Dragon Age: The Veilguard is "almost the total inverse" of Mass Effect's "big action, minor RPG" split, BioWare lead explains
How has the community reacted to the previews and information released about Dragon Age: The Veilguard at the Summer Game Fest?
The community's reaction to the previews and information released about Dragon Age: The Veilguard at the Summer Game Fest has been a mix of excitement and concern. Fans are excited about the extensive character creator options, the game's narrative focus, and the inclusion of romanceable companions. However, there are also concerns about the game's art direction and how the gameplay mechanics may differ from previous Dragon Age titles. Overall, the community is eagerly anticipating the release of the game and looking forward to exploring the world of Thedas once again.
How does Corinne Busche describe the RPG progression in Dragon Age: The Veilguard compared to Mass Effect?
Corinne Busche, the director of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, describes the RPG progression in the game as "almost the total inverse" of Mass Effect. In an interview with RPG Site, she characterized Mass Effect as "big action, minor RPG" and emphasized that Dragon Age: The Veilguard will have a much stronger focus on RPG elements3. She described the game's progression as "incredibly deep", with sprawling, web-like skill trees that offer tons of flexibility and are bespoke for each class.
What specific elements from Mass Effect's gameplay have been integrated into Dragon Age: The Veilguard?
Dragon Age: The Veilguard has integrated several elements from Mass Effect's gameplay, including:
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Ability Wheels: The game features an ability wheel system, which pauses the action and allows players to issue commands to their party members. This is similar to the ability wheel seen in Mass Effect games.
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Three-Man Squads: Unlike previous Dragon Age games where players had a party of four, The Veilguard has reduced the party size to three members, which is similar to Mass Effect's squad size6.
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Action-Oriented Combat: The Veilguard's combat system has been made more action-oriented, with a focus on real-time combat and player skill in controlling their character, as opposed to relying on tactical pausing and issuing commands.
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Blue and Orange Health Bars: The game has adopted the use of blue and orange health bars on top of enemies' normal health bars, representing barriers and armor, respectively. This is a feature that was present in Mass Effect 2 and 3.
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Cinematic, Third-Person Perspective: The Veilguard has shifted to a more cinematic, third-person perspective during gameplay, similar to the perspective used in Mass Effect games.
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Command Interface: The game features a command interface where players can see their character's powers and cooldowns along the bottom, with the abilities of their companions on either side of the screen. This is reminiscent of Mass Effect's command interface.
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Importing Decisions from Previous Games: The Veilguard allows players to import their decisions from previous Dragon Age games, similar to how Mass Effect allowed players to import their choices from previous games in the series2.