Dragon Age: The Veilguard is no exception when it comes to BioWare games raising the stakes following the player's decisions, yet there's a case to be made that the fate of one character, in particular, shouldn't have been down to choice alone. Both of BioWare's flagship franchises, Mass Effect and Dragon Age, are well-known for allowing the player's decision-making to shape its games' stories as they unfold. The latest Dragon Age: The Veilguard continues this trend, where the fate of several companions is determined by the player's actions and key choices made throughout the game.
However, based on the existing lore of the Dragon Age series and the scripted story of DA: The Veilguard, the fate of one specific companion potentially should have either come sooner in the game or not been left to the player's choice. Though it wouldn't be the first time a player's decisions led to the deaths of key characters within a BioWare game, DA: The Veilguard arguably misses the mark regarding its own unavoidable outcomes. So, while these moments are intended to force players to face the consequences of their actions, the specific companions chosen for this in DA: The Veilguard might not make sense in context.
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Spoilers for Dragon Age: The Veilguard ahead.
Deciding Who Leads The Distraction in Dragon Age: The Veilguard's Isle of the Gods Matters
The main story quest, "Isle of the Gods," is the beginning of the end of DA: The Veilguard, as once players have started this mission there is no turning back. Therefore, it is unsurprising that it would be at this point when DA: The Veilguard starts to put its characters in mortal danger where they might permanently die based on the player's in-game actions so far. However, while some companion deaths aren't fixed within the game and can be avoided, there are key choices DA: The Veilguard players make from this point onward that can lead to companions being kidnapped or even killed off completely.
Ultimately, while some choices don't outright kill the player's companions, deciding who should create a distraction and lead the second team during the Isle of the Gods quest does result in their death. In DA: The Veilguard, this particular choice forces players to decide between Harding or Davrin, though the consequences of this decision won't be immediately obvious until the quest's end. Yet the contrast these deaths have might be one-sided in hindsight, especially when Davrin's fate specifically should have been determined earlier in DA: The Veilguard.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard Sidestepped Davrin's Fate as a Grey Warden
For context, Dragon Age has outlined that only Grey Wardens can kill an Archdemon at the cost of their lives, but during DA: The Veilguard this isn't the case when Davrin slays Ghilan'nain's Archdemon Razikale. Instead, Davrin survives the encounter while Ghilan'nain is made mortal and later killed during the climax of Isle of the Gods. In doing so, DA: The Veilguard has sidestepped the series' lore and Davrin's fate as a Grey Warden, meaning that his potential death later in the game has its impact diminished since players were already anticipating this once before.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard's Choice Between Harding or Davrin Seems Moot
By extension, the fate of Harding or Davrin might arguably be a foregone conclusion if DA: The Veilguard kept to the series' lore, as the game doesn't give an explicit explanation as to how he initially survived, while Harding's story is pivotal to understanding the Blight's origins. Contextually, despite DA: The Veilguard's Grey Warden changes, Davrin's fate shouldn't have been down to the player's choice, as his death when killing Ghilan'nain would have completed his Grey Warden character arc. However, for some players, this decision becomes complicated whether they are romancing Harding or Davrin or would like Assan, Davrin's griffon, to survive too.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 80 /100 Critics Rec: 71%
- Released
- October 31, 2024
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood, Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- BioWare
- Publisher(s)
- Electronic Arts
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Frostbite
- Franchise
- Dragon Age
- PC Release Date
- October 31, 2024
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- October 31, 2024
- PS5 Release Date
- October 31, 2024
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
