Not a bad game, but bad DA.

[gerada-hazze]

The game's biggest mistakes are lies in promises it makes.

It's not a bad game itself... The problem is that it's a bit like watching the orginal Lion King from 94, after sitting in front of the TV because they were supposed to show The Game of Thrones. It doesn't suddenly mean that the Lion King is bad, and I may even stay in front of the TV to watch it. But that won't sate my hunger on so many levels that I won't be satisfied no matter how good I consider the old Disney cartoon to be.

The thing one needs to know going into Veilguard is that it's by absolutely no means a game meant for adults (as it's prcedessors clearly were) . It's ChatGPT filtering level of content. Everything is nice, sweet, all candies, butterflies, love and peace. The game's priorities are safety, respect and (pseudo?) inclusion. It's the type of content that makes sure that if someone's child can speak or read - no matter the age - it won't be harmed if they suddenly enter the room.

It's this level of black and white story with no grey aspects that we can see in old Disney's cartoons - the evil guy has facial expression that tells us he is the bad one after first second on the screen, and the main cast is all-saints without slightest flaws. If it wasn't for blood effects in battles, this game could be easily possible to be played with a 3 years old child along. And probably around 9 or 10 years old would have full understanding of what's happening...

That's why it suffers greatly on promises it makes being a Dragon Age named game and having age rating of 17+. It's a pretty decent game, but we could put DA in front of Little Big Planet in the name and it would have similar level of connection to the series...

But first why it's a solid game:

1. I actually completed the game... (I am a player that drops more than half of the 10+ hours requiring games without completing them when the gameplay gets too repetetive). For me personally - it's not tedious, and the team made a really good work to avoid needless collectibles and made both battle mechanics and exploration pretty fun. The side quests have some background and they often overlap with the main story, even if not on crucial level.

The battle mechanics remind me of The Witcher 3 style - so you mostly roll and attack, just with much less skill required than in CDP game. Was expecting something different while starting the game, but I quickly accepted it and it was pretty well done.

2. The Main sotry and the side stories are pretty interesting (it doesn't have any top tier moments but they are really solid)

3. The characters you racruit are likable and the team really delivered on the fact that this game is heavily focused on their interatcions not only with the MC (Rook) but also between each other.

4. Nice maps with about the right sizes - still a few decisions made while creating these are wrong - you can't jump from one place to another even if you clearly physically can and it looks a valid thing to do, because the game treats it as a fall as it wants you to take another route; or we have a dark map where you walk on swamps, but the MC can't swim, so the only indication of where you can walk and where you can't is the mini map...

But the game really does a lot of things right - even if none spectacular - and allows to spend long hours while having fun.

But then not everything is good and some things may be difficult for people to handle and therefore they should be warned before playing - simply to be fair and to make sure people start the game knowing what they are signing in for:

1. The game wants to teach you. Not about the universe of the game but about what is wrong and what is right in real world. It's not only about the infamous 'non-binary' Tash, whose 'problem' is meeting a clear overreaction as it's barely there and is simply avoidable... But the game seems to be trying very hard to show how important it is to be respectful and not to be rude or offensive even in a slightest way... I mean by far too many dialogues have this underlining 'It's ok to be you, it's ok to cry, it's ok to show emotions, it's ok to..." There are numerous dialogues that were clearly written by a psychologist.

2. I also have problem with the inclusion... Not that I am against it... Tash is completely fine by me... But at the same time ALL characters are bisexual... There is literally no heterosexual character... I am bi myself, and inclusion nowadays is forgetting about the fact that being bi doesn't mean people suddenly have no preferences... Being a bi doesn't mean we don't care about anything and 'anyone will do'... I feel special for certain people knowing that some guys or girls prefer different people than me.

Other example: all girls MUST be flat chested... How's that inclusion?

The hate Tash is getting is NOT becaus they are non-binary - it is because the rest of the game was created in a way where being non-binary is the only option other than being completely featurless, plain and generic...

3. The game also has VERY clear signs that it changed direction - probably even multiple times. It looks as if orginally there was a plan to have a dark fantasy for adults and then they spent years erasing absolutely everything that wouldn't be allowed by chatGPT filters (and ChatGPT has red flags if you use word 'ass' instead of 'bottom'). Even the Tash as a character looks as if it was added after the game was mostly done.

4. Relationships with companions - while the cast is likable and it's nice to follow their stories, the game unnecessarily gives options to romance them...

I mean - I LOVE romances in games - they are often one of my favorite parts of big RPG games. But this game makes a mockery out of it. It puts 110% effort to make the characters permanent 'friend zone' candidates - making sure the Veilguard is more like a big sweet family than a group where at least a slightest spark could show. And 'flirt' options the game gives are on the level of seduction that I do when I am asking my old auntie if she is feeling better after her last stay at the hospital... Love in here is similar in details to what happened between the Cinderella and the prince in the old orginal Disney version... The story tells you that you are in love - the end.

Another thing is that if you want to create romances for 6 years old children, why bother promising nudity? Why do the romances even show characters in bed? The level of romances should end with a kiss, small kids will blush and understand the characters love each other.

All in all - started playing, actually had some fun and completed it. Don't regret it even much.

However, very likely, I wouldn't even start if I knew what it is. That's my biggest problem with the game - it was as getting Tetris after seeing the game titled Resident Evil with 18+ ratings...

I am not going to return to this game in the future - even if I very often do so with games that I liked enough to complete.

[DaisyRay]

I agree mostly. The strong points for me was the fighting, the world design, the lore, Solas, returning characters, and everything in act three.

[Xazomn]

If this was not presented as a DA game. Then i think i would have enjoyed it more .

If some may not understand why it is hard to walk by and leave this game. Ten years i waited for this game. Getting exited that they worked on it, played the old games over & over again. Made choices, lived through all the games so many game lifes, pain,sorrow,tears and then getting this cheap knockoff that pretents to be a DA game. I may say it makes me sad & angry. I am now not enjoying the game, not spending hours & hours exploring the world & companions. Did it once, and the other half way to know that this is not exting at all as a "rpg"