If you’re even remotely familiar with the Dragon Age series, you already know that BioWare experimented quite a bit with gameplay. From the real-time strategy RPG approach of Dragon Age: Origins, to the action experience of Dragon Age II set mostly within a city, to the strategy-action mix of Dragon Age: Inquisition, BioWare has never really done justice to the franchise’s combat. But the through line from Origins to Inquisition is clear. BioWare ostensibly wants this franchise to be action-packed, but they’ve attempted to turn it into that franchise without abandoning longtime fans.
With Dragon Age: The Veilguard, BioWare has completed the transition from strategy to real-time action, but seems to have found great combat thanks to optional tactical pause and play combat wheels that harken back to the series’ origins. ) The basis for Dragon Age combat. Of course, it’s hard to say how Veilguard’s action will hold up against dozens of hours-long RPGs, but if what we’ve seen so far is any indication, the studio is onto something.
change in strategy
“The first thing to keep in mind is that the combat (…) of the franchise has evolved,” game director Corinne Busche said from BioWare’s Edmonton offices. “Every single item reimagines what combat is like. Our goal was to have a system that would make players feel like they’ve actually stepped into the world of Thedas. They’re not players observing from afar – they’re in this world. You’re in a world that’s brought to life, and the combat system has to support it, so you can control every action, every block, every dodge, every sword swing.”
Busche says players complete all swings in real time, paying particular attention to animated swing throughs and cancellations. On the subject of cancellation, I watch the Busche “Bookmark” combo for a quick dash. This mechanic allows players to pause a combo by dashing to safety and later continue the combo from where they left off. Along with the dash, there’s a parry for some classes, the ability to charge moves, and an improved healing system that allows players to quickly use potions by pressing right on the D-pad.
Busche says that each character will play the same way regardless of class, in that they will execute weak and strong attacks with the same buttons, use abilities with the same buttons, and interact with the combo wheel in the same way. During the demo, we used the Qunari, sword-and-shield warriors who deal high damage with their swords while throwing and aiming their shields like Captain America. If you press the same button as the wizard, you can sometimes throw a magical ranged attack instead of a shield.
Abilities like the warrior’s Spartan kick or the wizard’s firewall that inflicts damage over time add to the player’s repertoire of combat options. Warriors can block incoming attacks and surprise their enemies in the process. The rogue has a larger parry window, and the wizard cannot parry at all, but instead throws a shield that blocks all incoming damage as long as he has the mana to maintain the shield.
“This is just a criterion that allows us to achieve that level of immersion: ‘I’m actually in this world, I’m a part of it,’” Busche says. “But again, linking abilities and strategies and the abilities of your companions together to perform devastating combos is where the depth and complexity comes into play.”
Abilities and Skill Tree
Warrior Look Skill Tree
This also applies to your companions, who bring three abilities into battle out of a total of five that you select and execute using the quick select button or the pause and replay battle wheel. Each time you level up a companion’s relationship, you unlock skill points that can be used specifically for that companion. This is how you unlock new combat abilities.
The companion skill tree is pale compared to Rook’s extensive tree, which features passive abilities, combat abilities, and more, and offers three unique class specialization paths, but there’s still some customization here.
You can find Rook and his allies’ skill trees in Veilguard’s Start or Pause menu. This menu also contains the Veilguard’s map, journal, character sheet pages, and lore library. Here, you can cross-compare your gear and equip new gear for Luke and companions, build weapon loadouts, and customize abilities and builds through the aforementioned skill tree that is relatively easy to understand.
You won’t find any “mistake” details here, Busche says. That said, the newly unlocked perk may increase damage to armor by 25%, but that’s only as deep as the numbers go. Passive abilities unlock jump attacks and guaranteed critical hit opportunities, and abilities add moves like Firewall and Spartan Kick to your arsenal. Assigning this 100% customized skill tree to each class will get you closer to unlocking specializations (without requiring you to reach max level 50). Every class has three specializations, each with its own ultimate ability. Busche says BioWare’s philosophy with skill trees is “to change the way you play, not the statistical details.”
companion in battle
If you completely ignore your companions in battle, they will attack targets, use abilities, and defeat enemies on their own. “(The companions) are their own people,” Busche says. “They have their own actions, have autonomy on the battlefield and will choose their own goals. As the plot progresses, they will learn how to use their abilities more competently, just like fighting in real life. I feel it with these enlightened characters in battle.”
On colleague synergy, Busche adds: “I see all the abilities Harding has, and I see all the things Bellara can do. Sometimes it’s using vulnerabilities as synergies. Maybe it’s pausing or slowing down time with Bellara. With Harding, I can unleash devastating attacks. “It’s a game where I can take down enemies, and then I, as Luke, utilize this setting they’ve created for me to create an organic sense of teamwork.”
Busche says there are more obvious synergies through intentional combos that certain companions can play with each other, and you can queue up their abilities to do this. This is what Veilguard’s pause and replay battle wheel is for.
From this screen, which pauses the camera and brings up a flashy combat wheel that highlights your and your allies’ skills, you can select abilities, queue up, and strategize with the synergies and combos the game recognizes while targeting specific enemies. there is. Choose what you want and release the wheel to watch your choice play out.
put it together
During a mission within the Arlathan Forest following Veilguard’s prologue, Busche utilizes Veilguard’s dual loadout mechanic. Rook can create two weapon loadouts so he can quickly switch between them during combat. As Mage Luke, she uses her magic attacks to add 3 arcane accumulations to create an arcane bomb on her Sentinel, a set of mechanical armor possessed by a demon. If you hit Sentinel’s Vision Bomb with a strong attack, the enemy will suffer enormous damage. Once the Sentinel equips the Arcane Bomb, Busche begins unleashing powerful attacks on his magic wand and switches to the magic dagger from Rook’s second loadout. Rook’s second loadout allows you to unleash a quick light attack with a quick tap on the D-pad. She then returns to her staff to complete her attack charge. She then unleashes a powerful attack and the mystical bomb explodes in a fluid vortex of green magic.
“I’ve seen (Veilguard’s combat) improve over time, and I really like it,” said BioWare general manager Gary McKay. “I like the balance of real-time, fluid action, but I also like the ability to have a lot of RPG depth, not only in terms of pausing and playing, but also in terms of how you bring your companions onto the battlefield. What are you going to do with their skill points? What loadout are you going to use? It’s all about bringing Luke to the center of the battlefield, and I love that.”
Former Dragon Age executive producer and Veilguard consultant Mark Darrah believes Veilguard is the first game where combat is legitimately fun. “What I see in Veilguard is a game that is finally bridging the gap,” he says. “Ruthlessly, previous Dragon Age games have reached the realm of ‘the combat wasn’t bad either.’ In this game, the combat is actually fun, but it maintains the thread that’s always been there. It focuses on Rook and the characters, while still allowing the other people in the party to get involved.” Take control and bring your character to the battle experience.”
Watching Busche play Veilguard for a few hours, I got the feeling that BioWare designed a combat system that relies heavily on extracting what the player wants. If you want to press the button when the cooldown expires to freely use the ability, you’ll probably be good to go (although you can on the game’s easier difficulties). However, if you want to strategize combos, take advantage of elemental vulnerabilities, and utilize min-max companion and rook loadouts, you can do that too, and I think you’ll find Veilguard rewards that provide a richer experience.
For more on the game, including exclusive details, interviews, video features, and more, click the Dragon Age: Veilguard hub button below.
