Dragon Age: The Veilguard was always going to be more action-oriented than the series' computer role-playing game roots, BioWare classics like Baldur's Gate and Jade Empire. If you look back over the series, Dragon Age's combat has become faster-paced with every release. The Veilguard has certainly gone down the action RPG route, with aiming, parrying and more fluid movement included in its combat.
It was probably to be expected considering the direction of The Veilguard's combat, but an article from print publication Edge Magazine (transcribed by Felassan) has confirmed the removal of the series' tactical camera, one of the last vestiges of the series' isometric roots. John Epler, The Veilguard's creative director, revealed that the tactical camera creates a lot of problems with environments.
"We actually had a mandate on Inquisition," he said. "Don't fight inside. The amount of extra work on getting the tactical camera to work in a lot of those internal environments, it was very challenging."
Controlling Rook Is Demanding Enough
It's also much less necessary now, as the player doesn't control their companions in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. This change has been met with a mixed reception, as tactical combat has always been at the heart of Dragon Age. We already knew we weren't going to be controlling our companions, but game director Corinne Busche has provided additional context as to why that decision was made.
"On the experiential side, we wanted you to feel like you are Rook — you're in this world, you're really focused on your actions. We very much wanted the companions to feel they, as fully realised characters, are in control of their own actions. They make their own decisions. You, as the leader of the crew, can influence and direct and command them, but they are their own people," Busche explains.
BioWare has continuously stressed the independence of the game's companions. It was revealed in this interview that you can actually encounter companions not currently in your party going about their own business throughout the game's various locations.
Busche concedes that this can be seen as something being "taken away" from players, but she stresses that players are going to be "more engaged than ever" because of how demanding it is to control Rook. Busche adds that pausing combat is more important than ever, adding tactical depth even if the tactical camera is gone.
The tactical wheel that pops up when you pause combat is going to be crucial, as you can choose between five of your slotted abilities and the abilities of your companions. It's a system reminiscent of Mass Effect 2, where you could direct the attention of your companions. The rapid selection of everyone's abilities is going to be crucial in combat scenarios where combos are important to progress.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard doesn't have an official release date yet, but the rumours suggest it will be released around October 30.
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