Dragon Age: The Veilguard | Gameplay Reveal Reaction & Breakdown

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[@catika505]

You can see why Dorian hated Fereldan so much 😅 I expect they had the character at level 1 due to heavy spoilers everywhere else in the game. The Mass Effect 3 demo featured the Surkesh mission but that was literally the only one they could feature as the Reapers weren't present at all.

[@thirdcoinedge]

Compared to Fereldan, Tevinter looks like it actually has indoor plumbing.

[@lolmosse7276]

@@thirdcoinedgeI won’t be surprised if Tevinter has indoor heating lol😂 Wait didn’t Dorian complain about how cold the South is 🤔

[@foxfire9320]

@@lolmosse7276 In Thedas, the north is warm and the south is cold 🤓

[@thirdcoinedge]

@@foxfire9320 On a side note, that's one of the things I like about the Dragon Age universe: Southern Hemisphere representation. It's just nice seeing a fantasy geography that's more like South America in positioning than Europe, where going North=warmer and going South=colder. It's minor, but I still like it.

[@sydneydunaway5618]

@@thirdcoinedgenot surprising, it’s based off Rome, where the wealthy had access to indoor plumbing.

[@realitytripz6998]

I'm calling a Solas redemption, in the end he is going to help us defeat the other elven gods and die in the process or not depending on the inquisition ending

[@Majinseii]

The story may not end with his downfall but he's damn well gonna suffer

[@HyouVizer]

​@@Majinseiisince this game is taking a lot of mass effect mechanics, maybe renegade action to stomp his face in?

[@nightfrost1891]

i feel like he's going to have a magneto-esqe storyline and i've always felt that

[@et5216]

Oh no I better get the chance to kill him. That pompous traitor doesn’t deserve this second chance. He already had his chance.

[@DZGC43]

Im defently killing him

[@jameskeller1910]

Look, it's tradition, everytime a new cgi trailer comes out for Dragon Age the fan base freaks out about the Franchise's demise.

[@Myhaay]

because each game after origins has been worse, you can go with an open mind and hope for a good game, but dragon age origins fans did not want another action rpg, they wanted something akin to origins, upon seeing the dialogue wheel and combat of course the fans will get frustrated.

[@brunokingz]

@@Myhaay So don't play, it's that simple lol

[@adrianbrodin1319]

@@Myhaay It's been 15 years. The change happened 13 years ago with Dragon Age 2. I love Origins too, but at this point you're just whining.

[@Glonag]

So you want to say that in 15 years they haven’t understand that they don’t know how to make trailers and they can let someone else make them?

[@Myhaay]

@@adrianbrodin1319 it's not whining, i am not even a huge fan of the series, haven't cared since inquisition that much. i am explaining that the freak-out has a reason and is completely valid. @brunokingz i won't, i'll probably wait for a sale, or if more footage comes out and i like it, i will play it day 1.

[@TheMengoMango]

I know some people are not big on the more cartoony graphics, but i like it. I'm a bigger fan of stylistic graphics than photorealistic graphics. It usually ages better as well.

[@piesoup]

Happy to finally see some KZbinrs being optimistic about the game

[@KeelahVhenan]

Wow. You've come SO far since those early Silent Hill 2 days. Told you that you'd make it big.

[@rads_irl]

I will say, it's a very apt description of a gameplay reveal because like the dialogue wheels and the story and all of our choices are a large chunk of DA gameplay and is as important as the combat is in any given game. I really gosh darn hope that what this game is is as the reveal depicts, like 50% combat 50% just story and yapping because that's what I ultimately want from a Dragon Age game. Yapping and murder.

[@masc4mascara39]

Refreshing to finally see a measured and thoughtful take that isn’t an over-reaction (and sadly often laced with undertones of political hate). Enjoyed the vid!

[@nethrelm]

You wouldn't know this because you only played them on PC, but the console versions of the Dragon Age games have always only allowed 3 ability shortcuts at once (on Xbox they are mapped to X, Y, and B). The PC versions have always played a bit differently, giving more tactical options and shortcuts. The console version of Inquisition apparently did have multiple shortcut sets that you could flip between for the 3 buttons, but I don't know much about it since I only played the PC version of that one. I did play Origins and DA2 on console (Xbox 360 to be specific) before later replaying them on PC though. So it's possible that they went back to the "only 3 at once" design of Origins and DA2, or it may be that there is a way to flip between various sets of 3 shortcuts once you learn more abilities like in Inquisition. I have no idea if they are planning to have a different experience for PC again or if they are going for a unified experience on both console and PC this time.

[@tiffk5768]

Im pretty sure it was 6 because you had to hold trigger to see the other 3

[@thirdcoinedge]

"People are always dying. It is what they do." I appreciate that they kept Solas' contempt for mortality intact from the last game. If there's one thing that gives me hope about Veilguard, it's keeping Solas as a well-written character. Also, looks like Rook continues the Inquistor's tradition of royally f**king up Solas' plans, because now we've apparently freed either two of the Old Gods or two of the Evanuris (or maybe they're the same? That would be a twist), and given the many Darkspawn enemies on the poster, maybe we've accidentally started the 6th Blight. 29:36 Yes, some of the interviews released have revealed we will be able to play as human, elf, dwarf, or qunari (fully customizable protagonist, baby!). They also apparently have a lighting slider so we can be sure the model looks good in both darkness & when fully-lit (they remembered the uncanny valley horrors possible in Inquisition and sought to rectify it), and they kept the varied voices of Inquisition (no Australian voice, unfortunately :( 51:39 Yeah, if I get the game, the Vincent Price insert is staying with me. If it's possible for Manfred to die in a heroic sacrifice due to our choices, I will be in tears. Also Taash, because if they're giving us the opportunity to start a sapphic romance with another Qunari, I will f**king take it. Edit: Apparently some of the animators for Emmerich's romance scenes are putting out some...interesting implications about what we have in store for us with him, so that'll be fun.

[@zaekulia]

I honestly don't like that they seem to force the decision of stopping Solas mid ritual on our character while we play them I would be fine with it if it happened before the actual game like what happened at the start of Inquisition but this way it feels like it would take me out of the character

[@jamskinner]

Terrible writing.

[@HyouVizer]

**Googles Vincent Price** holy shit wow...just wow

[@nightfrost1891]

people say 'writers have changed!' but the main guy who made solas is still writing for him and that's the main big thing we needed to be concerned about

[@arlaux]

@@jamskinner Wow, really? So you believe Solas was poorly writing in Inquisition because its literally the same writer. You will have the minority opinion too Solas is still considered one of the best written characters in the entire series.

[@tsox111]

I like the style, if you pause close up on the faces it’s almost like a digital painting.

[@willcurr3299]

WOOOOO! My hype for Dragon Age is back. Still have no clue what my Rook is going to be. Plan on replaying the series to try and give me a vibe for what I want to play. The only choice I can see myself not going with is Grey Warden, since I want to have a unique background and we've played a Warden in the past.

[@Jpow5734]

I love how laid back you are in your opinion on games, some people seem to take things way too seriously and are so rabid, jumping to hate and negativity, draining any amount of excitement someone might have as if nobody can have differences in opinions or preferences so it’s nice to actually have a level headed response to something like this that isn’t clouded by biases against the developers or pre existing opinions that people have already made up in their heads before even being give any information. Obviously that doesn’t mean there aren’t any real worries that people might have with this game but overall this looks quite decent and a lot better than I expected and those issues can easily be resolved with a little bit more information and hands on experience with the game because in reality this is only 15 minutes of the full picture so obviously we can’t know everything.

[@volourn9764]

Seems you dont like it when people have a different opinion than you. Hmmm..

[@Jpow5734]

@@volourn9764 no, I have a problem with needless negativity and people criticising others for their own opinions.

[@volourn9764]

@@Jpow5734 yup, you don't like it when people dont share your opinion. That's already been established.

[@Jpow5734]

@@SnailHatan why do you think I don’t also deeply care about this series? I grew up with dragon age, my favourite fantasy rpg of all time is DA:O. I have experienced every high and low point in this series, I know full well how much this game means for some people because I have experienced first hand by how it’s changed my life and has given me so many happy memories individually and with my family but I have grown to understand the truth that we will never get another origins, it has been nearly 15 years since that game came out and we have yet to have a game that comes close to replicating it because we never will, I understand that the team that made that game have long moved on to different things so even hoping for it is unrealistic so I personally think that people should grow to appreciate the newer games or let go of the past, in my opinion none of the games are inherently bad and the series hasn’t been on a downward spiral at all I just think that the games have all tried to do completely different things, surpassing each other or not in different aspects. I’m not saying other people can’t have different opinions or that I’m disregarding peoples thoughts on the series, the issue I mainly have isn’t with people thinking this is bad though I do believe some people are over exaggerating at how bad it is but I have an issue with the people that try to spread negativity amongst others and that disregard the people that actually do like what they see with this and criticise them for having different opinions than themselves, I have seen so many people call others stupid, blind or having bad taste in games when in reality it’s not that serious and that other people should be happy that others find enjoyment where they don’t instead of trying to bring them down.

[@SnailHatan]

@@Jpow5734Valid criticisms are not needless negativity.

[@AlexanderHamilton10]

Glad you're hyped for it! I really appreciate the shout out for those of us that were laid off. I know the team is working incredibly hard to deliver a great player experience. I've been a fan of your channel for a while and seeing the enjoyment you got out of the previous entries was really motivating.

[@xgon3825]

It looks great to me and I'm just so excited for more dragon age after this long. The thing I'm mostly skeptical about gameplay-wise is the limited ability wheel, but I also think it's important to note that like, in inquisition blocking, dodging, parrying, and charge attacks were all things you had to actively unlock with skill points that took up ability slots and now seem just built into Rook's basic moveset.

[@josephsmith754]

I've been a dragon age fan since 2011 when I played origins loved t too bits same with 2 but didn't get to play inquisition till later but I really enjoyed it and the dlc was a masterpiece the cgi tralier for veilguard felt a bit off but I really like the gameplay they showed I can't wait to see the story and what happeneds 😊

[@kenn.123]

Let me preface my comment by saying that I will be playing Veilguard pretty much no matter what, even if it gets bad reviews, just so I can see what happens with the story. Having said that though, this reveal was just ... fine? Not bad, not great, just fine? I think everyone's expectations were so low after all the turmoil with BioWare and the Dragon Age team the last several years, that a perfectly okay gameplay reveal becomes "BioWare is back!" because of the relief that the reveal wasn't awful. Good things about the reveal: 1) They let the gameplay speak for itself instead of having a talking head comment over it. 2) Environments are really beautiful and evocative. 3) Music is good. Perfectly okay things about the reveal: 1) Combat is okay - looks about the same as Inquisition but with a snazzier looking combat wheel. Not a fan of the action-y combat but it's been that way for a while. 2) Character models are okay - I would prefer a more realistic looking style like Inquisition but this is passable. (Also, to the many people claiming that the character models in today's gameplay reveal would be vastly different from those in the companion trailer from two days ago - Varric, Harding, and Neve look almost exactly the same as the companion trailer, just saying.) 3) Story and dialog are fine - hard to tell from what little of it we saw. Dialog wheel looks like a hybrid of Dragon Age II and Inquisition. The story is what will be most important in the final game - I can overlook weaknesses in everything else if the story and dialog are good. Potentially very bad thing about the reveal: 1) Are your companions invulnerable? There were no companion health bars during combat at all. For all the complaints of "dumbing down combat" from Dragon Age II and Inquisition, this would really be dumbing down the combat. I'm hoping the companion health bars just weren't implemented yet for some reason. Overall, a perfectly okay gameplay reveal - so, very cautious optimism from me. BioWare isn’t back yet but this was a decent first step.

[@BSingh18]

A reasonable view on the internet...am I seeing things?

[@Myhaay]

@@BSingh18 a lot of people have reasonable views, they just don't actually spend the time to articulate it in long-form like this, and it creates a lot of misconceptions and summarizing. try typing a comment on what you think of a game and see how the words just fill the screen and you think it's an essay already by the halfway point.

[@arlaux]

@@Myhaay I wish I held your optimism tbh

[@brendanmohareful]

I agree with you on all counts. I am pretty disappointed that they aren't going for more realistic art style like in DAI. If companions are invulnerable, that would be really bad, and also, can we have 3 companions? The banter and dialogue being something we love about the game, having one fewer companion limits that to a significant degree.

[@Myhaay]

@@arlaux it's not optimism, i just realized it sometimes happened to me, so i decided to give a little bit benefit of the doubt, a lot of times he is right.

[@BlackBurrito9073]

you know... what people tend to forget about Dragon Age is that the franchise was always headed in this direction. History and context are important when it comes to judging a videogame company... And in the case of BioWare... when they developed Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 they did it with the goal of renovating the classical turn-based RPG system... into something more akin to real-time combat. If you pay attention you will notice that the gamplay of the first 2 BGs are nothing like Larian's BG3. So after the Baldur's Gate Franchise.... they created Dragon Age Origins as a way to perfect what they started in BG1 and 2, with a combat system that still has a lot of Turn-based elements but that it could also be played like a ARPG, now with a Third Person camera and all. Dragon Age 2 was the natural evolution of BioWare transforming the Classical RPG gameplay into an ARPG... but because of the big backlash they received from people who wanted the approach of Origins back... they recoiled a bit which resulted in the hybrid gameplay of Inquisition. Dragon Age The Veilguard and it's combat system looks like an updated version of DA2 (with some borrowed elements of Mass Effect), which taking into account their history.... it is the natural conclusion of the franchise. Now... im not saying that we should be praising the game instead of being cautious, im just saying that we should let the game speak for itself once it comes out.

[@MalarikFilms]

17:27 they confirmed you have more, it's easy to switch out, but they aren't showing it yet

[@MalarikFilms]

My source is one of the 100 articles that came out 😅 Also they said they changed the design for the demons because they wanted to make them look more otherworldly and less physical, more like they aren't supposed to be there. More unstable and tendrily.

[@MalarikFilms]

Def recommend reading up on them... Cuz they confirmed so much (actually don't read the articles, if you have tumbler, someone made it all into a 3 post bullet point list. (They confirmed too much to have in a single post)

[@MalarikFilms]

29:49 they confirmed you can be any race

[@Kaleimaya]

It's been confirmed on their twitter that there will be 4 races to choose from, human, elf, dwarf and qunari, and the 7 companions will be romanceable regardless of gender and races (like da2 or bg3), there are 6 (or 7 i don't remember) backgrounds to choose from, like shadow dragons, antivan crows, etc, and there will be a hub/camp called "the lighthouse", that's about it Regarding the "only 2 companions", in the trailer we have varric as a third, so maybe a lot of missions will have random npc characters popping up to help us

[@toosquare]

I think they said there are 6 backgrounds each corresponding to one of the companions, with the exception being Harding and the Inquisition

[@Kaleimaya]

@@toosquare Yes thank you ! They added a ton of stuff today too : - photomode confirmed - fully offline single player, no micro-transaction, no EA account linking - Each faction you can join offer passive buff (having more potion, extra damage against certain type of ennemies) - The DA Keep won't work but there will be a part in the main menu where you can customize your inquisitor and make a few key decisions (i guess if you've romanced Solas) - 3 class (Warrior/Rogue/Mage) with 3 specialization each (like DAI) - There are open area and restricted ones - Elemental weaknesses on ennemies - Nudity confirmed - Character creator let you adjust the lighting to make sure your character looks good - Trot cards are coming back And many more but some are spoilery so i'm not putting them here

[@toosquare]

@@Kaleimaya No Keep working is disappointing, but it's probably fair to try and move past the massive amount of previous choices since there'd be no realistic way to take into account all of them. Do you know if they said anything about Companion specific Specializations? That was one of my favorite details in DA2, and I was a bit disappointed that Inquisition didn't do that and just gave the companions each a specialization that you can have.

[@Kaleimaya]

@@toosquare on the companion one I think it's the same as DAI to an extent. So you can't directly control your companion in DA4 but you can give them command on which skills they are gonna use, and they said something about companions having unique skills ? So I believe they will have the same classes as the protagonist but a bit different to fit each of them ? (Neve is a frost mage for exemple, and we can be a mage too, but i guess we can chose ice, fire or anything so she will be more.. specialized than us ? If that make sense ?) For the keep i was a little disappointed too but if we can input our choices in the main menu it's okay, i guess they just won't ask you if zevran is dead or if you saved your dalish clan in dai

[@sirlaughalot0785]

I wasn’t the only one who noticed the “Game engine footage” on the reveal trailer? It didn’t look cg. Honestly it was a hell of a task to impress players who have been waiting a decade for this game. I think almost everyone had something different in mind, judging by the negativity. I’m seeing a lot of comparisons to origins in terms of tone. 15 years of a difference will do that. I like that every dragon age game is different and not a carbon-copy of each other, like the mass effect trilogy. Thanks for the reaction Mapo. I agree with your point about the demo being bare-bones, they could’ve shown more. Can’t wait for the play-through in autumn.

[@alexandrasloane]

I watched all your other DA paythroughs and your playthrough of this new one is the one I'm most looking forward to out of everyone I watch on youtube. I enjoyed how you got into the lore of the first three, felt like you really genuinely loved the story! So excited for the new game!

[@idlevillager3763]

Ok until proven otherwise, my headc=anon is that Varic tried to dye his hair his natural blonde when he noticed the grey hairs coming in, but it turned out bright orange. so he had to dye it a darker colour to "fix" it and ended up liking the look.

[@claurin284]

Fun fact: red hair doesn’t go gray. 😅

[@aceofblades6574]

@@claurin284 Some red hair does go grey, it really depends. I know a friend whose mother had dark red hair when she was younger who now has hair that is very very similar to how Varric's looks here.

[@_tasiaxnot]

Y’all varric hasn’t been a redhead since DA2 he’s a brunette with red undertones in Inquisition.

[@anonymoose4423]

Thanks for your reaction, Mapo! I'm excited to play and see how the Solas situation plays out! ❤

[@ranasi1210]

Ah. It's nice to be home, guys. And hey, Mapolas is baack! I honestly was hating the trailer but my tears were gone when the gameplay dropped. I don't know why they would remove playable companions necessarily but I can get used to it, if it's as responsive as in Mass Effect. I'm more about the lore, the story, the friendships this series has gifted us and I can't wait for it :( But lucky...or hopefully I will be right in time to buy my brand new PC to enjoy the game to the fullest! I finally found a decent girly to romance. My bi soul is saved. Thanks god we got Harding😭

[@BSingh18]

you can switch characters apparently, its just no shown in the gameplay.

[@ranasi1210]

@@BSingh18 Yo really? Neat!

[@rickbotic6063]

My dwarven Inquisitor romanced Harding (thank you Trespassers) really hoping she has dialogue confirming that relationship moving forward.

[@Safiyahalishah]

@@ranasi1210 Not sure where they saw that, because it's not true. You can only control the player character.

[@eriiiin]

Very much looking forward to veilguard, hearing about the vast customisation options specifically has me very excited (the fact they had to specify the hair options were better made me lol hasnt been dragon ages strong suit in the past). Ive been rewatching the cutscene between solas and varric and im just so happy seeing how expressive they are while talking and reacting as i always felt the facial animations in inquisition were a bit clunky or would look off sometimes. The backlash seems to happen with every da game so im just remaining optimistic myself as im happy with what ive seen and am excited to see your playthrough too :]

[@aceofblades6574]

They also specified that you'll be able to change the lighting in the character creator, which is pretty relieving after inquisition 😅

[@eriiiin]

@@aceofblades6574 oh god don't remind me of that awful green fog 😭

[@ysabels2244]

Yes! I was looking forward to your reaction all day yesterday!

[@supergirlvideoclips894]

Yess I agree completely. Hopefully they show higher level in full gameplay clips. Also confirmed, we have to choose from the tons of abilities we have and put it in the three slot.

[@Jovian999]

I really hated the CG trailer. The gameplay trailer relieves a lot of my concerns. I know a lot of people are disappointed about the actiony combat system, but for me that isn't a pillar of the series -- if they can get the narrative and characters right while moving the lore forward meaningfully I'll probably be happy. My expectations are rock bottom anyway after the 10-year litany of disaster stories that is the game's development, so with any luck I'll be pleasantly surprised.

[@thirdcoinedge]

One thing that's shocked me is apparently how similar some elements of the premise have remained after all these years (beyond Solas being involved). Like, looking at that one concept art released for the cancelled Dragon Age Morrison project, fighting the Elven Gods was likely planned since the beginning. Also, the Red Book they compiled basic worldbuilding for years ago (I have the Bioware retrospective book, which they showed off some of the pages for that in), which had a Rook piece on the cover (oh yeah, it's all coming together...). It's just that BioWare couldn't pin down a core concept for the game for the last decade (first it was fantasy Ocean's 11, parts of which became the Dragon Age anime show, and now it's Inquisition 2: Evanuris Boogaloo), as well as BioWare's last two development cycles being pure dumpster fires.

[@Jovian999]

@@thirdcoinedge Not a surprise, really. Core gameplay concepts are something BioWare has struggled with ever since the EA acquisition. It's what killed Anthem, and made Andromeda and Inquisition fundamentally the same game. If anything, the consistency of the wider premise suggests the principal values of the old team are still present, which is a good sign.

[@littlemouse7066]

the fact they have to make a game for the consolles too influences the way the ability menu is done. From what I know you can play as a human elf dwarf or qunari. I prefer not seeing much about the game I want to be surprised.

[@Soutar3DG]

Chances are the PC one will have differences, the ability to use number keys for various abilities/skills too.

[@CannedSpaghettios]

All I'm saying is that Andromeda and Anthem are the most recent examples we have of Bioware's writing team... I wouldn't get my hopes up if you're hoping for good writing.

[@Sephalia]

I am so happy I found your channel. Seems like you enjoy a lot of similar things that I do. Now that I know you played through the Dragon Age series I have a lot of content to catch up on! Also happy that they address the situation with Solas so early in the game. I wonder if they changed the name from Dreadwolf is because he's not actually the big bad ... like clearly we need to figure out how we can deal with the problem he's presenting but this trailer would indicate to me that a big chunk of the game will be dealing with the consequences of a half-opened/poorly-opened gate to the Fade. I don't know if those figures were corrupted by an interrupted ritual, or just the time spent in the Fade being locked away (in the black city...? time to explore the source of the blight??).

[@HalonOfficial]

Lisa plays games did subtitles for the conversation between solas and varric

[@jenniferatterton1587]

I have been patiently waiting for your analysis of The Veilguard. I followed you through every other Dragon Age game and loved the way you played and read all codex and so pleased you are doing this as well. You have my full attention for this one too, Mapo. You can choose to be a human, dwarf, elf or Kunari from what I understand from a KZbinr that is on the Dragon Age Council and has played the game, not to the end, but has played it. The Inquisitor is to be customised along with the Rook at the beginning.

[@veleho6668]

i'm super happy and excited for this game; more dragon age! 😁😁

[@S0LAVELLANHELL]

i’m so excited it’s crazy !! also as a solas-lover and solas-mancer i absolutely can’t wait.

[@baileybyrd2116]

I’m SO excited for you to play this I HOPE that after all the tough times around this game that it becomes this massive redemption 💜

[@ellyrhae9092]

I got a bit worried they were going to pull a Jackie with Varric here 💀 But on a more exciting note, the figure on the left 26:13 looks a lot like Ghilan'nain from old concept art, seems to me we're getting mad scientist elven goddess. Among other possible Evanuris antagonists.

[@nightfrost1891]

something else to keep in mind is this gameplay is on console so i don't know how pc will be different or if it will be for console for all dragon ages (even da:o) it was like 3 that you can switch out to make 6

[@Vyngr4nn]

So, as to what is confirmed with combat... we have 3 ability slot for each party member (MC will have a lot more than 3, but only 3 can be slotted at a time, don't know about the companions), there will be 3 basic skill trees and 3 specialization trees, skill trees are described as vast, enemies will have status and elemental weaknesess which we can target with skills, multiple abilities can be chained together to perform a combo, each class has ranged and melee options (bow, throwing shield, bladed staves), each class has a unique resource (rogue has momentum taht increases with more strikes), besides the 3 abilities there should be an ultimate ability that has its own slot, the top side of the wheel will have order to attack with either companion, or both

[@Vyngr4nn]

I don't know if parry is a rogue-specific or a general thing. (if it's specific then warriors should have block and mages should have a barrier IMO) Also, I theorize that there is a secret 3rd companion slot that is reserved for story purposes like for Varric

[@Vyngr4nn]

I admit that it was a really bad to showcase the gameplay for level 1 with no abilities

[@proteuswest1084]

@@Vyngr4nn I think Mapo said it best when he was saying he doesn't really play Dragon Age for the gameplay. I've felt the same way, so I think it's smart for BioWare to show decisions that feel narratively impactful and to show story beats that connect to previous games in their initial gameplay reveal. I suspect we'll get a shorter more curated video or a blog that goes into more detail on tactical gameplay later.

[@Vyngr4nn]

​@@proteuswest1084yup, it's the same for me, I just feel like they didn't show us nearly enough for a gameplay trailer so I added some info :)

[@maeljin9712]

The new art style is gonna take some time to get used and initially the some of the redesigned demons and darkspawn look bad to me, but if the fiery demons running amok in the beginning are the new rage demons then they at least are a serious upgrade! I also think Varric is gonna take a step back into a advisatory role, but I wouldn't be surprised if the possibility of him getting killed will be present (maybe to save Hawke, for instance). Hoping there'll be an option to work alongside Solas in some way against the two 'gods', maybe with a choice of either killing him or making him fix some of the damage he'll no doubt do along the way. Trailers for all Dragon Age games have been very so-so at best, so the new one didn't concern me much, but that said I'm glad the initial gameplay reveal came as soon as it did, hahah. Not happy about the smaller party and losing direct over the companions to boot! And if the theory about Old Gods/Archdemons (7 total) = Elven Gods (9 - Mythal and Fen-Harel = 7 too) holds true then the two figures looming over Ol' Egghead would be the last 'gods' left; Razikale and Lusacan in Tevinter, but can't say to whom they'd equate to among the Evanuris.. But regardless of all that, I'm guessing it'll be a real mess of a Breach 2.0 and another Blight!! Revisiting Kirkwall in this new detail could be cool, but more than that I'm hoping that we'll be forced to choose which cities/factions to save at some point and this would obviously alter companion interactions a lot too. Probably too ambitious a wish, but one can dream, right?

[@mewillson]

The most revealing thing that no one is talking about is your character's name, Rook. Rook originally symbolized a chariot. The Persian word Rokh means chariot. In chess, the rook is the "Torre" (Tower). Remember the Rook is a unique piece that can move forward, backwards, or sideways. Also, it is a form of a knight and a type of crow as well. Crows being of the nature of being one of duplicity. I think this tell you a lot about the intent of the story for this character. Flexible, possibly of changing directions quickly. They are also referred to as guardians in certain cultures. I hope there is more discussion around the naming of the character. I think there is more weight on the movement of this game then revealed at this time.

[@selina9837]

Very excited for the game!! Can't wait to see what it has in store for us. Also very excited for your playthrough 😌

[@emperman]

This looks dope who needs origins 2 when we already have bg3

[@proteuswest1084]

So, my personal view on why they showed what they did at the expense of higher level gameplay is because in general, I think most Dragon Age fans are fairly neutral on gameplay, and a lot of them care more about narrative elements and lore, which the trailer was very heavy on. They showed how your background influences your conversation options, they showed a few characters, we got a good look at Solas, and we got a lot of look at some amazing environments. It's a really good mix of things which doesn't spoil plot points. I think we'll probably get a shorter video that they curate for spoilers to show some higher level play, show some of the combos and more strategic elements that are present. I feel like they're definitely aiming for the gameplay to be similar to Mass Effect 2, which was simplified gameplay, but still felt really good and had a lot of strategic options. Mass Effect 2 definitely made me consider who I brought on missions, not just for the narrative potential, but also because of how they combined with my character's abilities and each other. Mike Gamble already confirmed on Twitter that even though the radial wheel has three abilities on it, you have much more than that to choose from, and I wonder if the PC version may allow you to access more of it at once since this demo is clearly on a console version. I'll definitely be watching your playthrough when the game comes out, but I'll be playing it a ton when it comes out to make sure I keep ahead of your content schedule!

[@ViennaVampire]

One game, Solas is gonna manage to execute a plan without being foiled by an unlocked door or unstable scaffolding. But this is not that game yet lol. I am soooo exited for this. I too was a little worried when I saw the cinematic trailer, but I totally can live with these visuals (maybe the faces are a touch smoother than I would have preferred, but that's a nitpick) and this brief look into the story promises delicious DRAMA. Tho I am slightly worried about those death markers they pu on Varric... :,D Can't wait until fall. I'll be obsessed once this comes out.

[@WineAndGames]

Always gonna be here to show my Dragon Age love, and thank you for being (as always) so reasonable with your takes! I'm the same in that combat isn't the reason I love these games so it looks great to me, and the visuals are GORGEOUS oh my god. Already in love with Emmrich and Manfred lol. I am just gonna be vibrating with excitement until the fall.

[@niora973]

If they don't wrap up the whole Tevinter and Qunari problem in this game we still have much to do! Also, they said in their Q&A that "spoiler will not happen in this game because we still need stuff for other games." And this spoiler is something that can only be addressed in this age. I just hope that they wrap up the elven lore with this one and we can finally focus on dwarven and qunari lore! I need to go to Seheron just once!

[@ems7448]

They let select members of the media see the first hour of the game, the gameplay trailer they released is snipped from that media demo, which is why it's at the game start. They've said they WILL be showing more examples of gameplay done at later levels in the coming weeks. Also regarding the skill tree, they apparently designed it with "inspiration" from FFXII's sphere grid. A snippet from some leaked earlier gameplay made it look pretty extensive.

[@AlleluiaElizabeth]

The "reveal" trailer was really more of a companion trailer, and showed nothing of the true tone, story, etc. It didn't showcase the game, but the cast with little context. And it bugged and underwhelmed me cus I was expecting a reveal trailer. And it came on the heels of the name change from Dreadwolf to Veilguard, and those things combined worried me that they were minimizing the Solas/Trespasser stuff and had pivoted from it. This gameplay reveal assuaged those doubts and now I look forward to the game again. But, really, that reveal trailer should have been the second or third one. The REVEAL Trailer (tm) should have had more of this stuff in it: plot, tone, drama, and a cool beat. DAI's reveal trailer (the one with the "Into the Darkness" song), was brilliant for this. Veilguard's first trailer was a marketing misstep that I hope hasn't hurt the game too badly. Now they have to fight uphill.

[@AeschylusShepherd]

Really thrilled to see you covering this! It was not canceled twice, it was RESET/Delayed at least once with Joplin.

[@dsilvermane_]

I'm super excited - tentatively worried with all the drama going on but very excited. Definitely playing on release! I do agree a bit of a deep dive would have been in order though.

[@Angarl]

Seeing Mapo excited for DAV is fantastic. Glad we got some a good preview of gameplay for us to feast upon. Mass Effect Trilogy style combat is not a bad choice considering the direction they've been taking the series.

[@SnailHatan]

As a game dev, this was not a good preview of gameplay. Unless the gameplay is even more barebones than Inqusition. Using a Level 1 character in early-game is a terrible way to show off what’s possible in a game. They showed one single ability and have the same vague, uninformative dialogue wheel where you gamble on a line you can’t even preview from the last game. It showed zero party control. They only previewed good visuals.

[@CodyLawrence]

​@SnailHatan As a game dev, what would you do if the future abilities Rook acquires, could potentially spoil major plot points? Would you let the gamers know this is the beginning of the game and showcase basic gameplay? Or would you spoil future abilities we gain through what could be a major plot point for Rook? The point is, these game devs obviously felt like they should only show a basic version of Rook.

[@krazytreRTM]

The only thing I wanna know is if there's actual exploration, or if we're just going from objective to objective. If there's no exploration, then that will probably deter me.

[@magicdog9523]

Honestly, after Inquisition's botched open world, I'd welcome a more linear experience.

[@fluffy_walrus]

One thing I love to see is the auto-loot mechanism. I probably spent 3% of my playtime in inquisition looting, so it'll be a huge time saver

[@mastery7901]

The name rook probably is a reference to the chess board piece as a 'castle' for the veilguard. I think the character models are a tad bit cartoonish like valorant looking at Varric's and Neve's faces. And was hoping for a more darker feel. Even the demons are too colorful. Modders might fix them though. But I want to see more rpg elements like tactics, ally control and skill tree. I hope thats not been removed. Ever since Origins, they have been dumbing down RPG into a more action oriented feel. The environment looks good personally. Plus it looked like the Evunaris coming out at the end with the tear. But it has the same feeling as Inquisition start with Corypheus's ritual gone wrong

[@thirdcoinedge]

Judging by some of the interviews, they didn't really show off more of the tactical aspects to combat in the trailer (greater focus on Rook's abilities, aka what the player can directly do). They've also said it gets pretty grim later in the game, as much as the past games, and given the apparent role of the Darkspawn, I'm both eager & nervous to see that. Also also, they likely toggled off the blood for the gameplay trailer so it wouldn't get restricted on KZbin.

[@mastery7901]

@@thirdcoinedge Ah I see. I had not seen their interviews yet. Thats something i did not know. Thanks for the info. 👍

[@nick-tu9mf]

you can no longer control your companions

[@mastery7901]

@@nick-tu9mf For real? Honestly, that is not a good direction to take for an RPG.😔

[@EffableLemming]

​@@mastery7901 RPG is an RPG even solo. Zelda, Witcher, Fallout, Skyrim, WoW... All has either no companion control or the control is very minimal. Still RPGs.

[@jennahroland8623]

I am so ready!!! for Dragon Age 4 and gameplay looks badass and beautiful too💚

[@DebbyBycroft]

What has been confirmed that I know is: you can be any race, there are 6 backstory/origins to choose from, you will have more than 3 abilities but will short cut your 3 favs, there are 3 specializations for each job (mage, warrior, or rogue). You also will be asked, at character creation, to select cards showing history/choices from previous games AND re-create your Inquisitor. Every companion is romanceable regardless of sex, race, job.

[@Sevarro]

Its very concerning to me that the environments look good. I much prefer my fighting in repeated caves and beaches that all look bland and the same

[@Ragd0ll1337]

“People are always complaining. It’s what they do.” - Bioware, 2024 Also is it just me or do Varric and Solas sound different?

[@jjforcebreaker]

What are you even trying to say? They're consistent in the mediocre quality of their work, so it shields them from cirticism, or makes it invaslid by default? All their work from recent years was heavily criticized because it deserved to be, not because professional outlets and customers have a hobby of doing that as a fun pastime. Inqusiiton, Andromeda, Anthem- all a mix of terrible technical state, terrible design, lack of polish, streamlining, casualization, terrible writing and many other things. And that just came after a long period of decile, which in some ways started as soon as Mass Effect 2 came out, when the studio went through a personal transformation with many veterans leaving or being fired, and their products straying further from roots of classic, roleplaying design. In an increasing manner, as mentioned Mass Effect or Dragon Age perfectly show. Who's this supposed to be appealing to? Besides people that started their adventures with Inquisition, and know no better?

[@nightfrost1891]

a little but their VA's are the same solas talks different in trespasser anyway, i think he was meant to put on a voice when he was 'undercover' (a higher voice when it's normally deeper it seems) varric sounds the same to me but i mean they are older and the VA's are older too so i don't mind

[@Ragd0ll1337]

@@jjforcebreaker Relax man. First of all, it was a joke. Solas is the villain claiming he may as well kill people because they die anyways is boneheaded. I just used the same quote to state what I see as Bioware’s attitude toward their own IP.

[@Shadowpack95]

Isn't Varric Viscount of Kirkwall at this time?

[@Mapocolops]

It's been years so who knows

[@ems7448]

Yes, but the reason he's here now is covered in the comic series The Missing (i.e. he was in Kirkwall doing Viscount stuff when Harding and the Inquisition asked him to help track Solas).

[@kallemort]

I agree that this is probably a swan song for Dragon Age as we know it. Even if we get more games the setting will likely look very different after the Veil storyline is over and done with. Wouldn't be surprised if ended up with some kind of permanent merging of the world of dreams and reality.

[@L4ftyOne]

it looks sooo good

[@YoungMrBlue]

Counting this reaction I’ve watched this 7 times already and I’m completely ok with that

[@bolladragon]

Bioware stated a future presentation will be specifically for character creation

[@NickInTheField]

Scout Harding voiced by Liara's VA now a squadmate?? ROMANCE DONE. ALREADY DECIDED. TAKE MY COIN.

[@supergirlvideoclips894]

Also confirmed we can choose from 4 races and multiple backstory

[@MsWubwub]

Love to see it.

[@CC-of5xl]

Seems like Varric is getting killed off. Hope that's not true as that trope almost always backfires.

[@CaptainRed1000]

In the years leading up to this reveal, the world has seen dozens of stories surrounding developers being pulled from now-Veilguard to work on other projects, Anthem, ME: Andromeda and so on, and we’ve seen dozens of examples of what happens to big releases as a consequence of this practice. That’s primarily where the problem comes in for a lot of the people who have an issue with this reveal. One long build up of terrible stories and a LOT broken faith from Bioware followed by a reveal that doesn’t come close to matching the look and feel Dragon Age has maintained for over 20 years has confirmed a lot of people’s fears, and that’s perfectly understandable. Me, I have my own problem (note the lack of plural) with this reveal trailer, but I will not be judging too harshly until the reviews come out.

[@BurcuCS]

To be honest, I really liked the art style and the fluidity of the gameplay. It's like they didn't aim for something overly realistic or too cartoony. The environments look stunning; I just want to get lost running around in the world of Thedas. It has a kind of magical atmosphere to it, doesn't it? The combat feels smooth, reminiscent of DA2, which, in my opinion, excelled in its fast-paced battles. The transition from the main strategic battle mode to action combat, like we experienced in DA2, took some getting used to, I admit. I do enjoy pausing the game to strategize, but I also love this more dynamic approach to combat. Each game has its own charm, especially in terms of story. What makes Dragon Age truly special for me is its rich lore, world-building, and the meticulously crafted characters with whom you can form bonds of love or hate through their background stories. Honestly, combat is the least important aspect for me. I thoroughly enjoyed what I've seen so far and can't wait to see more! I'm also really excited because we'll be playing Dragon Age together and watching you play! I WANT TO CREATE CHARACTERS WITH LONG HAIR AND AMAZING EYEBROWS!

[@YoungMrBlue]

I will say the voice actors were doing an amazing job despite Solas sounding off

[@BurcuCS]

@@YoungMrBlue I totally agree. I would expect Solas VA to be more impactful but maybe he is just cool to destroy the whole world :D

[@adrianbrodin1319]

I can't watch this with you, I prefer to go in blind. But I'm gosh darn excited!

[@jegsvr4976]

I believe it has been 9-10 after DA Inquisition and 8 years after Trespasser.

[@BoudiciaDark]

Dev's have said in various interviews that you can play as human or dwarf or elf or qunari also the character creator sounds absolutely incredible, possibly surpassing BG3. Also, instead of importing previous world state, you will re-create your Inky in the character creator. You will have LOADS of powers to choose and the skill wheel we were shown does NOT show all the information it will show during actual gameplay. To my mind, after watching this as well as reading everything the dev's have recently stated, I think this game will be more similar to GoW 2018 in that it's a linear story with plenty of side quests and exploration which is personally my favorite. This game play reveal was very exciting to me.

[@Shadeius]

To be fair BG3 character creator wasn't anything too special so it's not that big of deal to surpass it.

[@BoudiciaDark]

@@Shadeius Well I was implying a comparison between all previous Dragon Age games to this new one as far as the character creator goes. I agree, as far as actual FACES go, BG3 WAS limited but look at all the hair styles in BG3 and skin tones. What I've read about the new DA:TV cc just sounds incredible.

[@jamskinner]

Too bad they didn’t use it to make enemies with faces. Instead we have generic faceless enemies. Tired of games that do this.

[@lordmarwolaeth4570]

Yeah Qunari is playable in The Veilguard.

[@moonchild-ee1bw]

Just watched episodes 5 and 6 of your Andromeda playthrough (literally minutes ago haha), and I really like what you said about death by comparison and nostalgia pink glasses and that the game is actually good? And the same thing is happening with DAV now (even tho it's not out yet, I genuinely believe it's going to be a good experience, maybe I'm way too optimistic but I think they do care about the game and we will be able to see and feel it) It's been a decade and I think people should start looking at things realistically. An unhealthy attachment to an old game is killing the joy of enjoying something new, or at least, giving it a chance.

[@Astralaeyna]

Being a Qunari has been confirmed.

[@moonchild-ee1bw]

The moment the music in countdown started playing, I teared up. The soundtrack is going to get us all in our feels, the atmosphere is incredible! The character design improved so much, look at those costumes! Beyond excited, can't wait for Mapo's qunari haha

[@nightfrost1891]

evanurius coming out protag always ruining solas' plans lol

[@tiffanywithers9298]

Mapocolops the gameplay reminds me of God of War

[@giovannipanzeri6431]

I just really don't like the fact you are not going to control your party and will have an incredibly limited selection of abilities.

[@nelltheghost2166]

I wish Isabella was back and the rest of the party from DA2 i miss them 😢

[@RevanTheRebel]

My only complaint is that I have to wait for the game and I want it now ❤ It looks great and I'm gonna love it

[@bencegergohocz5988]

I have no idea why you think the ui that apears in combat shows all skills... my guy, it's just the equiped ones not the skill trees.

[@Mapocolops]

I probably misspoke, I was talking about all skills available to you during combat being only 3 at a time.

[@Mapocolops]

just that with each DA game, we get less and less icons for our unlocked abilities

[@brettdiving2744]

I mean yeah, the trailer during the showcase was fucking abysmal. I have no idea what BioWare was thinking there. THIS though. I can get behind THIS. Gameplay looks great.

[@teresamorrow2459]

You only get three abilities for your character. The others on the wheel are for your companions skills. You can’t control companions either. You can only select what skills they use from the wheel.

[@queenofpixels5458]

Yeah this point has really killed my hype for this game. One more pointless hack and slash.

[@anonymous92126]

I understand both sides - people that are cautiously optimistic or even excited and people who think this veers too far off what fans of the franchise were expecting. I think the game looks fine, doesn't quite give me a DA feeling though and can't exactly figure out why that is. Looks pretty, but it feels off somehow. Colour scheme maybe a bit and gives scifi vibes? The voice acting feels emptier than in previous titles, problem with direction I think instead of the voice actors themselves. Combat looks alright, but the UI is giving me mobile game vibes and I just think it looks kinda.. ugly and clunky. Some of the animations look a bit weird to me as well, janky. Though mostly the animations are fine I guess, just didn't make me go "wow, that looks really appealing" or anything, very basic stuff. The enemy AI seems to not (at least in this beginning section) be very intuitive, the fights looked way too easy. Almost like the enemies weren't all that aggressive. The writing choice with the magic barrier being destroyed with a lil stab from a rusty basic sword or dagger is questionable at best. Some of the character and enemy design choices are probably gonna put some people off a little bit, everything looks very clean. Overall I think it's probably an okay game, worth a playthrough for either die-hard fans or people who have never played DAO. I think it's great to be excited or keeping an open mind, but I do perfectly understand why people have major concerns as well. And if we're gonna talk about the trailer... let's be honest in just saying it's probably not gonna sell any DA fans on this game. It might get a few people from the Fortnite playerbase to try it. Whoever took artistic direction lead on that should be ashamed of their interpretation of the feel of Dragon Age. I saw the gameplay trailer first and then heard about the flop of the cinematic trailer and the look of disgust and cringe on my face while watching it was probably very visible. The job of trailers is to sell games, otherwise the money is better spent elsewhere in development.

[@tanna_k]

mfw you're an ancient elven god, but your plans get ruined by shoddy carpentry

[@jw7500]

Unlike most people, I am catiously optimistic about this game, but I have a few worries: What I like: - The character models - How Minrathous looks - The fluidity of movement What I am not so big on: - The combat, it looks decent, but it's too action based, like it's Darksiders almost (also, 3 ability slots worries me as well) - Maybe it's edited to avoid spoilers, but setting up the Varric-Solas convo and not seeing anything of it kinda kills the interest for me - The male VA so far has not shown much depth and has one tone (have seen little yet, but still) - Facial animations look a bit janky - No blood or gore? Hopes: - No more (kill 10 wolves) style sidequests that we mostly had in Inquisition - Seeing the Hero of Ferelden again

[@nightfrost1891]

from the extra stuff i've seen about it i think you have multiple va's again (though i'm going to play feamle anyway, but i actually like this va for male so) blood has always been toggled in da games this gameplay trailer is using console, console has always had only three options you can switch between in even da:o obviously pc is different and they said this game is more linear so i don't think you'll get those petty quests

[@ems7448]

There's blood and gore, apparently marketing didn't want to show it for... reasons? I think Mike Gamble posted a screenshot with some on Twitter. It sounds like there are not so many side quests this time around, and the ones that are there are supposed to be "hand-crafted", so I'm hoping that means no more meaningless fetch quests.

[@jw7500]

@@ems7448 That's good if true. While I liked parts of Inquisition, the whole experience was a bit of a slog because of having to do those side-quests (if you arn't modding). And not wanting to show gore during a presentation doesn't make much sense to me. Other series do it out in the open without a care in the world (e.g. Gears of War or Doom). So the excuse that it's for marketing sounds a bit weak to me. Still, glad if it's indeed still in the game as I play DA for the dark fantasy setting and stories.

[@bnkosu]

RIP Bianca

[@dalmaskadeadtrash3592]

Looks like Mapo's gaming list is really stacked this year but I hope he finds some time for Okami at last :D

[@PistachioPancake]

Only 14 minutes in but Rooks Fighting looks a lot like Assassin's Creed and as a rouge that tracks not sure how I feel about other classes play the same way the mages are going to a look a lot more like warlocks misty stepping everywhere slinging Eldrich blasts with a fire ball every so often

[@conradoccaminha]

Veil jumpers are like Solas if he wasn't a god...

[@Zuron]

Looks alright. I guess people were hoping for this to be the return of "old Bioware" or whatever, but that's impossible. None of the same developers even work there anymore.

[@proteuswest1084]

This is an inaccurate narrative. It's true that several veteran developers from Bioware have moved on in the last 15 years, but there are still people in leadership positions who have been there for decades working on these games.

[@mithikz7608]

For anyone thinking CG trailers represent the game, just look at the trailer for Origins, looks NOTHING like the amazing game origins was.

[@John_Raiyder]

Marilyn Manson screaming incoherently

[@pocaiesc]

@@John_Raiyder THANK YOU! People were complaining about the 'We can be Heroes" rendition and comparing it to the origins trailer and I'm like really? hypocritical much...

[@flunkiebubs2002]

@@John_RaiyderI like Marilyn Manson ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@jamskinner]

The trailer used in engine footage. So the art is from the game. Don’t was definitely representative of how it looked. That was proved by the gameplay

[@Matthew-ij3zm]

@@pocaiesc And why are we not allowed to like one trailer and dislike the other, again?

[@DebbyBycroft]

I was very relieved watching the gameplay. It's on my wishlist now. I am wondering about accessibility options and difficulty levels, due to being disabled and often having my hands and fingers not quite what I need them to be for gaming. But it does look a lot like DA2 combat and I was able to do that, so I'm pretty confident.

[@proteuswest1084]

I feel like it'll be a lot like Mass Effect 2 combat in the end, which means that tactical pausing will definitely be an aid to anyone who has issues with that. A lot of the difficulty options I've seen for most BioWare games also tend to include a casual or baseline difficulty setting too for people who are more interested in the story, so I am hoping that'll be okay for folks in your situation!

[@DarkElfPaladin]

Very much looking forward to this game. A little disappointed that they have the limited ability slots and a few other things that came out about it. But I love the world and the lore and it looks great.

[@LadyRedLyrium]

It's been confirmed that theres a very detailed customization, including a body slider, and a nonbinary gender option, as well as that chance to remake our Inquisitor during cc too.... I can't even express my excitement properly 😂 no more keep, but a chance to imput certain world state choices in the beginning. They've also said the background will have a nice good impact on how the world responds to Rook, so I'm stoked about that too ✌️

[@KingRat543]

The 3 person team is right out of Mass Effect...

[@Arthur_url]

I got chills all over again! Man, I'm so excited for this game. I know there's been a lot of mindless negativity on the internet (because of course), but I'm really excited to finally see this world again. I joined the Dragon Age fandom in 2016 (which was when I played all three games), and since then I was getting increasingly worried about the direction this game would take (because of all the internal delays and development reboots), but I'm feeling super confindent after seeing this showcase. I'm glad you feel positive about it as well, Mapo!