Dragon Age: The Veilguardis no exception when it comes to BioWare games raising the stakes following the player’s decisions, yet there’s a case to be made that the fate of one character, in particular, shouldn’t have been down to choice alone. Both ofBioWare’s flagship franchises,Mass EffectandDragon Age, are well-known for allowing the player’s decision-making to shape its games' stories as they unfold. The latestDragon Age: The Veilguardcontinues this trend, where the fate of several companions is determined by the player’s actions and key choices made throughout the game.
However, based on theexisting lore of theDragon Ageseriesand the scripted story ofDA: The Veilguard, the fate of one specific companion potentially should have either come sooner in the game or not been left to the player’s choice. Though it wouldn’t be the first time a player’s decisions led to the deaths of key characters within a BioWare game,DA: The Veilguardarguably misses the mark regarding its own unavoidable outcomes. So, while these moments are intended to force players to face the consequences of their actions, the specific companions chosen for this inDA: The Veilguardmight not make sense in context.
Spoilers forDragon Age: The Veilguardahead.
Deciding Who Leads The Distraction in Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s Isle of the Gods Matters
The main story quest, “Isle of the Gods,” is the beginning of the end ofDA: The Veilguard, as once players have started this mission there is no turning back. Therefore, it is unsurprising that it would be at this point whenDA: The Veilguardstarts to put its characters in mortal danger where they might permanently die based on the player’s in-game actions so far. However, while some companion deaths aren’t fixed within the game and can be avoided, there arekey choicesDA: The Veilguardplayers makefrom this point onward that can lead to companions being kidnapped or even killed off completely.
Ultimately, while some choices don’t outright kill the player’s companions, deciding who should create a distraction and lead the second team during the Isle of the Gods quest does result in their death. InDA: The Veilguard, this particular choice forcesplayers to decide between Harding or Davrin, though the consequences of this decision won’t be immediately obvious until the quest’s end. Yet the contrast these deaths have might be one-sided in hindsight, especially when Davrin’s fate specifically should have been determined earlier inDA: The Veilguard.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard Sidestepped Davrin’s Fate as a Grey Warden
For context,Dragon Agehas outlined that only Grey Wardenscan kill an Archdemon at the cost of their lives, but duringDA: The Veilguardthis isn’t the case when Davrin slays Ghilan’nain’s Archdemon Razikale. Instead, Davrin survives the encounter while Ghilan’nain is made mortal and later killed during the climax of Isle of the Gods. In doing so,DA: The Veilguardhas sidestepped the series' lore and Davrin’s fate as a Grey Warden, meaning that his potential death later in the game has its impact diminished since players were already anticipating this once before.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s Choice Between Harding or Davrin Seems Moot
By extension, the fate of Harding or Davrinmight arguably be a foregone conclusion ifDA: The Veilguardkept to the series' lore, as the game doesn’t give an explicit explanation as to how he initially survived, while Harding’s story is pivotal to understanding the Blight’s origins. Contextually, despiteDA: The Veilguard’s Grey Warden changes, Davrin’s fate shouldn’t have been down to the player’s choice, as his death when killing Ghilan’nain would have completed his Grey Warden character arc. However, for some players, this decision becomes complicated whether they are romancing Harding or Davrin or would like Assan, Davrin’s griffon, to survive too.
