Test - Dragon Age: The Veilguard : Test: Not a milestone, but very entertaining

It was clear from the start that Bioware wouldn't have an easy time with Dragon Age: The Veilguard. After the mediocre Mass Effect: Andromeda and the not-so-great Anthem, the studio had largely ruined its good reputation and skepticism has prevailed since the announcement of The Veilguard. But EA and Bioware seem to have self-confidence, because we received the test version long before the release and were able to spend around 100 hours in the new Dragon Age for our test.

The task of reconciling the quite a few Bioware fans seems hardly solvable. The good reputation is long gone, the last successful game was a long time ago and a lot of skepticism has spread, not least due to the many personnel changes and reports of chaotic conditions. Even the announcement of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, with lots of good intentions, couldn't dispel doubts, but it could at least stir up some anticipation. But since the announcement, the doubting voices have not become quieter.

Old school fans of the role-playing game series frown at the new graphic style and the changed combat system. Videos and information about pronoun choice, dark-skinned elves and other features brought out loud anti-wokers in the comment columns. Actually absurd, as homosexual and mixed-race relationships played a role in the very first Dragon Age and there was also a trans character in Inquisition, Krem - because of which Dragon Age was ?woke? become. Bioware has been clear about this for years. In the end, what matters most is whether Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a good game.

Consequently, Bioware has not come up with a new world for the new Dragon Age, but rather continues the story of Dragon Age: Inquisition with a new main character and some old acquaintances. The elven magician Solas turned away from the Inquisition to pursue his own goals. One of these is to destroy the veil between Thedas and the world of demons. Varric, his old companion and the dwarf Borte Harding want to prevent this with the help of the new main character Rook and chase Solas across Thedas. No wonder, because opening the veil would endanger countless lives.

The trail leads to Minrathous aka Dockstadt, where the three companions manage to catch Solas and prevent the destruction of the veil. Solas is banished to the Fade, where Rook can still contact him through meditation. Unfortunately, two ancient elf gods have crept in and are now trying to bring Thedas under their control. They can use any means to achieve this, be it the dark spawn, power-hungry residents or Venatori cultists. In short: the world is in even greater danger than before. Since Varric was seriously injured in the fight against Solas, it is now up to Rook to gather allies to counter the new threat. So basically a classic Bioware story.

Bioware digs deep into the box of role-playing features to offer fans of the genre a complete package. This starts before the actual game with an extensive character editor with which the Rook can be designed. Four races, six factions and countless features to customize appearance and body type are available. You can also choose one of three classes (Warrior, Rogue, Mage), set your background and even bring some Inquisition decisions into play, albeit only through a selection. In principle, you can spend a few hours with the editor alone and create interesting characters.

When it comes to the actual game, it quickly becomes clear that Bioware is returning to its old virtues. You don't find yourself in an open game world, but in neatly separated areas with rather linear paths, even if there are some semi-open areas. Not the entire game world is accessible from the start, but new areas and zones are only gradually unlocked. This is very welcome, because quite a few players are now bored with huge open worlds with filler material from the generic department. The more linear approach also has the advantage that the plot or storylines can be told in a comprehensible manner without constantly distracting the player.

The game world is divided into different, separate areas. At the center is the lighthouse, a base from which you not only start your adventures, but where your companions also have their own rooms. This is also where most interactions and conversations within the group take place. The lighthouse is not static; the rooms change over time, for example when new companions move in.

There are also some stations there that are not entirely unimportant to the gameplay. In the upgradeable workshop, for example, you can improve your equipment and add enchantments. You can decorate Rook's room yourself. You can also change Rook's appearance at any time in the mirror if you are not satisfied with your first creation or simply need a new hairstyle. You can change the outfits of Rook and his companions in the wardrobe, because over the course of the game you will receive a whole range of skins for weapons and clothing. By the way, without any microtransactions.

The intersection between the lighthouse and the rest of the world is the Crossroads, an area where portals can be used to reach other regions. There are also a number of quests to complete in the intersection. However, the intersection is not really necessary for the journey, because you can easily travel to the available regions via the world map and there are numerous fast travel points in the regions themselves that you can activate. Bioware saves you unnecessary long and boring journeys.

The story of The Veilguard turns out to be very extensive. In addition to the actual main story, there are separate storylines for each of the seven companions, as well as some regional side quests that are also gradually unlocked. Fortunately, these are not banal quest lines à la “Chase 10 rabbits”. from the test tube, but they are at least narratively somehow linked to the main story and the events in Thedas. In addition, decisions are often made in the quests that at least have an impact on the relationships between the companions.

Even if quite clear and comprehensible patterns emerge after a few hours of play, the game never gets boring and you are always told an exciting story with distinctive characters, just as you would expect from a role-playing game. In terms of scope, The Veilguard takes around 40 hours if you only complete the most important tasks. In total, a complete run takes around 80 to 100 hours.

Of course, this also includes exploring the game world, because despite the relatively linear paths, there are always junctions and hidden entrances behind which valuable treasures await you. A bit too much video game logic is used here, as there are boxes, chests and other containers lying around almost everywhere, alongside resources for upgrades. Don't get me wrong, the scope is just right and the loot chests in particular are sometimes associated with little puzzles. The scope of a crowded open world is avoided; the excursions are really just small detours that don't distract you too much from the tasks.

It's also nice that Bioware didn't forego puzzles. These are not necessarily tricky, but rather require exploration of the surrounding area or certain mechanics, but they are a welcome change from the usual quest routine. Sometimes you have to rely on the abilities of certain companions, but Bioware has thought of this: If you have recruited the companion but are not with you, Solas' magical dagger, which you receive early in the game, takes over its task.

All in all, this results in a very pleasant flow when questing without too many distractions. Bioware wants to keep you engaged with the story and not with pointless trivia. Of course, this also includes conversations with NPCs and companions, and there are plenty of them. The dialogues are sometimes very long, but well written and excellently set to music. And there's a reason for that too, because Bioware is once again placing a lot of emphasis on the companions and of course you want to build as emotional a connection as possible and develop relationships through the dialogues.

The total of seven companions turn out to be a lively group. There is the quick-witted dwarven scout Borte Harding, the cynical magical detective Neve Gallus, the Gray Warden Davrin, the creative but insecure veil jumper Bellara, the rough-necked Qunari dragon hunter Tassh, the assassin Lucanis or the necromancer Emmrich and his entourage (who, by the way, is striking Vincent Price remembers). All of these companions have their own peculiarities and through your actions and decisions as well as the dialogues with several choices you build more or less solid relationships and bonds, even down to outright romances.

In general, the companions are a lively group who have a lot of conversations with each other and also spend time together in the lighthouse. Bellara and Emmrich, for example, always have something to talk about, and even during their adventures there is rarely silence. This is sometimes even quite helpful, because in the middle of the fight there are hints like “Watch out, behind you?” or ?We are being attacked by ranged attackers? and even in the areas there are one or two indications of a beautiful landscape or prey nearby. Or you can learn something about the history of the region if you have a local guide.

Of course, you won't always be with the whole group. You can take two companions with you for each quest, the selection is made at the start or at the fast travel points. Sometimes (logically especially in the companion quests) certain companions are mandatory, for other quests you have a free choice. Whether you have local companions with you can sometimes have as much of an impact as the origin you choose for Rook.

And of course the companions also support you in battle. In Veilguard, Bioware primarily relies on a typical active combat system from the third-person perspective. This means you have heavy and light attacks, ranged weapons or magical attacks and your abilities, which you fire using a key combination. Your companions basically act autonomously, but Bioware didn't miss the opportunity to incorporate a tactical component that gives you as a player more control over what's happening.

You can bring up a skill wheel at any time, which will pause the game while it is open. Here you can select your skills and those of your companions or assign them to specific targets, and there are also combined actions of several characters that trigger particularly strong attacks. For example, if you first want to specifically eliminate annoying long-range fighters, this is just as possible as “refueling”. a particularly tough opponent by another character.

This type of fighting is particularly important on the higher levels of difficulty and we strongly recommend trying it out because many of the mechanics such as skills, equipment and tactics only really come into play then. There are a total of six levels of difficulty, of which the two easier ones are recommended for casual players. While the normal level of difficulty seems very balanced, the next two levels really get down to business. At its highest level of difficulty, Dragon Age: The Veilguard almost reaches Souls-like levels, where every mistake is severely punished. A further level of difficulty is freely configurable, so that you can decide for yourself which help you want and which you don't. By the way: There are 100 storage spaces available for each character created.

The fights are pretty good and the variety of opponents is also okay. Darkspawn, cultists, ogres and even dragons are waiting for you to pummel them. There is also no shortage of boss fights and some of them even have several phases and varied mechanics. So it's not just bullet sponges that you have to hit monotonously on. The mechanics of some fights are more reminiscent of boss fights from MMORPGs or Souls-likes, and that's a good thing.

The basis of the combat system is of course a classic skill system. Through quests and battles you receive experience points and level ups, which in turn give you skill points that you can distribute relatively freely. Since you can actively use a maximum of three of your skills in addition to an ultimate attack, but there are significantly more, you have plenty of options to give your characters and companions certain builds, for example whether you, as a villain, want to rely more on bleed or poison damage.

From level 20 onwards there are three specializations for each class, one of which can be activated. This also depends on the desired fighting style. As a villain, for example, you can concentrate on close combat, long-range combat with a bow or on traps and explosions. By the way: All three classes have both melee and ranged combat abilities or even multiple weapons. In addition to shield and one-handed weapon, the warrior can switch to a two-handed weapon at any time or hurl his shield at opponents.

Since weapons, armor pieces, jewelry and runes have a number of attributes and perks and can also be enchanted, they can also be used to create effective builds for higher levels of difficulty. You can find equipment almost everywhere, but mainly in large and sometimes hidden loot chests or as quest rewards. Duplicates among your finds serve to automatically upgrade existing copies to a higher quality level. By the way, this also works for traders, depending on the trading level activated. Of course, there are also legendary items with high values, but often with a compensating negative perk.

Overall, the system appears balanced and well thought out. However, things sometimes get a bit confusing since you can't store or sell excess equipment. Sometimes there are up to 20 weapons or pieces of armor per category in your inventory, which is fortunately quite clearly laid out. By the way, you get gold by selling valuables from chests, crates and other containers, not by selling equipment.

What could divide opinions is the graphic style. The art design appears very colorful and detailed, but also a little drawn, which is particularly clear in the depiction of the characters. In this way, Bioware avoids a cringe-worthy, pseudo-realistic representation, especially of faces, and manages to convey emotions in a visually convincing way. The downside, however, is that it makes the game appear visually very clean and clean, which will certainly not please all fantasy fans. A tightrope walk, but one that definitely has its justification.

The development and design of the companions also seems quite modern and we were reminded of well-known current series more than once. Of course, Bioware wants to appeal to as wide an audience as possible with The Veilguard, not just old RPG veterans, but also younger players. This is also a balancing act, although more than understandable given the long development time and the possible costs. The game world appears colorful at times, but also has its dark moments, for example in the necropolis or the deep paths. After all, Thedas has her own unique look that is recognizable.

Something definitely needs to be mentioned positively. In our opinion, after almost 100 hours of play, Bioware has done a damn good job with the polishing. We actually had a stable frame rate at all times and we couldn't detect any noticeable bugs or even quest blockers. We had a total of two PC crashes that appeared to be due to CPU overload (not exactly logical with a Ryzen 7800X3D). However, The Veilguard always showed quite high CPU usage in our system information. We hope to have this resolved by launch and will keep an eye on the issue.

Bioware hasn't skimped on the graphics features either and has pretty much all the technologies on board that make the game more beautiful and more powerful. AMD FSR is available as well as Intel XeSS and of course NVIDIA DLSS 3 with frame generation. NVIDIA Reflex for latency reduction is also on board. Bioware also doesn't compromise when it comes to ray tracing, both ray tracing reflections and ambient occlusion and a ray tracing ultra mode are available.

The optimization seems successful if you take a closer look at the frame rates. With a GeForce RTX 4090, the game ran stably at around 70 frames per second in 4K with ultra settings and all ray tracing options activated, even without the upscaler. With DLSS 3 the number quickly climbed to 100-110 fps, with frame generation switched on it was a whopping 140-150 fps, which suggests that the title also cuts a good figure on significantly weaker graphics cards. For comparison: Games like Cyberpunk 2077 or Assassin's Creed: Valhalla or Mirage run at around 100-110 fps at maximum settings with DLSS and frame generation. If you can get these titles to run, Dragon Age is absolutely no problem.

It remains to be seen whether the good technical impression is also confirmed on the consoles. So far we only had the PC version available for our test, but it makes a great impression and gives us hope for a well-optimized version for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. A fiasco like Star Wars Jedi: Survivor doesn't seem to be happening again for EA, at least on the PC.