Dragon Age: The Veilguard is an action RPG that was released on October 31, 2024. It’s the fourth major game in the Dragon Age series and it was developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts. It was in development since 2015 and it faced many challenges on its way but everyone had such high hopes for it.
Unfortunately those hopes were crushed upon the release. The reviews weren’t that great, players weren’t happy with the outcome after almost 10 years of waiting.
Now, for the full transparency, I haven’t read any reviews before playing the game and forming my own opinions about it. With that said, there was one comment that I saw somewhere that I completely agree on. If you’re a die hard fan of the franchise and you look at it as a sequel then you might have a problem with the game. But if you look at it as a standalone game then you’ll be fine. It’s the best description of it I’ve seen.
The Story
Alright, so Dragon Age: Veilguard picks up after Inquisition, and yeah stuff has hit the fan. Remember Solas? That elven apostate-turned-Fen’Harel guy who pulled the ol’ “trust me bro” while lowkey planning to tear down the Veil and remake the world? Yeah, he’s back, and things are not chill.
You play as the new protagonist called Rook. Solas is trying to bring down the Veil, which is basically the magical force field separating Thedas from the Fade (aka: the spirit world, aka: where all the weird dream-demons hang out). His goal? Rewind the clock and restore the world to its ancient elven glory. Noble? Maybe. Catastrophic for literally everyone else? Absolutely.
This time around, you’re not rolling solo. You’re building a new dream team. Each companion’s got their own drama, side quests, and possibly some romance. And to be perfectly honest with you, I wasn’t a fan of it. I felt like it was forced too much.
As the consequences of Solas’s attempt , ancient evils start crawling out of the woodwork. We’re talking “gods”, monsters, and forgotten forces that probably should’ve stayed forgotten.
As you progress deeper into the game, you’ll learn more details about the Solas, Elgar’nan and Ghilan’nain(aka “gods”), and much more. You’ll be faced with hard decisions but ultimately (without revealing too much) all ends well.
Long story short?
It’s the end of an era. Magic’s gone rogue, ancient gods are waking up cranky, and Solas is flipping the world table like he’s done playing nice. You build a crew, face down the Fade, and decide how this story ends.
Gameplay
When it comes to actually playing the game, that’s where it gets a little bit more interesting. Before you even start thinking about playing you’ll need to choose a lineage character (human, dwarf, elf, or qunari), a class (rogue, mage, or warrior), and a character backstory with one of six faction associations. You already know that I picked mage, it’s my go to, sue me.
Once you’ve done that, the story, search for companions, and fight against all sorts of enemies starts.
The game has that sweet blend of tactical and action goodness. You can still pause and command your squad like the old days, but the real-time combat feels snappier. No more wandering around like you’re in a slow-mo fight scene. The AI’s smarter, your teammates actually seem to know how to hold their own now, and you won’t be micromanaging them every five seconds. That said, it still has the depth and builds, abilities, and positioning matter. If you’re playing on a harder difficulty your team composition matters the most. The way I like to run it is I bring one companion that has a heal skill and one that can taunt. At least that’s when I feel the safest.
As you’d expect from a game about ripping down the Veil, magic’s a huge deal here. Spells are flashy, impactful, and thankfully don’t just feel like “spam this button for cool effects”. The types of skills you can use depend on what you choose to focus on developing in the skill tree and also what kind of weapons you get and equip. Besides my favorite fire skills, I choose to dabble with electricity skills too. I know, kinda basic but that’s just my first playthrough.
For the exploration part, the world’s huge, and you can explore a ton of areas, from vast cities to the creepy, demon-infested wilderness. It’s got that satisfying “go-anywhere, do-anything” vibe but with a lot more environmental storytelling. No more “run from point A to point B and kill stuff in between”. The game rewards curiosity, with hidden lore, side quests, and random-but-important encounters that might lead to great rewards. And always make sure to check every nook and corner for hidden chests.
Graphics
Veilguard looks good. Like, “screenshot it and set it as your wallpaper” good. Not trying to reinvent fantasy visuals, but it nails the atmosphere and doesn’t look like it’s running on a toaster.
Environments are absolutely stunning. Characters have depth, personality, and, yes, hair that actually looks like hair. Facial animations are smooth, and their gear actually feels weighty, like they’re in a real world, not some awkward, stiff cutscene.
Every spell feels satisfying, magic doesn’t just look cool, it feels impactful. Explosions, spell combos, even just lighting a candle, they’ve made sure every effect pops, and it all ties back into the world’s magic system. When the Fade leaks into the world, you’re not just seeing cracks in the sky; you’re seeing the very fabric of reality bending.
Final thoughts
I feel like I’m gonna be judged here (not that I care) but I did enjoy playing the game. Yes, there were some cringe moments during my gameplay but overall it was a positive experience. Does it go on the list of my favorites?
Well… no. But also not every game has to be on that level in order for me to play it and have a good time. It’s a good enough game for you to play it at least once. If they decide to make another part, I’m sure it’s going to be great and I’ll make sure to play it.
