Dragon Age 4 was revealed years in the past underneath the title Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. Nevertheless, with seemingly months to go earlier than the sport’s fall 2024 launch, BioWare introduced it was altering the title to Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Forward of that announcement, Recreation Informer visited BioWare’s Edmonton workplace for an unique take a look at the sport for our Dragon Age: The Veilguard cowl story. It is right here we realized that the title had modified.
I interviewed numerous Veilguard leads for the duvet story, and one of many first questions I requested every of them was, “Why the title change?” This is what every advised me:
BioWare’s Leads On Altering The Title To Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Veilguard recreation director Corinne Busche: “To start with, I’d say that these video games are reflections of the groups that make them, and as a part of that, it means we be taught rather a lot about what the guts and soul of the sport actually is as we’re growing it. And we shortly realized and realized that absolutely the beating coronary heart of this recreation are these genuine numerous companions. Once we took a step again, as we at all times do, we at all times test our choices and ensure that they nonetheless characterize the sport we’re making an attempt to construct. It simply felt like we would have liked a title that represented what this recreation was actually about.
Now, I wish to be clear: I like Solas [and] he performs an necessary function within the recreation, however this isn’t a recreation about Solas. So in all issues we do, making an attempt to seize that genuine expertise, we felt the title actually wanted to alter.”
Veilguard inventive director John Epler: “Dragon Age has at all times been about characters, not simply the villains, but in addition your group, your companions, the opposite characters on this planet. And as we had been constructing Dragon Age: The Veilguard – there’s this analogy I like to make use of, which is, ‘If you wish to carve an elephant out of marble, you simply take a bit of marble and take away the whole lot that does not appear to be an elephant.’ As we had been constructing this recreation, it turned actually clear that it was much less that we had been making an attempt to make The Veilguard and extra like The Veilguard was taking form as we constructed the sport.
Solas remains to be a central determine in it. He is nonetheless a big character. However actually, the main focus shifts to the group. It is in regards to the folks you recruit. It is about stopping the top of the world with this group of specialists, these extremely attention-grabbing and numerous characters that you just recruit into your group. [We] realized Dreadwolf suggests a title targeted on a particular particular person, whereas The Veilguard, very similar to Inquisition, focuses extra on the group.”
BioWare basic supervisor Gary McKay: “First, let me say: Solas remains to be very a lot a part of this recreation. That is completely nothing to say that he is taking a again seat. However once we mirrored on what was actually the heartbeat of this recreation, we actually noticed the companions leaping out at us. I believe you might argue [these companions] are the very best the franchise has ever seen. We’ve seven extremely distinctive characters, every with their very own personalities, motivations; they’ve deep tales, and you’ve got a chance to actually work together with these characters in a method that each shapes their story but in addition influences the principle story, proper right down to having a chance to impression their destiny.
It is not simply the story; they’re additionally integral to the gameplay as nicely. And so while you take a look at it from actually what the heartbeat of this recreation is, the centerpiece of the sport, it is in regards to the companions – the Veilguard. We felt that the title wanted to mirror what we thought the centerpiece of this recreation was.”
Former Dragon Age government producer and Veilguard guide Mark Darrah: “I believe it is completely the appropriate alternative. Names can tackle a momentum. Arguably, this recreation has type of, in a method, been known as Dreadwolf to some extent since its earlier days. As the sport advanced, as [BioWare] discovered precisely what it was, it’s extremely mature to step again and say, ‘We known as it one thing. Does it actually nonetheless mirror what the sport is?’ And I believe the actual fact the group was prepared to take that step is wonderful, and I believe that is completely the appropriate choice.”
The Solas In The Room
After I ask about Solas’ function within the story after I be taught his namesake is not within the recreation title, Darrah says Veilguard remains to be taking the Elven God’s narrative in a very good route. He provides, “It permits us to, hopefully, give a very good conclusion to all the various attitudes towards Solas which might be going to be coming from individuals who love Solas, who agree with Solas, who hate Solas, individuals who wish to kick Solas off of a constructing – I believe that we provide the alternative to carry that to an in depth, however then inform a higher story about The Veilguard and in regards to the world as an entire.”
Speaking to Epler, I be taught extra about how Solas is not precisely the massive unhealthy I anticipated earlier than seeing the opening hours of Veilguard. There’s much more nuance to everybody’s favourite bald elf.
“Probably the most attention-grabbing villains to myself, and truthfully most individuals, should not simply straight up, ‘I wish to finish the world.’ To them, they’re the heroes of the story, and Solas isn’t any exception,” Epler tells me. “Solas at all times feels that he’s a tragic hero however a hero nonetheless, so he is coming into this believing firmly that what he did, that which you stopped him from doing, was the appropriate factor – that you just made a mistake. However now he is trapped and might’t attain out and actively have an effect on [Thedas], so he must work with you.
“That permits us to offer loads of nuance to that relationship,” Epler says.
Should you’re questioning what Epler means when he says Solas trapped, it is fairly literal – within the recreation’s prologue, which is a part of the 20-minute gameplay section BioWare lately launched (the above video), the player-character Rook and companions Lace Harding, Varric Tethras, and Neve Gallus cease Solas’ try to destroy the Veil, a barrier between the magical Fade and Thedas. I will not spoil precisely what occurs right here, however Rook passes out moments later and wakes up in a dream-like panorama to the voice of Solas himself… as a result of he is trapped right here.
He explains he was making an attempt to maneuver the Elgar’nan and Ghilan’nain, each of whom are a part of the Evanuris or Elven gods of historical instances, to a brand new jail as a result of the previous one was not containing them correctly. Sadly for Solas, he is trapped right here – the Fade – by our doing and Elgar’nan and Ghilan’nain are free, blighted, and roaming Thedas. It is as much as Rook to cease them, however it appears they’re going to need to work with Solas (or at the very least take heed to his steering and recommendation) to take action.
“So one of many ideas we took to once we had been constructing the story of The Veilguard early on was we wished the start of the sport to really feel like the ultimate chapter of an earlier story and also you’re coming in proper on the finish, you are coming in as in the event you’ve been chasing Solas – the [Solas at the end of Dragon Age: Inquisition’s Trespasser DLC] who stated he was going to finish the world and tear down the Veil,” Epler provides.
Epler says gamers will see early on (and because the narrative develops throughout Veilguard) that Solas sees a lot of himself in you, the player-controlled Rook, particularly “the elements that perhaps he would not wish to face.” Because of this, there’s an attention-grabbing push and pull between Solas and Rook. He says gamers can outline the connection between these two characters with their selections in dialogue.
“You’ll be able to proceed to be suspicious and hostile in direction of him, or you can begin to see him and discover that widespread floor, that connection between the 2 of you, and actually develop a distinct relationship over the course of the story,” Epler says.
For extra in regards to the recreation, together with unique particulars, interviews, video options, and extra, click on the Dragon Age: The Veilguard hub button under.