Summary
Players have noticed a tonal shift between previousDragon Agetitles andDragon Age: The Veilguard.The structure of the story, the characters, and the themesVeilguard isexploring seem more in line with stories likeThe Lord of the Ringsand games likeFinal Fantasythan previous games in the series. The world feels brighter, but the stakes are higher than ever. When the whole world is on the line and a single group of heroes is facing down gods, how can it be possible that the tone of the story is lighter?
All these factors point to a shift in genre.Dragon Age: The Veilguardis a work of high fantasyas opposed to dark fantasy.These two genres, while similar, have a few key differences that make them suited to different kinds of storytelling. High fantasy tends to take place in an entirely fictional universe with magical elements (as allDragon Agegames do), center on a single hero coming to terms with their responsibilities, and include a battle between good and evil, among other things. Dark fantasy tends to havemore morally ambiguous characters, centers on an anti-hero, may or may not exist in an entirely fantastical universe, and sometimes has themes of hopelessness and moral corruption.Dragon Age: The Veilguardfits most neatly, though not completely, into the first genre.
1There Is A Clear Difference Between Good And Evil
In high fantasy, there is a clear distinction between good and evil. While there are some characters that change their minds about the Veilguard (such as the First Warden) or were at one point good and have now become evil (like the Gloomhowler), there is no doubt about what side each character is fighting during the events of the game. The representations of evil, Elgar’nan and Gilan’nain,are motivated purely by a desire for power: there is little ambiguity or room to sympathize with them.
“Good” characters are also unmistakably good: in previous games, factions like the Antivan Crows did things like kidnapping and murdering innocents. InVeilguard,they have been written more like a resistance army than killers for hire.In previousDragon Agetitles, some companions were prejudiced against mages or lied to the protagonist outright.InVeilguard,the focus is on the larger struggle against evil as opposed to the interpersonal struggle between the morality of individual characters. There is an interesting exception: Solas, who can either be redeemed or forced to do the right thing depending on the choices the player makes.
2Conflict On An Epic Scale
The Biggest Battle Yet
In high fantasy, the conflict tends to be “epic:“in literature, this means the scope is broad and the themes speak widely to the greater human condition. This is why the line between good and evil is so clearly established: the real struggle isn’t between people, but between forces.
In dark fantasy, the conflict tends to be smaller in scale: for example, the climax ofDragon Age 2is Anders destroying the Kirkwall chantry. In that game, the actions of one individual, who is neither good nor evil, are the central conflict. InDragon Age: The Veilguard,the climax is battling the gods, representations of pure evil.
3There Is A Hero’s Journey
SomethingVeilguardHas In Common WithThe Odyssey
The Hero’s Journey is something players may have encountered in high school English class: it is a structure that has been used in storytelling since there have been stories and is a key element of the high fantasy genre. It looks something like this, though there are variations:
Rook’s evolution inVeilguardlines up with the hero’s journey: the mentor is Varric,the helpers are the companions, the death and rebirth are Rook being trapped in The Fade, etc. In dark fantasy, the protagonist will sometimes mirror this structure, but it is more common in that genre to have a less traditional arc. The main characters of dark fantasy stories are often anti-heroes who sometimes do not accomplish the goals they set out to do:think again of the end ofDragon Age 2.InVeilguard,this formula is adhered to almost exactly.
4Optimistic Tone
We Can Do The Impossible
At the core ofDragon Age: The Veilguard,there is hope:hope in the face of impossible odds,hope for a worthy cause, and hope for a better future. In dark fantasy games likeDark SoulsandElden Ring,hope is never certain. Not only is the protagonist of these games uncertain if they will be able to accomplish their goals, but they are also uncertain that their goals are for the greater good. InVeilguard,that is not the case. When Rook speaks to Solas, there are multiple lines of dialog reassuring him that they are the right person for the job and that their team is capable of battling the gods.
This central theme of hope is a great fit for the storyDragon Age: The Veilguardis trying to tellabout found family,fighting against slim odds, and heroic sacrifice. This is a common theme in high fantasy properties, such asLord of The RingsandThe Chronicles of Narnia.
5Good Prevails
In One Form Or Another
Whether Rook seals the Veil along with Solas or not, good conquers evil at the end ofVeilguard.If Rook has completed the Crossroads questsand gained the assistance of Mythal, Rook can convince Solas to seal it himself (thus punishing him for his transgressions while still allowing him to redeem himself, bringing in that clear boundary between good and evil again).
This happens after the fight with Elgar’nan: a classic high fantasy final battle between good and evil where beloved characters die, but always in a way that feels meaningful and helpful to the fight at hand. In a dark fantasy story, there would be ample meaningless death. The ending would mean bad things for good people. Instead,Veilguardtakes the time to honor its dead in the crypt right before the finale: whoever is lost in this fight is lost nobly, and their sacrifice is acknowledged by the living. Dark fantasy often centers on the randomness of death, while high fantasy lets characters have some agency and power in death. InVeilguard,even in its darkest moments, companions are dying for the cause and not just dying.
