BioWare and EA have debuted a solid 15 minutes of edited gameplay for Dragon Age: The Veilguard – the new name for Dragon Age: Dreadwolf – taking us into the city on Minrathous and exploring what will make up this long-awaited RPG sequel. Dragon Age: The Veilguard is set to release later this year across PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
The gameplay reveal features our player character Rook and series mainstay Varric as they delve into the very pretty, but seedy city of Minrathous on the hunt for Solas. Specifically they head down to Docktown to try and meet up with the renowned detective Neve Gallus, who apparently has a lead that they might be able to follow – especially as they’re one of the companions who will join you on your journey.
You’re in a race against time to stop Solas from conducting a ritual that’s breaking the barrier between world, the Veil, which is allowing demons to enter this world. Meeting up with Harding, you get to see the typical multi-choice BioWare dialogue system, with the script bending to accommodate Rook’s chosen origin story – being one of the Shadow Dragons in this demo.
There’s plenty of scripted moments on the path through the city, as well as battles with demons and cultists. Combat for the Rogue character class looks nice and fluid with a flippy attack style with two swords that’s fairly reminiscent of modern superhero games, and the ability to quickly whip out a bow and arrow for a little bit of range. However, there’s also the Ability Wheel, which freezes the game to let you select the next special ability you want to whip out and target it.
The demo then jumps to Arlathan Forest, where the ritual continues, and showed off a battle with a Pride Demon boss, able to summon lightning strikes pull off sweeping blade attacks, teleport around, and with multiple health bars to whittle away.
There’s a good blend of cutscenes and action through the demo, especially with the narrative finale of the video, but I’ve no doubt that fans of the franchise will want to see more of the wider open world instead of the heavily scripted and linear action featured here.
There will be seven companions, which BioWare promise will all be unique and unforgettable heroes. There’s an assassin, a necromancer, a detective and more, and yes, you’ll be able to romance them. They are:
Bellara, a creative and romantic Veil Jumper obsessed with uncovering ancient secrets.
Davrin, a bold and charming Grey Warden who has made a name for himself as a monster hunter.
Emmrich, a necromancer of Nevarra’s Mourn Watch who comes complete with a skeletal assistant, Manfred.
Harding, the dwarven scout, returns to the fray as a companion with her big heart, a positive outlook, and a ready bow – as well as unexpected magical powers.
Lucanis, a poised & pragmatic assassin who descends from the bloodline of the House of Crows, a criminal organization renowned throughout Thedas.
Neve, a cynic fighting for a better future, both as a private detective and a member of Tevinter’s rebellious Shadow Dragons.
Taash, a dragon hunter allied with the Lords of Fortune who lives for adventure and doesn’t mind taking risks.
It’s your combined journey that will be put to the forefront of this new game, so while the Dread Wolf is still a significant part of the game’s story, BioWare felt it important to rebrand to The Veilguard to make that distinction.