Summary
A leading member of theDragon Agedevelopment team has indicated that player choices from earlier games in the series will continue to affect the state of the world of Thedas moving forward. While the most recentDragon Agegame included far fewer consequences for the actions of past games' protagonists than its predecessor, the team leader at BioWare seems to be hinting that the branching paths of the series' story will continue to play a role moving forward.
Dragon Age: The Veilguardwas released on October 31, ushering in a new chapter and a fourth major protagonist in the form of Rook, the leader of the titular task force bent on stopping Solas from tearing down the veil. Despite heavyreview bombing ofDragon Age: The Veilguarddue to the perceived inclusion of “woke” content, the action RPG still managed decent review scores and currently registers at 85, 82, and 76 on MetaCritic for Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, and PC, respectively. But aside from the review bombing, some players have been disenchanted withThe Veilguard’s drift away from the heavy choices-matter nature that the series had previously established across multiple games.
The prior installment included a companion website called The Keep, which tracks nearly 120 decisions fromDragon Age: Origins,Dragon Age 2, and their expansions, weaving those decisions into the story ofDragon Age: Inquisitionand leaving effects ranging from which characters can show up to casual asides in conversations. That system was heavily reduced in the fourth mainline game, as it onlycarries over three big decisions fromDragon Age: Inquisition. Now, in aninterview with IGN, Game Director Corrine Busche has indicated that while futureDragon Agegames won’t necessarily be as in-depth with choices asInquisitionwas, those choices will continue to affect the ongoing story.
Dragon Age Choices Will Still Impact Future Games
Specifically, Busche singled out thechoices inDragon Age: Originsas ones that she believes will continue to affect future games. “One thing that we could have stated more clearly or maybe alluded to more clearly in the game is the idea that just because these choices from the past library of games didn’t necessarily impact this particular story, that doesn’t mean they’re gone,” she noted during the interview.InquisitionandThe Veilguardare linked closely, probably more so than any other twoDragon Agegames, asInquisition’s Tresspasser DLC revealed that Solas, one of the Inquisitor’s closest companions, was actually the catalyst behind the events of that game, andThe Veilguardopens on the culmination of his insidious plans. Busche seems to indicate that encapsulation drives the events of the other twoDragon Agegames into the background, but only forThe Veilguard’s story.
Although nearly 10 years separated the releases ofInquisitionandThe Veilguard, theDragon AgeKeepis still operational and can still be used to customize a world state inInquisition. There’s no indication whether BioWare will ever use it again, though it does still track both major and minor decisions made during the first three games in the series.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
WHERE TO PLAY
Enter the world of Thedas, a vibrant land of rugged wilderness, treacherous labyrinths, and glittering cities – steeped in conflict and secret magics. Now, a pair of corrupt ancient gods have broken free from centuries of darkness and are hellbent on destroying the world.Thedas needs someone they can count on. Rise as Rook, Dragon Age’s newest hero. Be who you want to be and play how you want to play as you fight to stop the gods from blighting the world. But you may’t do this alone – the odds are stacked against you. Lead a team of seven companions, each with their own rich story to discover and shape, and together you will become The Veilguard.
