Exploring the Setting of Dragon Age: The Veilguard

BioWare’s highly anticipated title, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, marks the fourth installment in the acclaimed Dragon Age franchise. This action role-playing game serves as a direct sequel to Dragon Age: Inquisition, unfolding its narrative a decade after the events of Inquisition. The Veilguard is set in the rich narrative universe of Thedas, echoing the familiar landscapes and lore established in Inquisition.

The Creative Director of this new chapter in the Dragon Age series aimed for a more narrative-driven experience. Consequently, the development team has chosen to focus on the Tevinter Imperium aspect of Thedas, enriching the game’s lore and depth.

In this article, we will explore the map of Dragon Age: The Veilguard and discuss how it integrates elements from previous titles while introducing exciting new features.

Connections Between Dragon Age: The Veilguard and Inquisition

In Dragon Age: The Veilguard players can import certain specific choices made in the last game (Image via Electronic Arts) — In Dragon Age: The Veilguard players can import specific choices from the previous game (Image via Electronic Arts)

In earlier titles, players had the option to import World State data from save files or through the Dragon Age Keep. However, in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, players will have the ability to modify the World State during character creation. Game Director Corinne Busche has mentioned that advancements in technology allowed for the implementation of this feature directly within the game client.

As the storyline is set 10 years after Inquisition, players can recreate their Inquisitor character from the previous game and encounter familiar figures from prior Dragon Age chapters. Creative Director John Epler explained that only three specific choices made in Inquisition would carry over to Veilguard.

This limited transferability is due to the fact that decisions made in earlier titles, such as the identity of the southern Divine, would not significantly influence events in Northern Thedas, where Veilguard unfolds. This design choice helps in avoiding contradictions with previous player decisions.

Key Gameplay and World Design Features in Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Players can create a wide variety of characters hailing from various backgrounds and classes (Image via Electronic Arts) — Players can create diverse characters from various backgrounds and classes (Image via Electronic Arts)

During the character creation process, players can choose a lineage from options like Human, Dwarf, Qunari, or Elf. Additionally, they can select from various combat classes, including Rogue, Mage, or Warrior. A selection of six unique character backstories tied to specific factions is also available. Unlike previous games, Veilguard offers enhanced customization options, allowing players to use visual sliders to meticulously design their protagonist.

Throughout the world of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, numerous companions will be at players’ disposal. However, the party system has been streamlined, reducing the number of party members to three. Rather than an open-world design of Thedas, Veilguard introduces a navigation system utilizing the Eluvian network, emphasizing linear storytelling.

Additionally, as showcased in the gameplay trailer, the pause-and-play mechanic retains similarities to Inquisition, albeit with the introduction of a floating camera perspective that enhances combat strategy options by allowing players to pause the action.

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