Summary
Companions have almost always been a prominent feature in BioWare’s games, and that much is still true ofDragon Age: The Veilguard. Like the titles before it, BioWare’s latest installment in theDragon Ageseries lets players recruit a diverse group of companions who can assist in battle and exploration. Unlike pastBioWare games, however,Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s companions have a unique partnership with one of the most notable items in the game’s story — Solas' Lyrium Dagger.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s Lyrium Dagger may be a significant element of the game’s story, but it also has a large hand in exploration. This is largely due to a unique system BioWare has created forDragon Age: The Veilguardthat turns the Lyrium Dagger into a Swiss Army Knife for exploration by combining its powers with those of the player’s companions. It is a massive leap ahead of the companions of BioWare’s past, as it solves an age-old problem that has been around for decades.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s Lyrium Dagger Makes Companion Exploration Skills Permanent
Each Companion in Dragon Age: The Veilguard Has a Unique Exploration Skill
Dragon Age: The Veilguardmay not be anopen-world game, but there is still plenty of exploration to be done in its rendition of Thedas. Most of its hub areas have a surprising amount of depth, complemented by somewhat hidden paths and plenty of puzzles that act as gatekeepers for valuable rewards. While many ofDragon Age: The Veilguard’s more rewarding areas can be discovered and explored simply by covering every inch of ground available, other areas require a special skill that only the player’s companions possess.
For example, Davrin’s skill, Griffin Handler, callsDavrin’s Griffin Assanto dig for items, activate mechanisms and disrupt blight tendrils. When activated, Assan swoops out of the air and fulfills his task, depending on what players were targeting when they called him. Lucanis' ability, Spite, allows him to tap into the divide between the Fade and create new paths for players to travel. These are just two examples of the seven companions' exploration skills, each of which is very helpful as players traverse Thedas in search of mysteries.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s Lyrium Dagger Allows Players to Use Companion Exploration Skills at All Times
Companion-specific exploration abilitiesare nothing new in the role-playing genre, but that goes especially for BioWare. In the past, players have had to take specific companions with them on a journey if they wished to take advantage of one of that companion’s skills. For instance, players may not wish to invest in a lockpicking skill for their character, and might therefore need to rely on one of their companions who has a high enough lockpicking skill if they come across a locked chest or door they wish to open.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republicis a great example of this concept in action, as there are doors players may not be able to access early on in the game unless they allot the appropriate number of points to their character’s Security skill. If their Security skill isn’t high enough, they’re forced to rely on companions who do have a high enough Security skill, but it still only means something as long as that companion is present in the party.
Dragon Age: The Veilguarddoes things differently with theLyrium Dagger, as it essentially makes each companion’s exploration ability permanent.
Once players have recruited acompanion inDragon Age: The Veilguardand completed their prologue quest, that companion’s exploration ability is embedded into the Lyrium Dagger. From that point on, players can use the Lyrium Dagger to manipulate any obstacle that might have once, in BioWare’s past, required that companion to be present in the party in order to activate it. This unique mechanic effectively results in one less variable for players to consider when selecting their party composition, thereby allowing them more freedom to playDragon Age: The Veilguardthe way they see fit.
It will be interesting to see whether BioWare incorporatesDragon Age: The Veilguard’s Lyrium Dagger concept in its future games, especiallythe nextMass Effect, as the mechanic could potentially add even more depth to its companion system and exploration. As the desire for freedom in gameplay continues to increase in intensity among many modern gamers, mechanics like the Lyrium Dagger are just another piece of the puzzle that is needed to keep gaming moving closer to a space where the players are in full control of their experience.
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’re able to’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.
