This Could Have Been an 8.5/10, But the Flaws Drag It Down!

[FB_Destroyer_Rebecca]

It’s not a terrible game—it’s not that bad. But whoever was responsible for this, made so many poor decisions that it’s hard to believe they had good intentions.

It feels like someone approached this game the way you would a PvP match: trying to inflict maximum damage on their enemy. Only here, they hurt the game itself.

I’ve seen a similar pattern with Star Wars Outlaws, which is a great game overall but gets trashed because of a few glaring flaws. It’s that 20% of issues that ruin 80% of its reputation and reviews.

The same applies here, but Veilguard has it ten times worse. While Outlaws has minor issues—like the protagonist’s unlikable face, some clunky combat, or forced stealth missions—Veilguard suffers on a much deeper level.

The writing? Absolutely abysmal. It feels like it was penned by an 18-year-old who’s never read a truly compelling book—or, worse, ChatGPT. Honestly, it’s hard to tell the difference.

The characters? Not “some,” but almost all of them exist just to tick diversity boxes. And then there’s the most immersion-breaking issue of all: they’ve taken an old-school, nostalgia-rich IP rooted in fantasy, swords, and magic, but every character talks, acts, and behaves like it’s 2012.

It’s as if someone copy-pasted a script from a modern TV show and slapped it onto these characters without any thought for the setting. The result is a bizarre, disjointed mess that feels completely out of place.

[NightOwl7]

Definitely, I would have given it a 7, but because of poor writing for some of the companions and banter, plus inserting our modern day issues into fantasy game doesn't work for me. Breaks the immersion. I am on the fence with this game, 5 or 6 is probably the score I can give to this one. What a shame. I like the main quest, but companions and their quests is a different matter. I like Lucanis' and Davrin's personal quests, Harding's is not bad too. Banter on the other hand is frequently just bad. It used to be very funny and entertaining, just search online for hilarious and very well written banter in previous DA installments and you will understand.

[FB_Destroyer_Rebecca]

Originally posted by NightOwl7:

Definitely, I would have given it a 7, but because of poor writing for some of the companions and banter, plus inserting our modern day issues into fantasy game doesn't work for me. Breaks the immersion. I am on the fence with this game, 5 or 6 is probably the score I can give to this one. What a shame. I like the main quest, but companions and their quests is a different matter. I like Lucanis' and Davrin's personal quests, Harding's is not bad too. Banter on the other hand is frequently just bad. It used to be very funny and entertaining, just search online for hilarious and very well written banter in previous DA installments and you will understand.

Yes, it completely ruins the whole experience. I have no idea how such poorly implemented elements made it past quality control.
The narration and dialogs of some interactions are so cringe its really bad and makes you easily lose immersion or just dont care about anyone talking.
Its a major part for an rpg. If they could have at least got that right, that game would have been no issue to be praised and well received.

[Tapdancing Kerensky]

So if I understand correctly, it could have been an amazing game except for:

The writing, the gameplay, the graphics, the voice acting, the narrative, the characters and basically everything apart from apparently nice hair that still clips through models.

[NightOwl7]

Also they took away our ability to make choices, nothing you do or say affects gameplay in any way. Except for a few instances, like with Solas and choosing which city to save from attack. You can't disapprove of your companions interactions and you can't get rid of them, and they won't leave your party if they don't like you. So how is it an RPG game?

[Xazomn]

Thid game got some good thing. it looks beautifull, you can make amazing characters , crazy hair, great enviorments.And can make awsome pictures to show others how awsome your character is , can make very romantic pictures also for showing others.

About gameplay?
Meaningless conversations, talking about going camping and things like that if there isn't a war going on. Your character looks so much more realistic then the companions with comic faces what is for me game breaking to start with. So i can make an realistic character but getting some cartoon companions and i need to take that seriously while i am romancing them? Modern slang sounds out of place in these settings. No rpg, no choices.

Again, the game looks amazing, but playing barby and dress my character and make screenshots is something i can do that in other games i own. But for re-playing this game for the story and deep conversations with your companions...nah

[76561199802160085]

Originally posted by Xazomn:

Meaningless conversations, talking about going camping and things like that if there isn't a war going on.

That's false, there isn't any armies fighting each other, so no war.

There's perhaps in south but it's not responsibility of party.

One more typical example of bad reading, creating absurd negative comment on the writing.

This dialog is quite good and fun, and a very good writing, no arguing just an evidence. Dragon"s Dogma 2 is full of dialog that are quite more trash writing.

[NightOwl7]

Originally posted by Xazomn:

Thid game got some good thing. it looks beautifull, you can make amazing characters , crazy hair, great enviorments.And can make awsome pictures to show others how awsome your character is , can make very romantic pictures also for showing others.

About gameplay?
Meaningless conversations, talking about going camping and things like that if there isn't a war going on. Your character looks so much more realistic then the companions with comic faces what is for me game breaking to start with. So i can make an realistic character but getting some cartoon companions and i need to take that seriously while i am romancing them? Modern slang sounds out of place in these settings. No rpg, no choices.

Again, the game looks amazing, but playing barby and dress my character and make screenshots is something i can do that in other games i own. But for re-playing this game for the story and deep conversations with your companions...nah

Yeah, slang in this game is something. I can't forget Taash yelling - "...eat ♥♥♥♥!" and her calling Emmerich skull - fuc#er, and later Harding saying "oof" to express her sorrow for Varric's death... "Stellar" writing skills.

[NightOwl7]

Originally posted by NightOwl7:

Originally posted by Xazomn:

Thid game got some good thing. it looks beautifull, you can make amazing characters , crazy hair, great enviorments.And can make awsome pictures to show others how awsome your character is , can make very romantic pictures also for showing others.

About gameplay?
Meaningless conversations, talking about going camping and things like that if there isn't a war going on. Your character looks so much more realistic then the companions with comic faces what is for me game breaking to start with. So i can make an realistic character but getting some cartoon companions and i need to take that seriously while i am romancing them? Modern slang sounds out of place in these settings. No rpg, no choices.

Again, the game looks amazing, but playing barby and dress my character and make screenshots is something i can do that in other games i own. But for re-playing this game for the story and deep conversations with your companions...nah

Yeah, slang in this game is something. I can't forget Taash yelling - "...eat ♥♥♥♥!" and her calling Emmerich skull - fuc#er, and later Harding saying "oof" to express her sorrow for Varric's death... "Stellar" writing skills.

Replying to my own comment, hehe. Steam censored my words too much - it supposed to be "eat s##t" and skull - fu###r.

[Xazomn]

Originally posted by Shiemend:

Originally posted by Xazomn:

Meaningless conversations, talking about going camping and things like that if there isn't a war going on.

That's false, there isn't any armies fighting each other, so no war.

There's perhaps in south but it's not responsibility of party.

One more typical example of bad reading, creating absurd negative comment on the writing.

This dialog is quite good and fun, and a very good writing, no arguing just an evidence. Dragon"s Dogma 2 is full of dialog that are quite more trash writing.

I am sorry, but a fight against 2 gods & darkspawn horde is for me a war. And they argue about what to take with them for going camping. An conversation that is...not important for the story at all and you are being "the adult" and need to tell them that everyone is different and you need to have respect for each other...blah blah blah.

Good for you that you can enjoy it. Nothing wrong with that and far from an attack towards people or you that like this game and find it all okay . It's is still your opinion as i have my opinion. And the writing is shallow, childish and not good and i am not okay with it.

[Mewsha]

Originally posted by NightOwl7:

Originally posted by Xazomn:

Thid game got some good thing. it looks beautifull, you can make amazing characters , crazy hair, great enviorments.And can make awsome pictures to show others how awsome your character is , can make very romantic pictures also for showing others.

About gameplay?
Meaningless conversations, talking about going camping and things like that if there isn't a war going on. Your character looks so much more realistic then the companions with comic faces what is for me game breaking to start with. So i can make an realistic character but getting some cartoon companions and i need to take that seriously while i am romancing them? Modern slang sounds out of place in these settings. No rpg, no choices.

Again, the game looks amazing, but playing barby and dress my character and make screenshots is something i can do that in other games i own. But for re-playing this game for the story and deep conversations with your companions...nah

Yeah, slang in this game is something. I can't forget Taash yelling - "...eat ♥♥♥♥!" and her calling Emmerich skull - fuc#er, and later Harding saying "oof" to express her sorrow for Varric's death... "Stellar" writing skills.

Yeah that's inexcusable in my book, especially for a Dragon Age game. Honestly Taash is responsible for like 80% of the that though, but the issue is you can't ignore a companion unless you want to miss out on a lot of loot, XP, and a shot at the good ending. Thank god for the skip button.

The sad part is it didn't really have to be like that either. Taash's story actually incorporates so much lore about what we already know. Qunari society emphasizes collectivism and optimization above all else, to the point where Qunari do not raise their own children if caretaker is not their role.

Taash also has a great scene if you're a male Qunari (not sure about others) before they come out, where you can call back to that line from Sten in Origins where he says women are not warriors in the Antaam, and that's true. Taash would not be a warrior in the Antaam, they'd be a weapon. I feel like so many people have forgotten the Antaam make even some of the worst Templars look like compassionate social workers in comparison based on how they treat their mages. Chained, only taught destruction magic, and if they escape their circle not only are they killed, but also anyone that comes in contact with them. Shathaan had good reason to fear for Taash's future in Par Vollen because that would truly be a miserable existence to be chained and only let out during times of war.

And then they find themselves in Rivain, which from Zevran we learn is a highly individualistic culture, even by the standards in Thedas, and the complete opposite of Par Vollen. All those callbacks just to give us that kind of dialogue. Tragic.

[Sentient_Toaster]

Consequences? You only get to decide minor things like who rules the Tevinter Imperium, whether the wardens get to have combat gryphons again, whether Solas will willingly bind himself to the Veil with the Inquisitor, and whether any of your companions survive at all.

[VoiD]

lmao

[FB_Destroyer_Rebecca]

Originally posted by AsianGirlLover:

Originally posted by NightOwl7:

how is it an RPG game?

It’s not. 15 years of your decisions have been discarded, Morrigan has been turned into nothing more than a vehicle to drive the plot with Solas, it doesn’t matter who drank from the Well of Sorrows, and everything from the past games doesn’t matter because southern thedas gets destroyed anyway.

Now, all of that aside, it’s still not an RPG because you as the player have no agency, and the story is mostly on rails save for a few minor permutations.

In short? BioWare clearly has no respect for its writing staff nor its original audience.

I only understood half of that but I think you are right! ;)
Its an Action-Game with the IP of an RPG.