The Fall 2024 launch of BioWare’s long-awaited fantasy RPG, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, is only some months away, and the sport is bringing a variety of adjustments to the Dragon Age formula–including a discount within the degree of management gamers have over companions in fight. In a current interview with GamesRadar, BioWare defined the reasoning behind its determination to transform The Veilguard’s companion fight system.
“[The Veilguard] is a a lot larger actions-per-minute sport,” sport director Corinne Busche defined. “It’s extra technically demanding on the participant. So once we tried permitting you full management of your companions as nicely, what we have discovered is it wasn’t truly including to the expertise. In reality, in some methods it was detrimental, given the demanding nature of simply controlling your individual character.”
However the causes behind the choice to restrict participant management of companions goes deeper than technical logistics. BioWare felt that letting gamers have full management of companions in fight was problematic from a role-playing perspective as nicely.
“On the experiential aspect, we wished you to really feel like you’re Rook,” Busche mentioned, referring to the player-character by the nickname BioWare has given them. “You’re on this world, you are actually targeted in your actions. We wished the companions to really feel like they, as absolutely realized characters, are accountable for their very own actions. They make their very own selections.”
Gamers will nonetheless be capable to management a few of their companions’ conduct in fight through a capability choice instrument BioWare refers to because the “motion wheel,” however Busche acknowledges that this deviation from the way in which fight labored in earlier titles could really feel a bit unusual for returning gamers.
“I’ll admit that, on paper, should you simply learn that you don’t have any potential to manage your companions, which may really feel like one thing was taken away,” she mentioned of the sport’s fight adjustments. “However in our testing and validating with gamers, what we discover is that they’re extra engaged than ever.”
Dragon Age: The Veilguard is presently set for a Fall 2024 launch, although BioWare has but to announce an official launch date. For extra data on the newest entry within the Dragon Age franchise, try every thing we find out about Dragon Age: The Veilguard.