After years of anticipation, fans (including myself) finally got a real, deep look at Dragon Age: The Veilguard<\/a><\/em>\u2019s gameplay in June. And I say \u201clook\u201d intentionally \u2013 reporters and influencers stared longingly as<\/a> one of Bioware\u2019s finest played for nearly a full hour right in front of us, and never once offered to hand over the controller. I\u2019m fine, thanks!<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n As good as DA:TV<\/em> looks \u2013 and it does look good \u2013 fans have been wondering: how does it feel to play, moment-to-moment? At a recent event at EA\u2019s mothership in California, this question was finally answered as I, along with several dozen global content creators and reporters, were able to press Start from the very beginning of the game. Cutting straight to the point: I\u2019m pleased to report that the game plays as good as \u2013 or potentially even better \u2013 than it looks. It was even enough to have me re-thinking \u201cwhat class do I want to play as?\u201d when the game launches this Halloween.\u00a0<\/p>\n More spoiler-free details: We were first given direct access to the expansive character creation tools. Besides aesthetics, there are countless species, lore, and class combinations to pore over, ensuring that players could easily spend hours thinking not only about how their main character, Rook will look, but how they\u2019ll want to play. With limited time to fuss over details, I quickly selected a Dwarven Warrior of the Mourn Watch faction. This lineage granted increased damage vs undead and demons, and \u2013 perhaps more importantly \u2013 the promise of some really cool armor down the line. My character was also given a backstory which involved being raised by necromancers \u2013 certainly a carefree childhood was had! \u202f\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n The first playable section was the same as Bioware shared this summer: the magical city of Minrathous, your character aiming to track down Neve Gallus<\/a> alongside returning faces Harding and series narrator\/bon vivant Varric.\u00a0<\/p>\n When I\u2019m playing DA:TV<\/em> in the comfort of my own home next month, I expect to lean Mage or Rogue for my Rook, but the sheer joy I experienced in these opening, melee-filled moments have me re-thinking this position. The default Warrior build feels, in a word, satisfying<\/em>. Players attack in combos by pressing X, and raising a shield with LB. The friendly parry window coupled with reactive animations and a fantastic sound effect makes defending feel almost soulslike. But wait: what if you could throw that shield, like a certain Steve Rogers? Oh, but you can, with a trigger pull, and a gratifyingly quick cooldown.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n After leveling up a couple of times, I continued to invest in these powers. An ability called Counterblow allows one to perform a powerful counterattack after a perfect defense. Like throwing that shield? You will, so choose Shield Volley to enable you to keep flinging that thing over and over.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n That\u2019s just one way I could have pushed my Rook; players can respec their skill points freely and instantly. Don\u2019t like the ability you unlocked? Swap it out until you find something that plays the way you want to play. \u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n After picking up an upgraded, two-handed \u201cFade-Touched War Axe\u201d, I experimented with swapping to this heavy weapon at will by tapping down on the D-pad. This thing felt<\/em> heavy, and made a clear impact on the Darkspawn and Constructs it cleaved into, occasionally sending enemies much larger than my li\u2019l Dwarf off ledges or slamming into walls in a manner I enjoyed immensely.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n When facing an ogre for the first time, I unlocked an ultimate ability: for my Dwarf, that meant bashing the ground around the beast in a fit of rage, doing huge damage. At this point I\u2019d now played for close to 3 hours, and the game just kept on layering more and more cool stuff for my Warrior to use.\u00a0<\/p>\n I played these earlier stages like a full-on action game; focusing on attacking and letting my companions do as they please. That said, you can easily direct them to focus on a particular enemy, or really be micromanage-y and command them which skills to use, and on whom. In more difficult stages, later in the session, that team management took on increased importance.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n I skipped to later in the game to explore the Crossroads, effectively a world between worlds, utilizing the opportunity to switch things up and try out a Qunari mage. Now teamed up with two new companions, Davrin and Lucanis, I was able to try out some advanced level combo-ing of attacks, setting up enemies with their synergizing abilities to stagger and do huge damage to even huger enemies. I can\u2019t emphasize how different the game plays moment to moment from one class to the next. Finding survivability as a mage challenging, I learned selecting the right combination of companions is key. Trying the fight again with Bellara in my line-up, and her natural healing abilities in tow, staying alive became much easier.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Later on, test driving a rogue, I deftly shifted between ranged and up-close attacks, dropping a Fortune\u2019s Turret at the start of encounters for crowd control as I emptied my quiver into anything that moved. Then I moved in, slashing away with a saber and a rapier, one in each hand, frequently triggering the ability to launch into a finisher by pressing the right stick. Fatalities in my Dragon Age? It\u2019s more likely than you think.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/xxboxnews.blob.core.windows.net\/prod\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/DA_EA_StandardRogue2-fc13a2391678ba519607.jpg\")
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