What is there to hate about the game? It looks really promising.

[Valkyria]

Let's start with a review of what we know we are getting with Dragon Age: The Veilguard:

- Direct continuation of the story that Dragon Age fans have been waiting 10 years for now: Where else could they have gone that would of made sense? It was the only choice to pick.

- Combat that actually looks fun and just Isn't akin to that of a clunky MMO like in Origins: Let's be honest, the combat in Origins was terrible & Dragon Age 2 had the best combat.

- Interesting Companions: a strong cast of characters; what I've seen so far has only made me want to get to know them more and it even feels like a better cast then DA:I had offered.

- Colorful Graphics & Impressive Art-style: Gone is the infamously hideous "Dirt Brown" filter that plagued games like GTA IV, Far Cry 2 and DA:O in the late 2000's into the early 2010's.

- Creative UI & Skill Trees: Both of these stand out & feel like they've been worked on a lot. Let me guess, because it isn't a copy paste of what Origins had it is somehow worse now?

- Really Promising Character Creator: We've seen a mixture of beautiful, hideous and a few basic looking characters. This is really no different to what you do in countless other games.

What we really don't know much about:

- The Soundtrack: All we can do is wait and see what they have to offer this time around.

- The Choices Both Past & Present: We legitimately don't have much insight into how our past choices in the older games will effect the Veilguard, but I would say that the fact that the Inquisitor will be in the game is a pretty good sign of the level of depth we will receive.

I've Pre-Ordered the Deluxe Edition. I'm excited for the release. And all I can really say is that I hope people will try the game themselves and not let a YouTuber form their opinion.

[Romo]

Good read. Pointfarming aside, this forum has people that both love the game and people that supposedly hate it but will spend hours in this forum telling people they have "bad taste".

I think even as a DA fan if you do not like veilguard, that's fine. If you do not wanna try it, that's also fine. If you want to voice these concerns and disappointment like a normal person, that's even better, but half the hateful stuff you see for this franchise genuinely just feels disgusting.

I myself think there are problems with the game such as some artistic decisions that dont blend well, lack of 3 companions and a forced lock to playing rook only, but personally these decisions do not put me off.

DA has always been about this huge climax that is finally coming to an end (supposedly) in this entry. Story. It's always about the story, and with writers like Trick Weekes at the helm I'm seated for a good conclusion. Which is why when a YouTuber says "I dont care about the story or characters" for a primarily story-driven game you should know to clock out and save yourself.

[Valkyria]

I dislike the decrease in companions as well, but it isn't that big of a deal to me.

I personally really like the more cartoonist art-style, it goes well in fantasy games like the Witcher 3, and has a lot to offer in terms of being able to do more with the game as it won't be as demanding to run. And personally, all of these super realistic visual games haven't really been delivering much in the area of visual improvement. I like the fresh style a lot.

And I personally only ever switched characters in DA:I because I liked to spam Varrics skills. Truthfully, I rather just button mash like in Dragon Age 2 but I'll enjoy this just as much.

[Romo]

Originally posted by Valkyria:

I dislike the decrease in companions as well, but it isn't that big of a deal to me.

I personally really like the more cartoonist art-style, it goes well in fantasy games like the Witcher 3, and has a lot to offer in terms of being able to do more with the game as it won't be as demanding to run. And personally, all of these super realistic visual games haven't really been delivering much in the area of visual improvement. I like the fresh style a lot.

And I personally only ever switched characters in DA:I because I liked to spam Varrics skills. Truthfully, I rather just button mash like in Dragon Age 2 but I'll enjoy this just as much.

I miss switching to companions because Iron Bull carried tf out of my team in Inquisition when I played mage haha. But yeah, I get your point about the artstyle. I believe the locations look drop dead gorgeous, hair physics are awesome, and companion faces look great. Just wish they did some extra detailing for the Qunari, because that's really my only complaint as far as the art style goes.

[Valkyria]

I feel we've only seen someone's bad character creation skills in that regard.
You know people in a play-test aren't spending long in the creator itself etc.

I'm sure they'll have tons of options to make something akin to the Arishok.

[Bucetildo]

While some people appreciate your enthusiasm for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, but I have several concerns based on what's been revealed so far.

Story Continuation: While it's exciting to finally continue the story we've been waiting a decade for, the handling of Solas feels inconsistent. In Trespasser, Solas attains near-divine powers, yet in Veilguard, his grand ritual is disrupted by something as mundane as a falling rock. This undermines the epic scale and threat his character presented at the end of the last game.

Combat System: The combat appears tedious, with constant pauses using the tactical wheel and an overabundance of "trash mobs" that don't offer meaningful challenges. Given that the game focuses on missions rather than an open-world experience, the excessive number of minor enemies seems unnecessary and could detract from the overall pacing. Additionally, companions seem to have minimal impact during combat. Their roles appear limited to executing combos with the main character, and there's no option to control them directly, reducing strategic depth.

Qunari Redesign: The drastic change in the appearance of the Qunari is a significant concern. In previous games, the Qunari had a unique and imposing aesthetic—tall stature, muscular build, iconic horns—that not only distinguished them visually but also symbolized their culture and the rigid philosophy of the Qun. The new design seems to strip away these distinctive features, making them appear generic and undermining the depth of the game's world-building.

Departure from Established Lore: The game seems to disregard established lore about magic. Being set in Tevinter, the absence of blood magic—a hallmark of that region—is puzzling. Blood magic has always been a controversial but integral part of Tevinter's identity, and ignoring it feels like a missed opportunity to explore complex themes within the story. Blood Magic in Tevinter is officially discouraged but it is widely, if quietly, practiced.

Tone and Atmosphere: There's a noticeable lack of the mature themes present in previous entries. The absence of crude/dark humor, blood, and gore diminishes the gritty realism that fans have come to appreciate. The overly saturated purple color palette, coupled with a high-fantasy vibe and cartoonish art style, makes the game feel less grounded. This shift in aesthetic could alienate fans who appreciated the darker, more mature atmosphere of earlier games.

User Interface and Art Style: The UI appears generic, dominated by basic squares and rectangles, resembling those found in mobile games. While functionality is important, the lack of visual appeal in the UI can detract from the overall experience. The cartoon art style further contributes to the sense that the game is moving away from its roots, favoring a more sanitized and less immersive presentation.

Companions and Character Development: The companions introduced so far seem unremarkable. They lack the depth and complexity that made characters in previous games memorable. The fact that they all "boil down to being nice and looking cool independent queers" suggests a lack of diversity in personalities and moral viewpoints, which can make interactions feel bland.

Emphasis on Superficial Features: There's a significant focus on peripheral elements like hair physics, petting animals, and romancing options, rather than on core gameplay mechanics and storytelling. While these features can enhance a game, they shouldn't come at the expense of fundamental aspects like narrative depth, meaningful choices, and engaging combat.

Fore me, It seems the game is prioritizing style over substance and, in doing so, may be straying from what made Dragon Age compelling in the first place. I'll likely wait for reviews or a demo before deciding, as it's important to critically assess what's being offered rather than relying solely on marketing highlights made by IGN proganda.

[skullymex]

Personally I'm a little sad they didn't go with Trevor Morris for the soundtrack this time. I think he did a fantastic job in Inquisition, and I absolutely love what he did for Trespasser. I'm sure Zimmer and Balfe will be fine, but I'm still gonna be a lil sad about it.

[skullymex]

Originally posted by Bucetildo:

Departure from Established Lore: The game seems to disregard established lore about magic. Being set in Tevinter, the absence of blood magic—a hallmark of that region—is puzzling. Blood magic has always been a controversial but integral part of Tevinter's identity, and ignoring it feels like a missed opportunity to explore complex themes within the story. Blood Magic in Tevinter is officially discouraged but it is widely, if quietly, practiced.

Where have they said that there won't be blood magic in Tevinter?

[ArcaneSyntax]

Originally posted by skullymex:

Personally I'm a little sad they didn't go with Trevor Morris for the soundtrack this time. I think he did a fantastic job in Inquisition, and I absolutely love what he did for Trespasser. I'm sure Zimmer and Balfe will be fine, but I'm still gonna be a lil sad about it.

I agree with this, Morris' work on Inquisition is a highlight of that game and he really brought out the setting in a way the previous composers didn't.

Having said that I do really like the music we've gotten from Zimmer and Balfe so far.

[Aeriar]

Originally posted by skullymex:

Originally posted by Bucetildo:

Departure from Established Lore: The game seems to disregard established lore about magic. Being set in Tevinter, the absence of blood magic—a hallmark of that region—is puzzling. Blood magic has always been a controversial but integral part of Tevinter's identity, and ignoring it feels like a missed opportunity to explore complex themes within the story. Blood Magic in Tevinter is officially discouraged but it is widely, if quietly, practiced.

Where have they said that there won't be blood magic in Tevinter?

They only said that Rook won't use blood magic. And it got misinterpreted.

[skullymex]

Originally posted by Aeriar:

Originally posted by skullymex:

Where have they said that there won't be blood magic in Tevinter?

They only said that Rook won't use blood magic. And it got misinterpreted.

That's what I thought. But there's always a chance that I'm wrong so I'd rather ask.

[ArcaneSyntax]

Originally posted by skullymex:

Originally posted by Aeriar:

They only said that Rook won't use blood magic. And it got misinterpreted.

That's what I thought. But there's always a chance that I'm wrong so I'd rather ask.

For the record in the very first gameplay reveal Varric says the Venatori are "a cult of murderous blood mages"

[skullymex]

Originally posted by ArcaneSyntax:

Originally posted by skullymex:

That's what I thought. But there's always a chance that I'm wrong so I'd rather ask.

For the record in the very first gameplay reveal Varric says the Venatori are "a cult of murderous blood mages"

I totally forgot about that. Lmao.

[Cutlass Jack]

They directly said there would still be blood magic in the very conversation that talked about It not being a player specialization.

[Nepnep]

Originally posted by Valkyria:

Let's start with a review of what we know we are getting with Dragon Age: The Veilguard:

1) Direct continuation of the story that Dragon Age fans have been waiting 10 years for now: Where else could they have gone that would of made sense? It was the only choice to pick.

2) Combat that actually looks fun and just Isn't akin to that of a clunky MMO like in Origins: Let's be honest, the combat in Origins was terrible & Dragon Age 2 had the best combat.

3) Interesting Companions: a strong cast of characters; what I've seen so far has only made me want to get to know them more and it even feels like a better cast then DA:I had offered.

4) Colorful Graphics & Impressive Art-style: Gone is the infamously hideous "Dirt Brown" filter that plagued games like GTA IV, Far Cry 2 and DA:O in the late 2000's into the early 2010's.

5) Creative UI & Skill Trees: Both of these stand out & feel like they've been worked on a lot. Let me guess, because it isn't a copy paste of what Origins had it is somehow worse now?

Really Promising Character Creator: We've seen a mixture of beautiful, hideous and a few basic looking characters. This is really no different to what you do in countless other games.

What we really don't know much about:

- The Soundtrack: All we can do is wait and see what they have to offer this time around.

- The Choices Both Past & Present: We legitimately don't have much insight into how our past choices in the older games will effect the Veilguard, but I would say that the fact that the Inquisitor will be in the game is a pretty good sign of the level of depth we will receive.

I've Pre-Ordered the Deluxe Edition. I'm excited for the release. And all I can really say is that I hope people will try the game themselves and not let a YouTuber form their opinion.

1) Obviously its a direct continuation. It's worthless otherwise. Unfortunately, its going to be in a "different writing direction"/ different directors/ etc compared to usual (and i'm not even talking about the potential wokeness that everyone hates with a passion). And unfortunately thats not exactly promising. (DA1-2-3 also have different writing direction. But the time gap between 3 and 4 is too big. Think Mass Effect 1-3 and Mass Effect Andromeda. Kinda same yet a little too different and it might not be a good thing.) (Handling of Solas being a good example.)

Basically, whatever track record Dragon Age once had is not there.

2) Origins was great, but it was a CRPG. This is Action. Apples and oranges.

3) Most of DA:I's "new companions" were boring. Only the old ones were any good. Not a high bar.

4)It's been gone for a long time.

5) The only thing I can tell from what I've seen are the many shapes of the skill trees. And if my many years of gaming experience is correct. Those "circles" are random +10% more dmg nonsense that has no substance. Also you can only equip three. This is dangerously close to Diablo-style games where you just make 1-2 skills OP and spam it ad infinitum for the rest of the game.

[EricHVela]

The only thing I currently hate about Veilguard is how I can't use any of the marketing to have any solid inkling of what the game will be.

While Bethsoft's recent creative marketing certainly wasn't the first, it seems to have opened the floodgates for everyone to create vague ideas of upcoming games and let players define it however they want.

I feel like I used to be able to get a decently accurate vibe about a game. Now, it seems like marketing is dredging the entire gamut of gamers instead of having targeted audiences. As much as I don't want a game to fail, I hope that the tactic of trolling for players starts to hurt sales enough for marketers to go back to focused advertising. Players don't like feeling they were misled, but many of them don't refund. So... I guess the method works to bump sales even when it hurts reviews.