Dragon Age: The Veilguard Is Far From BioWare's Best

Without context, Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a decent return for BioWare. The more context you add though, the more the return is actually underwhelming

[Andrew336]

"This is a decent return, but when you factor in how long the game’s development was, how expensive it likely was"

Why would this factor into my enjoyment of the game?

[Hypnofear]

Very true, plus all games take longer and cost more now, completely irrelevant point.

[Psychonaut85]

I feel like no one can engage with games at face value anymore. Like everything is a symbol now of some kind of “deeper problem”, either wokism or toxic gamer culture depending which side you’re on. I’m not saying there’s nothing to those arguments but maybe someday we can get back to just playing some fucking video games.

[WelkinCole]

Yep people really need to grow up. These stupid cultural wars do not belong in gaming

[Friendlygamer]

Very irrelevant point to the article

[Armaggedon]

People are being consumed by the ability to see what they want to see. They get a Eurika moment in their head and run with it to the ends of the earth because it sounds right in their head. But anything can sound right in our heads.

[andy85]

Honestly don't know what to make of this game. Everyone's saying the good reviews are fake. Now digital foundry come out and say it's a very polished experience. I'm leaning towards the scores may actually be correct now tbh after reading a lot

[Armaggedon]

I predicted Inquisition, but more focused. I think thats what we have: Higher presentstion and action, fewer permutations such as choices and consequences

[Flewid638]

Down-bad gamers trying to cope with an imaginary conspiracy theory. Thats about the extent of it. The rest of the world is out here touching grass and forming opinions. Thats what the reviews are.

[Psychonaut85]

It’s the fallacy of confirmation bias, everthing you hear that you agree with is automatically true, everything you disagree with is a woke conspiracy and anyone who likes it is a paid shill. I’m glad I don’t live in that world, it seems miserable. Maybe it’s satisfying though, thinking you’re a soldier in an imaginary war.

[TheNamelessOne]

Haven't played, myself, but I hear the choices of the past games are basically non-existent here, there's not a lot of choice/agency to be had in the game, itself, and that it's made impossible to actually play an evil/renegade character. So, essentially, they took all the roleplaying out of a classic roleplaying series. That's a hard pass for me, in and of itself.

I grew up playing games like Baldur's Gate, Planescape Torment, Arcanum, Deus Ex, Morrowind. Then New Vegas, Risen, Mass Effect, and (yes) DA Origins. Now we have games like the Witcher, Pillars of Eternity, Divinity Original Sin, Disco Elysium. All games that really let you shape the world and your character in substantial ways. I want agency in my roleplaying games.

A mostly linear experience with a couple inconsequential dialogue options and a skill tree isn't what I consider roleplaying.

[Armaggedon]

Im pretty sure Dragon Age 2 and inquisition didn’t have alot of choices, outside of bring diplomatic, humorous or aggressive. I suspect something similar here. Origins was the only one with deep choices and consequences.

[TheNamelessOne]

Dragon Age 2 to had a choice book for those who couldn't, or didn't want to, import a previous save. It was pretty in-depth and added a lot of nuance to the game. Inquisition had the affects of Dragon Age 2 reflective of both, as well as the main character Hawk come through and be well aware of the politics that has been put in place over the last two games.
Both sequels you were able to fully upgrade your team to your liking.

This game is just built different.
People harp on Dragon Age 2, though I find it the second best in the series. And even Inquisition that, I find, was almost great, but had way too much filler, nothing content in it.

Veilguard, as my RPG-addicted ass is concerned, just seems like a modern day action game with some light RPG elements that's resting on the name of a series that tried a lot harder not long ago.

[Armaggedon]

@TheNamelessOne

Oh, thats what some people mean by choices, they are referring to past actions in other games carrying over to the latest like morrigans son Kierran. When I mentioned the lack of choices, I was thinking more Baldurs Gate player pick this option get a different ending.

And drsgon age 2 was and probably will remain my favorite dragon age game. I always liked dragon age for the lore, and dragon age 2 took lore teasing to a new level. Loading screens, random miscellaneous quests that dont seem to give anything of value. Even some of the quest locations had lore implications. For example , when doing the quest for Sebastien Vael, you arrive in a cave with piles and piles of bones everywhere . I think that location is where the remains of all the slaves were placed after being sacrificed to enter the black city. That game had me with my detective hat on everytime I played.

[wraith9999]

Genuinely confused, do you guys not consider FF games to be RPGs?

[TheNamelessOne]

There's very few JRPGs I, by definition, consider a "RPG".
Final Fantasy was, literally, inspired by Dungeons and Dragons. The only thing they took from it was stats and classes though. Very little about affecting the story or fleshing out the character as their own, individual person in agency of the player's actions.

That's the entire reason the "JRPG" is its own sub-genre.

I enjoy both for different reasons, but they really aren't the same.

[Hotpot]

I’ve seen gameplay videos, idk how the reviewers even think this is a “return to form” for a DA game. The party speaks and argue like 12 graders, with mild words and instant make up every arguments. And the MC can’t act remotely evil or even rough, best he can do is shouting “shut up” slightly loud. It’s like the dev are desperately making the game to be as safe, mild, non-offensive as possible which is absurd given the setting they’re in. Now, I haven’t watch gameplay all the way to the ending but if the rest of the game is like that, might as well change the cast to teletubbies or cocomelon and no one would find it weird.

[Valkyrye]

Already number 5 on Steams top Sellers and rising, GOTY Candidate, great job Bioware finally!
https://store.steampowered....
Also number 1 and 2 on PSN Pre-Orders, Incredible!
https://store.playstation.c...

[Flewid638]

Those who touch grass will likely have a blast with this game.

[SoloGamer1]

this dumb article is "underwhelming"

[RiseNShine]

Apparently this has to sell 4- 5 million copies just to recover from the development cost close to $150 million, this is going to flop so hard, there's no way this game sells that amount of copies.