Dragon Age: The Veilguard is more than just another release in a beloved role-playing franchise. It’s also the first single-player RPG from BioWare, a team whose bread and butter was once this exact type of game, in over seven years. With a beautiful collection of hub worlds to explore, fun and fast action combat, and a memorable cast of characters to share in the adventure, I was impressed throughout my long runtime with Veilguard. And though the central narrative left me wanting, the personal character-specific side quests mostly made up for it.
Veilguard begins in medias res, with Rook, the player-created protagonist, and fan-favorites Varric and Harding in the magical city of Minrathous attempting to stop turncoat Solas from destroying the Veil. This Veil is a magical barrier Solas once created to cut off the Fade from reality. With too much regret to live with over this action, Solas is attempting to destroy the Veil. However, as Rook later learns, everything is not as it seems; things go awry and two ancient Elven gods – the archdemons Elgar’nan and Ghilan’nain – are released. Thus begins the central conflict in Veilguard: stop these archdemons from destroying the world and discover the truth behind Solas’ actions.
Before all of that, though, I created my Rook using one of the best character creator systems I’ve ever used. It features hundreds of options and seemingly limitless customization with unique sliders and model blending, and it also features a helpful lighting system to prevent the in-game regret that I and many others experienced in Inquisition when the character creator’s look didn’t match the in-game lighting at all. It features three classes to choose from, and though the fast-dagger Rogue and Captain America-like Warrior were tempting, I ultimately went Mage, later specializing in magical dagger attacks and electricity to defeat hordes of enemies.
Veilguard is an impressive feat of visual artistry, with EA’s notoriously difficult Frostbite engine firing on all cylinders to create one of the most gorgeous game of 2024. Though longtime fans might be put off by the Fable-like whimsy built into the art style, it’s a welcome reprieve from the constant chase toward photorealism. The opening stage, Minrathous, is the visual standout of the game, with magic neon, thunderous skies, and a constant downpour painting the noir-punk picture the game’s opening aims for. The various other areas I experience in Veilguard are beautiful as well, from the sun-kissed Rivain Coast to the dark and gloomy Necropolis Halls, and though I ultimately enjoy exploring each area in its own right, they’re all a bit too streamlined for the adventure Veilguard tells me I’m on. Narratively, I’m venturing across a part of Thedas we haven’t yet explored in the series and it’s a wonder to behold, but as a player, most stages are linear with few branching paths, a couple of secrets here and there, and chests to find. I would have liked more awe in my exploration.
Fortunately, side quests breathe life into each location, backed by interpersonal journeys for each member of the Veilguard I convince to join my team. I especially enjoyed Emmrich’s companion quest line, which centers around him tackling his fear of death and what it means to be alive. Other highlights include Taash’s self-discovery within a crossroads of culture and gender, Neve’s struggle to determine how best to serve her city, and Davrin’s quest to save the griffin creatures of Grey Warden fame. Ironically, the times when I found the central plot uninteresting, the companion quests and various side quests delivered what I wanted. It’s in these quests the game also felt most like an RPG, with past choices showing their face in surprising ways and new choices influencing what might happen next.
It’s not that Veilguard’s golden path is bad, but it is, at times, rote and predictable, especially when chasing after the Archdemons. However, any time Solas was on screen – painfully not enough – he stole the show, which is to say he also helped the game’s finale excel past the narrative’s issues in the 75 hours preceding it. The final hours of Veilguard are full of heart and deliver on the promise of Inquisition’s Trespasser DLC.
Despite what I was experiencing narratively, I almost always enjoyed what I was doing mechanically, thanks to a robust combat system with meaningful abilities and skills to unlock. Veilguard makes it easy to experiment, too, giving me the ability to determine which route of magical power I wanted my Mage Rook to go. Though I eventually slotted into the Spellblade specialization, I’d be lying if I was tempted by the power of the other two specializations. Thanks to a generous respec system, it was easy to indulge those temptations. Using the Spellblade and all of the Mage’s other flashy abilities remained a visual delight throughout my time in Veilguard, though I wish there was more combat progression beyond the cap of Level 50. I would have liked more variety amongst the abilities of enemy AI, too.
Though I wanted to feel more from the main story, Veilguard’s side quests yielded the heart and passion I yearned for, and its new action combat system feels refreshing for the series with a healthy amount of room to grow. Mileage will vary with Veilguard depending on one’s history with the Dragon Age series. It’s quite different from its predecessor; though, every Dragon Age is different from its predecessor. It answers some questions and begets even more I hope BioWare can address in another game one day. Ultimately, Veilguard delivers on the promise of every Dragon Age with its strong characters, engaging combat, and a classic BioWare role-playing experience.
This 2025 review reflects our thoughts on the game’s current state at publishing. As such, post-launch updates were factored into the final score.
