RPG Benefits To Having A New Hero & Setting Each Game

A good fantasy game is defined by both a compelling story and intricate world-building, and it’s these things that always made the Dragon Age franchise stand out among RPGs. It also stands out among fantasy series for a more unusual reason: although there is plot continuity, the hero, the companions, the setting, and the main problem are different in each title. The choice to disassociate from each predecessor presents some obvious pitfalls, like the absence of some familiar faces or subplots. That said, this approach also allowed for unparalleled creative freedom. The Thedas fans know and love showcases a far richer tapestry of cultures, people, and metaphysics than it otherwise could have if every story had to end with a formulaic Blight to defeat or Breach to seal.

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There are decided creative and narrative benefits that work well for cRPGs, sidestepping the inevitable problem roleplaying games with enough tenure face in having to weave together too many narrative branches. Four games in, Dragon Age held to a pattern where the importance of the preceding game’s choices outweighed older ones by putting time and distance between the plots. More importantly for a unique epic fantasy with a lot of immediate potential, the scope of Thedas can be much larger and farther-reaching by letting the main problem of each game flourish independently. It’s as though the events of each title were organically part of the same world by happenstance, building on one another but thriving independently of each other, and only loosely related chronologically.

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The Untold Stories That Are Told

Disconnected Plots Of An Endless Story

Dragon Age doesn’t leave plot holes, it weaves mysteries and legends. Any subplots or characters that didn’t go anywhere become unique features of a title, and the possibility and hope always remain that they will resurface. By allowing the setting of each title to live and breathe without explaining itself, players never know what’s important because everything could be. Veilguard packs a lot of detail into one game, and like its predecessors, it still didn’t address many beloved details. But this only makes the case for a new Dragon Age.

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Not expecting immediate answers to questions posed early in the franchise allowed the world of Thedas to expand and grow more colorful with each game, the most memorable events and discoveries of one game becoming the background world events for the next game’s main plot. Veilguard utilizes the heaviest of these narrative trimmings from the previous games, but it is a tool its predecessors also used in more localized ways. However, this is the first time in Dragon Age that a title goes back to the beginning and takes stock of the most world-shaking lore the franchise has.

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Unbound By Chronological Structure

The Plot Doesn’t Have To Conform To Achieve Continuity

This might not seem like an advantage at first, but breaking away from the monumental events of each previous game means that choices made in them have a narrative distance to account for different paths taken. Circling back to major plot points is still part of the creative ethos of the series, as first seen in how the fallout of the Blight and the intriguing Mage-Templar conflict first revealed in Origins becomes central to Dragon Age 2’s plot. Those events lead to the Conclave, launching Inquisition’s story. Meanwhile, the segue into Veilguard takes Inquisition’s dramatic ending as the foundation of the game’s focus on unraveling every ancient mystery the franchise has.

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Naturally, this detached structure has its downsides, as noted by many fans who hoped for a return to the Dragon Age Keep, where a myriad of player choices are recorded from three games. Still, moving the story to a new location with a new ensemble circumvents the need to retcon those choices, and the major outcomes are generally remembered and remarked upon. Meanwhile, the precise details of how those heroes saved Thedas remain confined to the title telling their story. This makes each Dragon Age game a unique experience similar to but unlike the rest.

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The Never Before Seen

Each Game Shows A New Corner Of Thedas

Without being forced to live up to specific events established by previous heroes, every corner of Thedas could have a game of its own to explore its diverse cultures without overshadowing each other. Sten is an intriguing first iteration of Qunari, and the mystery of his character fueled a huge arc of Dragon Age 2’s plot. By Inquisition, the Qunari are a playable race. Zevran’s Antiva is a distant place with wonders and darkness to contend with by description, and various Crow interactions become classic moments in the franchise. Meanwhile, a Crow Rook shows a different experience while recognizing the Antiva of players’ imaginations.

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Aside from exploring new cultures through a new hero’s personal story, the cultures Dragon Age sequels explore are all familiar to varying degrees because of established lore. Fans have had plenty of reasons to feel curious about what life is like in the homeland of unforgettable characters like Leliana, Zevran, Fenris, Isabela, Dorian, and so many others, and every Dragon Age reveals more of Thedas to players to satisfy this curiosity. Not to mention that each new game introduces new favorite places and cultures fans will want to explore.

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The Power Is In The Details

The Answers Were Winking At Players All Along

In a setting as rich as Thedas, it’s at times hard to see just how intertwined the games truly are until players take into account a wealth of details. Ferelden had a distinct charm to it, and Kirkwall was a fascinating contrast. Inquisition and Veilguard both build on everything known but not yet seen. The more players learn about Thedas, the more Dragon Age lore and cultures evolve into solid settings. Meanwhile, fascinating and deepening secrets are hinted at along the way, and figuring out the relevance of seemingly innocuous background details is a big part of what brings Thedas alive for its fans.

One of the best reasons for a fresh slate in the story is the ability to lift out those settings, from Orlais and Tevinter, fan-favorite characters like Varric or Sandal, and other Thedas-specific fascinations, and run with them in the next Dragon Age. Granted, Inquisition and Veilguard stand apart in this respect, having a symphony of a plot to complete between them. Still, Veilguard goes to places players have heard about since Origins, such as the legendary Arlathan, Antiva, and Weisshaupt, to name a few.

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Many Heroes With Many Origins

It’s Time To Be Someone From Somewhere Else

Grey Wardens began the story in Origins, and they have a unique perspective on Thedas and within that Ferelden, a rich setting in a larger world full of secrets. Dragon Age 2 is set in the Free Marches, and although Hawke is from Lothering, this time the emphasis is on making a life and fixing a place that was determined to be broken in Kirkwall. By Inquisition, players had whetted an appetite to move beyond the confines of a single location, and it delivered a War Table full of places to explore.

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Dragon Age always played on the mysterious heritage of playable heroes, and what skills they bring to the table has always mattered in a traditional sense. Veilguard explores Thedas through factions known and new, allowing players to explore an aspect of Thedas that is more rooted in the institutions and societies fans are already acquainted with, while players can mix and match Rook’s heritage and profession in new ways. Meanwhile, new backgrounds, societal norms, and identities continue to enhance the experience along the way by giving fans a taste of cultures so far only represented by a handful of excellent characters.

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The Unspeakable That Was Spoken

Exploring Diversity In Thedas Nets A Conversation About Diversity

Dragon Age is no stranger to pioneering representation, and each title widens the field of view a few characters at a time. The positive effects of Thedas’ diversity are undeniable. Many fans fell in love with the franchise because these were among the few games of their respective times that made it easier to see themselves. That said, and arguably at the risk of tokenism, there were limits on what kind of representation each title explored. The context of each game’s respective era also plays a part in which identities were represented and how. As with each Dragon Age before it, the identities Veilguard shines a light on are relevant to the times.

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This doesn’t mean that the one-time option to transition and/or learn about non-binary identities and overtly neurodivergent companions is at the expense of the gripping overarching story. Where these themes are present, the exploration of gender identity is autonomously about the given character. Dragon Age still could explore more, but Veilguard makes its unique contribution to the franchise’s existing pattern of evolving forms of solidarity, and it’s made possible by the ample narrative space a clean slate represents.

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Every Dragon Age Is Unique

Thedas Is Both A Dark & Colorful Place

Despite being installments of one franchise, the unifying traits of Dragon Age games have never been pigeonholed or turned into a blueprint. Instead, the lore, the monumental events, and the work of each unique hero facing many difficult choices are woven into a larger pattern of lost history that is so emblematic of the franchise. The Hero of Ferelden, the Champion of Kirkwall, and the Inquisitor each have plenty to deal with without having to steal the thunder from the hero following their footsteps.

By Veilguard, some of the deepest mysteries of the lore converge into Rook’s task, but the story builds on every previous hero’s broader actions. That’s not to say that Veilguard didn’t give fans any closure, and it’s not just Solas fans. That said, although the cameos of the game are among its highlights, many beloved characters didn’t appear, and many subplots were left behind in Southern Thedas. In part, this can be attributed to the overt continuity of picking up roughly where Inquisition left off. Still, in the finest Dragon Age tradition, Veilguard doesn’t aim to be anything but its unique slice of Thedas history.

Released

October 31, 2024

OpenCritic Rating

Strong