A decade after the smash-hit fantasy roleplaying game Dragon Age: Inquisition was released, the long-awaited follow up, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, is almost here. Expectations have been high ever since we got our first look at gameplay back in June during Summer Game Fest. And while this series hadn't grabbed me before, playing just a few hours last month quickly made Veilguard one of my most anticipated games for the remainder of 2024. 

Now, having played over 20 hours of the action RPG, I'm happy to say what I've played so far is truly great and I can't wait to continue my playthrough to the end once the game comes out on Oct. 31. I've collected a handful of tips that I think will benefit anyone beginning the game. Veilguard is long -- 40-plus hours -- so planning ahead and smoothing out these rough patches will pay off over the course of your playthrough.

Play on performance mode

If you're playing on console, the very first thing you should do is set your graphics settings to Performance mode. This mode prioritizes the game's frame rate, boosting it higher while lowering the game's resolution. Fidelity mode sacrifices frame rate for visuals -- which I usually prefer. But Veilguard's art style isn't hyperrealistic, sitting somewhere between detailed and cartoonish. Because of this, lowering the resolution doesn't actually dip the game's visuals drastically -- the aesthetic is stylized enough to still look great. 

Combat in Veilguard is so fun and fluid, which is where prioritizing frame rate really helps elevate the experience. Trust me, you'll want the smoothest visuals you can get when you're warp dodging around the battlefield, sending off spell after spell and timing your parries perfectly.

Quick access to companion skills

In order to use your teams' various combat skills, you need to hold down the right shoulder button (RB if you're using an Xbox controller). This will bring up a wheel of abilities as well as freeze time so you can target specific enemies to be attacked. It includes your own skills as well as your companions'. However, if you'd prefer to use these attacks faster, and without halting the combat, you can instead hold down the left trigger and press one of the face buttons for your own abilities, or a button from the d-pad for your allies, in order to shoot off an attack quickly.

The only downside to quick access is that you miss out on the game highlighting which specific skills will combo together and unleash a more powerful effect. While it is nice to quickly use the LT shortcut, make sure you check out the ability wheel from time to time so you know which attacks should be stacked together.

Obstacle abilities can be used whenever

Early in the game you'll be taught that some obstacles need a specific companion to overcome. For example, Bellara can fix broken magical devices that can create bridges or open up pathways. Different characters can interact with different obstacles, but you can only bring two teammates with you at any given time. 

If you played Pokemon and remember keeping specific Pokemon in your party due to the HM moves they knew, you won't need to do that in Veilguard. Even though you may not have the correct ally for that obstacle, through some fictional handwaving you can actually interact with those objects even if your ally isn't with you. This allows you to not worry about the team you put together just for the sake of being able to explore further. 

Buy and sell often

The best merchants you'll find in game are also the ones that can be upgraded as you progress. You can tell if the merchant has an upgrade path by the right side of the shop's menu. Upgradable shops will also purchase trinkets from your inventory, whereas nonupgradable shops will only sell to you. Both buying from and selling to them will add to your rank with the shop, and once you have the correct crafting material, you'll be able to increase that rank. Upgrading a shop will increase the quality, power and number of the items they will sell to you.

'Valuables' are actually useless

There are a ton of shiny collectables scattered around the world. Almost an absurd number of them, in fact. These "valuables," as they're categorized in your inventory, actually serve no purpose other than to be sold, which will be familiar to anyone who played Inquisition. They'll range from items such as a Fashionable Scarf and Veil Crystals to Green Bottles or a Smooth Pebble. Don't hang onto these thinking you can use them for crafting or trading -- they have no use outside of being sold. Merchants will buy all of this junk from you with a single button press, and doing so will help you rank up that merchant's offerings.

Hide helmets during conversations

One of the great aspects of Veilguard is that the weapons and armor you equip will show in game and change how your character looks during cutscenes. This is great when finding stylish new gear, but it becomes a problem when wearing a helmet that obscures your hero's face (which you probably spent a good deal of time customizing in the character creator). You'll spend a lot of time in conversations, and covering up your character results in missing out on facial expressions and emotions.

However, in the Character menu, where you select and equip your weapons and armor, next to the helmet slot there's an eyeball icon. Selecting this will toggle the helmet's appearance on or off when in conversations. Now you can enjoy the stylish helm during battle and exploration, while still seeing your custom character's face when close up during important interactions.

Toggle weapon and armor skins

Much like the helmet toggle, a similar option is present for the rest of your weapons and armor. Throughout the game you'll find different skins for your equipables, and some may look cooler than the stronger options at your disposal. Next to each equipment slot is an eyeball icon (just like for the helmet) that you can toggle on or off. This option allows you to equip a sword or cloak in order to get the higher stats while simultaneously having a different skin showing up in game, sometimes known in other games as glamours or transmog. Now you can keep your favorite bit of fashion visible while still getting the benefit of stronger gear.  

Don't miss out on timed conversations

In between quests you'll spend a lot of time in your party's hub location, the Lighthouse. Here you can explore and chat with your various companions, learning more about their backstory or debriefing on recent events. Thankfully, the game's map menu will highlight each companion's location for you and tell you whether they have something new to discuss. This saves you from having to run around the area checking up on every one of your seven allies. These conversations are important since they flesh out the world of Veilguard and offer opportunities to increase your bond with each party member.

There are two types of icons you should look out for. The first is a speech bubble with an exclamation point inside it. This designates a new conversation is ready, so checking up on that person is worthwhile. The second, and more important, icon is a speech bubble with a set of clock hands inside it. These are timed conversations, which means they won't be available for long. Prioritize meeting with these allies before heading out on a new quest, otherwise you may miss out on that conversation entirely. 

Dragon Age: The Veilguard will be released on Thursday, Oct. 31, for PC, Xbox Series X and S, and PlayStation 5.