Dragon Age: The Veilguard's new approach that integrated its companions and their abilities with in-game exploration is something the next Mass Effect game could learn and build from with the series' next roster of squadmates. Unlike its predecessor, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age: The Veilguard adapted its level design, balancing a greater focus on returning to key locations with large-scale environments for players to discover and explore. While recurring locations are a staple of RPGs, DA: The Veilguard and its companions appear to have taken inspiration from the Metroidvania genre when ensuring its levels had replay value.
With each companion that joins the player's party, new areas of DA: The Veilguard become accessible thanks to the various abilities its party members bring to the table. Besides the benefits this has for its level design, DA: The Veilguard's more Metroidvania-like approach gives its companions more to do and a sense of individuality beyond simply following the player around. Moreover, this is something the next Mass Effect could learn from, combining this new approach with its existing formula for background dialogue to add more depth to its squadmates, make them feel more engaged with the player, and open up new possibilities for level design.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard Blends Character, Level, and Story Design Together
While each companion brings unique abilities to DA: The Veilguard that helps the player open up new areas and pathways to explore its levels, there are several that stand out more due to how they further support the game's story. For instance, Harding's newly acquired magic to interact with and manipulate stone initially helps the player scale walls, cross gaps, or find new paths across multiple levels and areas. But should players follow Harding's character arc to discover the truth behind her seemingly impossible abilities, this can lead them to reveal hidden parts of dwarven history and ultimately the origins of Dragon Age's Blight.
Other companions' abilities appear to function similarly to this, where respective abilities are vital to DA: The Veilguard's level design and the characters' developing stories. Ranging from Taash's struggles with her own identity as a deified fire-breathing Qunari to Davrin's balancing duties between Assan, the griffons, and the Grey Wardens, their abilities are a direct connection to their characterization, DA: The Veilguard's story, and the franchise's canon as they are to the game's levels. As a result, DA: The Veilguard's companions like Taash, Davrin, and Harding seem more engaged with both its design and story.
Mass Effect 4 Should Take Notes From DA: The Veilguard's Companions
With BioWare confirming it will be singularly focused on the next Mass Effect game moving forward, it would be the perfect opportunity to review its Veilguard expectations to see what worked best and where things could be improved. Among these areas, DA: The Veilguard's approach to companions and proactively integrating them into the player's gameplay could be something Mass Effect 4 adopts. Much like the Dragon Age series, previous Mass Effect games have always included interparty dialogue, such as its infamous elevator conversations, but DA: The Veilguard's new approach demonstrates that these games can do more with its party members.
Mass Effect 4's Story Could Be Enhanced Through Its Squadmates
How Mass Effect 4 implements these abilities would depend on BioWare's interpretation of the series' sci-fi backdrop, but Metroidvania-like level design could improve exploration of Mass Effect's planets and stations, as well as develop its squadmates. By tapping into the existing lore from past games, Mass Effect 4 could subvert expectations and tackle new stories through its squadmates and their in-game abilities, such as the few examples below.
- A Geth hacker struggling in a post-Reaper galaxy.
- A Batarian refugee seeking answers behind Alpha Relay's destruction.
- A Quarian pilot reluctant to let go of their nomadic lifestyle.
- An Asari hiding their status as an Ardat-Yakshi.
With the chance for players to get a fresh start with the Mass Effect's universe, adopting DA: The Veilguard's companion approach could strengthen this as BioWare prepares to take the series and its ongoing story in a potentially new direction.
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
