I take back what was said: first Veilguard gameplay shows Dragon Age is back

Following Dragon Age: The Veilguard's first cinematic trailer, fans were left feeling dissatisfied. The trailer was full of humor and a strange art style for the series that we reported on at PGG. It seemed to make light of the game, scripted to be a corny introduction to the seven companions that players can expect from Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

Something that also caught a lot of fans' attention was the look and voice of Varric, which are both vastly different than the dwarf we all know and love. His hair is noticeably darker, and his voice is unrecognizable. As a character who has been the storyteller of Dragon Age since Dragon Age II, including several voiceovers in Dragon Age: Inquisition, I have no idea what BioWare was thinking.

Beyond this, we have this comedic... Overwatch-like introduction to the game. The DLC for Dragon Age: Inquisition left us in a somber and vengeful mood. Many fans came out of the Trespasser DLC feeling heartbroken and/or betrayed. I didn't romance Solas in my first playthrough, but I did eventually make an Inquisitor with the sole purpose of seeing first-hand what he does in Trespasser when it's his beloved and not just a friend in front of him.

Time to crack an egg, that's all I'm saying.

However, BioWare has saved itself by quickly releasing a sneak peek of the gameplay of Dragon Age: The Veilguard ahead of schedule. We weren't supposed to see anything until June 11, 2024, when the official gameplay reveal was played live on their YouTube channel.

Suddenly, we have this new video that is the complete opposite of the companion trailer. In 13 seconds, BioWare prevented a huge amount of damage to their series. The new sneak peek, released on June 10, actually feels like a Dragon Age game.

It's dark, it's foreboding, and the graphics look AMAZING. Dragon Age has always had beautiful scenery, and you can see how much time must have gone into creating the environments for this game in just these few seconds. Weirdly, even Varric's voice sounds different — slightly deeper, more suited to his original character.

This is Dragon Age as it always has been. It has that sense of suspense and even though I'm not controlling the characters yet, I want them to move faster through this area and get indoors or somewhere less shadowed.

We also got a hidden look at Scout Harding, and I'm very excited to have her as a companion instead of an NPC you run into at every campsite in Inquisition.

Although I didn't have anywhere near as much hate for the companion trailer as others, the gameplay sneak peek has made me feel 100 times better about the 10-year wait for Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Keep it up, BioWare, this is the energy we want for this game.

Want to refresh your Dragon Age knowledge before the gameplay drops? Try our Pro Game Guides pieces on Who is the Dread Wolf in the next Dragon Age game? and Best Companions in Dragon Age Inquisition.