Dragon Age: The Veilguard gameplay features explosive reunion with fan favorite villain

The first gameplay trailer for Dragon Age: The Veilguard has revealed its explosive new combat system, as well as reuniting classic characters from the older games, with a familiar face returning as a villain.

The fourth Dragon Age game has had a long development with many rumored behind-the-scenes changes. Recently, it was revealed that the game’s name was changed from Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, to Dragon Age: The Veilguard, suggesting a change in direction.

The first trailer for Dragon Age: The Veilguard at the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase was met with a mixed response from fans due to its cartoonish visuals. A new trailer showing off the gameplay may have dispelled those doubts, as it shows a dark world that Dragon Age fans will be familiar with.

The trailer features Varric and Harding from the original Dragon Age trilogy as party members, with a protagonist with the Rogue class in the lead. It’s quickly established that Solas from Dragon Age: Inquisition is still the villain and is trying to destroy The Veil, the mysterious barrier between the planes.

The gameplay in Dragon Age: The Veilguard is more action-themed than previous entries, though it’s difficult to fully judge this, as controlling the party members wasn’t shown in the trailer. Instead, the Rogue protagonist quickly dashed around using dual-blades and arrows to deal with foes, giving the game a swifter, more action-RPG gameplay style than before.

The trailer also gives us a glimpse at the Tevinter Imperium, the main location of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which has only been referenced in prior games. It’s shown as a state where laws are brutally enforced via magic, even while Solas tries to bring about the apocalypse.

The trailer ends with Solas’s long-awaited return as Varric tries to talk him out of his plan. Solas is trying to destroy the Veil to bring back the ancient world, flooding it with demons in the process. The party manages to stop him, forcing Solas to flee, but likely only delaying his plan.

The new Dragon Age: The Veilguard did exactly what it needed to do: put fans’ fears to rest. This is definitely the classic Dragon Age gameplay everyone wants. It continues the story set up in the previous game, with fan favorites back in action. It has us hyped for the game’s launch, which is currently set for Fall 2024.