Summary
Dragon Age: The Veilguardwill offer more than just dialogue flavor with its factions, as Rook’s choice of background will also impact gameplay, regardless of the player’s class. Compared to the franchise’s origins,Dragon Age: The Veilguardmarks a bold departure towards a more action-oriented style of combat. This decision has been a notable source of controversy, as not all players are on board withThe Veilguard’s overall direction. That being said, the core elements ofDragon Agestill seem to be present, even if its intricate talent trees are now in service of a different type of gameplay altogether.
There are nine uniqueclass specializations inDragon Age: The Veilguard, and all are designed with the game’s narrative and setting in mind. For example, Rook’s connection to the Veil makes him ill-suited to be a Blood Mage, while Tevinter’s Templars famously lack the magic-suppressant powers of their southern cousins. Each class (Warrior, Mage, and Rogue) has access to three specializations, which are unlocked by engaging with the factions found in Northern Thedas.
In arecent GameInformer interview, John Elper reveals that each specialization is connected to a specificfaction inDragon Age: The Veilguard. For example, the Mourn Watch of Nevarra will likely teach Rook the ways of the Reaper or Death Caller, depending on the player’s chosen class. The Reaper is a brand-new specialization in theDragon Agefranchise, which uses “night blades” instead of a classic Warrior weapon, whereas the Death Caller focuses on necromancy. Players will choose their faction during character creation, and this not only dictates their backstory and identity but also their non-combat outfit when lounging about in the Lighthouse.
Mage
Rogue
While it remains to be seen if a player’s chosen background will determine the specializations initially available to Rook, it seems that theoverall narrative inDragon Age: The Veilguardwill have each of the six factions play a major role. Rook’s chosen faction will grant them three unique traits that affect gameplay both in and out of combat. Players who choose the Lords of Fortune will deal increased damage against mercenaries, perform takedowns more easily, and gain extra reputation when dealing with the faction. Though players can change their appearance by interacting with the Mirror of Transformation in the Lighthouse, their background, lineage, and class inThe Veilguardare immutable.
One thing thatThe Veilguardis looking to avoid is sending players on dull errands, a critique that has plagued its predecessor.Dragon Age: The Veilguardwon’t feature an open world, but will instead lean into the mission structures that made past BioWare games a success. Though it remains to be seen whether the design choices made forThe Veilguardwill pay off, players won’t have to wait long to find out, as the nextDragon Agegame is scheduled to launch in Fall 2024.
