Recent reviews by Kara

This small little puzzle game is cute, casual and simple, but I was genuinely happy to play. I'll try the marathon mode soon.

I liked Sam's little chats, resolving puzzles and customizing Wilmot's different rooms! This game really made me feel at peace, and for a few days, it was the game I played before going to sleep. It's maybe a bit silly, but I cherish it a lot, and the final puzzle made me gasp a little because it was so, so wholesome.

EDIT: finished the game so a more proper review.

I'm leaving the Recommended review up, though I wish there would be a "meh" button.

It is a neat game: it's fluid, well optimized, and I liked the combat enough to try different builds, though I won't launch a Nightmare level game just for the sake of it. The exploration is fun, the maps varied enough to be pleasantly surprised. I know it is a matter of tastes, but I do also find the game very pretty.

The problem is how I launched Veilguard with the hope that I would love the story as much as I loved Origins', or 2's, or Inquisition's. But I didn't. And if you are the same as me, you might need to drop your expectations a notch, because you won't find the writing depth you find in the other games in here.

My initial review was short: "I have slight concerns with the writing, but I'm having a blast so far!". Well, to be honest, the writing doesn't get really better.

Truth is, the whole story of Veilguard and the quality of the writing is inconsistent. It's often surface-level and frustrating to deal with, with some very nice, albeit rare, engaging moments.

That surface level writing is also unfortunately for the companions. It's a shame, because helping and befriending them was always what I looked forward to in Dragon Age. But here the complexity is gone and everyone's personality can be described in 3 words. There's no hard questions, no dislike or anything. Everyone likes Rook, in a strange, "I appreciate you as a therapist because I can talk to you about anything, but you're not really a friend" kind of like. You're here to clean up messes, without feeling the usual bonding happening. Ngl: I felt like Rook was most of the time a fly on the wall watching the other companions *actually* bond with each other, but not them.

TL;DR –the writing, which used to be Bioware's strong suit, isn't really here anymore. And that's enough for me, who is heavily motivated by the narrative aspects of games, to be disappointed enough to not want to run another playthrough. It's only a game I'll launch and finish once, I guess ; and while polished, it lacks what made me love Dragon Age as a whole.

A short yet compelling story, truly a gem. I loved it, and the puzzles are complex enough to have you thinking a bit while not making you frustrated. I just regret some "mechanics" are used only once, for a single puzzle. The ending also left me wishing for more, but it is open enough to hope for a sequel!

Also: the bomb defusing moment was incredible!!!