After playing a half-dozen hours of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, one thought stuck with me — this isn’t the Dragon Age that I knew from ten years ago, it’s something drastically different. But I staunchly believe that’s a good thing.
The Veilguard has the bones of what made the series so special, key ingredients that have been in every game — a dazzling fantasy world filled with personality, dynamic companions with their own complex histories and stories, deep lore to dive into, and real emotion behind its storytelling. Although those elements are all present, they’re woven into something that feels different than past Dragon Age games, in terms of overall structure and minute-to-minute gameplay. Veilguard’s shift away from open world and toward action combat is a seismic shift for the franchise, but after playing through a sizable chunk of the game, nearly any worries or reservations I’ve had have vanished. This is a good old BioWare RPG that clearly has a unique vision, and has committed to it completely.
