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thy_kovenant
Seasoned Newcomer
2 months ago

Dragon Age: The Veilguard (Honest Review)

Here is my review of Dragon Age The Veilguard.

What I liked:
1. The best gameplay of all Bioware games to date: more challenging, more exciting especially in combat. Really gets your heart pumping even in Adventure (3/5) difficulty.
2. The graphic looks great and smooth even on low graphic preset. Bioware not punishing gamers for not having high-end PC components. (Currently using Intel i5 10th gen and NVIDIA RTX 2060 - manage to get 50-110 fps)
3. Storytelling and cinematic works even better and voice acting definitely improve than previous series, more natural and fit to scene and context. Just like a really epic movie. Especially in all companion quests.
4. A mix of Dragon Age system, with Mass Effect tough choices and consequences, and God of War combat style.
5. Character creation really, I mean really detail. There is so much players can do, from very rugged masculine character to very beautiful and anything in between. Players can even make their own real face in the game. (I just wish there were even more realistic beard styles)
6. Sound design is superb. Music? Really epic and touches the soul.
7. No more boring boss battles like the previous series. Every boss battle is epic now, whether it's okay epic or very very epic. Nicely done!

What I disliked:
1. Weapons and armor is alright but I wish players were able to craft them like in Dragon Age Inquisition.
2. Really wish you could add more choices about past adventures. Like the fate of all past companions, Hero of Ferelden, Champion of Kirkwall and their consequences instead of just Inquisitor romance, Inquisition status, and Inquisitor opinion on Solas.
3. So far, I only encountered one bug and because of it I can't finish one faction/region quest (The Last Rites) - hope Bioware still manages to provide technical fixes in near future and not abandon it like Mass Effect Andromeda.
4. And this, is what most fans and players agreed on: too much non-binary content and banters. It is annoying. Also, even trans rather play as the opposite gender rather play as a trans. Don't make this a habit by creating this in games, just keep it to yourselves. (this also goes to every developer out there). People want to enjoy the game, not real-world politics and agenda. You won't gain trust by doing this.

Hence, I recommend all players to try the game. Overall, it is a great game to play.
Cheers!

  • Weapons and armor is alright but I wish players were able to craft them like in Dragon Age Inquisition.

    I have completed the game. The loot system is by far the thing I dislike most about it. Looting is never satisfying. There's too much randomized loot that feels like a minor upgrade of what I have. It feels like Anthem or other online games with random drops and it feels out of place in this game. In Inquisition, I did a lot of crafting, and by the end my entire party was in custom made gear. Loved that.

    Even in Origins and DA2, which don't have weapons and armor crafting, item drops are unique, so I'm actually excited when I defeat a boss and find something new. Not just "your sword, but five damage more!"

    Progression is general feels unrewarding. All those upgrades are a chore. I'm looting a bunch of materials, but I'm never really looking at that or actively seeking it out because there's no way to do that or even a reason to care. I just go to the Caretaker to find I have enough, then I press a button, stats go up ever so slightly, and gameplay still feels the same as before. These systems were really not thought out at all.

    Really wish you could add more choices about past adventures.

    This is really felt throughout the game, with characters vaguely mentioning events and clumsily not going too deep into it. I found a codex entry that seemingly retcons a possible player choice from Origins (not going into detail, since this forum lacks a spoiler tag). I thought the game wouldn't establish a canon, but I think they slipped up here and there.

    Overall: Loved the game. I'm critical in this comment, but I tend to only express criticisms of things I like. Otherwise, I just go on with my life. 😉