Heading into Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a little bit of a shock for longtime followers who’ve been following the fantasy franchise since its earlier days. The sport doesn’t use the Dragon Age Hold, an app that gamers may use to trace their previous selections made in different Dragon Age video games — selections that might find yourself paying off in surprising methods in a brand new title. This browser app allowed gamers to whip up a save state by going over each main and minor selections that might then affect occasions in a forthcoming recreation. However Veilguard has deserted the Hold altogether, narrowing the world state down to a few main questions. This ended up figuring out narratively higher than I anticipated, and it’s much less of a loss than I feared.
The Hold tracked the selections made by the Hero of Ferelden (the protagonist from Dragon Age: Origins) and Hawke (from Dragon Age 2), which may arrange some very totally different eventualities in Dragon Age: Inquisition. As an illustration, in my Inquisition recreation, Alistair is the King of Ferelden. In another person’s save, he may be a Gray Warden whom gamers encounter within the area — and doubtlessly even sacrifice! I saved Connor, a possessed youngster mage in Redcliffe, and he confirmed up in Inquisition’s Redcliffe, assuring me I had made the precise selection. However, I backed King Bhelen to take Orzammar’s throne in Dragon Age: Origins, and in Dragon Age 2 I came upon Bhelen was systematically searching and murdering the complete household of his competitor Harrowmont. Yikes!
Having these selections carry over and repay was vastly rewarding, however shackling The Veilguard to gamers’ previous canons would have been very tough. As an alternative, the three selections all come from Inquisition’s last DLC, Trespasser. They’re:
1) Which companion did the Inquisitor romance?
2) Did the Inquisition disband, or was it folded into the Chantry?
3) Did the Inquisitor condemn Solas, or resolve he may very well be saved?
Trespasser explains the gravity of the second selection very properly; the Inquisition is infested with spies and liable to corruption, but it surely has entry to martial would possibly and sources. Disbanding the Inquisition results in a a lot smaller group, however one that’s much less vulnerable to exterior schemes. The opposite two selections are rather more private, and play out as Rook interacts with the Inquisitor in The Veilguard. This small collection of selections is definitely splendid.
A part of the rationale that I’m OK with a comparatively clean slate is that The Veilguard is ready within the world north; we don’t even go to the acquainted lands of Ferelden or Orlais. Finally, the alternatives gamers have made in prior video games as to who holds the Sunburst Throne, or whether or not to help mages or templars, are irrelevant to this new story. That’s OK with me — after three video games of arguing concerning the morality of mage circles and templar authority, I’m glad to maneuver on to new issues.
It additionally frees BioWare designers of the complicated quantum canon that the Hold allowed. Is the Hero of Ferelden an elf, human, or dwarf? Are they alive, useless, or a monarch? Who’s serving because the Divine: Cassandra, Leliana, or Vivienne?
There are selections that I admit I want The Veilguard may account for, particularly the destiny of the Effectively of Sorrows, however with a 10-year break between Inquisition and The Veilguard, I can see why BioWare selected to start out recent. Fortunately, there’s a lot of new floor to cowl, and I didn’t discover myself lacking the Hold an excessive amount of. Hopefully, if we get extra Dragon Age video games sooner or later, we are able to see BioWare discover new methods to combine earlier selections.