Dragon Age Veilguard is a tragedy of untapped potential, failing to live up to the series’ legacy of complex storytelling and morally challenging decisions. Instead, it delivers a shallow narrative that undermines everything fans loved about the franchise.
Solas, once a figure of ideological depth, is reduced to a lonely, Marvel-style trickster, with no grand Elven rebellion to back his cause. His sudden change of heart, spurred by a hologram, feels forced and unearned. Harding’s inexplicable spotlight adds nothing meaningful, sidelining opportunities to explore richer characters and themes.
Modern political language clashes with Thedas' timeless setting, reducing its nuanced world-building into a superficial echo of modern issues. Worse, the game disregards player choices from previous entries, stripping the series of its defining moral weight.
Asmongold and others dunk on the game for its queer themes, but this criticism misses the point entirely. Representation isn’t the problem—execution is. Veilguard could’ve explored queerness and identity with depth and originality, but it opts for checkbox representation instead of weaving these themes into its world authentically.
Ultimately, Veilguard is a hollow, disjointed experience that leaves longtime fans longing for the thoughtful, daring storytelling of Origins and Inquisition.
Score: 3/10
One point for its soundtrack, one for its visuals, and one for the memories of what Dragon Age used to be.