Ten years after Inquisition, Dragon Age: The Veilguard has shaken things up quite a lot. Its combat is more action-oriented, the tone is slightly lighter (though still dark), and the story has many epic moments and answers about ancient lore while also being a bit repetitive in explaining plot points.
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Here, you explore many different locations in Thedas and fight against any darkspawn, demon, Antaam, and others with your warrior, mage, or rogue and a couple of companions. If the game piques your interest, be prepared to fight, explore, and talk with a lot of people. How does the game fare, though?
Review
Veilguard reinvents the wheel with a massive change in how combat works, turning it into a real-time action game rather than a more strategic one, and has a great story that takes a bit to take off due to excessive exposition in the early game.
As stated by our editor-in-chief, Stacey Henley, in her review, the game managed to make its new gameplay work while still keeping the essence of a Dragon Age entry. The writing only gets better as it goes, getting into big decisions as the game goes on. The game also makes some bold decisions (or rather, you make them through your choices) that have a massive impact on the world.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a Dragon Age game like no other, and that alone will put some people off. But it brings with it the traditions of excellent character writing, strong world building through narrative quests, and offers the most exciting combat the series has ever seen.
The negatives revolve around the game’s odd camera and the focus on two generic bad guys rather than the pre-established and complex Solas, though he’s still a key factor in the story, just not as the main antagonist.
In the end, the writing for the characters and how they evolve is superior to the main narrative’s writing, but the experience is still worth it for fans of the series or the genre.
Time Expenditure
As always, how long the game takes to beat depends on how much you intend to do in the game. Simply beating the game can be a 15-hour experience if you really rush it, though you’re more likely to spend around 60 hours at a calmer pace or even reach 100 hours if you want to do everything.
This doesn’t include the time you’ll spend making your character at the start, though.
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There are plenty of fantasy worlds with bald antagonists.
You can also play around a bit longer, thanks to the game’s replayability. Playing all classes gives you extra content to enjoy, but you can also test picking different options during the game’s biggest decisions, go for different romance routes, test the classes’ different specializations, or just play around with the character creator.
It’s highly recommended you focus on side content to some extent, at least because your reputation with the game’s factions is relevant, but also simply because the side content itself is fun and some of it comes with great details about the lore.
Cost
The game offers two separate editions: Standard and Deluxe. The Standard edition costs U$69.99 on consoles, while the Deluxe edition costs U$89.99 on them. Both editions are ten dollars cheaper on Steam, costing U$59.99 and U$79.99, respectively. Which version is better, though?
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The game has no story expansions, and the Deluxe version offers nothing more than cosmetic gear for your character and your companions, so it’s really up to you whether this gear is worth the extra cost. Either way, both versions of the game will offer you the same experience.
What Players Are Saying
An Imperfectly Enjoyable Fantasy Epic – Andrew Scariati
If you’re a longtime Dragon Age fan who has been craving some spell-slinging adventures dotted with dragon fights and decision-heavy dialogue, then The Veilguard will absolutely scratch your itch. In spite of the insultingly easy puzzles and overuse of heavy-handed quips, there’s still something inherently satisfying about the fluid combat and the characters you come to know during your journey.
Companion quests are well-paced, feel integral to the story, and provide powerful rewards for your team. Combat offers enough complexity to stay fresh throughout the experience, especially if you like to try out different builds for Rook. Plus, finding the right attack combinations for your companions gives you a reason to try everyone, and not stubbornly stick with your favorites. If you’re here for a fast-paced adventure with a fun cast of companions, you’ll enjoy every minute despite the stylistic shifts and obvious blemishes.
Not For The Steam Deck – Tallis Spalding
Dragon Age: The Veilguard had a really interesting story and a pretty interesting character creator. I was super excited to get into it and get going, but I was horrendously disappointed when I realized just how terrible it looked on my Steam Deck, regardless of how I adjusted the graphic settings.
Even still, I found it to be an enjoyable RPG experience with some fun factions that really helped it feel like my character fit into the world and the story really well.
- Released
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October 31, 2024
- Engine
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Frostbite
- ESRB
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M For Mature 17+ // Blood, Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
- OpenCritic Rating
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Strong
- PC Release Date
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October 31, 2024
- PS5 Release Date
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October 31, 2024
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
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October 31, 2024