Some moments in my profession have felt considerably surreal. Making guarantees to seize drinks with Ovewatch’s Mercy VA on the Edinburgh Fringe (subsequent yr, Lucie), interviewing Diablo 4’s Joe Shely and Rod Fergusson within the resort the place The Spice Ladies filmed Wannabe – they’re issues I dreamed of however by no means believed would really occur. I additionally by no means thought I’d sit in EA’s San Francisco headquarters, surrounded by gorgeous tarot-inspired artwork from Dragon Age: The Veilguard. I’m right here for a prolonged seven-hour preview of the upcoming fantasy recreation, surrounded by tavern-style wood tables and contours of PCs. After ten lengthy years of ready, I’m lastly getting my arms on the subsequent installment in Thedas’ ongoing saga – generally, goals come true.
Our Dragon Age: The Veilguard journey begins with the character creator, one thing that earlier Dragon Age video games aren’t precisely famend for. Having replayed Inquisition as a feminine elf, I’m being well mannered once I say that character customization was sorely missing – particularly within the coiffure division. As Varric introduces Rook in his common bardic drawl, the very first thing I discover is, after all, the hair.
Whether or not you’re searching for tight curls, sharp bangs, or sensible ponytails, it’s there and it seems to be beautiful. You possibly can see every particular person strand, examine the way it seems to be in several lighting, and rotate your character to trigger a satisfying hair swish. Whereas there wasn’t the Ariana Grande-style excessive, lengthy ponytail I all the time go for, there’s no denying that the alternatives are extremely spectacular – maybe much more so than rival RPG Baldur’s Gate 3.
A number of moments (simply quarter-hour) later, I’m not Lauren, information editor at PCGamesN – I’m now Swan, an elven mage aligned with the Lords of Fortune, Rivain’s infamous treasure hunters. I’m thrust into the chilly, eerie streets of Minrathous, the guts of the Tevinter Imperium. An enormous, round Foucauldian watchtower-esque construction looms over the citadel, its authorities barking orders 1984-style on the inhabitants under. In a flash of good white, it illuminates a younger girl in a highlight, getting ready to exterminate her. As she cries for mercy, chaos ensues – rage and satisfaction demons begin to spill from the encircling alleyways; Solas has torn open the Veil, and you want to hurry.
Whereas I noticed this scene throughout my hands-off preview at Summer season Recreation Fest, it’s the primary time I’ve been in a position to bodily play by way of it. I picked mage for this a part of the preview as a result of, whereas I’ve laterally performed rogue, mage was the primary class I really fell in love with. Armed with my trusty workers, I’m going about dispatching Venatori cultists and demonic entities with renewed ferocity, however the expertise comes up considerably missing.
Assaults really feel gradual and clunky – it looks like all the pieces round me is transferring rapidly whereas I’m caught in gradual movement. Fortunately, I finally have the choice to change it out for a glowing orb and sharpened knife – suppose a combination of the normal rogue and spellcaster mechanics. Given my aforementioned penchant for rogues, I leap on the provide, shopping for into the sport’s promise of sooner, lower-powered assaults.
Sadly, whereas this playstyle seems to be good and is, on paper, fairly rattling cool, I don’t see a lot distinction in pace. Dashes present extra mobility, however my basic squishiness and low injury offset that negligible pace increase. All in all, orb and dagger is an thrilling new innovation on Dragon Age’s conventional ‘cast spell, cast spell, smash staff into the ground’ mage gameplay, nevertheless it isn’t sturdy sufficient for me to make the change.
Having felled a very nasty satisfaction demon and disrupted Solas’ mysterious ritual, I’m whisked away to our dwelling base, The Lighthouse. Trapped within the coronary heart of The Fade, the situation is considerably paying homage to Origins’ Circle of Magi with its sprawling cabinets and numerous dusty tomes, however exterior gnarled bridges made from twisted tree branches result in your companions’ rooms. It’s actually a degree up on Inquisition’s Haven.
However I’m not right here for lengthy; a mysterious Eluvian (Dragon Age’s elven mirror portals) calls to me from the basement. Past its ripples lie Arlathan Forest, now overrun with darkspawn following Solas’ failed makes an attempt to comprise the elven gods, our prime antagonists. Right here, I recruit Bellara – a plucky elven Veil Jumper whose package revolves round pure magic – and we set off on an journey by way of glowing emerald glades that, fairly truthfully, take my breath away.
At one level, water flows up into the air; an indication of magical disturbance, sure, nevertheless it’s completely gorgeous. We encounter a wide range of puzzles to unravel, made simpler by the flexibility to name in your companions and use their skills to repair damaged switches or create aerial platforms. All in all, the surroundings is gorgeous, and the dynamic lighting means which you can virtually really feel the light warmth of the solar.
However as we delve deeper into this historic, forested world, issues start to alter. Towering oak bushes have enormous, pustule-like growths connected to them, glowing an eerie, skin-like pink as they pulsate. It’s The Blight we’re oh so aware of, however its inherent connection to the 2 now-escaped elven gods grants it a lifelike, parasitic really feel versus pure, unadulterated dying.
And that’s earlier than we get to D’Meta’s Crossing. As soon as a flourishing port hamlet, D’Meta’s has been overrun by The Blight and its inhabitants pushed mad. Darkish tendrils have overtaken the buildings, with growths sticking to once-proud properties and metropolis stalls. We discover one in every of Bellara’s Veil Jumper colleagues engulfed in a flesh-like mass that’s slowly however certainly killing them – it feels considerably Diablo-like, however the setting is recognizably Dragon Age.
Our D’Meta encounter ends with a alternative: do you permit the mayor wrapped in tentacles for giving up his individuals for money, or do you let him repent and minimize him free? Given his sins, I select to let The Blight eat him, incomes a reprimand from a few of my companions. For my part, he had it coming.
This encounter slakes my vengeance but in addition alleviates a number of of my broader issues about The Veilguard. Again at Summer season Recreation Fest I requested govt producer John Epler about bringing again a few of that Origins grit, because the preliminary reveal trailer felt a little bit extra excessive fantasy than the darkish, twisted world we got here to like within the first recreation. D’Meta’s actually confirmed that we’ll see some blood, guts, and gore in Veilguard, and it proves that you simply’ll make significant – oftentimes controversial – decisions. As The Blight squeezes the life from D’Meta’s, it breathes contemporary pleasure into me. That is the darkness I hoped for.
That sense of dread additionally carries past the prologue. At one level, I’ve to select that alters the very cloth of Thedas, and entails battling a very nasty dragon. As a part of Lucanis’ companion quest, I’m thrust into the watery bowels of an undersea jail, then despatched after its keeper, who simply so occurs to be bathing in blood. The grit and dirt is dropped at life in gorgeous element, and I would like extra of it.
Not less than, that’s what I believed as I approached the aforementioned bathhouse. This time within the guise of a human rogue, I tackle Lucanis’ arch nemesis intent on bringing her down. Whereas the rogue’s fight is fluid and dynamic, characterised by fast assaults and excessive mobility, it’s all however ineffective on this battle. Our blood-covered foe assaults utilizing heavy-hitting projectiles, that means I can’t get near her, and as a substitute of happening the assault, my two companions – Lucanis and Taash – merely comply with me across the enviornment.
You possibly can’t management companions straight in Veilguard, as a substitute chaining their assaults collectively to type combos by way of the sport’s tactical display screen. Whereas each combo seems to have the identical animation no matter which characters and talents are concerned, they do deal some critical injury. On this battle, nevertheless, I discovered that Lucanis and Taash would combo, deal the injury, after which return to my aspect, versus persevering with to battle. This wasn’t a difficulty throughout the board, however on this encounter it was an actual killer.
In consequence, most of my time is spent hiding behind pillars as my well being bar screeches angrily, coming out to take the odd shot with my bow solely to appreciate the boss has both healed up or is at present immune. As you’ve seemingly guessed, it’s additionally the primary time I die throughout my playthrough, and I’m stunned to be provided a ‘revive’ by way of the dying display screen. Not like in Inquisition, companions can’t resurrect you. As an alternative, revives are dished out numerically (I had two throughout my playthrough), and it’s unclear whether or not or not you’ll be able to enhance that quantity by shopping for scrolls and potions. Both approach, it’s a weird resolution – the companions are there, so why not use them?
That’s the throughline of my time with Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Whereas Thedas seems to be higher than ever, and I’ve lastly caught a glimpse of the canals of Antiva’s Treviso – a state I’ve been determined to see ever since I romanced Zevran in Origins – the wonder is marred by usually middling gameplay, particularly if you happen to’re a mage.
I solely tried rogue and mage (situations grew progressively tougher, and warrior has by no means been my factor). Of the 2, the rogue is well essentially the most pleasurable. It’s pretty slick and tactically difficult, whereas mage feels gradual, boring, and squishy. The place mages as soon as dominated Thedas’ tier lists, rogue is lastly getting its place within the solar, albeit to the detriment of my different most well-liked class.
The missions I performed additionally felt railroaded, and whereas degree designer Francois Caput assures me that issues “open up” as you progress, I spent a lot of my time going from one spot to a different on a predetermined path. Whereas it’s preferable to Inquisition’s MMORPG sprawl and grind, the world nonetheless feels a little bit lifeless. Within the sections I performed, there have been no NPCs asking for assist, no bizarre little creatures to hunt. It’s get from A to B, obtain your aim, then head again to The Lighthouse.
Whereas its characters and narrative worldbuilding really feel realized, Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s fight and exploration don’t fairly sing throughout my preview. Maybe, trying again at Origins and Dragon Age 2, that’s all the time been the case; a whole lot of us play for the story and forgive the moment-to-moment motion. However there are flashes of greatness within the rogue that show Bioware can do cool shit, and the world itself is gorgeous to behold however very ‘look, don’t contact’.
In case your intention is to play by way of the story and romance your favourite Dragon Age: The Veilguard companions, then I believe you’ll stroll away glad. As somebody who’s waited a decade, nevertheless, my expectations at the moment are muted.
