Summary
Dragon Age: The Veilguardtakes place ten years after the events ofDragon Age: Inquisition.The world of Thedas has endured manyapocalyptic scenarios in its history, not the least of which were the Fifth Blight fromDragon Age: Originsor the Inquisition’s crusade against the evil Tevinter magister, Corypheus. Now, players take control of Rook, a character who has been hunting down Solas, who was revealed to be a villain inInquisition’sTrespasserDLC, to stop him from ending the world.
Players may need time to adjust to the radically different art style and gameplay mechanics ofDragon Age: The Veilguard.The game does a good job of teaching the player the basics over the course of a linear opening to the game but then starts to allow for more open-world exploration after some time. Players should make sure that they do a few things during the first ten hours of the game to set themselves up for success.
1Unlock At Least Three Active Abilities
This Gives You The Maximum Potential In Combat
Unlike previousDragon Agegames, the player only has access to three activated abilities at a time inVeilguard.While this is frustrating for some players who enjoyed the more tactical party-based gameplay of the previous games, it does keep the player’s combat abilities more focused. It also means that active abilities are, in general, more powerful than many of the abilities in previous games.
Players should spend some time looking through their class skill tree to figure out which of the abilities seem to appeal to them the most. They can then focus on unlocking three abilities through their first few level-ups of the campaign so that they have maximum combat potential.
2Experiment With The Combat System
The Gameplay Takes A Different Approach From The Series
SinceDragon Age: The Veilguardapproaches combat differently from previous games, long-time fans of the series may need to experiment with its system to find a build that they really like. The game makes this easy by allowing the player to refund skill points from the main menu at any time outside of combat. It does not cost any currency or materials to do so, which means that there is no limit to the number of times players can reselect their abilities to test out different builds.
With this in mind, Rook’s class is set in stone upon character creation and is the only thing about the character that can’t be changed during the campaign. Players should do a little bit of research to verify that they pick the right class because of this, but all sub-classes and abilities can be figured out through experimentation.
3Give A Companion A Gift
Companion Relationships Are A Bioware Staple
Like many party-based RPGs,Dragon Age: The Veilguardhas a system to track the relationships between the player character and their party members. Companions can approve or disapprove of decisions the player makes, and completing quests while traveling with a companion can increase their bond with Rook.
Outside these things, the player can also find gifts for specific companions in the markets of Treviso and Minrathous. Buying the gift and then going back to the Lighthouse to deliver it is a good way to increase the companion’s opinion of Rook. This is an especially important step if the player already knows which companion they want to romance and can find a gift for them specifically.
4Upgrade The Caretaker
The Higher His Rank, The Better Gear Rook Has
The Caretaker is a spirit who has made himself at home in the Lighthouse. Players can find him outside in the area between where Neve and Harding’s quarters are. The Caretaker has a shop that allows the player to upgrade the gear for Rook and company. It starts at Rank 1, and players need to upgrade the shop to unlock more upgrades for their party’s gear.
The Caretaker’s shop is upgraded differently than faction shops. The player has to find Mementos scattered across the maps of Thedas and then come back to the Lighthouse and select “Rank Up” from the Caretaker’s menu. The more Mementos collected, the more power the spirit has, and the more upgrades available for Rook and his party members. Upgrading this chain as quickly as possible is a great way to make sure that players are equipped for combat encounters even above their current level.
5Complete “The Labs Below”
Enter The Memories Of Fen’Harel
Around the Crossroads, players can find areas that transport them back to the ancient times ofSolas' rebellion against the Evanuris. Solas, his general Felassan, and the other elves treat Rook and his companions as if they were soldiers in Fen’Harel’s service. This gives the player some interesting insight into the events that led up to the creation of the Veil, including Solas' increased fear and desperation in the fight against the gods.
“The Labs Below” is one quest where players live out the past, and it shows interesting insight into Ghilan’nain’s experimentation with the Blight before it was fully formed. By completing this quest, players learn interesting lore about Thedas and gain experience for their character in the process. It is likely the first of these memories that players will find as well, giving the player the idea to explore the Crossroads more to keep revealing the truth about Solas' past.
6Complete “Sea Of Blood”
Recruit A Powerful Companion
Recruitingas many companionsas possible is an important part of setting up any RPG campaign, andVeilguardis no different. At the start of the game, the player only has Harding and Neve as companions, since Varric is badly injured in the opening mission of the game. Bellara is the next recruit, but the quest to recruit the elf mage happens while the game is still mostly on the rails. After the game world is more open-ended and players can choose where they go, one of the options is a quest called “Sea of Blood.”
This quest has Rook travel to the Antivan capital city, Treviso, to recruit a powerful assassin with a reputation for killing mages. Caterina, the First Talon of the Crows, sends Rook to an underwater prison to recruit her grandson. While there, the Crow needs to tie up a few loose ends with Rook’s help before he officially joins the Veilguard in its efforts to stop the old elven gods. After finishing this quest, the player has another great ally at their side.
7Unlock Exploration Maps
These Are Smaller Than Inquistion’sAreas
Many fans feel likeDragon Age: Inquisition’s exploration suffered from world maps that were too large and empty. In response,Veilguardhas slimmed downexploration mapsthat feel much more alive. These are not available from the start of the game, however, and unlock as the player progresses through quests and the main story.
The first few hours of the game may feel too linear for players who favor exploration in RPGs, but this does not last for the length of the game. By the end of the first ten hours, players should at least be able to explore Dock Town, Treviso, Arlathan, and the Crossroads. Some areas within these maps will still be off limits due to story reasons or the need to unlock a companion ability first, but there is plenty to do and see across the northern edge of Thedas whereVeilguardtakes place.
8Find Evanuris Altars
These Altars Expand Rook’s Health Bar
The Evanuris, the original name for the powerful mages that became known as the elven gods later on, have altars in the Fade and across the northern lands of Thedas. These are valuable for players, especially early on in the game. When players activate an Evanuris altar, it shoots out beams of light that point toward floating glistening glyphs. Players can hit these with any ranged attack to make them disappear. Once all of the glyphs have been hit, the altar gives Rook a permanent boost of+100 maximum health.
Players who find themselves regularly losing battles or in dire need of health should seek out the Evanuris altars in the Crossroads and Arlathan as soon as the game allows them to explore. This extra health can be the difference between life and death, especially before the player can upgrade their armor and get the hang of the combat system.
9Complete “An Unfamiliar Sense”
Harding Has Unusual Powers To Learn
Dwarves are an interesting peoplein Thedas. They cannot use magic, as they are not connected to the Fade. They do not dream, and they are resistant to lyrium’s effects after generations of living underground and surrounded by the mysterious ore.
Harding has an experience near the beginning ofVeilguardthat turns all of this upside down. When she grabbed Solas' lyrium dagger, she unlocked a powerful “stone sense” that seemed to be a unique form of magic that no living being had ever seen before. The quest “An Unfamiliar Sense” gives her the chance to hone these powers and allows Rook to explore more of Arlathan while getting to know the scout as well.
10Upgrade Faction Shops
Different Factions Offer Different Gear
Each of the factions in the game has theirseparate strength meterand needs to be leveled up to best help Rook defeat the elven gods. Factions gain power when Rook completes side quests for them, and also when items are bought or sold at the faction shop. Once the faction has enough strength (and Rook has the required resources), the faction’s shop can be upgraded.
The higher rank that a shop has, the more powerful items it has for sale. This includes new items that can replace what the player has been using but can also simply upgrade current gear to become more useful. Players should focus on one faction for a while so that they can level them up and get better gear as quickly as possible.
