If you're a hardcore fan of the Mass Effect series, then you might find an unexpected bit of joy in Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

Developers BioWare has added two new outfits to the game as pa??rt of the latest update (both available for Rook), and it's heavily inspired by the N7 design. Such is the resemblance that any lover of EA's sci-fi series will be immediately able to relate to the new armor. Moreover, this outfit is available for all, and it can be found directly inside the game.

How to obtain the Mass Effect armor in Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Obtaining the new outfit is pretty straightforward, but you will have to clear a fair bit of the main campaign. In fact, the quest for "The Singing Blade" must be completed, as it takes Rook to Scout Harding to search for the? Lyrium Knife. First, find the missing knife dropped by Solas, and you'll be able to gain access to the Lighthouse and Caretaker's Work??shop.

• Go to the Lighthouse.
• Travel to the yard.
• Walk towards the Caretaker's Workshop.
• Locate the vendor, and you'll find a chest. Open it to grab your copy of the Mass Effect armor.

You'll get three unique-looking items fr?om? the chest:

• Command Helmet
• Specter of Battles Past
• Paragon of Leadership.

Once you've added these items to your inventory, you'll be able to change into them from your wardrobe. I love the fact that the designs aren't a direct copy of how they appeared in Mass Effect games. BioWare has kept the vintage threads and the color code alive, but the design has been modified to fit well into the lore of Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

As of this writing, there doesn't appear to be an expiration date for these rewards. However, there's no point in dilly-dallying, and you should redeem the outfits as early as p??ossible.

The post How to get the Mass Effect armor in Dragon Age:??? The Veilguard? appeared first on Destructoid.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard might be a single-player experience, but you rarely play alo?ne, and that's only possible thanks to your companions.

However, your available number of companions will always be more than your squad size, so you'll have to make some critical decisions. While you can shuffle and switch your party members inside the game, it can't be done whenever you want. Hence, it's crucial to understand how yo??u can change your party composition.

When can you change your party members in Dragon Age: The Veilguard

There are two moments when you can specifically alter your party composition in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. It can be done right at the beginning of a fresh quest when you're about to leave your Lighthouse. Once you've selected the pursuit and its location, you can access the "Change Party" option. It will show your two existing party members, and you can change? any/both of them based on your preferences.

The only exception to this is that some quests have predetermined team members. In some instances, you'll lose access to certain members, but that mostly happens in the endgame, so? you don't have to stress about that in the begi?nning.

You can also change the composition of your party at Beacons. You'll come across beacons while traveling the lands, and they're instrumental as they allow you to fast travel. But your fallen teammates will also be available at your beacons, where you can "Gather Your Party." Not only can you recall all your fallen party?? members, but you can also shuffle the composition.

Do note that your available companions will gradually increase as you complete more quests in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. The main campaign has three different acts, and there is additional content like side quests, Faction quests, and more. All your companions also have their own story arcs, so there's plenty to explore and complete?.

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The map of Dragon Age: The Veilguard might not be among the largest seen in the world of video games, but it's pretty vast, which makes it almost necessary to have fast? travel.

Thankfully, BioWare's latest RPG doesn't? disappoint in this regard. While you might not have the feature unlocked when you're just getting started, the map is filled with something called beacons. These locations allow you to fast travel between different places. Hence, the answer to the question in the header is yes, so let's find out how you can save ??your time and energy while playing Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

How to fast travel in Dragon Age: The Veilguard?

As you start exploring the map, you'll find the beacons at random places. Once you've d?iscovered and unlocked one, it can be used to fast travel. You can travel to where a beacon is located from almost anywhere. To travel to that location, you don't necessarily need to be near another beacon.

Just open the map, select an unlocked beacon, and press the designated button. Mak??e sure you hold the button until the fast travel takes place. You can do this within a specific world or across different settlements. If you want to do the latter, make sure to use the World tab.

You can also fast-travel to your Lighthouse in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. For this, you won't need a beacon. Just open a map and hold the Square/X button on your controller to jump ?back to your base. You can do the same by taking ??the cursor over to where the Lighthouse is situated, but why do more work?

That's pretty much it when it comes to traveling quickly between different locations in the latest RPG adventure. If you're curious about the Point of No Return, check out our guide on all quests in Dragon Age: Veilguard, where we explore the Point of No Return as well. With m?ultiple endings available inside the game, you'll want to clear as many quests as possible bef??ore approaching this particular quest.

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Ultimate Abilities in Dragon Age: The Veilguard acts as the personality of your subclass, but you won'??t be restricted to using the same one?? repeatedly.

Not only does the new Dragon Age RPG have a wide set of available choices for players, but you'll be able t??o unlock new ones by just grinding out the game. To do ??so, you'll need to gain something called Skill Points, but before that, let's check out the complete list. This will give you a precise idea of all the options that you'll unlock as part of your selected class.

All Ultimate Abilities in Dragon Age: The Veilguard

In Dragon Age: The Veilguard, you'll be able to pick between three classes, and each of them has ?three further specializations. Each class has three Ultimate Abilities to unlock. Just like the classes themselves, the abilities work very differently from one another.

While the following section includes the steps to unlock new abilities, they might not necessarily be better. For both the Mage and Warrior, the default options are more than decent, and you can com??plete the game with them. That said, the specializations are useful scenarios??, and allow you to try something different. Otherwise, you'll practically have to use the same ability throughout a single play through, which can feel pretty boring.

How to unlock Ultimate Abilities in Dragon Age: The Veilguard

As you proceed deeper into your adventures, you'll be able to ?unlock up to three different specializations. These choices will be entirely based on your class. When you unlock a specialization, you'll get a new Ulti??mate Ability. The Specializations can be viewed from inside the Skills menu. The Ultimate Ability will be placed in the second skill slot.

For starters, you'll need to gain plenty of sk??ill points to unlock a Specialization. Once done, you can change the new Ultimate Ability with the one equipped from inside the Character tab. You can alway??s switch between your available options to mix how your class works in a battle to the maximum.

Even if you have multiple ones unlocked, you can only equip one Ultimate Ability at a given moment. If you want to change, always pay close attention to your enemies and companions al??ike. An ability, that works well with one companion, might not be as effective for another.

The post All Ultimate Abili?ties in Dragon Age: The Veilguard and how to unlock them appeared first on Destructoid.

With three different editions and a ton of cosmetic rewards for each of them, you're going to want to claim your pre-order bonuses as soon as possible in Dragon Age The Veilguard. All you have to do is progress to a certain part in the story to claim your pre-order bonuses in Dragon Age The Veilguard.

Where to access your Dragon Age The Veilguard pre-order bonuses

You can access your pre-order bonuses in Dragon Age: The Veilguard after completing the introduction prologue and gaining access to the Veilguard base of operations which is the Lighthouse. Without spoiling anything, the prologue is considered complete after your encounter with the Dragon Age The Veilguard antagonist Solas.

Once you've reached this part in Dragon Age The Veilguard you'll unlock your headquarters which is the Lighthouse. Betwee?n quests you'll come back to the Lighthouse, so it's a lo??cation you'll quickly get familiarized with.

In the Lighthouse, look for a chest in the corner of the Infirmary Room which is located in the southwestern room of the area on the Lighthouse map. The chest is named a Wardrobe and will be accessible throughout all of Dragon Age The Veilguard and servers as a spot to change and customize your cosmetic appearance including those you've earned via pre-order bonuses. No matter which edition or platform you chose for Dragon Age The Veilguard, your pre-order rewards are accessible at the Wardrobe in the? Lighthouse for the entirety of the game.

If you activate a code that unlocks more cosmetic rewards or pre-order bonuses, you will get a notification when you next play Dragon Age The Veilguard that? indicates that the rewards are now available at the Wardrobe in the Lighthouse. Simply return to the chest in the Infirmary Room and interact with it to access any new rewards ??you have unlocked.

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You'll encounter many characters throughout Dragon Age: The Veilguard, but you can only engage in romantic discourse with characters who are your companions. There are seven companions in total, meaning Rook has seven potential romance options. We've compiled a list of all the romance options available in Dragon Age The Veilguard as well as some information about each potential ??suitor.

All the romance options in Dragon Age The Veilguard

All seven companions that join you in your adventures in Dragon Age The Veilguard are options for romance. None of the romantic options are locked behind your character creation, meaning regardless of the choices you made when creating your Rook, you are free to pursue romantic options with all seven of the companions. Here are the seven romancable companions in Dragon Age The Veilguard:

• Bellara Lutare
• Davrin
• Emmrich Volkarin
• Lace Harding
• Lucanis Dellamorte
• Neve Gallus
• Taash

How to romance a companion in Dragon Age The Veilguard

When interacting with or speaking to a companion, you'll sometimes get a reply option that is marked with a pink heart. This essentially means that the option is considered a flirtatious dialogue option and will increase your romantic favor with that companion. There's no limit on the amount of flirting you can do in Dragon Age The Veilguard—in fact, you can essentially flirt with all seven companions if you want to. As you bond with each companion grows, you c??an check their specific page on the Companions screen to see the level of your relationship with them, located on the left side of the screen.

A heart icon indicates that specific companion has reached the bond level where they are ready to take things to the next level. They will approach you and make the offer to become an exclusive couple. You can only begin this actual relationship status with a single companion; no throuples here! However, the decision is not permanent. If you change your mind and wnat to romance a different companion, simply talk to the companion and indicate that you want to break up. When you are officially dating a companion, their icon for their bond level with yo??u on the Companion screen will instead be two overlapping hearts.

Each companion has varying stages of bond level with Rook, with some companions being seemingly easier to romance than others. Because reaching the heart status with a companion is not exclusive, you should do what you can to increase the bond level w?ith each of the seven companions to try and acheive the heart, that way if you ever decide to puruse the exclusive romantic relationship with them, you will have that option. The best way to increase your bond level with companions is chat with them and choose any dialogue options with the heart icon. Most of these interactions take place at the Lighthouse in between your adventures, so always make sure to exhause all dialogue options with any characters you have?? a romantic interest in when at the Lighthouse. If you really want to focus on romancing a companion, make sure you add them to your party as often as possible to increase the amount you converse with them.

Bellara Lutare

Race: Elf

Class: Mage

Faction: Veil Jumpers

How to Unlock Bellara: You will recruit Bellara early in Dragon Age The Veilguard i?n Arlathan Forest in the storyline quest 'In Entr??opy's Grasp'.

How to Romance Bellara: Complete Bellara's personal questlines, Add Bellara to your party when?? doing Veil Jumpers quests in Arlathan Forest, Defeat enemies in Arthalan Forest, Express interest in Elven technology and history

About Bellara: Bellara is creative and romantic, but more than anything is an afficionado when it comes to ancie?nt elven technology, which has led to her status with the Veil Jumpers.

Davrin

Race: Elf

Class: Warrior

Faction: Grey Wardens

How to Unlock Davrin: You can unlock Davrin as a companion during the storyline quest ??'A Wa??rden's Best Friend' that takes you to High Anderfels.

How to Romance Davrin: Complete Davrin's personal questlines, Add? Davrin to your party when doing Grey Wardens quests in Hossberg Wetlands, Defeat enemies in Hossberg Wetlands, Support Davrin ??in training Assan and in regards to the Grey Wardens

About Davrin: The cool and calm Davrin has a companion of his own; t??he babby griffin Assan. Much of Davrin's personality revolves around supporting the Gray Wardens but also training and raising Assan, which you can assist with.

Emmrich Volkarin

Race: Human

Class: Mage

Faction: Mourn Watch

How to Unlock Emmrich: Emmrich is one of the la??st companions you'll recruit to the Veilguard, accessible after completing the 'On Blighted Wings', 'On Deadly Wings', or 'Where the Dead Must G?o' storyline quests.

How to Romance Emmrich: Complete Emmri??ch's personal questlines, Add Davrin to your party when doing Mou?rn Watch quests in Necropolis Halls, Defeat enemies in Necropolis Halls, Engage in comical discussion with Manfred, assist Emmrich with communicating with skeletons

About Emmrich: A highly intelligent yet mysterious Necroma??ncer, Emmrich also has a companion of sorts: a reanimated servant named Manfred. A man of sophistication, Emmrich can often be found ordering around Manfred while also researching the Fade, a topic he is very knowledgable about.

Lace Harding

Race: Dwarf

Class: Rogue

Faction: Previous Inquisition Member

How to Unlock Harding: Harding joins the Veilguard very early in the story of Dragon Age The Veilgu??ard as part of the main storyline.

How to Romance Harding: Complete Harding's personal questlines, Interact with H??arding often at the Lighthouse, side with Harding when making Veilguard decisions, ??Assist Harding with trying to unlock and understand her newfound magical abilities

About Harding: Despite being ??a scout in the Inquisition, Harding accesses newfound magi?cal abilities early on in Dragon Age The Veilguard which becomes a focus of her attention as she attempts to learn and master it.

Lucanis Dellamorte

Race: Human

Class: Rogue

Faction: Antivian Crows

How to Unlock Lucanis: After completing the 'Sea of Blood' quest chain in Trevi?so, you will hav?e the option of recruiting Lucanis.

How to Romance Lucanis: Complete Lucanis' personal questlines, Add Davrin to your party when doing Antivian Crows quests in Treviso, Defeat enemies in Treviso, choose to save Treviso instead of Minrathous when given the choice or you will lock out Lucanis as a romance o??ption

About Lucanis: A extremely talented assassin, Lucanis has a passion for? poisons and taking out those who are deep into m??agic. He cares very much for Treviso and will request your assistance in saving it.

Neve Gallus

Race: Human

Class: Mage

Faction: Shadow Dragons

How to Unlock Neve: Neve bec??omes a companion very early on through the main storyline quest the same time as Har??ding does.

How to Romance Neve: Complete Neve's pe??rsonal questlines, Add Neve to your party when doing Shadow Dragons quests, especially in Dock Town, choose to save Minrathous instead of Treviso when given the choice or you will lock our Neve as a romance option

About Neve: Part-time pri??vate investigator and full-time Frost Mage, Neve is a reputable patron of Minrathous and is dedicated to protecting Dock Town. She's constantly reading through books to learn as much as she can about the world and the Veil.

Taash

Race: Qunari

Class: Warrior

Faction: Lords of Fortune

How to Unlock Taash: Taash will more than likely be the last companion you recruit to the Veilguard, avail??able around the same time as Lucanis after completing 'On Blighted Wings' or 'On Deadling Wings' ?story quests.

How to Romance Taash: Complete Taash's personal questlines, Add Taash to your party when de??feating enemies in the Rivain Coast or participating in the Hall of Valor, Support Taash when deal??ing with relationship with mother

About Davrin: Taash is a hard hitting warrior with a passion for taking down dragons. Taash typically? keeps conversations short and sweet, and has a thirst for hunting for treasure.

The post All Dragon Age The Veilguard romance ?options for Rook appeared first on Destructoid.

If you want to complete your quests in Dragon Age: The Veilguard without a??ny?? hassle, you'll have to know all about your enemies' weakpoints to do maximum damage.

With plenty of time between the upcoming Dragon Age game and the older tit??les, there are some obvious changes under the hood. In combat, paying attention to your enemies' weakpoints will allow you to erode their health pool faster. It's also pretty easy to hit the soft spots of your foes once you know where to hit, and there's a proper indicator available as well.

All weakpoints in Dragon Age: The Veilguard

It goes without saying that weakpoints will vary based on your enemies. One of the best things to do is to go for the head. Much like your critical shots in Call of Duty Black Ops 6, going for the head will likely do the job for most enem??ies. You'll be surprised how common it is.

Once you hit the weakpoint of an enemy, the damage text will show up in purple. That's the indicator that you have hit the correct spot. However, a few enemies have some ?unexpect??ed areas to target.

• Archdemon Razikale: Chin/Forehead/Neck
• Blood. Forge Prime: Open Mouth Furnace
• Greater Sentiner: Orb in the torso region
• Greater Hurlock Blighter: Orange pustule
• High Dragons: Glowing legs/underbelly (if you manage to stagger it)

How to get more weakpoint damage in Dragon Age: The Veilguard

The core process is simple in this case as well - just use a better weapon. But in the long run, you'll want to focus on your class and their areas of spe?cialization. For example, Warriors will do more damage to Staggered enemies, while Mages do a lot of elemental damage. Hence, you'll want to boost all skills that empower your core abilities.

This is the best way to amplify the da?mage you cause by hitting an enemy's weakpoints. There are, however, no abilities to my know??ledge that strictly target the soft spots of an enemy.

The post Dragon Age: The Veilguard – How do Weakpoints work? appeared first on Destructoid.

With Dragon Age: The Veilguard, a fresh wave of new players ia headed to the Dragon Age universe. There are hundreds of hours of lore to explore and quite a few previous games that you can play through, but figuring out the order can be?? troublesome. 

There are a total of nine games, including spin-offs, set in the world of Dragon Age. While it’s not strictly necessary to play all of them, it can be usef??ul if you want to immerse yourself in the lore. 

Before getting into the games that you can actually still play, here are a few honorable mentions for Dragon Age games that have been lost to the aether:

• Dragon Age Journeys (2009)

  • A Flash-based web browser game that was sadly canceled after the release of the first chapter.

• Dragon Age Legends (2011)

  • A Facebook game that remained playable for roughly a year before being taken offline. For a time, an offline version was available to download, but this no longer seems to be the case.

• Heroes of Dragon Age (2013)

  • A free-to-play mobile game that remained online for a decade before servers were disconnected on January 23, 2024.

• Dragon Age: The Last Court (2014)

  • A free-to-play browser game set between the events of Dragon Age II and Dragon Age: Inquisition. It remained online until November 17, 2020. 

All Dragon Age games in order

Dragon Age: Origins (2009)

Dragon Age: Origins was first released on Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, with the release for Mac OS X coming roughly a month afterward. This was the first dive into Ferelden and gave players the choi?ce between not only classes (Warrior, Mage, or Rogue) but also their genetic background (Elven, Human, or Dwarven). The adventure revolved around being recruited into the Grey Wardens to take down the threat that is the Darkspawn. 

Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening (2010)

Technically, Awakening was the expansion for Dragon Age: Origins, which added a whole new campaign that took place after the event of the original game and was available on all of the same platforms. If?? you want to purchase Dragon Age: Origins now, you'll likely only find the Ultimate Edition, which includes all of Awakening's content as part of your purchase.

Dragon Age II (2011)

The first proper sequel to the original, Dragon Age II came two years la??ter in 2011. This time, players were thrust into the role of Hawke, who was always a human but had the choice of being a Warrior, Mage, or Rogue once more. Hawke, accompanied by various companions who felt differentl?y about them depending on their choices, strove to become Champion of Kirkwall amid the chaos of conflict. 

Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014)

In Dragon Age: Inquisition, players were thrust into the role of the Inquisitor, and they had ?all of the previous choices, along with a chance to play as the newly added “Qunari�race. After surviving a devastating event that left a Breach in the sky, releasing a whole bunch of demons into the world, the Inquisitor is deemed by some to be the “chosen one�thanks to a mark on his hand and must battle to stop Corypheus and close the Breach.  

Dragon Age: The Veilguard (2024)

The latest in the line of Dragon Age games comes a whole decade after Inquisition. Although I haven’t quite gotten around to playing through the story in the hours since I woke up this morning, I do know that The Veilguard takes place approximately 10 years after the events?? of the previous games and centers around a character known as Rook, who must take down Solas before he can complete his ritual to tear down the Veil.

The post How to play all Dragon Age games in order appeared first on Destructoid.

If there's one thing you should expect in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, it's the abundance of choic??es when it comes to picking your class and further specializ??ation.

Classes represent the basic archetype of your character and how they will operate inside the game. Specializations add deeper depth to your selected archetype and allow you to enjoy different playstyles. Since this selection will ha??ve huge ramifications on your entire p??laythrough, let's look at all the available classes, along with their respective specializations.

All classes in Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Here's the complete information you'll need before you jump into Dragon Age: The Veilguard. There are three specific? classes: Mage, Rogue, and Warrior. While the three classes act and react differen??tly, their respective specializations will allow for greater customization.

Which is the best class and specialization for Dragon Age: The Veilguard?

Honestly, this entirely depends on how you want to play and enjoy the game. This isn't a multiplayer experience like Call of Duty Black Ops 6 where you'll want to exploit th?e meta. However, here are my top three recommendatio?ns.

• The Death Caller specialization will be my firm favorite because raising the undead to do your bidding is on whole another level.
• Saboteur might be the hardest Rogue sub-class in my books, but killing enemies with traps is unique.
• Reaper, because Champion is boring and Slayer is slow.

But in the end, there's no wron??g choice, and just go with how you want to pla??y.

The post Dragon Age: The Veilguard – All classes and specializations appeared first on Destructoid.

After what must've been one of the most excruciating development cycles in the history of game development, Dragon Age: The Veilguard (the game formerly known as Dragon Age: Dreadwolf), is finally somethin?g we can truly talk about. Though the game is not out yet, reviews are, and that's the first good sign to look for when wondering if a game will turn out wel??l. Reviews are mostly very positive, but they don't all agree on everything.

Let's have?? a look at what some?? of the most respected websites have to say, as well as see some of the bigger hot takes out there, shall we?

The most important video game outlet in the world, this place called Destructoid dot com, is yet to have its final say on the game. Still, our very own review in progress by Steven Mills can already assure you that you're, at the very least, l??ooking at a solid RPG in a beautifully built world.

The most glowing piece of praise comes from the usually very demanding Eurogamer, who straight-up awarded it a 5/5 score. Reviewer Robert Purchese says "The Veilguard makes the Dragon Age games that came before seem trivial by comparison. The series has evolved. Dragon Age has never been this good." and "The best BioWare game I've ever played". Those are big words - but Purchese isn't alone, as Eurogamer Germany seems to mirror his opinion, albeit in a different language.

IGN's Leana Hafer gave it a 9/10, praised the game's scope, the characters, and said its level design is reminiscent of the original Knights of the Old Republic - very high praise indeed. Much like Eurogamer, IGN also states that it feels like an overall improvement over past Dragon Age titles.

Gamespot wasn't as enthusiastic about Veilguard, and, though the review is still in progress, it's currently sitting at the "worst-possible score" a game can get: 7/10. Though Gamespot's Jordan Ramée ensures you Veilguard is a good game, he warns that some classes, like mage, specifically, just aren't as fun to play as others due to the immense visual clutter th??at'll fill the screen, hurt your eyes, and likely cause you to die in dumb ways. ??Ramée also agrees with my take that the new art direction is a bit jarring at times.

Kotaku, while not giving out a score, had a lot of good to say about the game. Reviewer Kenneth ??Shepard praises the game's cast, the solid RPG gameplay, and the conclusion. Shepard's only warns that the main plot is a slow burn until the moment when it seriously picks up, and that the role of?? the inquisitor is a letdown.

Polygon's also scoreless review by Todd Harper also praises the game's cast of characters, and says it's a solid title that improves upon many of its predecessor's flaws. Harper only warns newcomers that Veilguard might not prove as fun f??or them as it is for those in the know, but even they may find a way to enjoy the g??ame.

The good people at Video Games Chronicle were the least impressed with the title so far, awarding it a surprisingly low 6/10. Reviewer Jordan Middler echoes the previous positive sentiment others have towards the game's characters but doesn't have very kind words regarding the game's missions. Unlike the previous reviewers, VGC believes BioWare should've already improved upon various issues seen in their previous games "BioWare had this issue 15 years ago when every Mass E??ffect combat zone was made as obvious as possible?, thanks to the chest-high walls everywhere. For it still to be such an issue now is disappointing.".

With all that being said, I'm betting most people will likely be able to greatly enjoy Veilguard, so long as they can stomach the new art direction and overlook a ?few possibly dated gameplay cho?ices.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is currently sitting at an 84 Metacritic rating, and it comes out on October ??31 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xb??ox X|S.

The post Undecided? Here’s a Dragon Age: The Veilguard review roundup appeared first on Destructoid.

The nearly decade-long Dragon Age drought has officially come to an end with the release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. In the time since Dragon Age: Inquisition's release, developer BioWare has released Mass Effect: Andromeda and most recently, Anthem. Depending on who you ask, both of these titles are typically seen as alright at bes?t, but I think you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who feels as though either lived up to the typical high-quality standards that BioWare had been known for in the past.

For a quick comparison, The Veilguard gives me serious Dragon Age II vibes, mostly in terms of its combat and gameplay. I'm just over 30 hours into The Veilguard and while I feel confident that I've got a firm grasp on what the RPG is all about, we have to keep in mind that like most BioWare games, The Veilguard is very story-driven. As such, I feel it's important to point out that my impressions in this review in prog?ress are based on having not reached the finale of this story-driven RPG.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard (PC, PS5 [reviewed], Xbox Series X|S)
Developer: BioWare
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Released: October 31, 2024
MSRP: $59.99 on PC, $69.99 on Consoles

The Veilguard drops you into the action quickly. The story takes place ten years after the events in Dragon Age: Inquisition. One of the optional companions in Inquisition, the elven mage Solas, has seemingly gone rogue and is carrying out a ritual to tear down The Veil, a barrier that exists between the physical world of Thedas and The Fade, als??o known as the Beyond. After some?? interference at the behest of the player and his group of companions put together by none other than charismatic series regular Varric, the ritual is stopped but at a cost. Two ancient Elven Gods, Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain have pierced the The Veil and are now free in the physical world.

Tasked with creating a team to hunt down the Elven Gods and prevent the full destruction of The Veil—hence the name Veilguard—the player is thrust into the role of Rook, the protagonist. Despite being in the final act of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about Rook as a whole. The character has grown on me over the course of the Veilguard's journey?, especially more ?recently. But I've had a really tough time feeling Rook actually belongs.

It's a tough task to navigate for BioWare, for sure. Rook is a brand-new character in Dragon Age who is essentially tasked with saving the world. For all intents and purposes, it m?akes complete sense, this is the best way to in the end create a meaningful connection to the main character for both new and returning players to the series. But it resulted in much of the game trying to tell me that Rook is important and the right person for the job, even though it never feels like they really are.

Important characters from the series' entire timeline �all the way from 2009's Dragon Age: Origins through the most recent Dragon Age: Inquisition �make an appearance in Veilguard, including franchise favorites like Morrigan and Varric. Even Inquisition's protagonist that you play as, The Inquisitor, makes an appearance in Veilguard. But the whole time the characters are constantly trying to se??ll you on the importance of Rook. "Oh you're Rook, ??I've heard of your mighty important deeds, you're perfect for this!"

By extension, I have found most of the new companions in Veilguard to be very solid additions to the evergrowing list of important characters in Dragon Age lore. I've grown fond of Neve, an early companion who is a part-time private detective, a member of the rebellious Shadow Dragons faction, and a badass ice mage. As you progress through Veilguard you'll learn more about all of the new companions as you contin??ue to grow and expand?? the Veilguard.

In terms of actual combat companions though, I wish there was a little more substance to them. They essentially serve to give you access to additional skills that you can call upon in combat as opposed to opting to use your own character's (Rook's) skills. W??hile you can choose where to put points in their respective skill trees and even equip them with gear, it feels quite meaningless as they don't actually do much in combat outside of you choosing to use their skills. They have no health bars, and the damage they do on their own is minuscule.? In a single standard attack, you do multitudes more damage to enemies than the basic attacks of your companions that only shave off a sliver from the health bar with each hit.

It's a real shame because the actual core gameplay of Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a rather satisfying feeling. It's reminiscent of Dragon Age II opting for fast-paced Action RPG-style combat as opposed to the more tactical and strategic combat of Dragon Age: Origins and even Inquisition. You choose from three starting classes: warrior, rogue, and?? mage. Each class eventually branches into one of three specializations, allowing you to further c??ater the playstyle around exactly what you enjoy. I opted to go Warrior eventually specializing in Slayer, which focuses on wielding massive two-handed weapons.

I enjoy the combat of the Slayer, charging directly into combat and dealing insane amounts of damage while dodge-rolling around to avoid attacks. The combat also reminds me of one of my favorite action RPGs, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. The fast-paced combat makes boss fights particularly fun, although a bit difficult at times. Despite my gripes on how limited the companions actually are in combat, the core combat for you as the protagonist feels extremely pol??ished and could very well be the best in the series.

Ultimately, I think the final act of Dragon Age: The Veilguard will be a major factor for me in ranking how Veilguard holds up to the rest of the series. There are constant choices to be made throughout Veilguard, with the game constantly telling me that the choices matter. But outside of one major choice in the early game, most of the choices haven't actually changed much. However, it wouldn't be out of character for a BioWare game to be keeping track of all my choices throughout my journey to dictate which ending I receive, ?or which endings I have acc??ess to.

If you're looking for a solid RPG in a beautifully built world, Dragon Age: The Veilguard is certainly that. The combat is fluid and satisfying, and the world of Thedas is well-designed and fun to explore. The story has its drawbacks, but overall it's still better than most. Whether it will live up to the prestigious storytelling of the previous Dragon Age games will very much d??epend o??n the RPG's curtain call.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review in Progress: Dragon Age: The Veilguard appeared first on Destructoid.

With Dragon Age: The Veilguard just around the corner, now might be t??he time to revisit the ?world of Thedas and brush up on the ancient lore of the Chantry and the old gods that preceded it.

If there's one thing BioWare always does in the superlative, it's worldbuilding. The world of Dragon Age, while certainly inspired by many fantasy works that came before it (including Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time—especially the latter) is sprawling with riveting stories, comp??elling characters, and a fantastic history going thousands of?? years back.

Dragon Age has also branched out into other mediums over the years, comprising not only three amazing games with dozens of h????ours of content, but also several books, more than ten comic series, a few tabletop games, and recently, an anime adaptation on Netflix.

But as we know, the beating heart of every great fantasy universe is in its books. Even Dragon Age, originally conceived as a video game series and despite taking full advantage of RPG elements to world-build, can't help but fall under the same enchantment. If you want lore and details, you'll have to inevitably approach the Dragon Age books and comics, and since most of them have been written by BioWare's own writers who also work??ed on the games, they are must-reads for ardent fans of Thedas.

Barring the two-volume World of Thedas, which is little more than a companion encyclopedia with entries detailing different characters, factions, countries, and events, here is every Dragon Age book and comic ranked worst to best.

All Dragon Age Books

There have been seven major books in the Dragon Age series, all of them canon. Some expand on the lore already established in the games, and some give fans much-needed context on the inner workings of Thedas and what goes on behind the scenes in this politically-charged high fantasy world. Here we’ve ranked them from worst to best based on signif?icance, the quality of the narrative, and the overall community reception.

7. Dragon Age: Hard in Hightown

We all know that Varric is an accomplished and best-selling author renowned across Thedas, but have you ever wondered what it would be like to read a book penned by him? Hard in Hightown expands on the character’s noir detective story found in the Dragon Age: Inquisition codex entries, and BioWare has also marketed the book as being written by Varric himself. The other contributing author is Mary Kirby, who worked in the studio from 2006 to 2023 and is credited for her writing chops in all four Dragon Age games, including the upcoming Veilguard.

6. Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne

The first novel by David Gaider as well as the first Dragon Age book, The Stolen Throne takes place before the events of Origins in the country of Ferelden. We follow the tale of the rebel queen Moira, who has just been assassinated through a plot orchestrated by the nobles in her court. Her son Maric escapes unharmed, and now with Ferelden under occupation by the Orlesian Empire, Maric has to fight for the revival of his nation with the help of Loghain, whom fans will recognize as one of the main characters in Origins. If you always found Loghain intriguing and were desperate to learn more about his past and motives, then The Stolen Throne is a must-read, even if it’s not exactly the best Dragon Age book out there.

5. Dragon Age: The Calling

Taking place eleven years after the events of The Stolen Throne, this is David Gaider’s second literary outing in the Dragon Age universe. The story chiefly revolves around the Grey Wardens, who had been exiled from Ferelden for 200 years, before King Maric revoked that ban and welcomed them back. The Grey Wardens come to the king’s cour??t with dire news, however, of one of their rank escaping into the Deep Roads and aligning himself with the Darkspawn. The Grey Wardens ask th??e king to lead them through the Deep Roads, which he traversed years before, to save the kingdom from peril, little realizing the dangers that lurk in these uncharted dwarven territories.

4. Dragon Age: Asunder

The Mage-Templar War is one of the defining conflicts in the entire Dragon Age chronology, and it is explored in depth in Dragon Age: Asunder by David Gaider. This is arguably the author’s best novel in the series, and his nuanced storytelling, whether it be compelling character arcs or even a deft hand at weaving political intrigue together, shines in Asunder. Other than explaining in detail why the Seekers of Truth and the Circle of Magi broke off from the Chantry, the story also features Wynne, who is one of the fanbase’s favorite companions in Origins.

3. Dragon Age: Last Flight

Last Flight by Liane Merciel is arguably one of the best stories in the multi-media Dragon Age franchise. The narrative once again brings the Grey Wardens to the forefront. After the events of Origins, this ancient group of warriors are once again being hailed as heroes across Thedas. The Darkspawn has been driven underground and the threat of extinction has been snuffed out. Not all is well in the continent, however. A young elven mage named Valya, who has recently been recruited into the organization, is tasked with studying historical records to gain insi?ght into previous Blights, research that leads her to question what she knows about the so-called heroic Grey Wardens and learn the truth about the fate of griffons.

2. Dragon Age: The Masked Empire

Trick Weekes wrote for the three Mass Effect games as well as Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age: Inquisition, and the forthcoming Dragon Age: The Veilguard. The Masked Empire is a tie-in novelization for Dragon Age: Inquisition released in April 2014, and it deals with the Orlesian Civil War. The events of the novel paint a starkly different picture of Orlesian politics for fans, and many of you might end up regretting the decisions you made during Inquisition, or replaying the game so that you can change it. Some of the characters in The Masked Empire include Briala, Celene Emp??ress of Orlais, Felassan, Gaspard de Chalons, and our own bard-turned-spymaster Leliana.

1. Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights

Tevinter Nights is an anthology series written by nine different BioWare staff writers, and some fans already consider it to be a tie-in to Dragon Age: The Veilguard. You’ll find many familiar faces in the course of reading this novel, which consists of fifteen short stories mostly set in the Tevinter Imperium, as well as other areas like Nevarra, Rivain, the Anderfels, Orlais, and the Free Marches. The novel also goes into events such as the Qunari invasion and Solas�defection from the Inquisition. If you don’t want to bother with the rest of the Dragon Age books before The Veilguard, Tevinter Nights can thrust you back into the political and historical landscape of Thedas before the fourth main entry comes along.

All Dragon Age Comics

Dragon Age has maintained a steady and prominent line of comic strips since the release of Origins in 2009. Some might even argue that because Dragon Age is a video game, comics are an even more congruent medium for expa?nsion. There are close to a dozen comic book series in Thedas, and we’ve ranked them all in this list. Here? are which publications you should prioritize before October 31.

8. Dragon Age: Until We Sleep

This three-issue comic series focuses on Varric and gives fans more insight into his past life. It is written by David Gaider and illustrated by Chad Hardin, featuring amazing artwork and a grim story that chooses BioWare’s own canon, meaning that in Until We Sleep’s timeline, Alistair is the king of Ferelden.

7. Dragon Age

There's something irresistibly charming about the first proper Dragon Age comic strip, which came out monthly in 2010 in six issues. The story expands on the lore already established in Origins, and deals w?ith the inner workings of both the templar and mage orders in Thedas. The art style is very unique, perfectly fitting that dark aesthetic the franchise had going for itself back in the old days, even if there are also lore inconsistencies abound, something t?hat eagle-eyed fans will no doubt pick up on with ease.

6. Dragon Age: Magekiller

Released in five issues from December 2015 to April 2016, Magekiller tells the story of Marius, the titular mage killer, and his handler Tessa Forsythia. It’s set during the events of Inquisition and centers around the rise of the Venatori cult. The art style is pretty neat, but for pacing issues as well as a shallow storyline, Magekiller often finds itself very low in the list of fan-favorite Dragon Age stories.

5. Dragon Age: Those Who Speak

Following the events of The Silent Grove, King Alistair continues to travel across Thedas to lear?n what happened to his father. On ??this journey, he's assisted by everyone's favorite pirate Isabela, and second-favorite novelist Varric Tethras. The journey is wrought with danger, but nothing that the trio can't handle, especially when you realize that they've been through worse than a band of cultists hindering their way.

4. Dragon Age: Wraiths of Tevinter

This is actually a compilation of three Dragon Age comic series released in a single volume. It includes Deception, Blue Wraith, and Dark Fortress, all involving the Tevinter Imperium to one degree or another. In Deception, we follow a failed actress turned con artist who targets the heir of a wealthy family in Tevinter. The second and third series are more closely linked, with the former dealing with a Qunari plot against Tevinter and featuring Fenris, and the latter starring her as the main character as she's joined by a band of Inquisition agents to assault a seemingly impregnable fortress. All great short stories in the sprawling Dragon Age universe.

3. Dragon Age: The Silent Grove

The first Dragon Age comic series to be published by Dark Horse, and arguably one of the best even now, The Silent Grove depicts the Alistair, Varric, Isabela trio in another era-defining adventure. The party travels to Antiva City, and there they attempt to stage a prison break, getting swept up in a tale that ends up unveiling one of the darkest secrets in the history of Thedas. The Silent Grove was originally published in 2012 in six issues.

2. Dragon Age: Knight Errant

What is a Dragon Age story without the universe's meta storyteller around to shake things up? Knight Errant is the tale of an elven thief named Vaea, who arrives in Kirkwall just in time to witness the appointment of its latest viscount, Varric Tethras. The artwork in Knight Errant is very enthralling, and you'll find yourself drawn to look at the pages even if you're not a fan of the story itself. Still, there have been theories in the community circles about Knight Errant possibly tying into The Veilguard, so the title is worth picking up for th?at reason alone.

1. Dragon Age: The Missing

The Missing directly ties into The Veilguard and features Varric Tethras and Lace Harding (who is going to be a companion in the upcoming game) as they descend into the Deep Roads in pursuit of Solas. We already know Solas and his shenanigans are going to play a huge part in The Veilguard, and The Missing not only serves as a story that bridges the gap between this fourth entry and Inquisition, but also a perfect primer to get you into the mood for some Dragon Age in November.

The post All Dragon Age books and comics?? (ranked ?worst to best) appeared first on Destructoid.

Get ready for some spooks and exciting gunplay, as there are some big October 2024 games to keep us entertained for the Halloween season. From Call of Duty to Silent Hill 2, here's wha??t to watch from the month of? October 2024 on PC and consoles.

Call of Duty Black Ops 6 (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC)

Publisher: Activision
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software, Infinity Ward, Demonware, and more
Price: $69.99
Release Date: October 25
Trailer

Another year, another Call of Duty. However, this time feels different. This entry includes omnidirectional movement for the first time, letting you move more fluidly throughout the map as you dodge and slide your way to victory. The game will take place in the 90's and Activision promises on the game's Steam page that it will have a "mind-bending narrative" as the United States approaches the end of the Cold War. The campaign will have varied levels, from stealth sections to blockbuster action. The multiplayer mode will la?unch with 12 6v6 maps and four Strike maps. Zombies multiplayer is returning as well.

Black Ops 6 will be the first in the series to launch day one on Xbox Game Pass after Microsoft purchased Activision for $68.7 billion. It launches on October 25.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC)

Publisher: EA
Developer: BioWare
Price: $59.99 (PC), $69.99 (Consoles)
Release Date: October 31
Trailer

After over a decade, the next Dragon Age finally arrives in October. We'll return ??to Thedas and play as Rook, the new protagonist for the series. You'll lead a new team and become the Veilguard, the hero fighting the Elven gods blighting the world. As you'd expect from the series, you'll mee??t seven different companions, who, according to the Steam page, will have "rich lives and deep backstories."

"Lucanis is charismatic from the jump," said our preview, describing one of the characters in the game. "A suave assassin with a hint of magic and a darkness stirring within him? Sign me up." We'll get to meet him and six other characters when the game launches on October 31.

Life is Strange: Double Exposure

Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Deck Nine
Price: $49.99
Release Date: October 29
Trailer

Another fan-favorite series returns with Life is Strange: Double Exposure, and the? original protagonist, Max Caufield, returns as the hero. Instead of reversing time, however, she goes into an alternate dimension where her friend Safi is alive rather than murdered in the snow. You'll be switching between both timelines to solve the murder and save Safi in the ?parallel universe.

If you preorder the game's Ultimate Edition, you'll get the first two chapters two weeks early on October 15. Otherwise, you'll have to wait for its official October 29 launch for all of the game's chapters.

Metaphor ReFantazio (PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC)

Publisher: Atlus
Developer: Atlus, Studio Zero
Price: $69.99
Release Date: October 11
Trailer

If I had to give the award for the most ridiculous name of the year for a game, it would be Metaphor ReFantazio. Despite that, a lot is going for this RPG. Coming from the Persona team, this magic-themed RPG has a gorgeous art sty??le and a co??mbination of turn-based and action combat.

"In a year where the high fantasy genre is well-served, Metaphor: ReFantazio could end up being a standard-bearer," said our preview. "Everything feels like it’s in place, and I left my preview feeling like Metaphor was now easily my most anticipated game of the fall season." We'll see if it deserves that moniker when it launches on October 11. You can try a five-hour pro?logue demo now if you're int??erested.

Silent Hill 2 (PS5, PC)

Publisher: Konami
Developer: Bloober Team
Price: $69.99
Release Date: October 8
Trailer

Spooktober is finally upon us next month, and Konami's Silent Hill 2 will likely fill your quota for a horror game during the Halloween season. Remade by Layers of Fear developer Bloober Team, we'll be exploring the atmospheric, fog-filled town of Silent Hill. The main character receives a letter from his deceased wife and decides to revisit the town where they shared memories. The game supports ray tracing tech and will feature "cutting-edge technical enhancements," according to the Steam page. Konami says, "The world of Silent Hill and its unsettling am?biance is even r?ealer than before."

Bloober Team doesn't have the best track record with average scores from critics (The Medium scored a 71 on Metacritic, and Blair Witch fared worse), but it does show shines of brilliance within the dark atmosphere of Observer: System Redux.

Indie Highlight: Europa (Switch, PC)

Publisher: Future Friends Games
Developer: Helder Pinto, Chozabu (Alex PB), Novadust Entertainment
Price: $14.99
Release Date: October 11
Trailer

In between the shooting of Call of Duty and the scary encounters of Silent Hill 2, it will be great to chill out and relax with the stunning anime-inspired scenery of Europa. Flying around in a jetpack, you'll explore this Ghiblian-like world and solve the mysteries of a fallen utopia. As you find new biomes, you'll discover secrets about this moon Europa, in a Breath of the Wild kind of fashion. There's a demo available now if you want to check out the game before buy??ing it.

Honorable mentions

That isn't all to expect from the October 2024 games lineup. We'll also be getting a return to the Budokai Tenkaichi formula with Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero and many other highlights from ??the fall month?. They include:

• Victory Heat Rally (PC) - October 3
• SpongeBob SquarePants: The Patrick Star Game (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC) - October 4
• Until Dawn (PS5, PC) - October 4
• Kind Words 2 (PC) - October 7
• Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC) - October 8
• Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC) - October 11
• Undisputed (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC) - October 11
• Neva (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC) - October 15
• Just Dance 2025 (Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X|S) - October 15
• Just Dance VR (Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest Pro) - October 15
• New World: Aeternum (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC) - October 15
• Super Mario Party Jamboree (Switch) - October 17
• TMNT: Mutants Unleashed (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC) - October 18
• Unknown 9: Awakening (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC) - October 18
• Batman: Arkham Shadow (Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest 3S) - October 22
• Streets of Rogue 2 *Early Access* (PC) - October 22
• Date Everything (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC) - October 24
• Romancing Saga 2: Revenge of the Seven (PS4, PS5, Switch, PC) - October 24
• Slay the Princess: The Pristine Cut (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC) - October 24
• Sonic x Shadow Generations (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC) - October 25
• Ys X: Nordics (PS4, PS5, Switch, PC) - October 25
• Shadow of the Damned: Hella Remastered (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC) - October 31

The post Here are the most anticipated October 2024 games appeared first on Destructoid.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is an exciting RPG that's about to thrill fantasy fans around the world. Many will choose to play on their computer, so here are the Dragon Age: The Veilguard PC requirements for your convenience.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard PC requirements - minimum specs

EA and BioWare have revealed the minimum specs you'll need on the game's Steam listing. Thankfully, you won't need an external client like EA Play through Steam. Here ??are the minimum specs you'll need:

• OS: 64-bit Windows 10/11
• Processor: Intel Core i5-8400 / AMD Ryzen 3 3300X
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 970/1650 / AMD Radeon R9 290X
• DirectX: Version 12
• Storage: 100 GB available space

EA says that you can play Dragon Age: The Veilguard on an HDD but recommends an SSD inst??ead. Additi?onally, AMD CPUs on Windows 11 require AGESA V2 1.2.0.7.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard requires less space than most recent triple-A RPGs on your hard drive. Starfield needs a huge 125GB, and God of War: Ragnarok requires a massive 190GB.

Recommended specs for Dragon Age: The Veilguard

To play Dragon Age: The Veilguard the way it's meant to be, y??ou'll need the following specs:

• OS: 64-bit Windows 10/11
• Processor: Intel Core i9-9900K / AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVIDIA RTX 2070 / AMD Radeon RX 5700XT
• DirectX: Version 12
• Storage: 100 GB available space

The Steam listing mentions that an SSD is required as part of the recommended specs of Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

The post Dragon Age: The Veilguard PC requirements – minimum and recommended appeared first on Destructoid.

One refrain has echoed through the internet and inside the minds of BioWare fans for some time. At the preview event I attended for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, it was frequently said: “It’s been almost 10 years since the last Dragon Age.�/p>

It’s what I was thinking as I sat down at the PC to play, too. How could I not? 2014’s Dragon Age: Inquisition and its 2015 DLC Trespasser was the last we’ve seen of the continent of Thedas in video game form. Truly, after nearly a decade of waiting, I was just eager to know if there was an executable that would launch Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

Well, the good news is there’s an executable and much more beyond. Dragon Age: The Veilguard is real, and plays like a BioWare back in form, in ??a wa?y we haven’t seen in quite some time.

The makings of a hero

My preview session kicked off with the introduction, playing a short talk-over from Varric that sets the stage for the action to follow. Solas, our lovable/loathable elf god pal from Inquisition, has been up to some hijinks since credits rolled on Trespasser. He’s set to conduct a ritual of some kind, altering the Veil, the magical barrier between the real wo??rld and the ?Fade. There are demons and other bad things in the Fade, so obviously, Varric and co. want to put a stop to it.

Rather than taking the mantle of the Inquisitor back up, the player’s put in the shoes of Rook, an up-and-coming talent Varric has scouted for his private group of Solas-stoppers. I’ll say first off that, while I like the tavern scene as an intro to your character’s look and an establishing moment for their approach to problem-solving,?? Rook does feel like they just sprung from the earth a hero. There’s a little choice-makin?g in the character creator to help set up their backstory, but it felt a little thin to me, compared to other BioWare leads.

Thankfully, the character creator shines. It’s an extremely impressive engine, that I’m sure will keep fans of slid?ers and value shifting tinkering for hours upon hours. I saw a few other press folks get completely lost in the creation tool, and those who finished the preview content early—myself included—went right back in for more.

One of the coolest tools BioWare crafted for the character creator is the triangle slider for faces. Basically, take three preset head shapes and faces, and the creator lets you slide around a triangle, opting for more or less of each oneâ€?™s individual qualities mixed with the group. It’s hard to describe in text, but seeing it in action is both incredibly intuitive and surprisingly effective.

Qunari characters have been a point of contention leading into Dragon Age: The Veilguard, as the Qunari seen so far have been a bit smoothed-out and human compared to the unique looks of past cha??racters like the Arishok and the Iron Bull. While I did make one I was ultimately happy with, it did take some tinkering, and still had a bit of that smooth look. I think letting the horns extend a bit further down the forehead and temples would help, but otherwise, I mostly liked the Qunari Rook I arrived at, after about 10 to 15 minutes of playing with sliders.

The introduction plays out as we’ve seen it before: Rook and Varric meet up with scout Lace Harding and Neve Gallus, an investigator and mage of ??Minrathous, and rush to stop Solas from tearing open the Veil with his ritual. Things go wrong, Solas winds up trapped in the Veil, and two ancient elven gods he had imprisoned are let loose on Thedas.

Shifting the title from Dreadwolf to The Veilguard makes a bit more sense now, seeing it all play out. Solas certainly isn’t out of the picture; both his history and present predicament play into the action at hand. But dealing with Ghilan’nain and Elgar’nan, the elven gods that got let out, is a more pressing and immediate issue. The former in particular is visually striking, adding some unsettling body horror to this world. In fact, just be ready for a lot of creepy blight-related horror in The Veilguard, especially whenever Ghilan’nain is around.

There are plenty of minor antagonist factions too, from the Venatori to the ever-present Darkspawn, to fill the combat arena. The latter, Thedas�long-time scourge, looks a bit different this time around, thanks to some Plot Reasons I won’t get too deep into. Suff?ice to say, I wondered why they looked different, and received an answer.

Rallying the guard

To fight the gods, you’ll need a good squad. And quickly, Dragon Age: The Veilguard gets you into the rhythm of building your party. We played two different missions, one recruiting the Veil Jumper Bellara Lutare, and another rescuing assassin and soon-to-be fan-favorite Lucanis Dellamorte from a magical underw??ater prison.

Immediately, this felt so familiar. That steady cadence of venturing out on missions to get new companions, talking to them back at base, and eventually unlocking new bits of their story or character-specific quests to encounter is one of the main appeals of BioWare for me. Thankfully, Veilguard has it locked down.

Like I said, Lucanis is charismatic from the jump. A suave assassin with a hint of magic and a darkness stirring within him? Sign me up. Harding’s own entanglements with magic seems to be leading her into investigations of dwarven culture, so that’s a huge bonus for anyone who loved the Orzammar sections of Dragon Age: Origins. Neve, Davrin, and Taash are all standouts I’d love to spend more time with, too. It’s a nice feelin??g, to have a group of likable, interesting companions that you just want to spend more time around. Chatting, laughing, maybe even smooching? Yes, there is romance.

Romance is obvious, because Dragon Age: The Veilguard adopts a similar chat wheel to its predecessors. Options will appear on the wheel, and they?’ll usually have their tone communicated with a little art in the center; a stalw??art knight might indicate a stoic response, for example, while the heart is an obvious green-light for flirting.

Everyone gathers and hangs out at the Lighthouse, a former base of operations for Solas inside the Fade, n?ow home to the Veilguard. It has plenty of its own secrets to uncover, including some neat lore about Solas�rebellion and the lore at large. There’s a workshop for upgrading equipment too, and this place also links into the Crossroads??, an evolving zone with combat challenges and links to new areas that open up over the course of the game.

The world outside

With Dragon Age: The Veilguard ?taking place in the northern portion of the map, it seems like the focus is very much on new sights and sounds rather than old ones. While Orlais and Ferelden were mentioned, the adventures we saw focused on new regions we’ve really only heard about, like Minrathous and Treviso.

These areas are gorgeously realized and brought to life. I legitimately found myself stopping to take in the ?sights, w??hether it was the imposing panopticon-esque Templar watchtower in Minrathous or the alleyways of Treviso. It’s not all city streets, though; the Arlathan forest was filled with nature, contrasted with ancient ruins and technology.

It’s a bit hard to peg down a single “look�for Dragon Age: The Veilguard. It can be extremely colorful and bright in battle, or shift to staunch black-and-white for important mome??nts. Magic ripples and crackles in the air, the blight oozes, and the grim fantasy of all it can feel foreboding in the ?right moments. More than a few moments were taken to show off just what BioWare can do with some modern technology, and they really worked.

All of this operates around a hub-and-spoke world design that truly works. Rather than another open-world entry, BioWare is opting for several zones that can link up to each other, while also spinning off into their own mission areas. Mass Effect 2’s Omega is an easy a??nd familiar comparison point. These are worlds that can be explored, with stories and quests to find, but also then lead you off ??to special areas for the big quests.

These regions change, too, sometimes due to your own actions. I can’t really dive into details, but there are decisions you make that won’t just change whether so?meone likes you or not, but can leave permanent marks on the world. What I will say is that these change??s are tangible ones you’ll contend with, rather than just a background alteration, and I loved how these changes were shown in-game.

Draw swords

Of course, aside from adventuring and chatting up companions, there’s also the combat. Many pillars of Dragon Age are still alive in The Veilguard: the Warrior/Rogue/Mage class split, using a?bilities to set up combos and detonation effects, and the?re are many returning spells and magical abilities.

Everyone gets a little extra oomph of power in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, though. Warriors can throw their shield like Captain America in their sword-and-shield stance, or hit a button to swap to their two-hander and start swinging. Rogues still feel combo-heavy, able to output huge amounts?? of damage and lock down single targets, though using gadgets and a bow felt fairly viable too. I didn’t spend too much time with Mage; it felt a bit slower to me, and besides, I’m pretty certain a lot of writers were spending their time flinging spells.

I p?ersonally loved playing the Rogue. Leaping into combat, dodging around giant axe swings and spells, and then throwing down a Lightning Flask to stagger my enemies into a brutal finisher felt great. The Ultimate skills take things a step further; mine threw out a bevy of explosives in an area in front of me, which was incredibly useful in boss�ad?d phases.

Combat in The Veilguard did have some noticeable shif??ts, though. I didn’t see health bars on my companions, which felt like it indicated they may not have them. Also, control was strictly limited to my character, with the occasional tactical menu pulled up to order an ally to fire off a spell at a certain target.

In practice, this felt a little less like Origins�planning and tactics, and more like Mass Effect 2, a game I found mirrored quite often in The Veilguard. It means the action moves fast, battles are exciting, and everything narrows in on finding opportunities to?? do damage and stay alive. But I did feel some of that tactical layer peeled away in the process, at least for what I played.

I’m also curious to see how u??pgrades pan out, as the ones we picked up seemed? to run the gamut from interesting additions (chance to proc Bleed on the final hit of a combo) to fairly mundane ones (a straightforward numbers boost). It can be hard to get a gauge on the power scale of an RPG in just one slice, but given the lengthy amount of time we had—over six hours, by my estimate—it did make me wonder.

A world in need of saving

Dragon Age: The Veilguard arrives at a juncture for BioWare. It’s not just the first Dragon Age game in almost a decade, but it’s also the newest RPG from a studio that’s been on rough waters. Mass Effect: Andromeda was, to use a tired phrase, a bit of a mixed bag, and Anthem was a noteworthy stumble.

The Veilguard itself went through its own iterations, and now has studio hopes hanging on it. Sure, there’s a new Mass Effect in the oven to?o, but eyes are on BioWare now to see if it can still do what BioWar?e has been notoriously known for: beefy RPGs with compelling characters and enthralling worlds.

After hours spent with Dragon Age: The Veilguard, I’m feeling much more positive than I was going in. Many of my concerns about what a BioWare game looks like, in 2024, were quickly washed away. The Veilguard is BioWare as hell: it’s got compell?ing characters, enthralling worlds??, and plenty of beef.

Yet this crew, formed of some familiar faces and some new ones, seems to be making their own mark on it too. I can sift out the pieces that feel like older BioWare, sure; the ones that spark familiar tones of past games. But there’s some new ideas too. I love the world state changes, the quest-specific zones and areas, and the recontextualization of so many Dragon Age norms thanks to our new, northern locales.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard seems like it could see BioWare reclaiming its spot ??as a maker of big, exciting RPGs, and ??that’s encouraging. Walking in, I was just looking to see if the game was real. Now, I really can’t wait to get back to it.

_{[Travel and lodging for this preview was provided by the publisher.]}

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Dragon Age: The Veilguard is going to release on October 31 in numerous editions for various platforms??, such as PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Plus, when you pre-order, you will get some extra bonuses. Here'??s all you should know before pre-ordering the game.

All Dragon Age: The Veilguard pre-order bonuses & editions

Standard Edition

Yes, this is the basic edition of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and it is available for both consoles and PCs. Price-wise, you will have to pay $59.99 on Steam or Epic for Windows, and $69.99 on the Xbox and PlayStation stores. I know it's frustrating that the console version costs $10 extra, but if you buy it from Best Buy, then you will get a $10 gift card after the game is shippe?d.

Don't worry; despite being the cheapest edition, it does provide you with a reward, which is a Blood Dragon Armor cosmetic. Or maybe you can save up your money to b??uy the Deluxe Edition for extra sweet items.

Deluxe Edition

The Deluxe Edition of any modern video game usually costs $20�30 extra, but this one’s only $10 more. What do you get? You will receive a magic and rogue armor set for Rook, as well as seven weapons and armor sets for Companions. The pricing is $69.99 on Steam and Epic, and $79.99 on PlayStation and Xbox. However, if you are using a console, I recommend pre-ordering from Best Buy, as the Deluxe Editi?on?? also includes a $10 gift card.

Rook’s Coffer Edition

But if?? you wan?t something really exclusive, you can buy the Rook's Coffer Edition. As suggested by the name, it is packed with cool stuff like the Rook's Deck, Light-up Lyrium Dagger, Enchanted Die, Potion Flask, and Thedas Map with Quiver Tube.

Do note that there are two versions of this edition: one that comes with the game, and one that only has the physical goodies. You can pre-order the game-included edition from GameStop for $219.99. No?t only that, you will also receive som?e extra in-game cosmetics, like:

Six weapon appearances for Rook

• Stave of the Fallen Kingdom
• Bow of the Fallen Kingdom
• Spellblade of the Fallen Kingdom
• Blades of the Fallen Kingdom
• Aegis of the Fallen Kingdom & Sword of the Fallen Kingdom
• Maul of the Fallen Kingdom

One warrior armor set appearance for Rook

• Armor of Bellanaris
• Ghellara Helm

One mage armor set appearance for Rook

• Revas Robes
• Circlet of Awe

One rogue armor set appearance for Rook

• Harellan's Bolts
• Katriel's False Face

Seven weapon and armor set appearances for Companions

• Bellara's Nerve
• Ringlet of Sorrow
• Davrin's Resolve
• Plate of the High Constable & Beacon Edge
• Emmrich's Mystique
• Staff of Incessant Gaze
• Harding's Focus
• Sunderbow
• Lucanis's Gall
• Heartpiercer
• Neve's Fervor
• Cat's Eye
• Taash's Might
• Grief

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Developer BioWare and publisher Electronic Arts released an all-new trailer for the upcoming RPG Dragon Age: The Veilguard today that showed glimpses of what to expect from the first title in the series in almost a decade. The focus of the trailer, however, was to indicate when we can expect to get our hands on The Veilguard: October 31, 2024.

Even though we've had to wait almost 10 years to get back to Dragon Age, the wait is almost over. With a Halloween 2024 release date that means we're just 2.5 months away from getting our hands on Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

Surely not coincidentally, the story in The Veilguard takes place a decade after the events of its predecessor, Dragon Age: Inquisition. Players will take on the role of Rook and his companions as they put an end to a ritual in progress by Solas, one of your allies and party members from Inquisition who has ??become a villain. However, doing so breaks free the corrupt Elven gods who are hellbent on blighting the world, and it's now up to you and your party to fight back against the ancient rulers.

For those interested in freshening up on their Dragon Age lore and knowledge, all of the Dragon Age games are currently on sale for 90% off on all platforms through August 19 as part of the ongoing Electronic Arts August sale.

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Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the upcoming RPG sequel from BioWare’s Dragon Age series, is set to receive a release date tomorrow. The upcoming trailer, releasing on August 15 at 9:00�a.m. PT, will finally let fans know when Dragon Age: The Veilguard will be arriving.

BioWare says that they will also be revealing gameplay in the coming weeks which will showcase “high-level warrior combat�featured in DragonAge: The Veilguard. There will also be a Companion Week which is expected to give us more information about the Companions?? who will be part of a player’s journey in t??he game.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard first went into development all the way back in 2015, so this release date trailer has been largely anticipated. The game was originally announced as Dragon Age: Dreadwolf in 2022 before it was renamed in June this year.

Not much is known about Dragon Age: The Veilguard but we do know t?hat Solas is set to be one of the antagonists, if not the main antagonist in the game. Solas is also known as the Dreadwolf and the game’s rename at the last minute does suggest that there might be another villain in store.

BioWare general manager Gary McKay told IGN that sticking with Dreadwolf was a “safer choice�but explained that the team wanted to go with ?a title that was “authentic to the companions that are the heart of this adventure�and he added that BioWare has “worked throughout development to create really incredible backstories for each companion�

During Companion Week, players should be able to learn more about the Companions for Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

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After ages of Bioware RPGs requiring the official EA App in some capacity, the studio has revealed the upcoming Dragon Age: The Veilguard will be a Steam game first and foremost.

On Twitter, the announcement explains that Veilguard will be Steam native, meaning it won??'t require EA's launcher at all. The game will also be Steam Deck verified right out of the gate.

Regardless of ??your thoughts on either launcher, EA's simply isn't Steam �the storefront most people use for games �and thus just isn't as p?ractical to use. Perhaps just as important as getting to play the next big Bioware game without touching EA's meddling middleware is how this move signals EA's possible willingness to make things easier going forward. Perhaps it was a tough decision for EA to make, but it's one that the gaming community at large is already celebrating.

The past few years have been immensely tough for the series and BioWare. The troubled development of Dragon Age's tentative fourth installment survived the departure of various developers, and we don't know how much of the Veilguard we're getting was part of the plan when the game was still called Dreadwolf. Luckily, this news, along with the recent unveiling of the game's stellar voice cast, seems to show Bioware and EA's determinatio?n to bring the franchise back to its glory days.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard ??still h?as no release date, but Bioware is aiming for a launch in Fall 2024.

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EA has revealed the main voice cast for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, showing off a pretty familiar cast of notable names.

The Dragon Age games have always been dialogue-heavy, with big close-ups of fidgety foot-locked characters. A weak cast member?? with a bad performance can stick out like a sore thumb, but it looks like the company has pulled out the big guns for th??is one. I shudder to imagine what the voice budget looks like.

Here’s the full rundown straight from EA’s news blog:

• Ali Hillis (Mass Effect 3, Naruto), returns to the fray as Harding, the dwarven scout, a Dragon Age: Inquisition hero with a big heart, a positive outlook, and a ready bow â€?as well as unexpected magical powers.
• Ike Amadi (Mass Effect 3, Halo 5: Guardians, Insomniac's Spider-Man) as Davrin, a bold and charming Grey Warden who has made a name for himself as a monster hunter.
• Jee Young Han (Perry Mason, Unprisoned) as Bellara, a creative and romantic Veil Jumper obsessed with uncovering ancient secrets.
• Jessica Clark (True Blood, Pocket Listing) as Neve, a cynic fighting for a better future, both as a private detective and a member of Tevinter's rebellious Shadow Dragons. 
• Jin Maley (Star Trek: Picard, Silicon Valley) as Taash, a dragon hunter allied with the Lords of Fortune who lives for adventure and doesn't mind taking risks. 
• Nick Boraine (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Black Sails) as Emmrich, a necromancer of Nevarra's Mourn Watch who comes complete with a skeletal assistant, Manfred, voiced by Matthew Mercer (Critical Role, Fallout 4).
• Zach Mendez (Horizon Forbidden West, Married Alive) as Lucanis, a poised & pragmatic assassin who descends from the bloodline of the House of Crows, a criminal organization renowned throughout Thedas.

Beyond that, the main character, Rook, gives you the choice of four voice actors: two masculine, two feminine; two North American, two British. Once again, quoting the EA blog, they are: “Erika Ishii (Apex Legends, Destiny 2), Jeff Berg (Battlefield 1, NCIS), Bryony Corrigan (Baldur’s Gate 3, Good Omens) and Alex Jordan (Cyberpunk 2077, The Amazing World of Gumball).�/p>

I don’t really keep up with celebrities, so a lot of the less video game-aligned names are a mystery to me. However, I believe all of them have?, at some point or another, voiced a character from a game, even when EA doesn’t highlight them. The characters seem to be in capable hands. Er, mouths.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard?? is planned for this year. It’s coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

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Bioware’s upcoming Dragon Age: The Veilguard title will have a Quality and Performance mode on the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles at launch, an EA representative told IGN. Typically the Quality mode setting on the c??onsoles targets 30 FPS and p??rioritizes fidelity. As for the Performance mode, the game will look to target 60 FPS.

While the existence of Quality and Performance modes is welcoming news, the EA representative did not reveal the resolution that these modes would be running the game at. However, the typical expectation from the Quality mode would be 4K native resolution whereas the performance mode will look to hit 60 FPS at 1440p resolution. Dragon Age: The Veilguard is built on the Frostbite Engine.

The EA rep told IGN, �em>Dragon Age: The Veilguard will feature performance and quality modes on consoles to ensure players can choose the visual fidelity they prefer. We’ll have more to share on exact performance as we finish development in the coming months.�/p>

Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the title originally announced as Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, was recently showcased at the Xbox Games Showcase. The title will take place 10 years after the events of Dragon Age: Inquisition, 2014’s Game of the Year. Players will get to travel to new locations in Thedas, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard will feature Solas as the antagonist. 

Dragon Age: The Veilguard will be released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series? X/S, and PC. The ??game is slated for a release in Fall 2024.

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After that less than popular reveal trailer for Dragon Age: The Veilguard at the Xbox Games Showcase, the subsequent gameplay demonstration on June 11 was BioWare's chance to win favour back with displeased fans. At the very least, Dragon Age series creator David Gaider likes what he saw, saying the development team have done a "great job?."

Gaider, who served as lead writer on the Dragon Age games until he left BioWare in 2016 (making The Veilguard the first entry without his involvement), recently got round to watching the gameplay trailer for himself and shared his thoughts on Twitter. Said trailer covers a curated segment of an early mission, with new player character Rook and their party doing some exploring and combat before confronting antagonist Solas. It honestly does a better job of demonstrating what The Veilguard is like than its weirdly Borderlands-esque re?veal tra?iler; something Gaider also feels is the case.

"I'd say this made for a better introduction than the reveal trailer," says Gaider. "We see some story, and tone-wise it feels a lot darker and more Dragon Age. Like I said, trailers often need to be taken with a gr??ain of salt, and my impression is that many fans are relieved. Which is great." He does admit the new art style will take some getting used to, but acknowledges this is an aspect that has "changed every game so that's nothing new."

However, Gaider has nothing but praise for the environments, calling them "utterly gorgeous," adding, "To see the sprawl of Minrathous—wow. I wish we could have done this for Kirkwall or even Val Royeaux." He wraps his thoughts up by saying it was lovely to see Solas again and the teases for The Veilguard's story have lef?t him eager to see how things will play out: "Could probably chatter about the implications for days, and how this aligns (or doesn't) with where I thought the story would go�but I won't."

While Gaider has plenty of nice things to say about The Veilguard, it does seem like the gameplay has done little to appease a ??significant number of fans. At the time of writing, the gameplay trailer on YouTube has approximately 199,000 dislikes compared to 72,0??00 likes. Although that's still a better split compared to the reveal trailer, which now sits at 234,000 dislikes and 41,000 likes.

The fact that the gameplay trailer has scored more likes than the reveal trailer does suggest it's won over some people, and a quick glance at Twitter shows, amid the harsher criticisms, there are plenty of fans still excited for The Veilguard's launch later this year. Early previews of another demo shown to press at Summer Game Fest have been mostly positive too. VGC called it "exciting, and engaging and made us desperate to see the next 50 to 100 hours of game," while Inverse said it's "hopeful the secret sauce of Dragon Age is still there."

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After a less than well received reveal trailer, Dragon Age: The Veilguard appears to have curried some favour back thanks to its gameplay trailer, which confirmed a number of key details about the game. BioWare has since shared more information, including how this Dragon Age will be noticeabl?y more linear than its predecessor.

Speaking with IGN during an extended preview of the game, director Corinne Busche explained how, for The Veilguard, the development team opted for a "mission-based structure." By comparison, Dragon Age: Inquisition had a semi-open world structure, consisting of multiple areas players could freely explore. Given the industry's slight obsession with crafting large open worlds for people to run around in, I'm surprised BioWare has decided to go in the opposite direction for the new Dragon Age, but Busche said this will be ??to the game's benefit: "We believe that's how we ??get the best narrative experience, the best moment-to-moment experience."

That's also not to say players will be railroaded from one objective to the next. Some missions will offer more opportunities for exploration than others, with optional content, hidden secrets, and branching paths to discover. As Busche said, "It does open up, but it is a mission-based, highly curated game." In addition, she provided light details on The Veilguard's side-quests, sharing one example about investigating a missing famil?y which lets you search for clues in a bog area.

I'm sure some will be disappointed to not get the opportunity to freely roam The Veilguard's setting of the Tevinter Imperium region. But this mission-based structure is not too dissimilar to what BioWare did with the much lauded Mass Effect 2. I reckon most players will be fine with it as long as the story and character writing are on par with the previous games. Plus, it means BioWare can avoid the issues some games with open worlds suffer from. For example, plenty of Ubisoft's open world settings have been criticised for being littered with so many objectives that they feel like they're only there to pad t?he world out and stop it from feeling empty.

We won't have to wait much longer to see how well fans take to Dragon Age: The Veilguard as the game is scheduled to launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC this fall. Given it's been almost a decade since Dragon Age: Inquisition came out, t?he wait will hopefully have been worth it.

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We have finally seen a decent chunk of gameplay for Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Developer BioWare has published a full 20-minute video detailing some beautiful locations, an encount?er with Solas, and the tragic loss of Bianca in what seems like a very early part of the game.

The video shows the player character following Varric as they move through a city in turmoil. Their plan is to prevent Solas from tearing down the Veil and opening up a hole to the Fade. This would all?ow demons to pour into the world, though many of them are already present and attacking the party as they collect more characters moving through the city. The heartbreaking encounter with Solas is so impactful here, though. Poor Bianca never saw it coming.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard's gameplay shows off Varric and Solas' explosive encounter

Bianca is Varric's beloved crossbow. Ever since his introduction in Dragon Age 2, she's been a staple weapon for him. She could shoot dozens o??f arrows at once and make short work ??of any enemies. Now, though, as we see in the video above, she's been ripped apart by Solas in a fit of rage when the two friends shared a moment, and Varric pleased with him not to tear the Veil.

BioWare initially showcased a new trailer for Dragon Age: The Veilguard during the Xbox Games Showcase 2024 on June 9, 2024. The trailer went down like a lead balloon, though, garnering 198,000 dislikes. The reason for? such distaste was the context of the trailer. Fans believed it was too tongue-in-cheek and commercial, shying away from t??he hardcore fantasy themes at the heart of the series.

Based on the videos' comments at the time of this writing, it's hard to tell exactly what fans think of the gameplay. I'd say that most fans were vaguely happy with it, but some remain unconvinced. User gennarolinguori376 explained, "Hmm don't know what to make of this.. I am not really convinced that this is going to be a "true" Dragon Age game. Looks more like an action game to me, no tactical combat shown, companions seemed to deal no damage.. kinda weird gamplay reveal imo. And why the f is Varric's hair black? was his hair color not alw??ays kinda brown-redish? Scout Harding looks amazing though, always loved ??her."

The Dragon Age series has added and removed features with each release in the past. It's difficult to say what defines a true game in the series for everyone. For me, provided the world of Thedas remains?? uncompromised and the vision for the fantasy remains the same, it works.

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There were plenty of hype-worthy trailers to come out of the Xbox Games Showcase on June 9, such as the reveals for Doom: The Dark Ages and Gears of War: E-Day. One trailer that seems to have elicited almost nothing but complaints, however, was the reveal for BioWare's next Dragon Age game, now titled Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which has accrued approximately 198,000 disl??ikes on Yo??uTube compared to 35,000 likes.

As for why fans have reacted so negatively to the reveal, it appears to stem from the trailer's tone. Despite Dragon Age being a dark fantasy series, this cinematic trailer is anything but dark, going for a more comical and humourous take on its rundown of Veilguard's cast of characters. It feels more like something you'd see in a Borderlands game or an announcement for a new hero shooter. I've personally not played any of the previous Dragon Age games, but even I can tell this tone is jarringly different to the re??st of the series.

Some of the YouTube comments have also made unfavourable comparisons to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the 2016 Suicide Squad movie, and mobile title Raid: Shadow Legends. Plus, the overall artstyle is slightly cartoonier when compared to other Dragon Age games. You honestly could be forgiven this is not the same game BioWare's been teasing for the last six years. Previous teaser trailers had a?? far more serious tone that hint at a d??ark and dangerous journey, and not a fun, lighthearted romp like the newest one does.

The good news is BioWare has a chance to turn things around with the gameplay reveal taking place later today at 8am PT / 11am EDT / 4pm BST. It's entirely possible the new trailer isn't indicative of what The Veilguard is actually like. In fact, those who've already got to sample The Veilguard for themselves have suggested this is the case. One Bria LaVorgna, a member of the game's Community Council, said on Twitter, "As someone who's played some of Veilguard, if you want [Dragon Age: Origins]-like horror... it's there. Trust me. All of the environments I got to experience were varied and very much felt like Dragon Age, including the new places. I think Tuesday's gameplay r?eveal will t?one set for the game well."

Another council member, Twitter user sairaspooks, concurred, adding, "The gameplay reveal captures Dragon Age’s classic dark elements! The horror & gore is back, you won’t be disappointed." Dragon Age creator David Gaider, who left BioWare in 2016, also shared his two cents on the trailer: "Interesting tone choice... though the art style of DA trailers has? never really matched the games, so that doesn't mean much."

With any luck, it will turn out the reveal just made a bad first impression, and BioWare's gameplay demonstration will show off the Dragon Age game fans have been waiting for. Expectations were already high for this considering it's been almost a decade since the last entry, Dragon Age: Inquisition. Development, however, seems to have been tumultuous, what with the sudden departures of key staff members like Casey Hudson, BioWare's general manager, and Mark Darrah, Dragon Age's executive producer. BioWare was also one of the many studios to be hit with layoffs in 2023, eliminating approximately 50 roles.

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After revealing the official name as Dragon Age: The Veilguard just a few days ago, not the in-development name of Dreadwolf, BioWare officially revealed the next chapter in the Dragon Age franchise.

Almost a decade after its last entry, Dragon Age: Inquisition, the upcoming Dragon Age: The Veilguard will be released this Fall 2024. While the first gameplay reveal is coming June 11, the Xbox Showcase revealed the first trailer for the game.

We already knew that The Veilguard would be taking place roughly a decade after Inquisition, but the trailer shows the current state of Thedas and it looks quite exciting. It also features several returning Dragon Age characters, includi??ng fan-favorite??s Varric and Scout Harding.

The official gameplay reveal for Dragon Age: The Veilguard is right around the corner on Tuesday, June 11. It'll be exciting to see what direction the popular RPG will be taking after a nearly decade-long hiatu??s.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is set to release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC t??his Fall 2024.

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