Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is the latest entry in the series, arriving ten years after Inquisition and bringing significantly more action-oriented, fluid combat with less emphasis on tactical pausing and controlling the whole party from the outside. Playing as Rook, the player leads the Veilguard, a group whose goal is to stop two ancient gods of the elven pantheon, Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain, who were accidentally released from their prison at the end of the Trespasser expansion and now threaten all of Thedas. The story unfolds across new and familiar locations, including Minrathous and Weisshaupt, and places emphasis on personal relationships with companions like Neve, Bellara, Davrin, Emmrich, and Lucanis, as well as on the consequences of decisions from previous entries, reflected through a so-called Decision Tome rather than a direct import of saved playthroughs.

Visually, the game leans into a more stylized, colorful look than the darker Inquisition, runs on the Frostbite engine, and on PC offers support for modern performance-scaling technologies and high resolutions, including ultrawide monitors. The combat system was designed to be more fluid and accessible, with an emphasis on ability combos between the three playable characters in combat, which sparked discussion among longtime fans used to the series' more tactical approach.

Reception was mixed – some players and reviewers praised the quality of the storytelling, the companions, and the technical execution, while others regretted the departure from the series' isometric roots, the simplification of RPG mechanics, and the reduced emphasis on the moral ambiguity the series was previously known for. The Veilguard thus remains a much-discussed attempt to modernize the brand for a new audience without fully abandoning the characteristic humor and personal stories that made Dragon Age famous. On PC, the game also came with support for higher frame rates and modern display technologies, making it the most technically advanced entry in the series at the time of release.

Why play it: If you don't mind the departure from the series' isometric roots and simplified RPG mechanics, you'll appreciate the quality storytelling, companions, and the most technically advanced production in the series to date.