Dragon Age: The Veilguard isn't relying on cutscenes nearly as much as older games in the series - partly because of technological advancements, and partly because BioWare wants us to be in protagonist Rook's shoes every step of the way.
In an interview with Gamesradar+, Dragon Age: The Veilguard's creative director John Epler said that a huge focus this time around was "making you feel like you are Rook, making you feel like you inhabit this world, making every motion, every button press do something meaningful in the world." While the fourth game changed its name from Dreadwolf to The Veilguard to emphasize how important the titular party of companions are, Epler said that "this is a story that is as much about Rook as it is about the companions, and we want you to feel like you're playing through this story as opposed to previous games." Epler explains that older Dragon Age games had to settle for depicting epic battles, huge events, and more through cutscenes because of "technological restrictions." He then pointed to Dragon Age: Inquisition's big Siege of Adamant, a day-long battle that was mostly shown via "a big cutscene sequence, and you played through the very tail end of it." In Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Epler claims that the team can make sequences like that work in real time, without needing to grab control out of players' hands too often. "Now that we can, we want you to feel it, and part of that is giving you that much more immediate control, making those motions matter, while still also allowing that tactical layer, that strategic layer," he said.
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