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In his November 19, 2024 review, Engadget’s Devindra Hardawar called Dragon Age: The Veilguard “beautiful in every way.” That is a critic’s judgment, not an objective score—but it has a clear visual basis: stylized character designs, dreamlike locations, detailed environments, and lighting effects including ray tracing. His praise is specifically about the game’s appearance; it should not be read as a claim that every part of the game received equal praise.
What makes The Veilguard look beautiful?
Hardawar’s description points to a cohesive art direction rather than one technical effect. Characters look more stylized than they did in Dragon Age: Inquisition, while the environments extend that distinct visual identity into places that feel magical and atmospheric. In his words: “Whether I’m exploring the game’s home base in the dream-like Fade, or a forest shimmering with golden leaves and wild magical energy, the game simply looks gorgeous.” — Devindra Hardawar, Engadget, November 19, 2024.
The Fade, forests, and the Lighthouse
The Fade and forests are among the settings Hardawar singles out: one dreamlike, the other alive with golden leaves and magical energy. The Lighthouse, the team’s base, is another standout in his account—a group of medieval buildings floating within a magical storm. He also praises environmental details that hint at stories beyond the immediate scene. These are impressions from a review, not the results of a formal visual-quality measurement.
Three different parts of the look
- Character design: More stylized than Inquisition, according to Hardawar.
- Environment art: Distinctive settings and small details help give locations atmosphere and a sense of history.
- Rendering and lighting: Ray tracing is one of the visual features he highlights, but its availability and performance depend on the system and settings.
How ray tracing and hardware shape the image
Ray tracing is a graphics-rendering feature, not a separate art style. In the review, it appears as part of a high-end PC configuration; the reported frame rates should be understood alongside that hardware and the stated settings, not as a general performance promise.
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| Configuration | Settings and reported performance | What the figure means |
|---|---|---|
| PC with AMD Ryzen 9 7950X and NVIDIA RTX 4080 Super | 4K, DLSS, Ultra graphics, ray tracing; over 100 fps | Hardawar’s result in his review, not a benchmark for other PCs. |
| Steam Deck | Low graphics settings, no ray tracing; roughly 30–40 fps | Hardawar’s handheld observation, not a guarantee for every handheld or software version. |
These are different devices and settings, so they do not establish which platform is best. EA’s official product page lists the game for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox and publishes Windows PC requirements. Those specifications describe EA’s stated minimum and recommended configurations; they are not comparative performance tests.
EA’s published Windows PC requirements
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10/11 64-bit | Not stated on EA’s product page |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 3 3300X or Intel Core i5-8400 | AMD Ryzen 7 3700X or Intel Core i9-9900K |
| Memory | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| Graphics | AMD Radeon R9 290X or NVIDIA GTX 970/1650 | AMD Radeon RX 5700XT or NVIDIA RTX 2070 |
| Storage | 100 GB; HDD supported | 100 GB SSD |
EA’s PC Features Journal says EA/BioWare devoted 40% of its platform-testing effort to PCs and conducted over 200,000 hours of performance and compatibility testing, as well as close to 10,000 hours of user-research testing. These are developer-reported testing efforts, not independently audited outcomes or a promise about performance on a particular computer. Requirements and storefront details can change, so check EA’s live product page before buying.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where to see more of the game’s art
For a physical look at the character and environment design, EA announced The Art of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, a 256-page behind-the-scenes art book published by Dark Horse. EA’s announcement described standard and deluxe editions—the latter with extra prints, a slipcase, and an alternate cover—as well as a BioWare Gear edition described as exclusive while supplies lasted. The book is separate from the game and does not include it. Edition availability and prices may have changed since the announcement.
EA also announced Rook’s Coffer, a physical keepsake set with a light-up Lyrium Dagger and an art-decorated card deck. That is collector merchandise, not a requirement for seeing or playing the game; current stock and price are not established here. The official soundtrack, co-composed by Hans Zimmer and Lorne Balfe, was released through Lakeshore Records on November 1, 2024, with streaming and download availability described in EA’s launch announcement.
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