Sarah McInnes

Having finished the game and being a long-time Dragon Age fan, I cannot recommend Veilguard enough!! Now, of course there were things that could have been improved - there always are - but the 5 stars are well and truly earned. The amount of 1 star reviews from DA fans bemoaning that "it's not like DAO" made me feel like I had to say something, because those feel super unfair to Veilguard (don't come after me pls) tl;dr. The cinematics and story telling this game offers are phenomenal, an the combat is much more engaging than watching gameplay suggests. While the game has an overall up-beat feeling, there are some truly harrowing decisions you need to make. Past game lore is subtly woven in, and the focus on companions makes the game feel directed. It's different from previous DA games - not better or worse, just different. Ultimately though, you'd be silly to not give Veilguard a go if you like Dragon Age. What works: - the CINEMATICS. Oh my god, these are incredible. Some of them genuinely made me cry, and the way some of them wrap up previous game lore is amazing. It's nostalgic and heartbreaking, but well worth it - Companion focused story-telling. The game feels streamlined because the quests focus on your companions, giving the game an overall sense of direction that was lacking at times in previous DA games - Visuals and voice-acting. This ties into cinematics, but the visuals of Veilguard are amazing. The voice acting - especially of Rook - is awesome. Also, humorous replies from DA2 are BACK and 10/10. Companion banter is more frequent, and at times match the Anders-Fenris dynamic (which is hilarious) - Tying in past stories while still being approachable for new players. There are heaps of references to past lore woven in, which create a richer setting while still allowing new players to enjoy it. Veilguard only uses a few decisions from previous DA games, and I suspect this is where a lot of people got frustrated. I can understand that, but given it's set in Northern Thedas, it kinda makes sense that most past choices are irrelevant. Improvements: -Things sometimes feel 'sanitised'. One of my personal issues is with how sanitised the Crows are and how little their dubious morality is addressed. That aside, there are still some deeply harrowing, traumatising moments in the game. Rook is also quite positive in the beginning, however, I think it makes sense narratively that they're a bit naive at first - Disjointed romances. I was hoping for a bit more in some romances, however, there are some really beautiful scenes that make it worthwhile. Also DA isn't a dating sim lol - Darkspawn not scary enough. Self-explanatory and tbh a minor point I'm sure there's things I'm missing and people will disagree with some of my takes. That said, Veilguard (despite its flaws) has well and truly earned 5 stars and offers a new and fresh take on the DA series. If you like DA, you're missing out by not playing it!