Veilguard's Lighthouse sets a new standard for BioWare Hubs

by

This article contains story spoilers for Dragon Age: The Veilguard.There's a lot to love Dragon Age: The Veilguardespecially when the first few hours of exposure and growing pains are out of the way. The combat is some of the best to come out of BioWare, the setting is gorgeous, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard tells a story with clear goals and a tight pace. Like many RPGs, a fundamental pillar of the Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a place for the player character and their party to return to after a series of adventures.




Home base for Dragon Age: The Veilguard is the lighthouse, a haven located in a pocket of the Fade. The lighthouse serves as a good foundation for home bases in future BioWare games. The Lighthouse surpasses all previous versions of BioWare home bases in several significant ways, ranging from its depiction of lore to gameplay mechanics. Dragon Age: Inquisition ended with plenty of unanswered questions, and the lighthouse itself answered many of them through its settings and its connection to the Crossroads.

dragon age the veilguard review-1

Family

Dragon Age: The Veilguard Review

After 100 hours and 3 playthroughs of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, I feel vindicated in my ten year wait and happy with the results.

The lighthouse is essential to conveying Dragon Age: The Veilguard's Lore


Solas is one of the most mysterious characters in the Dragon Age. Despite the fact that Solas was a full-fledged companion from the very beginning Dragon Age: Inquisition and being a romantic alternative, he remains incredibly closed off and troubled by his past and experiences. Much of Sola's past is connected to Theda's history and origins, including the origins of the Elves and Dwarves, the Fall of the Titans, the origins of the Corruption, and the creation of the Veil.

Rather than providing the answers to these questions through Sola's exhibition, the lighthouse is able to provide them due to its magical nature. Through the visuals of Sola's frescoes, Rook and their party are able to experience Sola's deepest regrets and key moments in his life visually and by listening to his past conversations. As the lighthouse was once the staging ground for Sola's rebellion, memorabilia from this rebellion is also scattered around the home base, most notably from Sola's general, Felassan. These provide a different perspective on Solas, as well as a view of what happened after the creation of the Veil.


Integrating new mechanics into the lighthouse transforms Dragon Age: The Veilguard's gameplay

In addition to the lighthouse's new depiction of lore, the gameplay mechanics of the lighthouse make it incredibly easy to use. Instead of having to visit each peer in turn to see if they have something to say, a light outside their door indicates whether they are available to speak or not. This saves time and eliminates the need to go from companion to companion to see if they have anything new to say.

The lighthouse is also mutable instead of static, changing as the story progresses. Since it is in the Fade, it changes to fit Dragon Age: The Veilguards companions and their preferences, from forlorn and dull to beautiful and full of life. Its connection to the Crossroads also means that Rook can travel across Thedas in an instant, giving a historical reason for traveling great distances in such a short amount of time.


Aside from its meaningful game mechanics and place in lore, Lighthouse is also a wonderful setting. Returning to the lighthouse every time is a joy, and its role as a living location that responds to the player makes it not only one of the most unique locations in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, but in any BioWare game.

Leave a Comment