Dragon Age: The Veilguard reveals a clever little solution to every RPG's companion problem

GamesRPGDragon AgeDragon Age 4Dragon Age: The Veilguard reveals a clever little solution to every RPG’s companion problemWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. GamesRPGDragon AgeDragon Age 4Dragon Age: The Veilguard reveals a clever little solution to every RPG’s companion problemWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: BioWare) Ina new EA blog poston “exploration across Thedas,” the Dragon Age community team teases that “veterans of the series have heard whispers in the past about each of these places in Thedas, but now you will actually be able to explore and experience them in-game.” Those areas include the Arlathan Forest, Hossberg Wetlands, Minrathous, Rivain, and Treviso, all of which received short little trailers showing off the scenery. These are unlisted onYouTubeat the time of writing, so I’ve embedded them all here – down below for readability’s sake. The thing is, Veilguard only lets you bring two companions with you at a time. So we have a big roster but a smaller party than previous games, and seemingly a more interactive world. What if I left Bellara back at base? No ancient Elven artifacts for me? Not so, BioWare says: “Even when the Companions are back at the Lighthouse, Rook can use the Lyrium Dagger to take advantage of their Exploration Abilities.” This would not only spare players the time and drudgery of running back to headquarters just to swap companions to access some environmental MacGuffin, which would indirectly disrupt companion choices, it should also prevent any fear of missing out based on your current party setup. Instead of worrying about making the most of the world, you can just focusonthe world. Lovely stuff. I’m reminded of the wayBaldur’s Gate 3 eventually patched its companion inventoryto let players access and organize everything at once, even for companions who aren’t in your active party. It’s a similar problem: a big cast and unpredictable player behavior (that is, who folks travel with) for the user experience to accommodate. Another example would be Genshin Impact, which has dozens of characters with abilities that help with exploration and movement, but thankfully lets you swap them out whenever you want. A Swiss Army dagger, in essence, is a tidy answer for Veilguard’s arrangement. BioWare adds that “you may also spot Companions out and about, interacting with the world on their own,” which sounds like a nice organic touch. “When heading to Treviso, we recommend finding Lucanis and enjoying a cup of coffee together.” Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more Dragon Age: The Veilguard | Arlathan Forest - YouTubeWatch On Dragon Age: The Veilguard | Arlathan Forest - YouTube Dragon Age: The Veilguard | Arlathan Forest - YouTube Dragon Age: The Veilguard | Rivain - YouTubeWatch On Dragon Age: The Veilguard | Rivain - YouTube Dragon Age: The Veilguard | Rivain - YouTube Dragon Age: The Veilguard | Treviso - YouTubeWatch On Dragon Age: The Veilguard | Treviso - YouTube Dragon Age: The Veilguard | Treviso - YouTube Dragon Age: The Veilguard | Hossberg Wetlands - YouTubeWatch On Dragon Age: The Veilguard | Hossberg Wetlands - YouTube Dragon Age: The Veilguard | Hossberg Wetlands - YouTube Dragon Age: The Veilguard | Minrathous - YouTubeWatch On Dragon Age: The Veilguard | Minrathous - YouTube Dragon Age: The Veilguard | Minrathous - YouTube Dragon Age: The Veilguard still isn’t an open-world game, but new gameplay footage makes the RPG look way less linear than we feared. 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review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3 Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5 Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3 Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4 Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5 Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”