what’s left of Dragon AgeA successful saga launched in 2009 to revolutionize role-playing games? ten years later Dragon Age InquisitionAfter three or four redesigns, Bioware’s RPG is making a comeback. It is an understatement to say that Dragon Age: Veil Guard is eagerly awaited by a horde of fans, whose curiosity is fueled both by the numerous twists within the studio and during development, and by the desire to discover what Dragon Age I still have it in my stomach after all this time.
Start a new adventure in Dragon Age: Veil Guardthe fourth episode of the franchise, involves taking into account an entire universe that is especially rich, although not very original.
“The perfect game for new players”
In this dark heroic fantasy world, how can we renew ourselves? The question is worth asking when an entire generation of gamers, on PS5 or Xbox Series, probably haven’t touched the previous episodes. However, the equation is difficult to solve when you also have to take into account the fans, those who have followed the adventures of the Bioware studio since its inception, and who still have many questions waiting for answers.
For this Bioware veteran, who notably worked on mass effect 3, Dragon Age Inquisition or even HymnThis new work is a key element in the history of the studio, in particular to welcome new players.
“It is the perfect game for new players, those who have never played before, but also for those who already know the saga. If you don’t know anything about it, we explain the story, the progress, the main threat that awaits you and what what you must do to achieve your goals,” he promises.
As it is, Dragon Age: Veil Guard therefore it has several reading levels. The challenge of being “perfect” for new players is not completely met. Controller in hand, the result is certainly successful, but there are still elements that require delving into the general story. A codex integrated into the title allows you to catch up on previous episodes and the main terms to remember.
Too much information for less reading-oriented players, but it is nevertheless welcome, especially since the adventure begins when you must find Solas, an elf whose story is told in one of the additional contents of Dragon Age: Inquisition. Therefore, the luggage to carry from the beginning is perhaps a little heavy, but that does not prevent us from appreciating the main stage.
new and old faces
Without a doubt, in order not to lose the newcomers, Bioware has chosen a completely renewed cast of characters. If you are going to meet heroes already seen in previous episodes, here they act as secondary characters, or even as simple gifts for the fans. The character of Morrigan, for example, although appreciated by the community, sees her role reduced to nothing in The Guard of the Veil. It’s a shame, although the new cast turns out to be very well written, with moving and gripping personal stories, except for Taash, whose subtlety is a semi-trailer, especially when it comes to gender fluidity.
“There are certain companions that you already met in Dragon Age who return”, explains Scylla Costa. “In each episode, as always, we bring new companions, I hope you identify with them.
In Dragon Age: Veil GuardWe also play a new main character (hero or heroine, depending on your choice), Rook. With his companions in misfortune, he must save the world, Thedas, from a serious threat, two elven gods who want to destroy everything. Then we will form a team ready to fight, going from city to city and from zone to zone both to fight and to complete secondary missions, most of them well written. The comings and goings are regular, much more thanInquisition which increased downtime.
Without going into too many details so as not to spoil the surprises, the game above all offers a much more directive way of telling its story than Dragon Age: Inquisition.
This can be frustrating, but being held by the hand is good when it comes to guiding the player through the main story so as not to lose anyone. Because otherwise, The Veloguard offers a very large exploration component, with its well-designed side quests and highly impactful moral choices, ensuring significant replayability.
For example, at the beginning of the adventure you will have to choose to go to rescue one city instead of another, which could cause the absence of a member of the group or on the contrary motivate them to follow you desperately, which could create a problem. or solution. This choice is just one example among many others and is not the most difficult to make.
With Dragon Age: Veil Guardif it still uses the same Frostbite graphics engine as Inquisition or that the saga BattlefieldBioware also chose to “caricature” the whole thing. This is rarely seen on stage, but the characters seem more childish, close to an animated program for young people like Arcana from Netflix.
Does this work? Yes. And much more than we think. One of the advantages of this visual position is that we can much more easily discern the emotions on the characters’ faces, making certain scenes moving or, on the contrary, very funny. The settings are also impressive because they offer significant diversity, but perhaps less compared to the immensity of the Inquisition areas, too big for little.
Change in the game
This graphic change is also reflected in the tone of the story. We face a dark world, but characters who, however, continue to display an optimism that may seem a little disarming at first.
And these moments are really present, all without any problem, as Bioware seems to have refined its title to its last corners. Seeing a game finished this well in 2024 should be normal, but we know very well that this is unfortunately just a rare exception.
Beyond its universe and its visuals, Dragon Age: Veil Guard It also stands out from the rest of the saga for its bias in terms of gameplay. When you replay the previous three games, even if the action has become more important over time, you generally know where you are. With The Veloguardthere are many changes.
The great return of Bioware
On this side, the title takes up several ideas already seen elsewhere, particularly in Hogwarts Legacy: Hogwarts Legacy. In both the Warner and Bioware games, there are many environmental puzzles, as well as many secrets hidden here and there. An effort was made to add a heavy dose of roleplaying with his talents and equipment. You have to play with the different characters – even if you can only control Rook – launching spells or attacks that will create opportunities. It was once considered a multiplayer mode. Ultimately, it will be up to you to manage your entire team.
We can thus order one of the adventurers accompanying us to cast a spell that, combined with one of the ones you have, will break your enemy’s armor or magical barrier. It is certainly not a very original approach, but the combats are very dynamic and require all of our attention, especially against the bosses.
Are we facing the great return of Bioware, after its bitter failures with Andromeda mass effect EITHER Hymn? We can answer yes. Dragon Age: Veil Guard It offers all the know-how of the Canadian studio, although sometimes it lacks a bit of originality. The adventure is a true epic in a rich universe. Without neglecting its long-time fans, it is above all a notable gateway for new players. And yet it was not won.
Dragon Age: Veil Guard is available October 31 on Playstation 5, Xbox Series and PC.
Source: BFM TV
