Death: It's not great. But now there are options.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the upcoming new addition to BioWare’s long-running fantasy RPG series that used to have a much cooler title, will include an array of combat difficulty options—including one that disables death, and its attendant downsides, entirely.
A new Game Informer preview has a closer look at Veilguard’s difficulty options, which at the most basic level include three broad settings: Storyteller, for those who are into it for the narrative; Adventurer, which is presumably a more challenging balance between story and combat; and Nightmare, which is self-explanatory. Players can switch between Storyteller and Adventure mode at will, but Nightmare is a permanent choice, so make that move at your peril.
For those who like to fiddle, there’s also an Unbound mode, which enables individual adjustment of features like wayfinding, aim assist, combat timing (to make parrying easier or more difficult), enemy health, and how much damage they put out. A full-on auto-aim option is available, as is one that prevents death from occurring outright.
Game director Corinne Busche told the site that none of those options are cheats: “It’s an option to make sure players of all abilities can show up,” she said.
“Git gud” diehards might feel personally attacked, but I think it’s a great idea. Accessibility is the primary driver here: The more people you can bring into your game, the better it is for everyone. But it’s also great for players who want to enjoy the game without having to fight it all the way through. I played Divinity: Original Sin on its easiest mode because I wanted to explore the world and enjoy the story without getting bogged down in complex combat, and when it was all over I had no regrets. Did I cheat myselfout of the full and proper experience? I don’t think so, and even if I did, that’s not your business, buddy.
Of course, if you want to get your ass kicked all day long by elven gods and their demonic minions, knock yourself out. This is a judgment-free zone. But not everyone is into that sort of thing.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard is set to come out sometime this fall.
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