Dragon Age: The Veilguard – Exclusive First Hands-On Preview

ign.com:

It’s been ten long years since Dragon Age: Inquisition and the expectations for the next game in the series, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, seem impossible. A full decade, a bevy of behind-the-scenes changes, cuts at BioWare, and a somewhat divisive start when its unveiling began in earnest in June made me a little worried for my most highly anticipated game of the year. But one of my biggest concerns was my impression, based on early previews, that it was headed in the direction of being a linear action game rather than its more open-world predecessor. While Dragon Age is known for changing its style with each installment, I hoped dearly that it wouldn’t lose too much of the DA DNA I fell in love with.

After hours of hands-on time spread across two days, I’m pleased to say I walked away with excitement and curiosity, but mostly, relief to wave many of my concerns goodbye. My time with The Veilguard covered a wide smattering of things: the incredibly expansive character creator (more on that later), the introductory quests, a faction mission, and a companion quest a little deeper into the game. But I was mostly pleased with my ability to just explore Northern Thedas in all its gorgeously designed glory, experiencing a setting in Dragon Age lore that we’ve really only heard about.

To be clear, The Veilguard isn’t the open-world playground that Inquisition was – as game director Corinne Busche has previously stated, it’s more “mission-based.” But what impressed me after the first few hours was how much exploration can still be done in the various regions, as well as the impact the player character, Rook, can have on those regions. Consider it something of a mix of Dragon Age 2 and Inquisition – the more streamlined approach of the former with the rich, geographically and sociopolitically diverse world of the latter.

Of course, some of the bigger artstyle, combat, and gameplay changes will be subject to personal taste. But after my time with Dragon Age: The Veilguard, I left