GamesBeat's Rachel Kaser got to play several hours of Dragon Age: The Veilguard -- and the gameplay is the shot in the arm the series needs.

Back in June, during Summer Games Fest, I was able to sit down for a behind-closed-doors preview. However, that session was strictly hands-off; we were only able to watch the presenter go through the character creator and play the game's opening prologue. My hands-on at publisher EA was significantly more eye-opening -- and exciting.

With series like Mass Effect and Dragon Age, BioWare has made a name for itself as the “choices matter” studio. These games have allowed players to import their choices from previous entries in order to keep a consistent world state that feels shaped,