Because the mud settles on PC Gamer’s Dragon Age: The Veilguard overview, which describes a Marvel-i-fied motion RPG let down by its new lacklustre, sanitised companion characters and clumsy storytelling, I really feel the time has now come the place we will lastly step again, breathe and calmly recognise what ought to have been apparent to BioWare all alongside—in Morrigan, the Witch of the Wilds, Dragon Age has at all times boasted the fantasy RPG style’s best of all time companion character. As a result of, 15 years after the sequence debuted with the peerless Dragon Age: Origins, not solely has BioWare seemingly forgotten this (if it ever knew it to start with), however has by no means even gotten near replicating a personality like her once more.
From the second a fresh-faced Morrigan steps out of the forest in Dragon Age: Origins, voiced by the peerless Claudia Black, sarcastically and cynically teasing and probing the participant’s Warden whereas expounding her personal distinctive beliefs and motivations, the fantasy RPG style was by no means going to be the identical once more. Right here was a personality that deftly, superbly, elevated fantasy RPG companions to a beforehand unseen, complicated and actual stage. Right here we had a transcendent character that leapt out of the display screen bodily and mentally, difficult the Warden, testing them, philosophising with them and, sure, even probably loving and betraying them.
Morrigan was a splendidly actual and morally gray character that did not succumb to drained stereotypes or boringly two-dimensional motivations. There was no, ‘I’ve a tragic backstory the place I used to be wronged by a brilliant duper dangerous man and now I am on a quest for revenge’ guff (as an alternative, we get a far messier story involving her ‘mom’ Flemeth, instructed in fragments), or a ‘effectively, she will be able to typically seem dangerous, however deep down she has a coronary heart of gold and can assist us do the appropriate factor at a clutch second’ nonsense. As a substitute, proper from the off, Morrigan could be very open about her world views, whereas additionally fastidiously pursuing her goals, each brazenly and covertly.
And, as anybody who performed Origins together with its Witch Hunt DLC, in addition to Dragon Age: Inquisition to its dramatic conclusion can vouch for, she has by no means compromised on this. Ray Muzyka, the co-founder of BioWare, as soon as described Morrigan’s character as ‘difficult’, which I really feel is just not solely bang on the cash however a key cause as to why she is such an enticing character. I wish to be challenged. I would like my get together’s companion characters to be dropped at life by way of variations in opinion. I would like them to face for one thing, rattling it, and that is the place Morrigan excels.
Adversity is the primary path to reality
Removed from merely current as a type of heroically malleable NPC sponge that does not actually stand for or signify something, and is all too keen to slavishly fall into line and assemble, just like the Avengers, underneath the banner of a heroic mission to cease baddies cuz they’re dangerous, Morrigan is a personality who is just not afraid to face for what she believes and query the choices being made by these round her, together with the participant themselves. This was by no means higher showcased than in Dragon Age: Origins, the place the BioWare of previous pulled zero punches in having Morrigan spar with characters like Alistair, Wynne and Leliana, who held ideological positions that ran counter to her personal. This was completely pure, as these characters had come from completely different backgrounds and had completely different beliefs, whereas having your individual selections because the participant questioned (and even reacted to in-game with real penalties) by the Witch of the Wilds cast some extremely memorable moments.
Morrigan is a personality that brings to thoughts the well-known phrase, “adversity is the primary path to reality”, as it’s by way of adversity of her ideas and actions that the participant’s personal Warden character turns into extra entire, with their very own viewpoints crystallised by their response to her’s. As a result of possibly, simply possibly, the choices you’re making aren’t the appropriate ones? Perhaps you’re not the chosen one who can do no unsuitable, and who each different companion character can’t wait to lick the boots of like a lobotomized, sanitised, superhero squad puppet? One which as quickly as their tragic backstory trauma is resolved reverts to faultless, frictionless supervillain slayer. No—as an alternative Morrigan, together with her flaws and all, stays a personality of depth and complexity. She’s not good, she makes errors, and there are even limits to her personal data and understanding inside the recreation world, however how she is depicted is so constant, plausible and difficult, that it simply makes her all of the extra actual and immersive.
A forgotten heritage
In case you take note of the story of Dragon Age: Origins, working by way of into Dragon Age: Inquisition, it’s Morrigan that truly sits on the centre of the narrative—however within the background, veiled from view. Morrigan is “she who awaits the following age”, heir of Flemeth’s present, mom to a Warden’s son, Kieran, traveller of the Crossroads and Fade, adviser to the empress of Orlais, grasp of the Eluvian, searcher of The Effectively of Sorrows, and a game-changing shape-shifter that may truly flip right into a dragon. Ignoring any developments in The Veilguard relating to Morrigan out of respect for avid gamers by way of potential spoilers, the grand overarching narrative of Dragon Age has a direct throughline, revolving across the return of previous gods, and Morrigan has been, as much as The Veilguard not less than, the constant conduit for that.
However, no matter how a lot Morrigan could or could not characteristic in The Veilguard (I feel it honest to say she performs a job, however is by far not a constant presence), her depiction within the new recreation is emblematic of the broader shift in Dragon Age’s id and priorities, as a lot of her difficult authentic character, after we get to listen to from her in any respect, is just not evident, and performs second fiddle to broader, extra generic, Marvel-lite dialogue coming out of your squad of Thedas Avengers, who provide nothing compared to what former nice companions like Morrigan did.
Sadly, all of this reaffirms my conviction that BioWare has by no means correctly appreciated what fantasy RPG companion character gold the unique Dragon Age: Origins dev crew (however particularly Morrigan’s main author, David Gaider) left for them. This can be a character that not solely sits above greats each new and previous, however served as a landmark second in how companion characters in fantasy RPG video games had been written, designed and introduced.
With out Morrigan there are not any trendy greats like Shadowheart or Astarion, simply as with out Dragon Age: Origins there would have been no Baldur’s Gate 3. However the place Larian was all too conscious of the unbelievable heritage left to them within the fantasy RPG style when creating their masterpiece, lovingly weaving that heritage into its smash hit RPG, BioWare seems to have largely forgotten its celebrated personal, altering not simply the basics of what Dragon Age is, however relegating one of many style’s greatest ever characters to a largely chummy exposition bot when, at one time not less than, she adroitly embodied Dragon Age’s darkish, mature and splendidly complicated spirit.