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I've always wondered how difficult it must be to come up with game titles. It's got to be challenging to try and you sum up what your game is about, or capture the essence of it through a name. When it comes to a series like Dragon Age, each entry is different and explores the journey of separate protagonists. Aside from Dragon Age 2, each installment has a moniker that speaks to its direction: with Origins leaning into the different backgrounds of the playable protagonist, and Inquisition focusing on the very organization it's named after that you lead with your companions.
But no title has gotten me quite as excited as Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Ever since the announcement of the new name for what was previously called Dragon Age Dreadwolf, I've only grown to appreciate the change and what it means for the next entry more and more. Not only does it signal that our return to Thedas is going all in on what makes me love BioWare RPGs the most, but it also keeps making me think about our role as Rook and who we will become.
"Who will you be?"
When the reveal of the official name Dragon Age Dreadwolf came back in 2022, it cemented Solas' return and put his past actions front and center. It was an undoubtedly tantalizing move, given that it suggested the divisive elf would be the central antagonist. In fact, in the original blog post, BioWare even teased that "using Solas's namesake no doubt suggests a spectrum of endless possibilities on where things may go". At that point, we really didn't know anything about Dragon Age 4, or where it would go, but the title had me thinking all about the weight a name can carry, particularly one you've made for yourself on account of what you've done.
As Solas says in the Trespasser DLC, he was Solas first, and the Fen'harel name came later, which he took as a "badge of pride". It came to mean different things to different people, with the elf adding that it "inspired hope in his friends, and fear in his enemies". In our role as the Warden, Hawke, or the Inquisitor in previous Dragon Age games, our name could also evoke a similar feeling depending on how we decided to shape our character. While I finally have a better idea of our role to come as Rook, it begs the question: who will we become as we try to save Thedas with The Veilguard? Will we inspire fear or hope? And just how will the RPG let us decide that through our choices? Even with the shift in name away from Dreadwolf to Veilguard, those questions are no less pertinent.
The Veilguard in isolation is pretty stimulating, given what Solas is trying to do and what it implies we'll be doing. In a bid to restore the elves to their former glory, Solas seeks to tear down the Veil he himself put up to stop the Evanuris - powerful mages who called themselves gods. As Rook, we'll be setting out to "face powerful Elven gods and stop the destruction they're unleashing on the world", with "guard" suggesting we'll act as protectors of the Veil.
I've already seen a lot of discussion among the Dragon Age community about whether or not guarding the Veil is actually the best course of action. What if we want to help restore what was lost? Even if it does threaten to destroy Thedas as we know it, what would the world be like if spirits roamed the lands once more and magic was back in full power? Could we actually choose not to guard it, and what would that mean?
Recently, creative director John Epler said there will be no canon for Veilguard's state of the world and story, meaning that it's sort of up to you to decide. Epler also teases that there are "some interesting" paths we can take, mentioning his own preference of the "chaotic and strange paths through the game"... which does make me wonder what choices we might face as The Veilguard and what we can do actually when it comes to the Veil.
The company you keep
It's hard not to get excited about the fact that BioWare is putting greater emphasis on companions through the title.
How we'll guard the veil, and whether we can work with or against Solas remains to be seen, but we crucially won't be doing it alone, which gets to the root of what makes The Veilguard as a title so appealing. As BioWare detailed in a blog post, the companions are at the root of the decision to change up the title: "the Dreadwolf still has an important part in this tale, but you and your companions - not your enemies - are the heart of this new experience." The Veilguard is meant to reflect how important they are to the overall journey you'll go on with them, as well as how much of an impact you'll have on one another, which really speaks to me.
I've always been drawn to RPGs with companions, which is why I fell in love with Dragon Age and Mass Effect so deeply. BioWare has always excelled at making you care about its cast of characters in both series. All of the party members you encounter feel like fleshed out individuals with their own distinct backgrounds, personalities, and motivations, and getting to know them and fight alongside them is a constant highlight aboard the Normandy and across Thedas.
It's hard not to get excited about the fact that BioWare is putting greater emphasis on companions through the title. As game director Corinne Busche explained in an interview with Game Informer, Dragon Age: The Veilguard is home to "the most fully realized companions we've ever crafted", with their own complexities and complicated problems, so it makes sense that they should be spotlighted and be the driving force behind the decision to change the name of the next entry.
Interestingly, Busche also says that "in many ways, the companions are so fleshed out that it feels as though I'm going on a journey with them" as opposed to them going on a journey with you. "I'm exploring how they think and feel; I'm helping them through their problems. We're working through unique character arcs". Nothing could possibly sell me more. Ultimately, Dragon Age: The Veilguard as a title speaks to the fact that BioWare is dialing into one of its greatest strengths: its companions. And I'm so very here for it.
