BioWare’s triumphant return to theDragon Ageseries withDragon Age: The Veilguardis finally here after what seems like an eternity, and the title is already turning heads thanks to the ways that it both honors and evolves the series' legacy. In the decade since the launch of the series' last title,Dragon Age: Inquisition, the landscape of RPGs has changed greatly, leaving many wondering howDragon Age: The Veilguardstacks up against more contemporary titles that have moved the needle forward. One element thatVeilguardsurprises with is its staggering amount of depth and variety in buildcrafting, which is only further enhanced by the game’s approach to gear.
Each entry inBioWare’sDragon Ageserieshas featured slightly different gear and upgrade mechanics, withDragon Age: The Veilguardfeeling like a natural terminus for the franchise to land. In addition to acquiring more gear, players now have a streamlined system they can use to upgrade weapons and armor, unlocking valuable passive abilities that serve to enhance already powerful skills and synergies between party members. Combined with the new approach to classes and specializations,Dragon Age: The Veilguardgives players more freedom of expression than any other game in the series.
How Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s Gear Upgrading System Trades Complexity for Utility
Each entry in theDragon Ageseries has taken its own approach to how players acquire new gear and improve it via upgrading or enchanting, culminating with the series reaching its highest levels of complexity withDragon Age: Inquisition.Inquisitiongave players less gear to find out in the world in favor of guiding them toward using the game’s deep and, in some ways, needlessly complicated crafting and upgrade system. The trade-off for that complexity being that players could make some truly powerful weapons and armor by engaging with the system and adjusting to its learning curve.The Veilguardloses some ofInquisition’s complexityand customization, but it brings greater utility and ease of use as a result.
The foundation ofThe Veilguard’s gear and upgrade system is the increased amount of gear players find out in the world, with every branching path and hidden nook worthy of being searched in the hopes of coming across a treasure chest containing a new piece of kit. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, as the impressive amount and variety of gear players acquire is now more easily upgraded using both faction-specific vendors andthe Caretaker’s bench in the Lighthouse. Each piece of gear has a clear upgrade path with at least 2 unlockable passives that cater to either specific abilities or a particular class specialization, and the process of upgrading them is as simple as having the right faction rank or resources necessary.
The New Approach to Gear in Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a Perfect Fit for its Buildcraft
In terms of its classes,Dragon Age: The Veilguardsticks to the series' established formula by starting players off with a choice between the classicWarrior, Rogue, or Magearchetypes. But the new diverging paths for each of those classes to take via the different specializations available afford players plenty of freedom in how they build out their hero, complete with plenty of opportunity to mix and match abilities from different specializations to create custom subclasses that adhere to unofficial playstyles like a paladin or spellblade. The cornerstone of bringing out the best inVeilguard’s build variety is its gear and upgrade system.
By paying attention to the different passive abilities that players unlock by upgrading specific pieces of gear, it’s possible to cater a build to those abilities, changing the outfitting and character progression ofDragon Age: The Veilguardinto something more closely resemblingDiablo 4. While none of the abilities that come about from upgrading gear are individually as game-changing asAspects inDiablo 4, they do provide players with an end goal for how they might want to grow their characters, all while making the act of upgrading and equipping that gear easier than ever before.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
WHERE TO PLAY
Enter the world of Thedas, a vibrant land of rugged wilderness, treacherous labyrinths, and glittering cities – steeped in conflict and secret magics. Now, a pair of corrupt ancient gods have broken free from centuries of darkness and are hellbent on destroying the world.Thedas needs someone they can count on. Rise as Rook, Dragon Age’s newest hero. Be who you want to be and play how you want to play as you fight to stop the gods from blighting the world. But you can’t do this alone – the odds are stacked against you. Lead a team of seven companions, each with their own rich story to discover and shape, and together you will become The Veilguard.
