The recent release ofDragon Age: The Veilguardsees theDragon Ageseries hit a milestone, the franchise’s latest and fourth entry arriving 15 years after its debut withDragon Age: Originsand a full decade since the launch of 2014’s Game of the Year,Dragon Age: Inquisition.Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s tumultuous development cycle meant the game went through several changes before finally arriving in the form players are experiencing now, and those changes seem to be a net positive given the game’s critical and fan reception. A large part of what seems to be makingThe Veilguardresonate with players is the game’s combat, which feels like a natural evolution given the series' past.
After introducing players to the world of Thedas inDragon Age: Originswith a CRPG-style “real-time with pause” system from the studio’s past games (notably,Baldur’s GateandKnights of the Old Republic), BioWare would surprise audiences by switching to a full real-time action combat system inDragon Age 2. The switch was so polarizing thatInquisitionopted for a blend betweenOrigins' tactical depthandDragon Age 2’s action combat, butThe Veilguardfurther refines that approach to deliver what’s arguably the best combat in the franchise.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s ‘CRPG meets ARPG’ Combat is a Series Highlight
Part of what makesVeilguard’s combat so addictive is how it blends elements from across the series' past, incorporating the party management and commands ofOriginsandInquisitionalong with the real-time tactileaction ofDragon Age 2. Ultimately, it’s a system that strikes a more direct balance between CRPG and ARPG combat, sacrificing some tactical depth in favor of making each encounter fast, frenetic, and fun. It’s still possible to pause the game by pressing one of the shoulder buttons to bring up a radial menu from which players can issue commands to party members, and the new Detonator mechanic adds a nice layer of strategy to what otherwise would’ve been a fairly straightforward action combat system.
After applying certain status effects to enemies through the use of specific skills, the radial menu indicates which party members have applicable Detonator abilities that can trigger a stagger state on enemies. Taking the time to engage with this system onVeilguard’s easier difficultiesgives players a distinct advantage on the battlefield, but it becomes necessary for survival on the higher difficulties. Especially when staggering enemies and triggering takedowns is one of the more dependable ways to deal with tougher foes,Veilguardrewards players who engage with its combat mechanics in ways that make its difficulty curve and power creep feel perfectly balanced.
The New Additions to Classes and Build Variety in Dragon Age: The Veilguard Underscore its Combat
The strength ofVeilguard’s combatmechanics is only highlighted by the title’s new approach to classes and specializations, with players now having more freedom of expression than in any previous series entry. Players still need to choose from one of the franchise’s standard Warrior, Rogue, or Mage classes at the game’s outset, but the different branching paths players can take those classes down each offer something new in combat. Both ranged and melee combat feel improved inVeilguardover previous entries, and carefully choosing party compositions that play to a character’s strengths and weaknesses pays off in surprising ways with how fast and tactile each encounter feels.
There’s a case to be made that many BioWare fans play the studio’s games primarily for their characters and storytelling, and the changes to the combat model ineachDragon Agegameshowcase that combat has continually had a shifting role in each series entry in terms of its importance to the experience. WithDragon Age: The Veilguard, BioWare has landed on a combat system that blends the best elements across each entry in the series. As a result, combat inVeilguardis less of a side activity and more of a main attraction.
