Dragon Age: The Veilguard – 8 Mistakes That Could Ruin A Playthrough

Dragon Age: The Veilguard has been released to exceptional acclaim, giving many fans a much-needed return to Thedas. The game has refined the action-RPG mechanics that the series has been pushing since Dragon Age 2 into its finest iteration yet, providing incredibly satisfying and versatile gameplay for the three major archetype classes. While there are some elements that have caused a stir among fans, such as the reduction in party size and the disregard of previous choices in older games, overall, this is a welcome return to the storied Dragon Age setting.

Veilguard is a game that players are meant to make their own, choosing a lineage and class as well as a faction background to make their Rook unique. While many of the choices in this game really are just up to player interpretation and the kind of world state they want to build, there are a few decisions a player can make that will actively hamper them from getting the most out of their game. As always, gamers should play the game they want to play, but those looking to get a satisfying experience should avoid these Dragon Age: The Veilguard mistakes.

8 Not Exploring The Crossroads

This Expanded Hub Area Holds Many Valuable Secrets

Originating in the Trespasser DLC for Inquisition, which was designed to tie up the loose plot threads of the main story and give players a satisfying end to their adventures, the Crossroads is the space between eluvians that Solas uses to transport himself quickly from one area to the next.

This area steadily becomes less relevant to the main storyline as the smaller hub areas are all unlocked, and the ability to fast travel to them at will becomes available. However, while players may no longer need to navigate the Crossroads to get to the eluvians, there are still so many smaller areas within the Crossroads itself to explore, with huge bosses that hold incredible equipment for all classes. Players who explore and complete quests in every corner of the Crossroads will also be rewarded in the end-game.

7 Not Doing Companion Quests

The Game Stresses The Importance Of This Many Times

Like many BioWare titles, companions are the lifeblood of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. This is especially true in this game compared to older Dragon Age titles, as unlike in those games, there’s really no missing or dismissing any companions. They all have core, set parts in the story, and a full host of their quests must be completed for the game to progress.

The game stresses many times over that the personal problems of the companions are impacting their efficacy – these problems are solved through quests that are not only some of the most engaging events in the whole narrative, but give players a chance to shape their companions and the factions associated with them. Without heading into spoiler territory, players should just know that the game will recognize if they have gone into the end game with their companions’ personal problems unsolved.

6 Not Doing Faction Quests

Almost As Important As Companion Quests

Speaking of the factions in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, they’re also pretty important. Each faction starts out divided and weakened by the Blight, offering middling at best services to Rook and their team. By doing quests for the faction directly, or companion quests associated with a faction or region, players can increase the strength of each faction from weak to moderate to strong.

Similar to the previously mentioned tips, faction strength has a strong role to play in the endgame of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and beyond this, some incredibly unique or high quality items are locked behind merchant levels that can only be gained once faction strength is at a certain value. Forgetting about faction strength means losing out on these great pieces of functional and aesthetic equipment.

5 Selling Common Gear

Duplicates Of Gear Fuse To Become Higher Quality

Some RPG players are used to selling off any acquired but not utilized gear for extra gold. For a few reasons, this is not the way things should go in Veilguard. Every non-unique piece of equipment in the game has duplicates, found either out in the world, as quest rewards, or at merchant shops. Duplicate items will fuse together to become the next quality tier all the way up to legendary, with each tier unlocking a new property of the equipment.

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Selling common gear before it’s had the chance to ‘grow’ means missing out on the potential benefits it can offer one’s build at higher levels. There’s no inventory space to worry about, so it’s best to just let most loot sit and wait for its upgrade.

4 Not Exploring Each Area

The Main Quest Only Touches On Areas With More To Offer

Veilguard is not an open or even semi-open world game. And now that fans have moved on from the open-world craze of the 2010s, it’s with a sigh of relief that one can say that’s a good thing. The world that is put forth to players in Dragon Age: The Veilguard feels so much more detailed and intimate with these intricate hub-worlds scattered across Northern Thedas.

This doesn’t mean, however, that there aren’t secrets to discover. Players who only go through each area in the capacity that the main quest makes them will lose out on some iconic side quests, loads of faction and companion strength increases, and plenty of secrets that can afford Rook fantastic gear or permanent stat boosts.

3 Sticking To One Build

It’s Easy To Respec And Experiment In This Title

While not as playthrough ruining as some Dragon Age: The Veilguard mistakes, like hampering end-game attempts or getting locked out of high level gear, players who don’t take advantage of the fluid skill allocation in this game are missing out on a huge amount of customization.

Across all the classes, there is no ‘locking in’ to a certain specialization. Skills can be refunded at any time and are allocated the same way, so players can drastically change their skills at will and explore an entirely new side to their Rook.

2 Forgetting About Stagger

Staggering Enemies Is A Vital And Cinematic Gameplay Component

Players who don’t think about how much stagger as well as damage they’re dishing out during combat will find it much harder to complete the more challenging end-game quests or combat-focused side content like the Hall of Valor.

When an enemy’s stagger gauge is full, players can unleash a powerful cinematic attack on them that deals huge damage. It may be worthwhile sacrificing weapons that deal higher damage for those with a greater level of stagger build-up.

1 Missing Out On Vendors

Vendors Have Some Of The Best Items Available

In the more populated areas of Veilguard, such as Dock Town, Treviso, and the settled area of the Hossberg Wetlands, there are many merchants available beyond the single faction-aligned merchant who sells gear.

Some of the most important Lighthouse decorations, unique equipment, accessories, and companion specific items will be lost to players who don’t take their time to find the smaller vendors that exist out in the world.

Released

October 31, 2024

OpenCritic Rating

Strong