Whatever you do, there’s a feeling of purpose and shape.
Missions crescendo to spectacular boss fights, and the combat encounters that lead to them feel considered and satisfying.
Traversal sections are varied with puzzles and zip wires and slides and balance beams.
To me it screams confidence, something the Dragon Age team seems to have lacked in the past.
The Veilguard is good.
It’s very good.
There’s a lot of detail here.
It was 10 years ago.
Being a Grey Warden also enables you to choose Grey Warden dialogue options whenever they appear.
It makes my background feel seen.
I see the new Lighthouse base and the Arlathan forest, and the Crossroads beyond the Eluvian mirror.
I battle dragons, fight ogres, and clash with demons and evil mages and twisted monstrosities.
I do a lot, and The Veilguard provides it all with variety and visual spectacle throughout.
Style over fidelity perhaps, not that it’s lacking in detail.
There’s none of that here.
You’re never safe, even at the back.
They will happily unleash their own barrage of standard attacks without any input.
Set it all up and big damage numbers will pop on the screen alongside dramatic visual effects.
Combined attacks are hugely effective and incredibly satisfying to do.
This kind of consideration carries over into level design.
It’s never just running from point A to B.
But it’s beautiful set-dressing nonetheless, and how interactive does it really need to be?
Does that make it any less of an RPG?
That’s the question that will surround Dragon Age: The Veilguard, I think.
Some of my fears in this regard were allayed by what I saw.
There’s actually more companion interaction than I thought there would be.
It prompted some tender moments but nothing steamier.
They’re not the many smaller choices that make up a meaningful tapestry of our own.
Regardless, I’m elated to see BioWare in this kind of form again.
Based on what I’ve played, I’ve absolutely no doubt The Veilguard will be an enjoyable ride.
My only concern is how much of a memorable one it will be.
