Margaret S.

Full review here on reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/DragonAgeVeilguard/comments/1grhmo4/comment/lx66km5/?context=3 TLDR: Not as good as you hoped, not as bad as it seemed. Would definitely play again. The Dragon Age series was my first experience with fantasy and rpg-based games. The first story-based game I ever completed was Origins, before the Awakening DLC and Shale the Golem even existed. I have played -faithfully- everything BioWare has released for this franchise because of the main philosophies behind their writing: people, place, and consequence. Aside from basic technical commentary, this is how I'll break it down for Veilguard. I will start by saying overall, this game is a 7/10 with potential for a 7.5/10 on a sunny day. At its worst, Veilguard is hyper-streamlined, taking much of the decision-making about your companion's abilities and play-style out of your hands. Depending on how much of a control-freak you are, this might not be your preference. This game is a masterclass in learning from previous iterations. BioWare's modus operandi has always been building, experimenting, and surpassing systems from previous games, trending towards punchier, more immersive combat. They have NEVER promised to keep a more vintage-style tactical rpg system, and even from DA:2 onwards seemed to hint at a gradual departure from the style. To this end, Veilguard continues to build on character mobility, physical agency, and combat fluidity. A lot of people have a lot to say about the success of Veilguard, much of which I believe stems from a) spite for having to wait so long b) not having something identical to Origins which is by far the uncontested best out of the four entries into the series story-wise, and c) having their conspiracies about the story disproven. Do I think this game is perfect? Lord no. Not by a far stretch. At many points I felt like I was button mashing for my life, that my stat choices didn’t matter, and that certain encounters were built to cater more towards those people who played Elden Ring but needed something easier to warm themselves up with. I also felt like I was just encountering my companions living their lives and not privy to joining them for parts of their own personal adventures (Emmerich and Harding I’m looking at you and wondering why I couldn’t come on the camping trip). Do I think this game takes down every previous iteration of Dragon Age and its pre-established lore? No. BioWare has been honest about the fluid nature of Dragon Age’s storyline since the end of Inquisition. For a game that faced as much difficulty as it did on BOTH ends (EA and fanbase), I believe the studio not only did their best, but exceeded their own expectations for this entry into the franchise. Some pieces of lore have been retconned or reexplained in a new way and I think that pisses people off who wish Thedas was a real place. I sort of take it as “Well if the Dalish got a lot wrong, what else did other people get wrong?”. A large theme in both Inquisition and Veilguard has been dismantling preconceived notions, incorrectly recorded history, and traditions built on propaganda and lies - the everlasting effects of a tyrannical empire.