10 Ways Dragon Age: The Veilguard Is Better Than Other Dragon Age Games

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is the newest installment in the Dragon Age series, an action-oriented RPG franchise that’s known for its rich decision-making and character creation. was released on October 31st of 2024. Following in the wake of the other three games — Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, and Dragon Age: Inquisition — Dragon Age: The Veilguard tells the story of the player character Rook going on a journey to stop Solas from tearing the Veil. Like in previous installments, the player can pick up companions, romance said companions, and have heartwarming or intense dialogues with them.

The last time BioWare released a Dragon Age game was in 2014 with Dragon Age: Inquisition, which garnered popularity for its gameplay and story. While The Veilguard is a separate game on its own — it’s not necessary to play other installments to understand this one — all Dragon Age games carry the same features. However, after a decade of production, Dragon Age: The Veilguard has proven to be a significantly superior Dragon Age game in certain regards, and it makes plenty of improvements upon the original games.

Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Dragon Age: The Veilguard!

10 Well-Developed Companions

Building On A Great Foundation

Another thing that Dragon Age: The Veilguard does extremely well is develop the companions that Rook spends their time with. Dragon Age: The Veilguard includes a lot more diversity with its companions, which makes the game feel more real than others.

In addition to companion variety, these companions are even more developed than in prior games. That is not to say companions were underdeveloped or one-dimensional, as characters have always been a major strength of Dragon Age. However, with The Veilguard, conversations with these companions feel even more real, and the balance of personalities and stories among the group is particularly well-honed, with no companion feeling left behind.

9 A Streamlined Party System Has Benefits

Letting The Player Focus On Rook

The Veilguard‘s party system is different from prior Dragon Age games wherein the player controls the other party members. This kind of setup is popular in many RPGs, as seen in Persona, Final Fantasy, and, recently, Baldur’s Gate 3. This system allows for players to control their entire party and play out particular, strategic scenarios. However, in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, players can expect the complete opposite experience.

While many players may wish to control their party members, the battle system for The Veilguard is quite different and a bit more complex. This allows players to immerse themselves in their character and lets them focus on the set of actions made by their player character. For those who appreciate immersion in combat, The Veilguard does the party system better than the other installments.

8 An Emotional Story

Players Are Bound to Feel More Emotionally Attached

For many returning players, Dragon Age: The Veilguard will undoubtedly be an emotional ride thanks to their history with the prior installments. Dragon Age : Origins is where players first meet Isabella and Morrigan, and their continued inclusion in Veilguard will likely be exhilarating due to the emotional attachment that these players have grown for the original characters. The same can be said for Solas, who made an impact in Inquisition and now serves as an antagonist in Veilguard.

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It’s been 13 years since Dragon Age: Origins was released and players were introduced to one of the most important RPG characters of all time.

While any player, including new ones, can jump into Dragon Age: The Veilguard without a problem, it may not serve to be as emotionally impactful. The same can be said for any of the previous games, and The Veilguard does a good job ushering in newcomers for a narrative that can still be touching. The approach to lore dumping may not be for everyone, The Veilguard puts in work to ensure that everyone can understand and experience the emotional story.

7 Action-Packed Combat

Vastly Different and Improved

The switch in the party system doesn’t just increase immersion in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. BioWare takes full advantage of the opportunity to focus on one character, delivering combat that’s ultimately quicker and more action-oriented and making for potentially more exciting encounters.

While players may miss controlling their teammates, this allows for a greater focus on the core combat experience, making for a completely different yet satisfying approach. The skills and abilities that players unlock over the course of the game also prove interesting, adding to the fun of the combat and making for an ultimately more thrilling action experience than past Dragon Age games. It seems that with each new installment, the combat gets that much better.

6 Thoughtful Inclusivity

Representation Feels Natural

Dragon Age: The Veilguard features plenty of inclusivity, including non-binary characters, and it also opens up more possibilities for creating a truly personalized and detailed Rook. The character creation allows for the player to make a non-binary or trans character themselves, even going as far as to detail top surgery scars if the player so chooses.

While Dragon Age in the past has been inclusive, it’s more noticeable now with the inclusion of the player’s first non-binary companion, Taash, who doesn’t feel as though they fit into the world of either manhood or womanhood. Rather, they realize they are non-binary, though it’s a bit difficult to put into words, and they don’t really know how to deal with other circumstances that this may affect. Still, Dragon Age: The Veilguard does exceptionally well at handling the realization of this discovery, making it a heartfelt moment for those who may understand where Taash is coming from.

5 A Gripping Narrative

Interesting & Thrilling From Start to Finish

Dragon Age is a beloved series, and for good reason. The return of fan-favorite character Solas in the role of an antagonist is an immediate hook, and with stakes and choices that are often especially intimate, returning players are sure to feel thrilled to jump back into the thick of it.

As soon as Dragon Age: The Veilguard begins, players are thrown into a heavy introduction, where Solas is attempting to destroy the Veil. Veterans and newcomers are both in for a thrilling ride, since as soon as the game starts, exciting things begin to happen. It’s the most dynamic introduction of the four Dragon Age games, especially compared to Inquisition.

4 Decisions With Impact

Decisions Matter, and Consequences Exist

The decisions and choices made in Dragon Age games have always been important. While some RPGs have moved toward streamlined narratives over the years, games like Baldur’s Gate 3 have proven the possibilities of complex systems with modern technology. Dragon Age: The Veilguard likewise takes advantage of these opportunities, and the choices ultimately serve as a major calling card for the game.

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Dragon Age: The Veilguard puts players on the spot with this early decision, forcing them to choose either Harding or Neve to disrupt Solas’ ritual.

While the story will ultimately play out in the manner it is supposed to, just like in previous games, that doesn’t mean the decisions made in The Veilguard will be any less meaningful. For example, there are a few decisions in the game that lead to consequential scarring and heavy injury to player companions. Likewise, the quests the player decides to take on will affect other quests and characters, making for important decisions that result in certain consequences. Many of The Veilguard‘s choices feel like they have particularly direct impact on Rook and companions, so it’s easy to get invested.

3 Compelling Conversations

Better Dialogue Scenes Than Other Games

It’s no question that sometimes dialogue and conversations in RPGS can feel stiff, although Dragon Age has always exhibited tons of meaning in the exchanges between characters. In some cases, however, Dragon Age games couldn’t get that across very well, and aspects like facial animation in the earlier games haven’t aged flawlessly.

This is not the case for The Veilguard, however. Since it’s been a decade since the last release of a Dragon Age game, a lot has improved, and the overall presentation of conversation is often more convincing. Conversations have a fantastic amount of variety, from comic scenes to in-depth dialogue about the tragic elements of the story.

2 Great Character Design

Spectacular Design Makes for Unforgettable Characters

All the Dragon Age installments have spectacular character designs. Take a look at Morrigan from Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age 2: the red aesthetic fits her personality, and her design was at its peak in Dragon Age 2. The same goes for Isabela in Dragon Age: Origins. However, now that Veilguard has been released, both women feature detailed and exquisite designs, practically looking better than they did in previous installments.

The same could be said for the other cast of characters. Each design is different in aesthetic and color and matches individual personalities perfectly. Bellara’s vibrant colors and simple apparel match her shy yet joyful personality. Meanwhile, Lucanis’s dark outfit replicates his somewhat intense personality, and he looks good in it, too.

1 A More Robust Character Creator

Making A More Personalized Character

Many RPG games have trended toward a heavier and more complex character creation system over time. Baldur’s Gate 3 and Dragon’s Dogma 2 recently featured very detailed character creation options, and the same can be said for The Veilguard.

Depending on how much time the player spends on the character creation, every outcome can look exceptionally different. It’s possible to make characters that are visually appealing across the board, but making the opposite happen is equally viable. However, the most important part is that players can make their characters look however they please, and it even includes options for creating non-binary or trans characters. The best character creator of the Dragon Age series is a major feature of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, helping the game stand out in an acclaimed series.

Released

October 31, 2024

Developer(s)

BioWare

Publisher(s)

Electronic Arts