BioWare recently released a video showing off Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s combat, specifically that of the warrior class. The system appears to be very engaging…with more than a few shades of Mass Effect thrown in. In that, in Veilguard, players can pause combat to issue commands to companions in much the same way as they could in the Mass Effect games. Choosing the right combinations of powers could unleash massive amounts of damage. The original Dragon Age games offered companion control, too, but much more actively than in Mass Effect. Each DA game had its own take on companion combat control, but altogether they offered in-depth choices to players as to how companions acted and reacted during battle, to the point that players could control each one, and subsequently command any given battlefield.

Veilguard’s (re)turn towards Mass Effect’s less tactical style of combat has conjured up some negativity among the fandom. Not helping matters any is BioWare folks essentially saying that they, to paraphrase, had to simplify the controls because players wouldn’t be able to handle the complexities of Veilguard’s high-speed, high-intensity battles. Of course, the sentiment is that the devs want players to enjoy the game and its story most of all, but no one likes being told what they can and cannot do, so tempers flare. I don’t feel like I have much skin in the game, because I’m all in on Veilguard for the narrative. The battles that happen in between, however they happen are secondary.

I am not a micromanager, and I tend to be very rote and hands-off when it comes to combat, and especially companion control, in any game. Just speaking to the Dragon Age and Mass Effect games, I’ve never used any of its control system. I auto-level companions and mostly let them to whatever they want. The Mass Effect games have become something of an exception, as in more recent playthroughs, I’ve utilized the in-game combat controls more readily. Still, auto-leveling folks remains my default; I’m just not that interested in overseeing any given characters abilities, other than my own. Maybe it’s selfish, and maybe I’d have an easier time with some battles if I took the time to learn the nuances that the game offers, but, nah. I’ll keep playing my own way, stubborn as I am.

Games with great combat mechanics but no companions are another matter, but not by much. I still tend to set myself on autopilot, using default controls, powers, and weaponry until I figure it’s time to try to upgrade. In Final Fantasy XIV, I haven’t much changed my skillset or button maps for quite some time. The powers themselves are upgraded through leveling, but I’m far too lazy and much too familiar with my layout to want to change things. In the Fallout games, I stick to one type of weapon and mastering just it through any playthrough, no matter if something “better” might present itself. In Hogwarts Legacy, a game I just recently started, I’m already brimming spells, and fiddling with them is a hassle. Because my basic cast works fine in most combat scenarios, I’ve chosen to keep only the most fundamental spells within easy reach. I don’t always want to breeze through combat, but I also don’t want to spend any given gaming session just trying to make it through one fight. Any time I’m able to streamline (and not think much about) combat, I’ll take it.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard received lots of initial flak for its look and feel, and then it’s protagonist and companions came under fire, and now its combat mechanics are being roasted. Well, can’t say that folks aren’t paying attention to it, for better or worse! All I can say is that I’m looking forward to it regardless, and that my rogue will be there flinging arrows from the sidelines. Because, hey, if I can tell my companions what to do and when to do it, while unleashing an occasional ultimate ability, it’ll mean less work for me. I already work for a living; I don’t need that stress in my games, too.  

How strongly do you feel about combat mechanics in games? Which ones have the best, or the worst?

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Lede image © BioWare, Electronic Arts.