Highlights
- Skipping Trespasser in Dragon Age: Inquisition is a mistake as it holds essential story elements for The Veilguard.
- Trespasser dives deep into Solas' motivations and lore, revealing his creation of the Veil and setting the stage for The Veilguard.
- Even though it's intended to be accessible to new fans, Dragon Age: The Veilguard is sure to take a lot from the Trespasser DLC.
It can take over a hundred hours to complete a single playthrough of Dragon Age: Inquisition's base game. For players who want to complete a playthrough before the release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard this fall, it may be tempting to skip Dragon Age: Inquisition's final DLC, Trespasser, because of the game's long runtime. But Trespasser remains the most essential part of the story, and will put much of Dragon Age: The Veilguard into context.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard's developer has stated that new players will be able to dive right into the game without playing any of the previous games. However, players who have played Dragon Age games without playing Trespasser will be at a disadvantage because they'll be going in without a lot of the context needed to understand the premise of Solas' plan, and the changes to Dragon Age's lore that Trespasser revealed.
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2
Trespasser's Story and Pacing Contrasts with Dragon Age: Inquisition
Unlike Dragon Age: Inquisition's base game and Jaws of Hakkon, Trespasser is a mission-based DLC that sends the Inquisitor out into certain areas in story-based fashion. This is very similar to how Dragon Age: The Veilguard's game and world design are described. Notably, Trespasser was led by lead writer Trick Weekes and creative director John Epler for the first time in their new roles for the Dragon Age series, and could be a good indicator of what Dragon Age: The Veilguard will be like.
Dragon Age: Inquisition - Trespasser Explained
Trespasser takes the player through the story of the rebellion against the ancient elven gods and the eventual fall of the elven empire. The framing of this story is a Qunari plot to invade all of Thedas because of the Breach. All the while, the Inquisition is under pressure to disband from both Orlais and Ferelden. Aside from the important lore information, the story itself is incredibly compelling, with tight pacing and rising stakes.
Players who weren't invested in Corypheus as an antagonist will find redemption for Dragon Age: Inquisition here. The Vidassala is a charismatic figure whose fanatical adherence to the Qun commands respect. The threat of the Qunari feels very real, and brings a new relevance to a group that will likely be a major player in Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
Uncovering Solas' Motivations for Dragon Age: The Veilguard
At the heart of Trespasser lies Solas. Despite only being mentioned and appearing for fifteen minutes near the end of the DLC, Solas casts a long shadow over the entirety of Trespasser. The Inquisitor is always only a few steps behind as he puts them on the path to find him, and they see the effects of his actions on the world through the magic he casts, the spirits who follow him, the writings his followers and enemies wrote, and the frescoes he painted thousands of years ago. Players who don't understand Solas, or want a window into his motivations, will find some insight just by playing Trespasser's story long before speaking to Solas.
Solas casts a long shadow over the entirety of Trespasser.
The lore revealed in Trespasser changes much of what was previously understood about magic, spirits, and history in Thedas. The biggest revelation is that Solas created the Veil, which caused the collapse of the Elvhen Empire. The fact that the Veil was created, and is not a natural phenomenon, has massive implications for mages, spirits and demons, and the world of Dragon Age at large. Trespasser takes this a step further and guides the player in understanding why Solas created the Veil, and why he wants to destroy it, leading to the events of Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
![Why Inquisition's Trespasser DLC is Essential to Play Before Dragon Age: The Veilguard (2) Why Inquisition's Trespasser DLC is Essential to Play Before Dragon Age: The Veilguard (2)](https://i0.wp.com/static0.gamerantimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/sharedimages/2024/06/dragon-age-the-veilguard-tag-page-cover-art.jpg)
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Dragon Age: The Veilguard is the long-awaited fourth game in the fantasy RPG series from BioWare, and formerly known as Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. A direct sequel to Inquisition, it focuses on red lyrium and Solas, the aforementioned Dread Wolf.
- Franchise
- Dragon Age
- Platform(s)
- PS5 , Xbox Series S , Xbox Series X , Microsoft Windows
- Released
- 2024
- Developer(s)
- BioWare
- Publisher(s)
- Electronic Arts
- Engine
- Frostbite
- Video Games
- Dragon Age: The Veilguard
- BioWare
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