Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s long-awaited gameplay demo is finally here, and yes, Solas is back
Dragon Age: The Veil GuardThe game’s extended gameplay reveal is finally here, giving fans a first look at their next big adventure.
BioWare released its long-awaited gameplay demo today (June 11), where we were treated to a 20-minute walkthrough set early in the game.
We start in a sprawling city, bustling with NPCs, as playable character Rook alongside returning character Varric Tethras, searching for one of many new companions, Neve Gallus – an Ice Mage.
In this demo, Rook is a level one Rogue equipped with dual swords and a bow. It’s worth noting that the HUD is very sleek and minimal during the battle sequence and also features an automatic loot mechanic when enemies are killed.
There is also a power limit and attacks seem to be fast and fluid, with no apparent cooldown on basic attacks.
During the demo we were also shown the Ability Wheel, which allows the player to pause the action and choose from Rook’s abilities, including one called Static Strike.
As you progress and level up, more skills are accessible on the Ability Wheel. This feature also allows you to control your companions’ attacks and unleash powerful abilities. Companions will also seemingly act independently during battle, aside from when you choose to use the Ability Wheel.
Naturally, the choice system returns, with multiple dialogue options that can change your playthrough. We don’t necessarily see consequences happening, but like others dragon age titles allow the player to choose what type of personality Rook will have.
There are a number of enemy types throughout the demo, including a number of different demons, along with a boss encounter called the Pride Demon, which has a series of AOE (Area of Effect) attacks.
When the game is not in active combat, it looks beautiful. Environments look lush and expansive, and companions look incredibly detailed during cutscenes and gameplay.
At the end of the demo, the fans were – finally! – given their first in-game look at the game’s main antagonist, Solas.
During this encounter, Rook is asked via the dialogue system to choose which companion to take with him on a short quest to disrupt Solas’ ritual. In this case, it doesn’t seem like the feature will have a major impact on the story, but other decisions throughout the game will likely have more impact.
Dragon Age: The Veil Guard doesn’t have a release date yet, but we can expect the game to release on PS5, Xbox Series