Why I'm worried about Dragon Age: The Veilguard—and the Tiamat-sized RPG Baldur's Gate 3 looming over it is just the start

GamesRPGDragon Age: DreadwolfWhy I’m worried about Dragon Age: The Veilguard—and the Tiamat-sized RPG Baldur’s Gate 3 looming over it is just the startWhen 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: Future)

Dragon Age: The Veilguard character Solas

As a huge fan of the Dragon Age series, I’m seriously worried about the impending reveal ofDragon Age: The Veilguard(formerly known asDragon Age: Dreadwolf), which is reported to be getting an official unveiling next week. This worry stems not just from everything we know so far about its development, but also from my own selfish, personal history with the series, which has been incredibly important to me and, to this day in 2024, I hold great affection for. Oh, and then there’s the huge Tiamat-sized dragon in the room, too, but we’ll get to that shortly.

I’m hoping we will get a return of everyone’s favourite witch, Morrigan, in Dragon Age: The Veilguard.(Image credit: Future)

Dragon Age character Morrigan, the Witch of the Wilds

A storied lineage

We all have landmark gaming experiences. Those moment-in-time, formative gaming events that not only shape or reaffirm our gaming tastes, but linger with us long after the dust has settled on their days in the sun. The games of our lives, so to speak.

For me, one of those all-timers was Dragon Age: Origins. It was a fantasy RPG of such immense game-changing scope and class that PC Gamer described it as “mythical” in its 2009 review, calling it the “RPG of the decade” and awarding it one of the highest scores we’ve ever doled out, a hot as dragon’s breath 94%.

Leliana is a class act. I bet you can hear her silky voice in your head even now years later.(Image credit: Future)

Dragon Age character Leliana will likely return in The Veilguard

Thanks to the exceptional audio-visual fidelity, buckets of cinematic flair, and—most importantly of all in cementing it as a game of my life—vividly real characters (Morrigan, Alistair, Leliana and more) and mature storytelling, the experience of first playing it remains with me to this day. It was epic in every sense of the word and I, like millions of other PC gamers, had never seen anything like it.

Fighting Fade demons FTW!(Image credit: BioWare/EA)

Dragon Age Origins demon being fought by a knight

Fade spectre at the feast

And we didn’t see anything like it again for almost 14 years, not until Larian Studios dropped its own landmark game-changer, the peerlessBaldur’s Gate 3, which did exactly what Dragon Age: Origins had done back in 2009, taking the craft of fantasy RPG to an entirely new level of quality, immersion and reactivity, one far in advance of anything else available today.

Yes, sure, we got more Dragon Age in the years between the two releases, but never again did we get a game that matched Origin’s ambition or quality. Dragon Age 2? It scored well (in my opinion PC Gamer’sDragon Age 2 reviewwas waaaay too high), but the scope wasfarreduced and it was hard to say it did anything better than Origins maybe other than in the more engaging, dramatic nature of its combat animations. Coming off the game-changing epic of the original, it was an anticlimax.

Dragon Age Inquisition took the series to new heights in terms of cinematic flair.(Image credit: Future)

Dragon Age screenshot showing Elf hero looking pensive

As for Dragon Age: Inquisition, that’s an interesting one, and I think my feelings were largely captured accurately in PC Gamer’s ownDragon Age: Inquisition review. While there was no doubt that Dragon Age as a series had never looked better, or had more of a cinematic feel, its lower review score of 87%, along with “persistent flaws” and, at least to my tastes, zeitgeisty at the time but now badly dated MMO gameplay elements, meant that while this was no-doubt a great fantasy RPG, it still fell shy of the landmark nature of the original. I’ve never actually replayed Inquistion to its conclusion after my initial playthrough, and I think that’s telling.

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

Solas appears to be the primary antagonist in Dragon Age The Veilguard.(Image credit: BioWare/EA)

Dragon Age The Veilguard antogonist, Solas the elf, with a huge wolf walking next to him through smoke

But it’s not just the now inevitable comparison to Baldur’s Gate 3 that has me most worried about Dragon Age: The Veilguard, nor its reportedly troubled development history—it’s that it could very well be a deflating send-off for a series that started with such immense promise and that, in my mind, has never fully had that promise brought to fruition. The promise that it might have been a series that could have been as impactful and cemented in PC gaming culture and legend as Baldur’s Gate has been.

Of course, The Veilguard will not be a true Dragon Age game unless you have the opportunity to take down at least one dragon.(Image credit: Future)

Dragon Age hero fighting a dragon

Despite dark omens, I won’t walk away

But I won’t walk away from the series. Dragon Age is one of the defining videogaming events of my life, and while there’s a hint of its original magic and promises still left, I’ll be keeping the faith in the series and playing its long-awaited next installment. I’ve got a huge affinity for its world, lore and characters, and I want to experience their continuation and, potentially, finale.

A glorious victory for Dragon Age: The Veilguard seems unlikely, but it’s not impossible.(Image credit: Electronic Arts)

Dragon Age: Inquisition image showing knight holding sword above his head

Here’s hoping, then, that lightning can truly strike twice in the fantasy RPG genre—after all, Baldur’s Gate 3 followed its second installment after a huge wait and was a monumental success. Needless to say, I’ll be watching this summer’s Dragon Age: The Veilguard reveal while praying to the Maker that a miracle is forthcoming.

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

LatestWormhole is an impeccable arcade revival of Snake that plays like it fell off the back of Derek Yu’s vanSee more latest►

Latest

Wormhole is an impeccable arcade revival of Snake that plays like it fell off the back of Derek Yu’s van

Wormhole

Wormhole is an impeccable arcade revival of Snake that plays like it fell off the back of Derek Yu’s van

See more latest►

Most Popular

18 games the PC Gamer team can’t wait to play in 2025

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)

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! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback3WD 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: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

Thank Goodness You’re Here review

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback

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

A storied lineage#

Fade spectre at the feast#

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals#

Despite dark omens, I won’t walk away#

A storied lineage

Fade spectre at the feast

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

Despite dark omens, I won’t walk away