Summary
For some players, side quests in a game may not matter much, whereas dedicated completionists basically eat side quests for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Of course, this largely depends on the quality of those side quests, asgames likeThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunthave proven that side quests can matter if they are executed well.Dragon’s Dogma 2is another example of side quests that are worthwhile, simply due to their impact on the game’s world once they’ve been completed. Now, just as most role-playing games do and its predecessors have,Dragon Age: The Veilguardfeatures plenty of side quests for players to complete when they’re not focused on the main story at hand.
Dragon Age: The Veilguardfeatures a decent number of side quests that regularly become available throughout its main narrative, and while some of them are the simple fetch and kill quests fans of the RPG genre have likely become more than familiar with, many others are worth tackling for what they add to the game’s world and its characters.
What Makes Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s Side Quests Worth Doing
Many of Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s Side Quests Help Flesh Out Its Characters
One of the greatest examples of howDragon Age: The Veilguardmakes its side quests worthwhile is reflected in their tendency to further develop some of the game’s most prominent characters. Firstly,Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s companion questsare not worth missing, as they often flesh out a character’s backstory, making any relationships players pursue with them all the more meaningful. Bellara is one companion, in particular, who carries a heavy burden of guilt over a slight miscalculation that cost her the life of a loved one.
Lucanis' companion quests are also entertaining and well worth experiencing, as it’s always nice to share a cup of coffee withDragon Age: The Veilguard’s mage killer.
Companion quests aside, however, one of the best, if not the best, side quests inDragon Age: The Veilguardis"Regrets of the Dreadwolf.“At first, this side quest might seem like an overly simple fetch quest, but it is actually so much more than that. “Regrets of the Dreadwolf” delves deeply into Solas' past, and without revealing too much for spoiler reasons, it is the key to truly understanding Solas, his complex history, and his inner turmoil. Without a doubt, those who wish to better understand Solas are behooved to complete “Regrets of the Dreadwolf.”
Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s Side Quests Tend to Reshape the World Depending on Their Outcome
Another admirable quality ofDragon Age: The Veilguard’s side quests is their tendency to reshape the world depending on their outcome. It’s all too common for side quests in games to talk about how completing them will change things for the game world and then to not follow through with a physical response to what the player has done. Fortunately,Dragon Age: The Veilguardlargely avoids that stereotype by letting its side quests have a direct impact on its world. For instance, completing a side quest might change the dialogue of nearby NPCs, or a room previouslyoverrun with Darkspawnmight later be populated by NPCs once the Darkspawn are dealt with.
Then there areDragon Age: The Veilguard’s Missives, which function similarly toMass Effect’s emails by allowing NPCs that players have helped to reach out to Rook, expressing even more appreciation.
Overall,Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s side questsare worthwhile because of what they offer the world and its characters. It’s a breath of fresh air, to say the least, considering side quests are so often reduced to filler content and given very little substance to justify their existence. Hopefully, more ofDragon Age: The Veilguard’s caliber of side content will be seen in future BioWare games as well.
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 may’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.
