A decade after Dragon Age: Inquisition, BioWare is finally talking about the fourth Dragon Age game and fans are experiencing many ups and downs after the latest announcements. Based on the gameplay reveals that BioWare posted on its Dragon Age YouTube channel on June 11, 2024, it appears that there is no option to switch to other companions in Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
In Dragon Age: Inquisition, players ventured forth with a party of four – their Inquisitor, and three other party members chosen from the available companions. This arrangement was also the same in Dragon Age: II and Dragon Age: Origins.
Although you still get three companions to accompany you in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, it doesn’t appear that there is any option to switch between characters while you play. The entire 20-minute gameplay reveal was played as Rook, who is the main character for Dragon Age: The Veilguard. At no point does the player switch to another companion and there is no hot button on the screen to suggest that they can.
Players will not lose complete control over their entire party. In addition to being able to fully control Rook, players will be able to use the Ability Wheel to issue commands to their companions.
This is disappointing, to say the least. Especially after knowing that BioWare experimented with a multiplayer concept at some point during the production of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. I’m not saying I want a multiplayer Dragon Age game – in fact, I don’t think it needs to be a multiplayer game series at all. It’s perfect as it is, allowing players to dive into the story on their own and yell at each other through forums about the decisions each of them makes.
However, switching between companions to use different abilities is a feature that Dragon Age has always had. I don’t understand the point of taking away this vital area of the gameplay. All of this means that players have to be much more careful about how they specify their main character, as they are stuck playing them for the entire game. Which, based on Dragon Age: Inquisition, could easily be 50 to 100+ hours.
Despite this decision, there is a lot to look forward to in the next Dragon Age game; including character customization, voiceover options, and tactical combat for players to enjoy.
Want to read more about Dragon Age: The Veilguard at Pro Game Guides? Look Bioware promises a return to the classics with a renamed Dragon Age: The Veilguard or I take back what was said: first Veilguard gameplay shows Dragon Age is back.
