It's hard to believe an entire decade has passed since "Dragon Age: Inquisition" hit consoles and unfolded the story of Thedas, the old gods, and Solas. But here we are in 2024, ready to jump back into the fray and conclude the betrayal of the dread wolf. There's a lot to expect from a BioWare game. Not only are the previous "Dragon Age" masterful in their delivery, but the company also boasts the Mass Effect series and Star Wars: The Old Republic, amongst others.
With a lineage like that, disappointment isn't totally unexpected. It's hard to make a masterpiece, and it's harder still to do it six times.
Veilguard isn't a perfect game and I'd even venture to say its my least favorite of the Dragon Ages. Jarring is its new art design as well as its new found action RPG gameplay. Stepping into the game for its tutorial and so muc about it just doesn't immediately speak to the aesthetics of previous Dragon Age games (which have been loosely related but remain consistent with its approach to its aethetics).
The opening picks up with old favorites Varrick and Harding leading new main character "Rook" to confront and hopefully stop Solas from unleashing doom upon the world.
As I said the opening of the game immediately shows that this is a new kind of Dragon Age, it looks different, it plays differently, it sounds different and truly there's nothing wrong with doing things new in fact taking risks is what makes these games the joy they are to play but for older players it's understandable that this may first come as a turn-off.
A couple of hours in a new issue arises with the game: the dialogue. No part of me would call it bad but a step down from the last game. I choose to go in with an open mind hoping that deeper in the game its themes and characters would express themselves with a bit more nuance and clever writing but truthfully it doesn't.
"Veilguard" deliberately chooses to forgo the complex character relationships for less complicated run-of-the-mill conflicts between the characters. Again I have to stress it isn't bad but rather really different from the previous games and I would say a step in the wrong direction. I miss having characters in my party that I liked but wasn't totally trusting of or the sharp condescending wit of a character like Vivienne from Inquisition.
Instead, all the characters for the most part get along and none of the dialogue options can really make that any different. This was bound to happen though. Inquisition set up a story that had to have a particular kind of ending that required that the next batch of characters get along. There's really no room for a Rook who is a jerk to everyone he meets or else the game wouldn't make sense.
While I understand this disappointment in a game series that has heavily depended on your decisions there wasn't likely any other place to go without making the game incoherent.
Despite all of that there's one fact that remains above all: "Dragon Age: The Veilguard" is fun!
The gameplay, while new, works. Your main character can choose between three classes and of those three classes three specializations later on in the game. The variety is enough to make the game rewarding to explore (even if doing the suggested side quest will make you horribly overpowered). Every area boast a slew of new areas, puzzles, and treasures to find that keep the player engaged and feeling as if they're on the right track no matter what path they choose to go down.
The story plays as a conclusion of sorts. Certainly, there could be more Dragon Ages in the future but Veilguard certainly puts an end to the story that started with a lone warrior taking his initiation into the Grey Wardens in Dragon Age: Origins. The pacing, scenarios, and progression of the story are all in typical Dragon Age fashion. A slow start that unfolds an epic tale that will test the main character and make or break their title as a hero.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard will remain a topic of controversy. The political right will point to the game and decry it for being "woke" because one character has a completely optional side story revolving around them being non-binary that takes upwards of 20 hours to reach. Despite the fact that Dragon Age has included trans and other atypical gender-identified characters before.
Fans of the game may also feel the need to overcompensate to compete against those sentiments but not admitting that the game does lack the edge of previous games that made them go beyond fun and into deeply interesting.
All in all, there's no reason not to play Dragon Age The Veilguard. Its fun, compelling, and offers immediate replayability. It likely will stand the test of time as a solid entry to the series even if it doesn't embody everything that made the series masterful in the past.
My Verdict: 7.7/10
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