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Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Entirely deserving of the 1 star review. I have played through this game cover to cover. If it had no attachment to the IP I would give it a 4 out of 10.
Good Points: it is a pretty game. It does pay for human voice actors.
The first biggest hurdle is in isn't an RPG and it certainly isn't a return to form for Bioware, who is famed for created some of the best RPGs of the 1990s-2000s.
Veilguard is aimed at a preteen audience, (there are LGBTQ+ options for both your character) as well as outside characters. As the poor character writing and poor plot writing are the hallmarks of this game I wouldn't get your hopes up as a player. All but one party member is entirely flat (undeveloped character).
This is the snark supportive main character (pick any of the three options it changes nothing), who everyone will agree with, believe, and in time worship because they are always right, good, moral, and incapable of making mistakes except to continue the plot (those are scripted and entirely unmissable).
Let me explain the one star review. For a game that uses an IP, sets expectations, and sells their game under a specific genre (there is then expectation that you will actually deliver the product your promise). Veilguard isn't an RPG, it isn't set within the world it claims to be, and there are few to no choices of any consequence (one of the hallmarks for a REAL RPG).
Gameplay is interesting for 30 minutes to an hour maximum, there are less than twenty enemies in the game and all enemies are reskins of these few opponents (with bosses occasionally adding something more). If you would like to enjoy the game play it on normal or lower, the only addition difficulty adds is increasing the health copious amounts. Also being a long term God of War fan the comparsion is insulting. This is not a good action RPG game, this is one that never evolves or changes from the moment you begin as Rook to the final battle nothing notable changes. (Yes you get abilities)
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See AllDragon Age: The Veilguard Snags Game of the Year Award
Nobody likes to be preached at. You can have complex and even political themes and a good story. Look at the original movie for Clive Barkers candyman stunning world building, great characters, and it addressed complex political topics without offending the audience.
Then watch the remake or play veilguard and you'll question why writing is regressing instead of progressing... The original dragon age origins was complex and it did a far better job incorporating great LGBTQ+ characters.
I am sure mass effect team was proud of themselves building that last mission, some have even praised it. The ending was unearned, I was hoping my team would die, I had one likeable relatively human companion everyone else were childish attempts to design characters.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard Snags Game of the Year Award
I'm glad somebody enjoyed themselves. I find it confusing that you liked both veilguard and BG3, as BG3 remains an amazing game like origins that I will likely play the test of my life. Veilguard was essentially $100 dollar robbery and lies. That is solidly the worst game i have every played.
Hand holding, a failure to have anything but the most rudimentary RPG traits, and solidly the worst writing I have been forced to endure since twilight, or another b-rater movie. Then there's the world breaking softening of every faction until they bear nothing but a name in common with their original faction, location... Or the cartoon redesign of the darkspawn, the one dimensional snappy combat that remains unchanged after the first thirty minutes of the game. I guess if you can't be good that making your player nauseous is a solid option.
There are too many good games to waste your time with veilguard even if your confines are LGBTQ+ friendly games. [For an area the were clearly invested in this was one of their worst implementations, most romances were aimed at 9 year old with all the cringe]. Your identity is irrelevant outside that small avenue which is a total failure in my book.
Some environments are pretty, sine lines are salvaged by the voice actors. [This felt like oblivion that the actors were given lines with no context or explanation so delivery is ridiculous and disastrous at unexpected times].
In modern gaming unacceptable EA. These are performances that could mar these actors portfolios even though the fault was the game company itself.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard Snags Game of the Year Award
To be fair every previous game was better including LGBTQ+ elements. It is profoundly sad that this was the 'best' of the year.
It's flat characters, empty dialog, and zero understanding of how to make a believable character.... Apparently any attempt at inclusion is enough.
Very disappointing, if your goal is great LGBTQ+ characters than look at Dragon age Origins, or inquisition. There are actually compelling characters in that game.
Bear in mind that non binary will be missing because that distinctive trait hadn't emerged into the public eye yet. [Of course the implementation in veilguard was horribly executed so there's that].
Why Mass Effect: Andromeda May Be the Perfect Role Model for Dragon Age
Solidly the worst advice possible. Andromeda was the worst Bioware game until anthem, and now veilguard has created a new all time low for the company.
Truly the best option scrap the game from the timeline, grab whatever remains of Joplin and make a real RPG game.
The second option is scrap the IP and start making kid action games veilguard was already 80% of the way there, but nobody over 14 was ever going to enjoy the repetitious gameplay, half baked story, or bad rater movie writing.
EA and Bioware need to decide who their audience is, what kind of game they want to make and then let your employees do that.
Presuming EA actually let's Bioware do their job and make a good game they might be able to save their studio and rebuild some of the broken trust between fans and company. BG3 among other successful RPGs proves the audience still is out here, we have money, just limited patience.
On the other hand, if Bioware and EA want to make kids action games best of luck. The audience is out there, they too have money. RPG players don't really play kids action games and vice versa.
Dragon Age Origins: Why You Should Start Over in 2025
A very tiny part of the population hates a game for such a pointless reason. (Bioware has certainly blamed players for being bigoted rather than admit that they made some mistakes). Interestingly exactly what star wars has been doing.....
Bad writing is usually the heart of most criticisms, (I'm struggling to think of a worst written plot at the moment aside from Daybreakers).
One of the most puzzling issues here is that players invested in Dragon Age already are accustomed to LGBTQ+ characters. They've been there since the beginning and the player could have been a member of that community since the beginning. (Minus the pronouns which has no explanation in the world). As a player I would have been fine with it had it been bracketed within the world instead of inserted into the plot without any change.
As a player who's enjoyed the last three games, I find it unlikely that a better world building solution couldn't have been found within an existing culture within the world. (There's no getting around the fact that Veilguard handles LGBTQ+ the worst of all dragon age games [realizing that existing fans aren't convinced that Veilguard IS a dragon age game})