Dragon Age: The Veilguard review – A welcome return to Thedas

The Veilguard is set ten years after Inquisition and picks up as Solas, the companion turned bad from Inquisition, is tracked down by Varric before he can commit to his world-ending plan - much like the rest of the Dragon Age series, it's pretty high-stakes stuff straight out the gate.

However, before any of that, there's the most important moment of any RPG – and that's the character creator. Anyone who knows me well knows I adore a good character creator, spending hours building different characters and seeing which one clicks best for the upcoming adventure.

Finally, I committed to my Rook (the player's character) being a Qunari mage from the Shadow Dragons faction. This will be the first significant choice in the game, but fortunately, you can tinker with your appearance whenever you want throughout your playthrough, which is a welcome inclusion for the criminally indecisive like myself.

The character creator is in-depth, offering a wide variety and plenty of inclusive features that future games should adopt. You can choose everything from the more traditional haircuts and tattoos to pronouns, scars, and plenty of textured hair options, a welcome addition that includes all who embark on this journey. As something of a self-proclaimed character creator aficionado, Dragon Age: The Veilguard has one of the best around.

It's here I was first exposed to the new art style, something I wasn't initially keen on when showcased in the trailers. Still, it's hard to deny the fidelity and quality on display whilst building your character, with the hair being a particular standout.

I still had my reservations with the art style after the opening, but as I progressed through the game and grew increasingly immersed in the world, I couldn't help but realise it was a savvy decision that perfectly captured the charm of the characters while elevating the environments and offering a fresh identity to this storied series.

After completing the opening to the game, which is nothing short of epic, comes the inevitable section of recruiting your companions, of which you already have two: Lace Harding (who was in Inquisition) and Neve, a detective from Minrathous.

Eventually, you will have an entire squad of seven companions to choose from to take on your adventures with you, and they will meet gradually over the opening ten or so hours. Rook can bring two companions out with them at a time, making a party of three, one less than in the previous game. Considering how busy the screen can become during combat encounters, it’s another sensible decision.

Fewer companions offer the player more time to ingratiate themselves and allow each of them to shine a bit more, with all of them justifying their inclusion. Some of Dragon Age: The Veilguard's biggest strengths are these companions and unique storylines. Throughout the game, you'll have opportunities to chat with them at your base of operations, although, unfortunately, you're only limited to talking to them when they want; you can't just trot over and chat whenever you like.

These conversations will lead to their questlines, and they're all worth checking out, never feeling out of place or lasting too long. The game truly shines here, adding depth to each of them, showcasing that they're compelling and complex individuals on their own journeys where they're the main characters.

During these companion quests – some of the best the game offers – you're exposed to various themes, including mortality, responsibility, loss and identity, all handled with care and precision, never feeling heavy-handed but always being transparent with the messaging. It allows even the less exciting side characters to grow in stature, with my fondness developing for each of them by the end and my opinion of each evolving throughout the story.

Depending on which companions you choose to bring with you on quests, they will also chat about recent events together, offering advice, showing a desire to get to know each other better and building relationships amongst themselves. These moments and conversations helped make them feel even more real, with their trains of thought and motivations, while encouraging me to mix up my party to see how other characters may gel.

The only caveat to the companions is that they're all too nice. Each of them is genuinely lovely, lacking shades of grey or nefarious intentions; despite including a necromancer and an assassin, they're just kind, pure people with the best intentions. It makes sense; at the end of the day, they've all joined a team embarking on saving the world. Yet, it's hard to imagine people being so pure in this world that, despite being so beautiful, is harsh and impure. A bit more nuance would've only added to their personality, and let's be honest, everyone loves a bit of a scoundrel.

The same can be said for Rook, too. It reduces this from a full-fledged RPG to more of a story-driven game with narrative choices, best shown in dialogue choices. Regardless of which option you choose, with there always being at least three, but sometimes more, Rook is also just a standup individual. The stern option, which I initially thought might have been a more villainous streak, essentially makes your character more direct, and outside of significant narrative moments, you can't upset any of the companions.

Again, it makes sense, given this is a person who's chosen to save the world, but it limits how varied a playthrough can be and makes this feel more like a story you're being told instead of one you have full control over to influence. There are a few major decisions and multiple endings, but largely everyone will see and experience similar moments. There will be some variety, but there's little room for immeasurable differences or sprawling narratives born out of your choices.

Where the characters feel alive, if not a bit too nice, the world lacks life. It's gorgeous visually, and there's plenty of opportunities to enjoy scenic vistas, even utilising the limited photo mode, but the open sections all feel very lifeless.

In the cities, there's people milling around, but you only have to stop and stare for a second to notice they're essentially just scenery, much like populating an area with crates. It's also the same for the more rural sections you can explore, with quest givers being present; otherwise, they're empty outside of combat encounters that will appear in the same spot every time you walk past. Everything feels very linear, and like the world only exists for you. This isn't a real place that exists without you, and it's very noticeable.

Part of this may be because the game isn't an open world, but I am a fan of this approach because it can enable a greater level of detail. Sadly, it's not always present here in the busier locations. There are moments in the story where you have to go to bespoke, purpose-built sections, which feel very well designed; once again, thanks to the game's art direction, it can be pretty stark with just how gorgeous it can look.​​

The main story and companion quests often take you to new locations, unlocking opportunities for exploration and side quests in the area. From a story perspective, all missions offer greater insight and feel worthwhile, but the gameplay can often feel rudimentary. I don't mean the combat, but the puzzles or getting from A to B often feels the same, with slight variations in mission structure.

Regardless of your location, the puzzles usually open a door, which can be done by destroying crystals, Blight, or finding elven keys. Most of the time, to pad out a section, you will have to contend with one of these door puzzles, which pop up constantly, with each one feeling less inspired than the last.

The combat, however, keeps the game enjoyable, and during the early hours, is what kept my enjoyment levels high. I played as a mage, which means I had the classic staff firing off spells, but by pressing down on the D-pad, I also had an orb and dagger combo, which enabled parries, allowing me to feel as comfortable up close as I did from range. Being able to get close and switch between staff or dagger kept the combat feeling fresh during my 60 hours with the game, whilst the extensive skill tree and weapon abilities meant I could switch it up frequently.

Each class, of which there are three, has two different combat styles alongside a projectile for ranged enemies. I also tried out the warrior class, and, to my surprise, it was just as deep and complex, maintaining the crunchy and weighty feel of the mage. I never tried out the third class, which is a rogue, but if it's as in-depth as the other two, this is one of my favourite combat systems I've used in some time.

One of the most notable changes from Inquisition is you can no longer take control of your party members; however, you can still direct them in combat and use their specials once they're charged. This is where it becomes important to ensure you've got the right party members, as some of their special attacks can be combined to offer even more significant damage, which comes in handy when facing larger hordes of enemies or bosses.

The bosses and enemy design varies in aesthetic, but not much else. This leads to some enemies feeling like a chore during the latter hours, especially once they have more health, which can creep into the territory of just soaking up damage. Fortunately, the excellent combat helps here, but some more variety with bosses and grunt enemies would've helped keep the game consistently fresh throughout.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a worthy sequel to Inquisition and highlights the series' strengths and reputation whilst implementing a ​​fresh art style that pops alongside a combat system that feels exceptional. All the companions are well thought out and considered, exploring themes not often seen in gaming and helping everyone feel seen. It's a shame that some levels and mission structures lack more depth, while exploration also feels limited.

After ten years of waiting to see Solas's story continue, this is a good sequel but a great introduction to the series for newcomers, which sometimes feels at odds with balancing the two. For that reason, Solas, despite being tipped to be a considerable threat, takes a bit of a backseat throughout the game to teach the player and their companions more about his motivations, so at times, he doesn't necessarily feel like the big bad.

It does make us realise how complicated he is as a character, and where the companions lack any moral intricacy, he has it in spades and proves to be an intriguing antagonist. This means that this is the perfect starting point for anyone new to the series, and despite being flawed in some places, it's hard not to recommend this game to anyone searching for a good old-fashioned adventure.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is out now on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

We reviewed on PS5, and you can order your own copy here.

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