Replaying Dragon Age: Inquisition has recalibrated my expectations for Dragon Age: The Veilguard

GamesRPGDragon Age: InquisitionReplaying Dragon Age: Inquisition has recalibrated my expectations for Dragon Age: The VeilguardWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: EA)

Cassandra

I had a real good time with Dragon Age: Inquisition when it came out. So did a lot of people. Itreviewed well, but it had the misfortune to come out six months before The Witcher 3, which rewrote everyone’s expectations for what this kind of open-enclosure RPG could be. The Witcher 3 asks: “What if (some of) the sidequests were (almost) as good as the main quests?” Compared to that, zones full of collectible shards and connect-the-dots puzzles start to look pretty weak.

It’s not an entirely fair comparison. Those smuggling caches Geralt hunted for were right out of aUbisoftopen world. I’d say they should get in the sea, but the problem is half of them are already there. And some of the “sidequests” people praised, like the Bloody Baron, aren’t sidequests at all. That one’s on the critical path. You can’t skip it. It’s a main quest, guys.

But it’s true that Inquisition fills your journal with filler tasks like “collect three bear claws”, and even when sidequests have a story to them it’s usually nothing special. Still, while the timing of its release didn’t do Inquisition any favors, it could have been worse. If it had come out when Mass Effect: Andromeda did, at the peak of “look at me, I’ve found a gif of a wonky animation” tweeting, it would have been mocked for that as thoroughly as Andromeda was.

In my current playthrough I’ve seen characters zipping back and forth at light speed in the background of conversations, and being flung into position from space as a cutscene begins. Hair clips through faces, fingers stretch when spells are cast, and smirks become horrible rictus grins whenever anyone says something that’s been tagged as “snarky” in the scripting spreadsheet, then stay that way for the rest of the conversation like the wind has changed.

(Image credit: EA)

Morrigan

At the time we ignored that stuff for the same reason we did in all the better BioWare games: the writing. And even though this replay has found me less patient with open-world guff than I was in 2014, I still enjoy hearing Cassandra grumble and Dorian be debonair.

The Iron Bull is a particular favorite. A brash, straightforward, shirtless Qunari warrior who comes off like a bit of an adrenaline junkie, he seems to get along with every other character you bring along on your adventures. Even Vivienne the ice queen warms up to him when he starts deferentially calling her “ma’am.”

(Image credit: EA)

The Iron Bull

The thing is, Bull’s actually a spy. Though the Qunari network he works for is on your side, because it’s hard not to be given the Inquisition’s whole “save the world” remit, he remains a trained manipulator. It’s just that he’s a different flavor of manipulator to the charming scoundrels we’re used to, and even when you know he’s a spy it’s easy to read his interactions on a more superficial level.

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

Solas doesn’t actually say, “I’ve heard there was a secret chord / That David played and it pleased the Lord / But you don’t really care for music, do you?” What he says has the same meter, though. “I’ve journeyed deep into the Fade / In ancient ruins and battlefields / To see the dreams of lost civilizations.”

(Image credit: EA)

Solas

He repeats this pattern in several conversations, even ones where the dialogue wheel pops up and lets you interject. If you choose lines that continue the rhythm, that match his flow, you get that little pop-up: “Solas slightly approves.” If you spot the secret motif of his dialogue and then choose responses specifically to maintain it, that smug egg gives you a single point of approval.

Yes, I romanced Solas. Yes, he broke up with me. No, that’s not relevant.

What makes me feel positive about The Veilguard, at least compared to a lot of the responses to its trailers I’ve seen others have, is that Trick Weekes is back to write it. I don’t expect the next Dragon Age game to have perfectly animated cutscenes, or sidequests that are as well-realized as the main ones, or even combat that’s anything to write home about, because none of the previous ones did. (Not even Origins.) I do expect it to have an interesting bunch of companions and some well-written dialogue, because that’s been true of Dragon Age across the whole series, despite its ups and downs, and that’s the one thing I’ve always enjoyed about them.

More about rpg

A Path of Exile 2 sorceress casting flaming skulls in a hellish landscape

Path of Exile 2 numberlord spends 16 straight days killing rare monsters to prove that a stat that makes loot better makes better loot

Double headed wizard man holding arms up looking sad

LatestToday’s Wordle answer for Saturday, January 11See more latest►

Latest

Today’s Wordle answer for Saturday, January 11

Wordle answers

Today’s Wordle answer for Saturday, January 11

See more latest►

Most Popular

The Witcher 3’s now 2-year-old bonus quest is our first taste of the ‘vibe’ CD Projekt is going for in The Witcher 4

2024 was the year updates for old games beat out all the new ones for me

Train like you game with this adventure-inspired workout

‘It’s simply impossible to make a difficulty level that’s just right for all players’: How Final Fantasy 14’s lead battle designer has been playing a precarious balancing game for Dawntrail’s dungeons and raids

Please join me in getting super excited for all the cool looking survival games coming in 2025 (and beyond)

Competitive shooters are at a crucial crossroads in 2025: ‘sweaty’ teamplay vs. casual fun

Call of Duty’s $28 Squid Game skins are the perfect crossover for our capitalist dystopia, and Activision knows exactly what it’s doing

These are the 14 biggest upcoming RPGs of 2025—get ready for another amazing year for the genre

Five new Steam games you probably missed (January 6, 2025)

I’ve seen enough: No more forcing singleplayer studios to make mediocre live service games

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

A bunch of the best Steam Deck accessories on a blue background.

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

Thank Goodness You’re Here review

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review

3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

4Ikea Utespelare desk review

Ikea Utespelare desk review

5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals#

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals