation that he has not really been there for the vast majority of Dragon Age: The Veilguard‘s story. He is one of the main characters many fans have been looking forward to seeing again, and that alone speaks volumes of the impact he has had on the Dragon Age community. However, while this shocking plot twist in and of itself is devastating, playing through the story of Dragon Age: The Veilguard a second time actually makes Varric’s death hit even harder.


While the earliest segments of Dragon Age: The Veilguard‘s story largely involve Rook having one-on-one conversations with Varric, there are many moments later on that see Varric participating in group conversations, especially as Rook and the team are formulating plans for their next steps. In these moments, the sting of Varric’s death can be felt, perhaps even more so than when the truth about his fate is finally revealed, as he will occasionally contribute to the discussion, only for the entire group to completely ignore him. It’s like watching a group of haughty teenagers pretend the annoying middle school kid isn’t even there.

Varric in Dragon Age The Veilguard


For the player, who already knows during a second playthrough that Varric isn’t actually there, it is arguably all the more heartbreaking. The player is now in a position where they know something that Rook doesn’t know, and their only choice is to watch Rook battle with their grief, talking to a ghost and not knowing any better until the truth is finally revealed a second time. It’s comparable to witnessing a loved one go through a mental collapse and there’s absolutely nothing anyone can do about it.

It might have been suspected that Varric would die in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, but it’s doubtful anyone expected to see him for the majority of the game, only to find out later that he hasn’t been there at all the entire time. The plot twist itself hits hard, but a second playthrough makes it hit even harder, as Varric is downgraded to nothing more than a useless bystander in the group, except perhaps Rook. It is then all the more painful to witness Rook unknowingly interacting with a premonition, all while being powerless to change anything.


Source link