Finally, after almost a decade, there is a follow-up to one of the best RPG franchises in history! Dragon Age: The Veilguard is releasing to all current-gen consoles and the PC and fans are excited to play what BioWare has been cooking all these years. Based on previews and reports, it might just be Bioware's return to form as one of the best developers when it comes to RPGs.
To prepare for the highly-anticipated release, players can try out games like Dragon Age where players can find themselves in worlds where their choices would shape the course of the game. Consequences matter in these games. But fair warning! The results can be drastic, so tread carefully. Or not! Careless decisions are also part of the fun!
1. Mass Effect Legendary Edition
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+ 7What better way to play out choices in video games than by playing another BioWare classic: Mass Effect. Fearsome dragons might not have a presence in this franchise, but there is a meaner threat deep in space that could potentially destroy galaxies.
When the imminent threat of the Reapers is closing in on all lifeforms in the galaxy, the politics of each alien race are still at odds with one another. It is up to the decisions of Captain John or Jane Shepard to resolve the disparity between the races to fight against the terrifying ancient threat.
Most decisions in Mass Effect have significant consequences that can change the game's complexion. A few races might be friendly with the player at the start, but once some decisions play out, they might turn hostile while befriending their enemies. Sometimes, it's up to Shepard whether a character survives or dies! The gravity behind the decisions in Mass Effect is staggering, which is why this space opera drama remains one of the best examples that highlights video games as an effective artistic medium.
2. Baldur's Gate III
click to enlarge + 7At this point, what can be said about Baldur's Gate III? The high regard it earned from critics and players speaks to the care, effort, and dedication that Larian Studios applied during the development of this massive game. To this day, the active player base that the game sustains after a year of its release is a testament to the high quality of the game.
Finishing the main quest of Baldur's Gate III averages 80 hours, not including the multiple different endings that the player can achieve. Certain decisions in the story will even lock the player out of other endings entirely! And while the premise can be dark, Baldur's Gate III knows how to have fun because this game can be silly at some points. Not every game will let its players choose to romance a bear, or at least, a guy that can turn into a bear!
3. Cyberpunk 2077
click to enlarge + 7Cyberpunk 2077 has finally proved itself. Beneath the buggy mess that it was when initially released lies a brooding but exciting game. CD Projekt Red paid respect to the material that the once-tabletop board game is truly capable of. As a result, the studio has crafted a modern example of an RPG that is both exciting and dramatic.
While Dragon Age: The Veilguard is far from an FPS, the RPG elements of Cyberpunk 2077 are inspired by the BioWare franchise's choice-based world-building, as well as the character-building. Apart from the player's own choices, some of the characters in the game, such as Johnny Silverhand, Jackie Welles, and Solomon Reed, are just as well-written as Bioware's best.
4. Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
click to enlarge + 7Recently, Owlcat Games has been carving a niche for itself in the CRPG market and they are making its presence known with games such as Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader and the Pathfinder franchise. Players who want to commit themselves to immersion before going into Dragon Age: The Veilguard can sink their time in Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous.
The systems can be complicated to understand, which can turn off a few players from going through the game. But a little bit of patience in understanding Pathfinder's gameplay can go a long way, especially since the choices presented by the game can be unconventional and complex. Once it works, the mechanics of the game can really escalate the dramatic moments to unprecedented heights!
5. Divinity: Original Sin 2
click to enlarge + 7Another Larian Studios title can also whet the appetite when looking for games to play before Dragon Age: The Veilguard releases. It can be argued that Baldur's Gate III wouldn't have been possible if Larian Studios hadn't created the masterpiece that is Divinity: Original Sin 2.
The beauty behind Divinity: Original Sin 2 rests on the back of its sweeping narrative, deep characters, and the freedom behind its combat. Larian Studios respects the creativity of its players by sprinkling the game with challenges that are always rewarding to accomplish. It is a modern classic that should be at the top of the list for any RPG fan.
6. Disco Elysium
click to enlarge + 7Disco Elysium stands out from games to try out before Dragon Age: The Veilguard for the intimacy of its approach to CRPGs. The treatment is a bit unheard of for the genre since most titles would have large-scale consequences that would significantly change the game environments. While there is a semblance of this in Disco Elysium, the game ultimately wants the player to focus on the development of the character.
There are loads of interesting characters in Disco Elysium. However, no one is more interesting than the detective that the player controls, along with the numerous thoughts and instincts that reside in his head. These thoughts, fully voiced, will contest, undermine, or aid one another, which leads to fascinating decisions.
7. Wasteland 3
click to enlarge + 7For a more unhinged choice when picking out games to play before Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Wasteland 3 might satisfy. This turn-based RPG is set in post-apocalyptic America in the 22nd century and while every choice will matter, the consequences will almost always end up bloody.
Behind this chaos, however, is absurdity, which the game uses to its full comedic effect. Fans who enjoy unconventional humor might find some gut-busting laughs in Wasteland 3!
The CRPG genre of video games holds so many gems. Until the return of BioWare's most anticipated game, players who want to play games before Dragon Age: The Veilguard are spoiled with some
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