After a first-look at Dragon Age: The Veilguard, I'm all-in

The Xbox Showcase gave us our first look at Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which was previously known as Dragon Age: Dreadwolf.

During Summer Game Fest 2024 I was able to sit down and watch an hour-long demo of the game in action, and after going in with pretty high expectations from the majority of the fanbase, I can’t say I was disappointed.

Check out the gameplay trailer for Dragon Age: The Veilguard below

Without getting into spoilers, Dragon Age: The Veilguard takes place around 10 years after the previous title, with some returning side characters who are now part of the main cast.

The player’s character is obviously different, and during the demo EA showed off the wide range of customisation options that are now available to fully express yourself with. This includes your facial structure, hair, and more options than ever for your body type. I even noticed a slider for the size of your bulge if you’re a male character, so get ready for more Cyberpunk 2077-esque memes about that little feature.

You’ll also be able to choose your class, your background and more, many of which will have an impact on the story and the way characters interact with you.

EA

Eventually the demo dived into the gameplay, which is split into two halves, progressing the story with dialogue and decisions, and of course the combat.

At points players will be given the choice of how they want to proceed, with an example being the use of violence for information, or a more diplomatic approach. I can’t say for sure how much the choices differ, but I can only assume that they’ll just give you a different cutscene, but still achieve the same desired effect either way.

Combat really shined for me, as it was fast-paced, interactive and there were clear signs of depth in terms of tactics and player expression. It was said that certain enemies will carry a weakness to specific attacks or status effects, but you can easily chip away at their health with whatever method you like, as long as you’re having fun.

EA

Your starting class will determine what skills and weapons you have available to you, but you can customise it further with specialisations, like better parrying or the ability to set traps and turrets to aid you in battle.

The world itself was also gorgeous, largely in part to its more linear design allowing for some high-quality details using the Frostbite engine. A shining example of this for me was when the party ventured into cold, damp ruins, where you could actually see the water running down the stone walls and puddling on the floor.

All in all I was impressed with the gameplay that was shown off, and while I was just itching to get my hands on it and play it, I’m content with waiting it out until an official demo is released.

EA

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is yet to receive an official release date, though it will launch later this year for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC.