#great moment in multiplayer

[dorindameddler]

yeah i bet he fuckin is

[acealistair]

Dragon Age: The Veilguard GameInformer Article Transcribed

I saw some people lamenting that they had no way to read the GameInformer article, and while MVP dalishious posted screenshots of the article here, I figured that might be a little difficult to read, plus people with screen readers can't read it of course. So I've gone ahead and transcribed it! Full thing below the cut!

As a note, I transcribed it without correcting any typos, capitalization errors, etc. that the article itself had (as much as it pained me, omg the author capitalizes so many things that shouldn't be and vice versa). There may be some typos on my part as I did this as quickly as I could, so apologies in advance for any you might encounter.

I have also created a plot-spoiler-free version of the article for those who would like to learn more about the mechanics of the game without learning more plot info than they want!

Throughout my research and preparation for a trip to BioWare’s Edmonton, Canada, office for this cover story, I kept returning to the idea that its next game, Dragon Age: The Veilguard (formerly subtitled Dreadwolf) is releasing at a critical moment for the storied developer. The previous installment, Dragon Age: Inquisition, hit PlayStation, Xbox, and PC a decade ago. It was the win BioWare needed, following the 2012 release of Mass Effect 3 with its highly controversial and (for many) disappointing ending. Inquisition launched two years later, in 2014, to rave reviews and, eventually, various Gameo the Year awards, almost as if a reminder of what the studio was capable of.

Now, in 2024, coincidentally, the next Dragon Age finds itself in a similar position. BioWare attempted a soft reboot of Mass Effect with Andromeda in 2017, largely seen as a letdown among the community, and saw its first live-service multiplayer attempt in 2019’s Anthem flounder in the tricky waters of the genre; it aimed for a No Man’s Sky-like turnaround with Anthem Next, but that rework was canceled in 2021. Like its predecessor, BioWare’s next Dragon Age installment is not only a new release in a beloved franchise, but is another launch with the pressure of BioWare’s prior misses; a game fans hope will remind them the old BioWare is still alive today.

“Having been in this industry for 25 years, you see hits and misses, and it’s all about building off of those hits and learning from those misses,” BioWare general manager Gary McKay, who’s been with the studio since January 2020, tells me.

As McKay gives me a tour of the office, I can’t help but notice how much Anthem is scattered around it. More than Mass Effect, more than Dragon Age, there’s a lot of Anthem - posters, real-life replicas of its various Javelins, wallpaper, and more. Recent BioWare news stories tell of leads and longtime studio veterans laid off and others departing voluntarily. Veilguard’s development practically began with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. When I ask McKay about the tumultuousness of BioWare and how he, as the studio manager, makes the team feel safe in the product it’s developing, he says it’s about centering on the creative vision. “[When] we have that relentless pursuit for quality, and we have passion and people in the right roles, a lot of the other stuff you’re talking about just fades into the background.”

That’s a sentiment echoed throughout the team I speak to: Focus on what makes a BioWare game great and let Veilguard speak for itself. Though I had no expectations going in - it’s been 10 years since the last Drag Age, after all, and BioWare has been cagey about showing this game publicly - my expectations have been surpassed. This return to Thedas, the singular continent of the franchise, feels like both a warm welcome for returning fans and an impressive entry point for first-time players.

New Age, New Name

At the start of each interview, I address a dragon-sized elephant in the room with the game’s leads. What was Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is now Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Why?

“These games are reflections of the teams that make them, and as part of that, it means we learn a lot about what the heart and soul of the game really is as we’re developing it,” Veilguard game director Corinne Busche tells me. “We quickly learned and realized that the absolute beating heart of this game is these authentic, diverse companions. And when we took a step back, as we always do, we always check our decisions and make sure they still represent the game we’re trying to build.”

Dreadwolf no longer did that, but each member of BioWare I speak to tells me The Veilguard does. And while I was initially abrasive to the change - lore aside, Dreadwolf is simply a cool name - I warmed up to The Veilguard.

Solas, a Loki-esque trickster member of the Elven pantheon of gods known as the Dread Wolf, created the Veil long ago while attempting to free the elves from their slave-like status in Thedas. This Veil is a barrier between the magical Fade and Thedas, banishing Elven gods and removing Elven immortality from the world. But players didn’t know that in Inquisition, where he is introduced as a mage ally and companion. However, at the end of Inquisition’s Trespasser DLC, which sets the stage for Veilguard, we learn in a shocking twist that Solas wants to destroy the Veil and restore Elves to their former glory. However, doing so would bring chaos to Thedas, and those who call it home, the people who eventually become The Veilguard, want to stop him.

“There’s an analogy I like to use, which is, ‘If you want to carve an elephant out of marble, you just take a piece of marble and remove everything that doesn’t look like an elephant,’” Veilguard creative director John Epler says. “As we were building this game, it became really clear that it was less that we were trying to make The Veilguard and more like The Veilguard was taking shape as we built the game. Solas is still a central figure in it. He’s still a significant character. But really, the focus shifts to the team.

“[We] realized Dreadwolf suggests a title focused on a specific individual, whereas The Veilguard, much like Inquisition, focuses more on the team.”

Creating Your Rook

Veilguard’s character creator is staggeringly rich, with a dizzying number of customizable options. Busche tells me that inclusivity is at the heart of it, noting that she believes everyone can create someone who represents them on-screen.

There are four races to choose from when customizing Rook, the new playable lead - Elves, Qunari, Humans, and Dwarves - and hundreds of options to customize your character beyond that. You can select pronouns separately from gender and adjust physical characteristics like height, shoulder width, chest size, glute and bulge size, hip width, how bloodshot your eyes are, how crooked your nose is, and so much more. There must be hundreds of sliders to customize these body proportions and features like skin hue, tone, melanin, and just about anything else you might adjust on a character. Oh, and there’s nudity in Veilguard, too, which I learn firsthand while customizing my Rook.

“The technology has finally caught up to our ambition,” Dragon Age series art director Matt Rhodes tells me as we decide on my warrior-class Qunari’s backstory, which affects faction allegiance, in-game dialogue, and reputation standing - we choose the pirate-themed Lords of Fortune.

Notably, instead of a warrior class, we could have chosen mage or rogue. All three classes have unique specializations, bespoke skill trees, and special armors, too. And though our Rook is aligned with the Lords of Fortune faction, there are others to choose from including the Grey Wardens, Shadow Dragons, The Mourn Watch, and more. There is some flexibility in playstyle thanks to specializations, but your class largely determines the kind of actions you can perform in combat.

“Rook ascends because of competency, not because of a magical McGuffin,” BioWare core lead and Mass effect executive producer Michael Gamble tells me in contrast to Inquisition’s destiny-has-chosen-you-characterization.

“Rook is here because they choose to be, and that speaks to the kind of character that we’ve built.” Busche adds, “Someone needs to stop this, and Rook says, ‘I guess that’s me.’”

Beyond the on-paper greatness of this character creator, its customizability speaks to something repeated throughout my BioWare visit: Veilguard is a single-player, story-driven RPG. Or in other words, the type of game that made BioWare as storied as it is. McKay tells me the team explored a multiplayer concept early in development before scratching it to get back to BioWare basics. The final game will feature zero multiplayer and no microtransactions.

Happy to hear that, I pick our first and last name, then one of four voices, with a pitch shifter for each, too, and we’re off to Minrathous.

Exploring Tevinter For The First Time

Throughout the Dragon Age series, parts of Thedas are discussed by characters and referenced by lore material but left to the imagination of players as they can’t visit them. Veilguard immediately eschews this, setting its opening prologue mission in Minrathous, the capital of the  Tevinter Empire. Frankly, I’m blown away by how good it looks. It’s my first time seeing Veilguard in action and my first look at a Dragon Age game in nearly a decade. Time has treated this series well, and so has technology.

Epler, who’s coming up on 17 years at BioWare, acknowledges that the franchise has always been at the will of its engine. Dragon Age: Origins and II’s Eclipse Engine worked well for the time, but today, they show their age. Inquisition was BioWare’s first go at Ea’s proprietary Frostbite engine - mind you, an engine designed for first-person shooters and decidedly not multi-character RPGs - and the team struggled there, too. Epler and Busche agree Veilguard is the first RPG where BioWare feels fully in command of Frostbite and, more generally, its vision for this world.

We begin inside a bar. Rook and Varric are looking for Neve Gallus, a detective mage somewhere in Minrathous. The first thing players will do once Veilguard begins is select a dialogue option, something the team says speaks to their vision of a story-forward, choice-driven adventure. After a quick bar brawl cutscene that demonstrates Rook’s capabilities, there’s another dialogue choice, and different symbols here indicate the type of tone you can roll with. There’s a friendly, snarky, and rough-and-tough direct choice, and I later learn of a more romantically inclined “emotional” response. These are the replies that will build relationships with characters, romantic and platonic alike, but you’re welcome to ignore this option. However, your companions can romance each other, so giving someone the cold shoulder might nudge them into the warm embrace of another. We learn Neve is in Dumat Plaza and head into the heart of Minrathous.

Rhodes explains BioWare’s philosophy for designing this city harkens back to a quick dialogue from Inquisition’s Dorian Pavus. Upon entering Halamshiral’s Winter Palace, the largest venue in Dragon Age history at that point, Dorian notes that it’s cute, adorable even, alluding to his Tevinter heritage. If Dorian thinks the largest venue in Dragon Age history is cute and adorable, what must the place he’s from be like? “It’s like this,” Rhodes says as we enter Minrathous proper in-game.

Minrathous is huge, painted in magical insignia that looks like cyberpunk-inspired neon city signs and brimming with detail. Knowing it’s a city run by mages and built entirely upon magic, Rhodes says the team let its imagination run wild. The result is the most stunning and unique city in the series. Down a wide, winding pathway, there’s a pub with a dozen NPCs - Busche says BioWare used Veilguard’s character creator to make each in-world NPC except for specific characters like recruitable companions - and a smart use of verticality, scaling, and wayfinding to push us toward the main attraction: Solas, attempting to tear down the Veil.

All hell is breaking loose. Pride Demons are rampaging through the city. Considering Pride Demons were bosses in prior games, seeing them roaming freely in the prologue of Veilguard speaks to the stakes of this opener. Something I appreciate throughout our short journey through Minrathous to its center below is the cinematography at play. As a Qunari, my character stands tall, and Rhodes says the camera adjusts to ensure larger characters loom over those below. On the flip side, the camera adjusts for dwarves to demonstrate their smaller stature compared to those around them.

This, coupled with movie-liked movement through the city as BioWare showcases the chaos happening at the hands of Solas’ Veil-break ritual, creates a cinematic start that excited me, and I’m not even hands-on with the game.

Eventually, we reach Neve, who has angered some murderous blood mages, and rescue her from danger. Or rather, help… barely. Neve is quite capable, and her well-acted dialogue highlights that. Together, Varric, returning character Lace Harding, who is helping us stop Solas and is now a companion, Rook, and Neve defeat some demons. They then take on some Venatori Cultists seizing this chaotic opportunity to take over the city and other enemies before making it to Solas’ hideout. As we traverse deeper and deeper into this hideout, more of Solas’ murals appear on the walls, and things get more Elven. Rhodes says this is because you’re symbolically going back in time, as Minrathous is a city built by mages on the bones of what was originally the home of Elves.

At the heart of his hideout, we discover Solas’ personal Eluvian. This magical mirror-like structure allows the gang to teleport (and mechanically fast-travel) to Arlathan Forest, where Solas is secretly performing the ritual (while its effects pour out into Minrathous).

Here, we encounter a dozen or so demons, which BioWare has fully redesigned on the original premise of these monstrous creatures. Rhodes says they’re creatures of feeling and live and die off the emotions around them. As such, they are just a floating nervous system, push into this world from the Fade, rapidly assembled into bodies out of whatever scraps they find.

I won’t spoil the sequence of events here, but we stop Solas’ ritual and seemingly save the world… for now. Rook passes out moments later and wakes up in a dream-like landscape to the voice of none  other than Solas. He explains a few drops of Rook’s blood interacted with the ritual, connecting them to the Fade forever. He also says he was attempting to move the Elgar’nan and Ghilan’nain, part of the Evanuris or Elven gods of ancient times, to a new prison because the one he had previously constructed was failing. Unfortunately, Solas is trapped in the Fade by our doing, and these gods are now free. It’s up to Rook to stop them; thus, the stage for our adventure is set.

The Veilguard Who’s Who

While we learned a lot about returning character but first-time companion Lace Harding, ice mage private detective Neve Gallus, and veil jumper Bellara Lutara, BioWare shared some additional details about other companions Rook will meet later in the game. Davrin is a charming Grey Warden who is also an excellent monster hunter; Emmrich is a member of Nevarra’s Mourn Watch and a necromancer with a skeleton assistant named Manfred; Lucanis is a pragmatic assassin whose bloodline descends from the criminal House of Crows organization; And Taash is a dragon hunter allied with the piratic Lords of Fortune. All seven of these characters adorn this Game Informer issue, with Bellara up front and center in the spotlight.

The Lighthouse

After their encounter with Solas, Rook wakes up with Harding and Neve in the lair of the Dread Wolf himself, a special magical realm in the Fade called the Lighthouse. It’s a towering structure centered amongst various floating islands. Epler says, much like Skyhold in Inquisition, the Lighthouse is where your team bonds, grows, and prepares for its adventures throughout the campaign. It also becomes more functional and homier as you do. Already, though, it’s a beautifully distraught headquarters for the Veilguard, although they aren’t quite referring to themselves as that just yet.

Because it was Solas’ home base of operations, it’s gaudy, with his fresco murals adorning various walls, greenery hanging from above, and hues of purple and touches of gold everywhere. Since it’s in the Fade, a realm of dreams that responds to your world state and emotion, the Lighthouse reflects the chaos and disrepair of the Thedas you were in moments ago. I see a clock symbol over a dialogue icon in the distance, which signals an optional dialogue option. We head there, talk to Neve, select a response to try our hand at flirting, and then head to the dining hall.

A plate, a fork and knife, and a drinking chalice are at the end of a massive table. Rhodes says this is both a funny (and sad) look at Solas’ isolated existence and an example of the detail BioWare’s art team has put into Veilguard. “It’s a case of letting you see the story,” he says. “It’s like when you go to a friend's house and see their bedroom for the first time; you get to learn more about them.” From the dining hall, we gather the not-quite-Veilguard in the library, which Busche says in the central area of the Lighthouse and where your party will often regroup and prepare for what’s next. The team decides it must reach the ritual site back in Arlathan Forest, and Busche says I’m missing unique dialogue options here because I’m Qunari; an Elf would have more to say about the Fade due to their connection to it. The same goes for my backstory earlier in Minrathous. If I had picked the Shadow Dragons background, Neve would have recognized me immediately, with unique dialogue.

With our next move decided, we head to Solas’ Eluvian to return to Arlathan Forest and the ritual site. However, it’s not fully functional without Solas, and while it returns us to Arlathan Forest, it’s not exactly where we want to go. A few moments later, we’re back in the Arlathan Forest, and just before a demon-infested suit of mechanized armor known as a Sentinel can attack, two new NPCs appear to save us: Strife and Irelin. Harding recognizes them, something Dragon Age comic readers might know about. They’re experts in ancient elven magic and part of the new Veil Jumpers faction. The ensuing cutscene, where we learn Strife and Irelin need help finding someone named Bellara Lutara, is long, with multiple dialogue options. That’s something I’m noticing with Veilguard, too - there’s a heavy emphasis on storytelling and dialogue, and it feels deep and meaty, like a good fantasy novel. BioWare doesn’t shy away from minutes-long cutscenes.

Busche says that’s intentional, too. “For Rook, [this story’s about] what does it meant to be a leader,” she says. “You’re defining their leadership style with your choices.” Knowing that Rook is the leader of the Veilguard, I’m excited to see how far this goes. From the sound of it, my team will react to my chosen leadership style in how my relationships play out. That’s demonstrated within the game’s dialogue and a special relationship meter on each companion’s character screen.

Redefining Combat Once More

Bellara is deep within Arlathan Forest, and following the prolgoue’s events, something is up here. Three rings of massive rocks fly through the air, protecting what appears to be a central fortress. Demon Sentinels plague the surrounding lands, and after loading up a new save, we’re in control of a human mage.

Following the trend of prior Dragon Age games, Veilguard has completed the series’ shift from tactical strategy to real-time action, but fret not: a tactical pause-and-play mechanic returns to satiate fans who remember the series’ origins (pun intended). Though I got a taste of combat in the prologue, Veilguard’s drastic departure from all that came before it is even more apparent here.

Busche says player complete every swing in real-time, with special care taken to animation swing-through and canceling. There's a dash, a parry, the ability to charge moves, and a completely revamped healing system that allows you to use potions at your discretion by hitting right on the d-pad. You can combo attacks and even “bookmark” combos with a quick dash, which means you can pause a combo’s status with a dash to safety and continue the rest of the combo afterward. It looks even cooler than it sounds.

Like any good action game, there is a handful of abilities to customize your kit. And, if you want to maintain that real-time action feel, you can use them on the fly, so long as you take cooldowns into effect. But Veilguard’s pause-and-play gameplay mechanic, similar to Inquisition’s without the floating camera view, lets you bring things to halt for a healthy but optional dose of strategy.

In this screen, which essentially pauses the camera and pulls up a flashy combat wheel that highlights you and your companions’ skills, you can choose abilities, queue them up, and strategize with synergies and combos, all while targeting specific enemies. Do what you need to here, let go of the combat wheel, and watch your selections play out. Busche says she uses the combat wheel to dole out her companions’ attacks and abilities while sticking to the real-time action for her player-controlled Rook. On the other hand, Epler says he almost exclusively uses the combat wheel to dish out every ability and combo.

Busche says each character will play the same, in that you execute light and heavy attacks with hte same buttons, use abilities with the same buttons, and interact with the combo wheel in the same way, regardless of which class you select. But a sword-and-shield warrior, like we used in the prolgoue, can hip-fire or aim their shield to throw it like Captain America, whereas our human mage uses that same button to throw out magical ranged attacks. The warrior can parry incoming attacks, which can stagger enemies. The rogue gets a larger parry window. Our mage, however, can’t parry at all. Instead, they throw up a shield that blocks incoming attacks automatically so long as you have the mana to sustain it.

“What I see from Veilguard is a game that finally bridges the gap,” former Dragon Age executive producer Mark Darrah, who left BioWare in 2021 before joining the Veilguard team last year as a consultant, tells me. “Uncharitably, previous Dragon Age games got to the realm of ‘combat wasn’t too bad.’ In this game, the combat’s actually fun, but it does keep that thread that’s always been there. You have the focus on Rook, on your character, but still have that control and character coming into the combat experience from the other people in the party.”

“This is really the best Dragon Age game that I’ve ever played,” he adds, noting his bias. “This is the one where we get back to our roots of character-driven storytelling, have really fun combat, and aren’t making compromises.”

Watching Busche take down sentinels and legions of darkspawn on-screen, I can already sense Veilguard’s combat will likely end up my favorite in the series, although admittedly, as a fan of action games, I’m an easy sell here. It’s flashy, quick, and thanks to different types of health bars, like a greenish-blue one that represents barrier and is taken down most effectively with ranged attacks, a decent amount of strategy, even if you don’t use the pause-and-play combo wheel. Like the rest of the game, too, it’s gorgeous, with sprinkles, droplets, and splashes of magic in each attack our mage unleashes. Though I’m seeing the game run on a powerful PC, which is sure to be the best showcase of Veilguard, Epler tells me the game looks amazing on consoles - he’s been playing it on PlayStation 5 and enjoying it in both its fidelity and performance modes, but I’ll have to take his word for it.

Pressing Start

The start or pause screen is as important to a good RPG as the game outside the menus. Veilguard’s contains your map, journal, character sheets, skill tree, and a library for lore information. You can cross-compare equipment and equip new gear here for Rook and your companions, build weapon loadouts for quick change-ups mid-combat, and customize you and your party’s abilities and builds via an easy-to-understand skill tree. You won’t find minutiae here, “just real numbers,” Busche says. That means a new unlocked trait might increase damage by 25 percent against armor, but that’s as in-depth as the numbers get. Passive abilities unlock jump attacks and guarantee critical hit opportunities, while abilities add moves like a Wall of Fire to your arsenal (if you’re a mage). As you spec out this skill tree, which is 100 percent bespoke to each class, you’ll work closer to unlocking a specialization, of which there are three for each class, complete with a unique ultimate ability. Busche says BioWare’s philosophy here is “about changing the way you play, not statistical minutiae.”

Companion Customization

You can advance your bonds by helping companions on their own personal quests and by including them in your party for main quests. Every Relationship Level you rank up, shown on their character sheet, nets you a skill point to spend on them. Busche says the choices you make, what you say to companions, how you help them, and more all matter to their development as characters and party members. And with seven companions, there’s plenty to customize, from bespoke gear to abilities and more. Though each companion has access to five abilities, you can only take three into combat, so it’s important to strategize different combos and synergies within your party. Rhodes says beyond  this kind of customizable characterization, each companion has issues, problems, and personal quests to complete. “Bellara has her own story arc that runs parallel to and informs the story path you’re on,” Rhodes says.

In Entropy’s Grasp

As we progress through the forest and the current “In Entropy’s Grasp” mission, we finally find Bellara. She’s a veil jumper, the first companion you meet and recruit in-game (unlike Neve, who automatically joins), and the centerpiece of this issue’s cover image. Because our mage’s background is Veil Jumper, we get some unique dialogue. Bellara explains we’re all trapped in a Veil Bubble, and there’s no way out once you pass through it. Despite the dire situation, Bellara is bubbly, witty, and charming.

“When designing companions, they’re the load-bearing pillars for everything,” Rhodes says. “They’re the face of their faction, and in this case [with Bellara], their entire area of the world. She’s your window into Arlathan Forest.” Rhodes describes her as a sweetheart and nerd for ancient elven artifacts. As such ,she’s dressed more like an academic than a combat expert, although her special arm gauntlet is useful both for tinkering with her environment and taking down enemies.

Unlike Neve, who uses ice magic like our Rook and can slow down time with a special ability, Bellara specializes in electricity, and she can also use magic to heal you, something Busche says Dragon Age fans have been desperate to have in a game. Busche says if you don’t direct Neve and Bellara, they’re fully independent and will attack on their own. But synergizing your team will add to the fun and strategy of combat. Bellara’s electric magic is effective against Sentinels, which is great because we currently only have access to ice. However, without Bellara, we could also equip a rune that converts my ice magic, for a brief duration, into electricity to counter the Sentinels.

As we progress through Arlathan Forest, we encounter more and more darkspawn. Bellara mentions the darkspawn have never been this far before because the underground Deep Roads, where they usually escape from, aren’t nearby. However, with blighted Elven gods roaming the world, and thanks to Blight’s radiation-like spread, it’s a much bigger threat in Veilguard than in any Dragon Age before it.

I continue to soak in the visuals of Veilguard with Arlathan Forest’s elven ruins, dense greenery, and disgusting Blight tentacles and pustules; it’s perhaps the most impressive aspect of my time seeing the game, although everything else is making a strong impression, too. I am frustrated about having to watch the game rather than play it, to be honest. I’m in love with the art style, which is more high fantasy than anything in the series thus far and almost reminiscent of the whimsy of Fable, a welcome reprieve from the recent gritty Game of Thrones trend in fantasy games. Rhodes says that’s the result of the game’s newfound dose of magic.

“The use of magic has been an evolution as the series has gone on,” he says. “It’s something we’ve been planning for a while because Solas has been planning all this for a while. In the past, you could hint at cooler magical things in the corner because you couldn’t actually go there, but now we actually can, and it’s fun to showcase that.”

Busche, Epler, and Rhodes warn me that Arlathan Forest’s whimsy will starkly contrast to other areas. They promise some grim locations and even grimmer story moments because, without that contrast, everything falls flat. Busche likens it to a “thread of optimism” pulled through otherworldly chaos ravaging Thedas. For now, the spunky and effervescent Bellara is that thread.

As we progress deeper into the forest, Bellara spots a floating fortress and thinks the artifact needed to destroy the Veil Bubble is in there. To reach it, though, wem ust remove the floating rock rings, and Bellara’s unique ability, Tinker, can do just that by interacting with a piece of ancient elven technology nearby. Busche says Rook can acquire abilities like Tinker later to complete such tasks in instances where Bellara, for example, isn’t in the party.

Bellara must activate three of these in Arlathan Forest to reach the floating castle, and each one we activate brings forth a slew of sentinels, demons, and darkspawn to defeat. Busche does so with ease, showcasing high-level gameplay by adding three stacks of arcane build-up to create an Arcane Bomb on an enemy, which does devastating damage after being hit by a heavy attack. Now, she begins charging a heavy attack on her magical staff, then switches to magical daggers in a second loadout accessed with a quick tap of down on the d-pad to unleash some quick attacks, then back to the staff to charge it some more and unleash a heavy attack.

After a few more combat encounters, including one against a sentinel that’s “Frenzied,” which means it hits harder, moves faster, and has more health, we finally reach the center of the temple. Within is a particular artifact known as the Nadas Dirthalen, which Bellara says means “the inevitability of knowledge.” Before we can advance with it, a darkspawn Ogre boss attacks. It hits hard, has plenty of unblockable, red-coded attacks, and a massive shield we must take down first. However, it’s weak to fire, and our new fire staff is perfect for the situation.

After taking down this boss in a climactic arena fight, Bellara uses a special crystal to power the artifact and remove it from a pedestal, destroying the Veil Bubble. Then, the Nadas Dirthalen comes alive as an Archive Spirit, but because the crystal used to power it breaks, we learn little about this spirit before it disappears. Fortunately, Bellara thinks she can fix it - fixing broken stuff is kind of her thing, Epler says - so the group heads back to the Veil Jumper camp and, as interested as I am in learning what happens next, the demo ends. It’s clear that even after a few hours with the game’s opening, I’ve seen a nigh negligible amount of game; frustrating but equally as exciting.

Don’t Call It An Open World

Veilguard is not an open world, even if some of its explorable areas might fee like one. Gamble describes Veilguard’s Thedas as a hub-and-spoke design where “the needs of the story are served by the level design.” A version of Inquisition’s Crossroads, a network of teleporting Eluvians, returns, and it’s how players will traverse across northern Thedas. Instead of a connected open world, players will travel from Eluvian to Eluvian to different stretches of this part of the continent. This allows BioWare to go from places like Minrathous to tropical beaches to Arlathan Forest to grim and gothic areas and elsewhere. Some of these areas are larger and full of secrets and treasures. Others are smaller and more focused on linear storytelling. Arlathan Forest is an example of this, but there are still optional paths and offshoots to explore for loot, healing potion refreshes, and other things. There’s a minimap in each location, though linear levels like “In Entropy’s Grasp” won’t have the fog of war that disappears as you explore like some of Veilguard’s bigger locations. Regardless, BioWare says Veilguard has the largest number of diverse biomes in series history.

Dragon’s Delight

With a 10-hour day at BioWare behind me after hours of demo gameplay and interviews with the leads, I’m acutely aware of my favorite part of video games: the surprises. I dabbled with Origins and II and put nearly 50 hours into Inquisition, but any familiarity with the series the latter gave me had long since subsided over the past decade. I wanted to be excited about the next Dragon Age as I viewed each teaser and trailer, but other than seeing the words “Dragon Age,” I felt little. Without gameplay, without a proper look at the actual game we’ll all be playing this fall, I struggled to remember why Inquisition sucked me in 10 years ago.

This trip reminded me.

Dragon Age, much like the Thedas of Veilguard, lives in the uncertainty: The turbulence of BioWare’s recent release history and the lessons learned from it, the drastic changes to each Dragon Age’s combat, the mystery of its narrative, and the implications of its lore. It’s all a part of the wider Dragon Age story and why this studio keeps returning to this world. It’s been a fertile franchise for experimentation. While Veilguard is attempting to branch out in unique ways, it feels less like new soil and more like the harvest BioWare has been trying to cultivate since 2009, and I’m surprised by that.

I’m additionally surprised, in retrospect, how numb I’ve been to the game before this. I’m surprised by BioWare’s command over EA’s notoriously difficult Frostbite engine to create its prettiest game yet. I’m surprised by this series’ 15-year transition from tactical strategy to action-forward combat. I’m surprised by how much narrative thought the team has poured into these characters, even for BioWare. Perhaps having no expectations will do that to you. But most of all, with proper acknowledgement that I reserve additional judgment until I actually play the game, I’m surprised that Veilguard might just be the RPG I’m looking forward to most this year.

[felassan]

July 17th DA:TV Game Informer article on returning to Dragon Age 10 years after DA:I - cliff notes:

At one point BW considered making DA:TV a multiplayer game. They did a "hard look" at this

With DA:TV BW want to get back to their roots: storytelling, characters, influencing the world

Gary McKay quote: "And we really felt multiplayer wouldn't do that. But single-player RPG is really where we wanted to spend our time, so after spending that time in pre-production, really honing in on what the vision of this game is, and [being] afforded the opportunity to deliver on the creative promise of this game, [now] we're really excited about what's coming out."

DA:TV's dev team contains both seasoned vets' decades of experiences and new talent with fresh perspectives

Gary McKay quote: "[You] want to have different perspectives, different backgrounds. If you bring a bunch of people together that have only known one thing, that's not where you see creativity. That's not where innovation comes from. Innovation comes when you have [...] that past history and blend it with some new voices and perspectives." 

DA:TV is the game where BW finally said out loud that their greatest strength is storytelling through characters, with intentionality. The game is built around those character moments

In DA:TV BW is doing "storytelling through animation" -

Mark Darrah quote: "If you put on a suit of armor [in previous games wherein each char moves exactly the same way], and you put it on Alistair, you looked exactly the same standing right beside each other. Now, we're able to keep the character coming through in the visuals and the motion, even as you're customizing them, which just wasn't possible in the past."

BW are more confident in and have a better understanding of Frostbite this time

Current game hardware tech is also able to do a lot more and execute it visually to an improved degree

BW worked hard to ensure DA:TV is respectful and referential to previous games while still being understandable by new players

John Epler quote: "So while there are references, there are moments that we have callbacks, it really is its own story, its own continuation with a different cast, with different characters. Historically, Dragon Age has always had a different cast per game, so that gives us a lot of freedom in terms of what we want to lean on in the past and what we want to really bring in that’s new and forward-facing."

Events in DA:TV play out with a storytelling goal for the future of the series. It takes the ball from DA:I, puts its own spin on it in its own direction, and continues the path forward into the future (emphasis mine)

Mark quote: "Dragon Age has always been about change. Every game has had a new protagonist, and it's been exploring its own space all the time, and this game is no different. [Veilguard] does a good job of bridging that gap. The really super fans of Dragon Age have actually made a lot of really educated guesses, and some of them are pretty right about where the franchise is going. The thing we need to make sure is that people who may have only played Inquisition are understanding what the franchise is really about – it's about a new protagonist, it's about change, it's about evolution – and don't come in expecting a direct sequel to a game they played and then are disappointed. This game is something new, something that evolves, something that is greater than what came before, the same as each game [...] before it." [emphasis mine]

Corinne: "For our new players, we're not assuming you know anything about [the DA locations or characters in DA:TV]"

BW took great care in how they introduce each companion and major story figure in the game with that in mind

DA:TV is John Epler's favorite DA game that he's worked on (he has worked on them all)

John Epler quote: "Dragon Age has always been about characters but to some degree, it's almost felt like we've lucked into that," he says. "Inquisition is a story that ultimately, you, the main character [...] have the biggest part to play. We wanted to tell a story this time where you literally cannot save the world without these characters. Beyond that, though, we also wanted to give them their own arcs that can run parallel to the main story and really give them that kind of deep storytelling our fans really enjoy." 

John Epler quote: "They have their friendships, they have their rivalries, and lean into that concept. You're not just pulling together a bunch of people who will do whatever you say. You're assembling a family, and that becomes the core of what the Veilguard is all about. It's about taking this group, this found family, and saving the world, side by side with them." 

[source]

[momochiikawa]

GENSHIN STREAMER AU X READER

includes: cyno, heizou, kaeya, scara, childe, ningguang, kazuha

content: fluff, kys jokes in scaras part

gn!reader ♡

cyno

pro gamer!!!

plays lots of different games but his favourites are "the witcher 3" and "Identity v"

takes part in tournaments!

probably streams at ungodly hours

great at roleplaying and getting into the lore

sometimes, he does "silly streams" where he, tighnari, kaveh, and alhaitham play uno.

lord they curse so loudly

once they woke you up from a nap and cyno ended the stream to cuddle you back to sleep, because he felt so bad :((

the chat knows you as "choo choo boo boo"

when you're beside him while he streams, he tries so hard to win so you can compliment him ♡

tells unfunny jokes on twitter

heizou

AHHH

mainly plays games like "ABZU" or "life is strange"

great at puzzles in games

probably has a youtube where he posts tutorials

if he can't solve something, he starts screaming into the mic (press f for the chat)

sometimes he just streams with you cuddled into his side, commenting whatever he's doing

kaeya

a variety streamer

he mainly plays horror games, loves the adrenaline .

makes you sit with him during the scariest moments, so you'll hug his arm when you're scared

(it ends up being him cuddling into your arm)

when you two are actually playing a multiplayer game, he makes you take his chair (super comfortable!!) and just sits on a stool (rip)

will play your favourite game on stream!!

did a cooking stream on valentines day, where he was making a cake for you ♡

scara

plays league of legends, and valorant

swears so much, you're scared he'll get banned

the chat loves you because you made him meow after a big donation once

also plays tournaments and won many

doesn't like playing lol or valorant with you, he prefers things like minecraft or stardew valley (you collect flowers, he fights for his life in the caves)

there's so many clips of him being soft for you, and then instantly telling tartaglia to kys

when you two first kissed on live the chat went insane, and it was trending on twitter

was canceled so many times on twitter

childe

plays w/ scara!

he often does cooking streams in that god awful apron with the text "kiss the cook"

doesn't swear as much, he keeps it family friendly when his brother is watching his stream

but his late night streams. LORD. the amount of dirty jokes...

plays roblox with you

likes having you on his lap while preparing for tournaments ♡

ningguang

ASMR!!

her voice is perfect for it ♡

you always appear in her skincare/handcare/haircare/makeup streams

you know those east asian channels where they just put so much expensive stuff on you?

yeah thats her

will give you a lil kiss afterwards the stream as a reward ♡

if you had problems falling asleep, now you feel completely relaxed while she gently messages your face ♡

kazuha

cozy!

plays minecraft, stardew valley, animal crossing and stray

has a very warm voice so his chat are either simps, or people who want to fall asleep.

you often bring him snacks and drinks while saying hello to the chat!

you consider the chat your kids basically. (kazuha is the mom btw)

always gifts you flowers in stardew/minecraft

you kissed you once on stream and chat watched him gradually get redder by each second.

he's scared of twitter (i dont blame him lmao)

[callie-the-creator]

boyfriend!coryxkenshin hcs

sfw. this was also posted on my wattpad, so there is no point to accuse me of plagiarism or anything

• you already know cory is a hopeless romantic aka...the best type of partner! you lucky thing! you scored yourself the best of the best

• cory has not one ounce of toxicity in his very soul

— "he's a good man, savannah, a GOOD man. 😤"

• oh, what's that? you gave cramps either from your menstruation cycle or they just popped out from nowhere?

— this man would do everything in his power to make sure that you're comfortable and have everything you have to make yourself feel better

— he definitely wouldn't make fun of you or belittle you if it was because of your period (unlike those boyfriends😒)

• you already know that you'll make a few special appearances in his videos whether that be sss episodes or playing games specifically made for couples or ones that allow multiplayer

— it takes two, the dark pictures anthology, cuphead, you name it! you'll just have to motivate him enough to finish the games though since that's where he falls short...🫢

• but for the important question! what is his love language?

— personally, it's to each their own on the topic, but this is what i think: as much as i want to say physical touch, i feel like he's more of a quality time type of guy, you know? even if he does youtube, he still takes breaks and you can bet that he'll spend most of that time with you!

• there is not one dull moment as long as you're with him

• wouldn't be able to stop smiling if he caught you wearing his merch or any of his clothes for that matter...just not his puka shell necklace. never his necklace. ☝️ that's a big no-no

• he's definitely the type of bf who would play songs that remind him of you

— *cries into pillow uncontrollably*

• and when he is recording, you are known to bring him snacks or water and wave 'hi' to the camera

— but i'd doubt he'd need any snacks since this main usually has skittles, now and laters, and nutrigrain bars stockpiled in his recording room.

• if you text him randomly, he'll make a big deal about it and be all giddy. you make him so happy! 🥺

— also, if he's too scared while playing a horror game and dashie isn't picking up the phone, you're the second-best option for decisions! but you know what they say..."with great power comes great responsibility"

• personally, i don't think he's neutral on the topic of pda, but he's the subtle type bc he wants to be careful to not make you uncomfortable, especially when you two are out in public.

• since he's known to record really late at night, he'd do anything in his power to be quiet and not wake you up during his 3 scary games or his spooky scary sunday videos

— if he happened to wake you up by his screaming would definitely deadpan the camera and be like, "now why did you have to go and wake up my gf? 😐"

— deny deny deny, as rodrick heffley would say.

• we already know cory likes his anime, so i'm saying that you would binge-watch all types of shows and movies together. but, again, you'll need to motivate and encourage him a lot since he has trouble finishing stuff or gaining interest in shows

• would want cuddles or just to hang out with you if he got too upset over a game

— he has rage quit a few times

• cory would let you sit on his lap while he plays games in his spare time

— he will kiss your head or shoulder randomly. he'd also keep on hand pressed against the small of your back to support you, to make sure that you won't fall off. 💔 you guys are so cute togetherrrr

• his fans love you. i have nothing more to add to this.

• fanart and edits!! different youtubers garner different communities, and some are more likely to make fanart than others, but cory's has the best of both worlds! though, his fandom leans more towards the editing side of things, so expect lots to pop up on your fyp

• i feel like there would be a few videos like “3 minutes of cory being soft with his s/o” or, even better: “cory and y/n being the best couple for 8 minutes” compilations going around on youtube, tiktok, reddit, etc.

…that’s all i got! until next time <3

[mx-pokirby]

Alright, let's get pretentious.

I've come to start resenting those super popular Mario 64 hacks as of late, like B3313, the multiplayer mod, Mario 64 with Shotgun.

People came out of the woodworks making videos and articles about them, and I kinda hate how those are now "the mainstream", relatively speaking.

And it also sucks because they're all great hacks! But the fact that that if you asked most (relevant) people to think of what a Mario 64 hack is, it's either just the base vanilla game "with a wacky YouTube Content-y™ Twist" and/or within the ballpark of just creepypasta (/derogatory)/beta content.

Aside from Star Road back in 2011, which while groundbreaking had some pretty mixed design, the general online populous who even still cares about Mario 64 have no idea about the game's entire massive & passionate modding scene, full of incredible and original standalone experiences, both in gameplay and narrative, for free.

Elise, a beautiful Yume Nikki-like with cutscenes and voice acting, borrowing the base game's sense of exploration as a jumping off point.

SM64 Kingdom's End, a genuinely haunting story about Mario struggling until the last moment to save a dying world.

Mario Party 64, our childhood dream of wishing we could play in the boards & minigames of Mario Party like an actual platformer brought to life.

Detective Mario: Murder on Ice, mapping the genre of text-based murder mystery (complete with typing in commands) into a 3D Mario level with surprising twists and required deduction skills.

Mario breaks EVERY BONE IN HIS BODY (case sensitive), a hilarious Monkey Ball-like

Ceaseless Climb, exploring a tricky, warped reality beyond the game's infamous Infinite Staircase

My Dress-Up Darling 64 which, and I quote from the game's Romhacking.com page's description, "being the first hack to use HVQM full-motion video"

There's rhythm games, Zelda-likes, horror games, shitposts, puzzlers, slide hacks, what-ifs, massive collabs, the absurdly sized Star Revenge *series*, huge hacking competitions with cash prizes and often dozens/hundreds of submissions meant to incentivize newcomers to try, Mario slips on a banana peel and fucking dies 64, and literally hundreds more I could name

I'm just really passionate about this little niche internet community, and I'm sad it only got the thinnest spotlight once a tiny piece of it ended up being profitable for content creators. There's so much more than what most people see.

Besides. It's free video games; Surely that alone makes it worth checking out, right...? Everything is suuuper accessible/user-friendly nowadays~

[dr-spectre]

if team past wins im gonna be so sad bc it's the most boring outcome idk

If Team Past wins I'm actually gonna be upset. Idc if this seems so unsportsmanlike but I don't want them to win dude.

At best we'll get a game with a past like aesthetic and have boring wooden and bamboo weapons or some shit.

At worst we'll get a Great Turf War game and I genuinely don't want that. I would fucking hate that so much. That would mean no Squid Sisters, Off the Hook and Deep Cut for over 5 years.

If it's DLC for a Splatoon 4 that involves time travel or a spin off then fine. That's okay. But the main focus of a multiplayer mainline Splatoon game? No. Fuck no.

Setting the next mainline game in the past would be an awful idea for nurmous reasons.

1. You would have to cut down the weapon roaster for lore reasons. If you introduced new weapon types and variants it would create a lot of weird questions and holes in the world building.

2. The story and world millions of fans have grown to love would go on hold for at a minimum of 5 years or longer. Which WILL impact the engagement of the game. There is a huge subset of the fanbase that loves the Idols and characters and not seeing them for a long time would cause a LOT of people to leave the fanbase.

3. The themes that the story could go for, would be a repeat of Splatoon 1 as it would focus on the conflict on the Inklings and Octarians. You know, THE FUCKING CONFLICT THAT GOT FINALLY RESOLVED IN SPLATOON 3!!!!!!!! YOU WANT TO UNDO ALL THAT?!?!?!?!! FOR WHAT?!?!?! FUCKING LOVERS TO ENEMIES TOXIC TWINK YAOI OF CUTTLEFISH AND OCTAVIO?!?!?! REALLY?!?!?!

If Team Present wins, we'll just stay the same which is okay. I dont really give a shit. Maybe it'll have a stronger urban focus? I don't know.

If Team Future wins, we might get cool Sci-Fi weapons, locations and it would be such a shake up for the Splatoon we have currently.

Although there is a risk that it would take place a long time after Splatoon 3 and if I see Callie and Marie as old ladies I will leave the Splatoon community. I'm not joking about that btw, I would be incredibly heartbroken.

Also btw, Team Past, can you fucking calm down? Why are you guys so sweaty?! Like... JESUS CHRIST YOU REALLYYYYY WANT that twink Cuttlefish x Octavio sex scene THAT badly huh?! You friggen Splatoon 1 boomer friggen wii u owners... I bet your wii u's are dusty too.... gross /j.

Im sorry to my friends in Team Past, I'm just pissed at the moment from Tricolour matches.

[tsumskz]

Hi hi, so I saw you take req rn! So I wanted to request some Minho x fem reader fluff, maybe something like him making reader feel safe and secure like he is giving her the chance to just be herself and let go and heal her inner child, not necessarily angsty, just him maybe taking care of her in a sweet way, like letting her play games at the arcade she never got to try or figure out videogames or something like that✨

Would looove to see what you do with that💕have a great dayyy!

ೃ⁀➷ lee minho x reader

warnings: notning just sweet sweet fluff

As the sun began to set, Minho led you to a bustling arcade, the colorful lights and lively sounds filling the air. He knew how much you loved games and wanted to create a space where you could let go and have fun, just like your inner child.

With a warm smile, Minho handed you a handful of tokens. "This is your playground, Let's make some amazing memories together."

You couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort and security as you stepped into the arcade. Minho's presence beside you was like a shield, protecting you from the worries and stresses of the world. He encouraged you to try every game that caught your eye, patiently guiding you through the controls and cheering you on with every victory.

The two of you laughed and played, the worries of the day melting away. Minho's eyes sparkled with joy as he watched you immerse yourself in the games, your laughter echoing through the arcade.

After a few rounds of intense competition, Minho suggested trying out a multiplayer game. As you sat side by side, he gently took your hand in his, his touch sending a wave of warmth and reassurance through you. His fingers intertwined with yours, creating a sense of connection that made you feel safe and cherished.

With Minho's guidance, you quickly caught on to the game mechanics, and soon you were both engrossed in the virtual world. The way he supported and encouraged you, even in the face of defeat, made you feel like you could conquer anything with him by your side.

Between rounds, Minho leaned closer, his voice soft and filled with affection. "you're incredible. I love seeing you so carefree and happy. You deserve all the joy in the world."

His words touched your heart, and you couldn't help but lean into his comforting presence. In that moment, you realized that Minho was not only your partner but also your safe haven, a person who saw the beauty in your vulnerability and nurtured your inner child.

As the night drew to a close, you left the arcade hand in hand, your heart overflowing with gratitude for the love and care Minho had shown you. With him, you felt like you could heal, grow, and embrace the joy of simply being yourself.

Together, you walked into the starlit night, knowing that with Minho by your side, you would always have a safe space to let go, heal, and experience the purest.

[writerblue275]

Brief Valentine’s Day Plans with Heartsteel

Inspiration: Hahahaha I’m so very single (I’m really fine with that. I gotta focus on myself at the moment) but I love LOVE so you all get this. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Champions: Heartsteel

Genre: Headcanon

Type: Fluff. *small sigh* I restrained myself.

Gender: Gender Neutral Reader!

TW: Swearing because I swear. Otherwise it’s fluffy time! ☺️

Aphelios

I can’t see Phel doing anything super out there or dramatic. That just doesn’t seem like him. But you know what I can see him doing?

Getting your fav takeout and throwing a cute little couples game night for the two of you. Cards, board games, video games, etc. Music he made in the background to set the fun vibe.

I have to think Aphelios is a gamer. Like I’d be so shocked if he wasn’t. Besides card and board games I’m thinking he’s both a pc and console gamer and he’s a big Nintendo guy.

He loves Smash Bros, Mario Kart, or Splatoon, and you two are working through Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom together. And while Phel’s super competitive in multiplayer games, he’s been teaching you tricks! (You’re the only one he’ll teach. Everyone else can just deal.)

It’d just be a lovely night. Hanging with your favorite person and having a great time doing something you enjoy together. Frankly those are some of my very favorite types of dates.

Ezreal

Very fun and very sweet. Heart fluttering. That’s what Valentine’s Day with Heartsteel Ezreal would be like.

I’m imagining a mix of like classic romantic gestures with some fun “young love” type vibes. Like he’s getting you flowers and taking you out to a nice dinner….

And then afterwards both of you go to an arcade/arcade bar and just have a fucking blast together. God help you when you try and take Ez on in air hockey or ski ball though. His AIM. Or in DDR? He’ll absolutely distract you so you don’t beat his score. (Distract him back!!)

But it’s fine because all those tickets he’s winning, he’s spending on you. Or on stuff that both of you can use. Like matching plushies or fidget toys. (So cute oml.)

Just an day/evening of fun moments, sweet kisses, and that feeling of young love, even if you’ve been with Ezreal for years.

Kayn

You might think Heartsteel’s resident bad boy is not very romantic. But, I truly believe Kayn can be, just in his own way of course! I don’t think super sappy romantic gestures are his thing. But having experiences with you is something he treasures.

I can imagine him picking you up and taking you somewhere far outside the city at night. A surprise location in the country. Somewhere quiet and peaceful.

And what does Kayn have planned? Well he packed pillows, blankets, your favorite drinks, and…a picnic basket! He’s planned a surprise picnic under the stars!

I feel like Kayn is really great to have deep conversations with, but you have to be someone special to have such talks with him. Him being so vulnerable indicates the extremely deep level of trust he has with and love he has for you.

Enjoy star gazing, cuddling, and chatting the night away with your person. What a super sweet way to get even closer to each other, no matter how long you’ve been with him.

K’Sante

Oh this would be an excellent Valentine’s Day with those classical romance vibes. K’Sante is fully about to wine and dine you, baby. Enjoy that shit. You’re getting spoiled like you absolutely deserve.

Buys/makes you a whole new outfit because you deserve it. If he doesn’t make you a full outfit he at least helps make part of it. Like accessories or something.

Reservation at one of the nicest restaurants in the city. K’Sante always thinks ahead and made it months in advance. (See why he’s one of the leaders of HS?)

Afterwards driving to an overlook and just watching the lights and talking about anything and everything. Moments filled with soft words and even softer kisses.

Just the classic movie-esque romantic night and I’m all for it (lmao I’m such a romantic). K’Sante definitely knows how to make your heart beat faster.

Sett

(Lord help me I gotta stop myself from going off the rails but he’d be so damn good at this.)

You want romance? By fucking god Sett’s going to give you ROMANCE, darling. He’s a gentleman.

He’s making a full meal from scratch (it’s your favorite meal of his that he makes), and also setting the ambiance. Table set, candles, lights low, flowers/other presents he knows you’ll like. The whole nine yards.

Sett’s not letting you lift a finger either. The most he’ll let you do is help pre-rinse some of the dishes after dinner. He’s in full Prince Charming mode and it’s excellent.

You thought the night ended at dinner? Wrong. Bubble bath with champagne and chocolate covered strawberries. Fluffy bath robes. Doing each others skin care. All the sweet shit.

And afterwards? Well just be patient and see where the night takes you. 😉 But overall what a lovely and romantic night with Sett, your gentleman of a partner. (I’m swooning just thinking about it.)

Yone

Your love/relationship with Yone isn’t loud or bombastic. It’s steady and unwavering. And that vibe is how Valentine’s Day is for the two of you.

He picks you up and brings you to his studio where he’s spiffed it up! Your favorite flowers in a vase. Both of your favorite take out (the place he took you on your first date) on a table w/ candles.

Yone’s got music playing softly in the background (a playlist he made just for you for Valentine’s Day of course). It’s every single song that makes him think of you. (When you ask him out of curiosity how long the playlist is, your ever-stoic partner turns a little pink as he mumbles, “o-over 4 hours….”)

During the slow songs Yone will even dance with you a little because he loves how it makes you smile. While dancing, he’ll rest his chin on your head if you’re short enough. And once you’re done dancing, you two can cuddle on the couch in his studio and do/talk about whatever.

It’s not over the top. It’s not grand. But it’s an intimate and personal night with the love of your life and truly nothing can be better than that.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed! Whether you’re a single pringle like myself or you are celebrating Valentine’s Day with someone, I hope your day is filled with love! 💙🥰

[cakezwasnthere]

games YOU should play because...uhhh

idk i was bored and decided to make this list

1. titanfall 2

this is simply one of my favorite shooter games ever. the campaign has a great story (BT IS THE 🐐), extremely fun movement, and the multiplayer adds so much more entertainment to the game, also respawn make titanfall 3 no balls

2. borderlands 2

another extremely fun game with an engaging story, grinding never gets boring and handsome jack is simply one of the best villains i've seen in any piece of media (GEARBOX PLEASE MAKE BORDERLANDS 4 GOOD BRO)

3. pizza tower

very VERY fun game, not a single boring moment at all, the boss fights are fun and the secrets are very cool (brick the rat my beloved)

4. doom eternal

GOOD LORD this game is AMAZING, this was the game that got me into doom as a whole back in 2021. the gameplay is fun, battlemode isn't all that great but still very fun, the dlc is just perfection. i am so damn ready for the dark ages to drop 🔥🔥

and last but DEFINITELY not least

5. chicory: a colorful tale

PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK

EVERYTHING about this game is incredible, the soundtrack goes hard, the story is sweet, the gameplay and puzzles aren't too hard but not too easy, which i really like!

alr that's it

maybe i'll make something similar to this

bye bye

[shoutaaizawas]

okay i’m obsessed with legend of zelda at the moment, i’m late and trying to finish up the first game so i can start the new one so here’s some headcanons because all i can think about is hawks atm

s/o that is obsessed with video games headcanons:

hawks:

hawks was not allowed to play video games when he was young

so he never played video games, considering his focus as an adult was on his career he never had any time for hobbies, it wasn’t even a thing that crossed his mind 

but then there’s you

hawks starts dating you and once you hit the comfortable with each other period he realizes how much you really love video games

it starts with late night hang outs at your apartment and you ask if it’s okay if you play the game you’ve been playing

of course he’s okay if he can sit on your couch and hold you while you play, it’s not like he’s that interested in tv, he just wants to be with you

it’s confusing at first, your in the middle of whatever game has your interest at the moment

he asks a lot of questions but it makes you happy he’s actually interested

you’re very patient in your explanation

whatever you miss you’re sure to add onto as you encounter it in the story

he’s surprised at how interested he gets in the story

he wouldn’t think games were that interesting much less watching someone else play it

he’s not a back seat gamer, at least not an annoying one

when he does make comments or suggestions their funny or actually helpful

you’re always surprised when he suggests the right solution on the first try, makes you wonder if he’s the one that should be playing

when the two of you are more serious, like living together and all of that, he is the first to suggest a new game

oh, the sequel to the game you love is coming out?

he didn’t just preorder it he preordered the new console with exclusive theming 

you always protest and say what you have is fine but he insists you get the best and newest

you realize this is his way of participating and providing so you don’t fight back after you understand

it makes him happy to spoil you and you won’t take that away from him even if you think it’s a bit unnecessary

the time you spend playing your game while hawks cuddles you and watches becomes sacred

he’s fully invested in every storyline

he gets sad when you do main story missions when he’s gone but he understands that he is often busy with work

you make it a point to only do pointless side missions and exploring while he’s not at home

and you always give him full details on what he misses

“i found this secret spot” “oh earlier i got this great loot”

at first he thinks it’s such a great coincidence that he always is there for the important stuff but then he realizes what your doing

it makes his heart flutter, how considerate you are even in the smallest things

you try to get him into multiplayer games since he insists that he doesn’t have time to play the big story games you love

and you do it so well that he’s more than happy to watch then to play them himself

friday night mario kart becomes a thing, you definitely go easy on him so he doesn’t feel bad but it’s hard trying to pretend in front of him

the two of you play stardew valley together from time to time and he loves the simplicity of it and working together

he hates when you go to the mines alone even though they stress him out

anyways hawks is the most supportive boyfriend/husband when it comes to video games

he will buy you every game you want and play whatever co-op you suggest and watch whatever game your playing and be fully invested

[acealistair]

Dragon Age: The Veilguard GameInformer Article Transcribed SPOILER-FREE

I've gone ahead and transcribed the GameInformer article about DA:TV for those who can't read it from screenshots/on GameInformer for whatever reason. This version specifically is the PLOT-SPOILER-FREE version! I've removed all references to the main storyline of the game (even those revealed in the gameplay footage already released, just to be sure) to mostly focus on mechanics and the author's general impressions of the game. It does still include some references to companions and their personalities/mechanic abilities, as well as a couple locations that we're already confirmed to be visiting. However, further details on specific locations are hidden.

As mentioned in my full version of the article, I've transcribed it as accurately as I could, which means including typos, grammar mistakes, improper capitalization, etc.

Throughout my research and preparation for a trip to BioWare’s Edmonton, Canada, office for this cover story, I kept returning to the idea that its next game, Dragon Age: The Veilguard (formerly subtitled Dreadwolf) is releasing at a critical moment for the storied developer. The previous installment, Dragon Age: Inquisition, hit PlayStation, Xbox, and PC a decade ago. It was the win BioWare needed, following the 2012 release of Mass Effect 3 with its highly controversial and (for many) disappointing ending. Inquisition launched two years later, in 2014, to rave reviews and, eventually, various Game of the Year awards, almost as if a reminder of what the studio was capable of.

Now, in 2024, coincidentally, the next Dragon Age finds itself in a similar position. BioWare attempted a soft reboot of Mass Effect with Andromeda in 2017, largely seen as a letdown among the community, and saw its first live-service multiplayer attempt in 2019’s Anthem flounder in the tricky waters of the genre; it aimed for a No Man’s Sky-like turnaround with Anthem Next, but that rework was canceled in 2021. Like its predecessor, BioWare’s next Dragon Age installment is not only a new release in a beloved franchise, but is another launch with the pressure of BioWare’s prior misses; a game fans hope will remind them the old BioWare is still alive today.

“Having been in this industry for 25 years, you see hits and misses, and it’s all about building off of those hits and learning from those misses,” BioWare general manager Gary McKay, who’s been with the studio since January 2020, tells me.

As McKay gives me a tour of the office, I can’t help but notice how much Anthem is scattered around it. More than Mass Effect, more than Dragon Age, there’s a lot of Anthem - posters, real-life replicas of its various Javelins, wallpaper, and more. Recent BioWare news stories tell of leads and longtime studio veterans laid off and others departing voluntarily. Veilguard’s development practically began with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. When I ask McKay about the tumultuousness of BioWare and how he, as the studio manager, makes the team feel safe in the product it’s developing, he says it’s about centering on the creative vision. “[When] we have that relentless pursuit for quality, and we have passion and people in the right roles, a lot of the other stuff you’re talking about just fades into the background.”

That’s a sentiment echoed throughout the team I speak to: Focus on what makes a BioWare game great and let Veilguard speak for itself. Though I had no expectations going in - it’s been 10 years since the last Drag Age, after all, and BioWare has been cagey about showing this game publicly - my expectations have been surpassed. This return to Thedas, the singular continent of the franchise, feels like both a warm welcome for returning fans and an impressive entry point for first-time players.

New Age, New Name

At the start of each interview, I address a dragon-sized elephant in the room with the game’s leads. What was Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is now Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Why?

“These games are reflections of the teams that make them, and as part of that, it means we learn a lot about what the heart and soul of the game really is as we’re developing it,” Veilguard game director Corinne Busche tells me. “We quickly learned and realized that the absolute beating heart of this game is these authentic, diverse companions. And when we took a step back, as we always do, we always check our decisions and make sure they still represent the game we’re trying to build.”

Dreadwolf no longer did that, but each member of BioWare I speak to tells me The Veilguard does. And while I was initially abrasive to the change - lore aside, Dreadwolf is simply a cool name - I warmed up to The Veilguard.

Solas, a Loki-esque trickster member of the Elven pantheon of gods known as the Dread Wolf, created the Veil long ago while attempting to free the elves from their slave-like status in Thedas. This Veil is a barrier between the magical Fade and Thedas, banishing Elven gods and removing Elven immortality from the world. But players didn’t know that in Inquisition, where he is introduced as a mage ally and companion. However, at the end of Inquisition’s Trespasser DLC, which sets the stage for Veilguard, we learn in a shocking twist that Solas wants to destroy the Veil and restore Elves to their former glory. However, doing so would bring chaos to Thedas, and those who call it home, the people who eventually become The Veilguard, want to stop him.

“There’s an analogy I like to use, which is, ‘If you want to carve an elephant out of marble, you just take a piece of marble and remove everything that doesn’t look like an elephant,’” Veilguard creative director John Epler says. “As we were building this game, it became really clear that it was less that we were trying to make The Veilguard and more like The Veilguard was taking shape as we built the game. Solas is still a central figure in it. He’s still a significant character. But really, the focus shifts to the team.

“[We] realized Dreadwolf suggests a title focused on a specific individual, whereas The Veilguard, much like Inquisition, focuses more on the team.”

Creating Your Rook

Veilguard’s character creator is staggeringly rich, with a dizzying number of customizable options. Busche tells me that inclusivity is at the heart of it, noting that she believes everyone can create someone who represents them on-screen.

There are four races to choose from when customizing Rook, the new playable lead - Elves, Qunari, Humans, and Dwarves - and hundreds of options to customize your character beyond that. You can select pronouns separately from gender and adjust physical characteristics like height, shoulder width, chest size, glute and bulge size, hip width, how bloodshot your eyes are, how crooked your nose is, and so much more. There must be hundreds of sliders to customize these body proportions and features like skin hue, tone, melanin, and just about anything else you might adjust on a character. Oh, and there’s nudity in Veilguard, too, which I learn firsthand while customizing my Rook.

“The technology has finally caught up to our ambition,” Dragon Age series art director Matt Rhodes tells me as we decide on my warrior-class Qunari’s backstory, which affects faction allegiance, in-game dialogue, and reputation standing - we choose the pirate-themed Lords of Fortune.

Notably, instead of a warrior class, we could have chosen mage or rogue. All three classes have unique specializations, bespoke skill trees, and special armors, too. And though our Rook is aligned with the Lords of Fortune faction, there are others to choose from including the Grey Wardens, Shadow Dragons, The Mourn Watch, and more. There is some flexibility in playstyle thanks to specializations, but your class largely determines the kind of actions you can perform in combat.

[SPOILER]

Beyond the on-paper greatness of this character creator, its customizability speaks to something repeated throughout my BioWare visit: Veilguard is a single-player, story-driven RPG. Or in other words, the type of game that made BioWare as storied as it is. McKay tells me the team explored a multiplayer concept early in development before scratching it to get back to BioWare basics. The final game will feature zero multiplayer and no microtransactions.

Happy to hear that, I pick our first and last name, then one of four voices, with a pitch shifter for each, too, and we’re off to Minrathous.

Exploring Tevinter For The First Time

Throughout the Dragon Age series, parts of Thedas are discussed by characters and referenced by lore material but left to the imagination of players as they can’t visit them. Veilguard immediately eschews this, setting its opening prologue mission in Minrathous, the capital of the Tevinter Empire. Frankly, I’m blown away by how good it looks. It’s my first time seeing Veilguard in action and my first look at a Dragon Age game in nearly a decade. Time has treated this series well, and so has technology.

Epler, who’s coming up on 17 years at BioWare, acknowledges that the franchise has always been at the will of its engine. Dragon Age: Origins and II’s Eclipse Engine worked well for the time, but today, they show their age. Inquisition was BioWare’s first go at EA’s proprietary Frostbite engine - mind you, an engine designed for first-person shooters and decidedly not multi-character RPGs - and the team struggled there, too. Epler and Busche agree Veilguard is the first RPG where BioWare feels fully in command of Frostbite and, more generally, its vision for this world.

[SPOILER] The first thing players will do once Veilguard begins is select a dialogue option, something the team says speaks to their vision of a story-forward, choice-driven adventure. After [SPOILER], there’s another dialogue choice, and different symbols here indicate the type of tone you can roll with. There’s a friendly, snarky, and rough-and-tough direct choice, and I later learn of a more romantically inclined “emotional” response. These are the replies that will build relationships with characters, romantic and platonic alike, but you’re welcome to ignore this option. However, your companions can romance each other, so giving someone the cold shoulder might nudge them into the warm embrace of another. [SPOILER]

Rhodes explains BioWare’s philosophy for designing this city harkens back to a quick dialogue from Inquisition’s Dorian Pavus. Upon entering Halamshiral’s Winter Palace, the largest venue in Dragon Age history at that point, Dorian notes that it’s cute, adorable even, alluding to his Tevinter heritage. If Dorian thinks the largest venue in Dragon Age history is cute and adorable, what must the place he’s from be like? “It’s like this,” Rhodes says as we enter Minrathous proper in-game.

Minrathous is huge, painted in magical insignia that looks like cyberpunk-inspired neon city signs and brimming with detail. Knowing it’s a city run by mages and built entirely upon magic, Rhodes says the team let its imagination run wild. The result is the most stunning and unique city in the series. [SPOILER] Busche says BioWare used Veilguard’s character creator to make each in-world NPC except for specific characters like recruitable companions. [The level utilizes] a smart use of verticality, scaling, and wayfinding to push us toward the main attraction: [SPOILER].

[SPOILER] Something I appreciate throughout our short journey through Minrathous is the cinematography at play. As a Qunari, my character stands tall, and Rhodes says the camera adjusts to ensure larger characters loom over those below. On the flip side, the camera adjusts for dwarves to demonstrate their smaller stature compared to those around them.

This, coupled with movie-liked movement through the city [SPOILER] creates a cinematic start that excited me, and I’m not even hands-on with the game.

[SPOILER]

Here, we encounter a dozen or so demons, which BioWare has fully redesigned on the original premise of these monstrous creatures. Rhodes says they’re creatures of feeling and live and die off the emotions around them. As such, they are just a floating nervous system, pushed into this world from the Fade, rapidly assembled into bodies out of whatever scraps they find.

[SPOILER]

The Veilguard Who’s Who

While we learned a lot about returning character but first-time companion Lace Harding, ice mage private detective Neve Gallus, and veil jumper Bellara Lutara, BioWare shared some additional details about other companions Rook will meet later in the game. Davrin is a charming Grey Warden who is also an excellent monster hunter; Emmrich is a member of Nevarra’s Mourn Watch and a necromancer with a skeleton assistant named Manfred; Lucanis is a pragmatic assassin whose bloodline descends from the criminal House of Crows organization; And Taash is a dragon hunter allied with the piratic Lords of Fortune. All seven of these characters adorn this Game Informer issue, with Bellara up front and center in the spotlight.

The Lighthouse

[SPOILER] Epler says, much like Skyhold in Inquisition, the Lighthouse is where your team bonds, grows, and prepares for its adventures throughout the campaign. It also becomes more functional and homier as you do. Already, though, it’s a beautifully distraught headquarters for the Veilguard.

[SPOILER] I see a clock symbol over a dialogue icon in the distance, which signals an optional dialogue option. We head there, talk to Neve, select a response to try our hand at flirting, and then head to the dining hall.

[SPOILER] From the dining hall, we gather the not-quite-Veilguard in the library, which Busche says in the central area of the Lighthouse and where your party will often regroup and prepare for what’s next. [SPOILERS] Busche says I’m missing unique dialogue options here because I’m Qunari; an Elf would have more to say about [SPOILER]. The same goes for my backstory earlier in Minrathous. [SPOILER]

[SPOILER] The ensuing cutscene, where we learn [SPOILER], is long, with multiple dialogue options. That’s something I’m noticing with Veilguard, too - there’s a heavy emphasis on storytelling and dialogue, and it feels deep and meaty, like a good fantasy novel. BioWare doesn’t shy away from minutes-long cutscenes.

Busche says that’s intentional, too. [SPOILER] “You’re defining [Rook's] leadership style with your choices.” Knowing that Rook is the leader of the Veilguard, I’m excited to see how far this goes. From the sound of it, my team will react to my chosen leadership style in how my relationships play out. That’s demonstrated within the game’s dialogue and a special relationship meter on each companion’s character screen.

Redefining Combat Once More

[SPOILER] After loading up a new save, we’re in control of a human mage.

Following the trend of prior Dragon Age games, Veilguard has completed the series’ shift from tactical strategy to real-time action, but fret not: a tactical pause-and-play mechanic returns to satiate fans who remember the series’ origins (pun intended). Though I got a taste of combat in the prologue, Veilguard’s drastic departure from all that came before it is even more apparent here.

Busche says player complete every swing in real-time, with special care taken to animation swing-through and canceling. There's a dash, a parry, the ability to charge moves, and a completely revamped healing system that allows you to use potions at your discretion by hitting right on the d-pad. You can combo attacks and even “bookmark” combos with a quick dash, which means you can pause a combo’s status with a dash to safety and continue the rest of the combo afterward. It looks even cooler than it sounds.

Like any good action game, there is a handful of abilities to customize your kit. And, if you want to maintain that real-time action feel, you can use them on the fly, so long as you take cooldowns into effect. But Veilguard’s pause-and-play gameplay mechanic, similar to Inquisition’s without the floating camera view, lets you bring things to halt for a healthy but optional dose of strategy.

In this screen, which essentially pauses the camera and pulls up a flashy combat wheel that highlights you and your companions’ skills, you can choose abilities, queue them up, and strategize with synergies and combos, all while targeting specific enemies. Do what you need to here, let go of the combat wheel, and watch your selections play out. Busche says she uses the combat wheel to dole out her companions’ attacks and abilities while sticking to the real-time action for her player-controlled Rook. On the other hand, Epler says he almost exclusively uses the combat wheel to dish out every ability and combo.

Busche says each character will play the same, in that you execute light and heavy attacks with hte same buttons, use abilities with the same buttons, and interact with the combo wheel in the same way, regardless of which class you select. But a sword-and-shield warrior, like we used in the prolgoue, can hip-fire or aim their shield to throw it like Captain America, whereas our human mage uses that same button to throw out magical ranged attacks. The warrior can parry incoming attacks, which can stagger enemies. The rogue gets a larger parry window. Our mage, however, can’t parry at all. Instead, they throw up a shield that blocks incoming attacks automatically so long as you have the mana to sustain it.

“What I see from Veilguard is a game that finally bridges the gap,” former Dragon Age executive producer Mark Darrah, who left BioWare in 2021 before joining the Veilguard team last year as a consultant, tells me. “Uncharitably, previous Dragon Age games got to the realm of ‘combat wasn’t too bad.’ In this game, the combat’s actually fun, but it does keep that thread that’s always been there. You have the focus on Rook, on your character, but still have that control and character coming into the combat experience from the other people in the party.”

“This is really the best Dragon Age game that I’ve ever played,” he adds, noting his bias. “This is the one where we get back to our roots of character-driven storytelling, have really fun combat, and aren’t making compromises.”

Watching Busche take down [SPOILER], I can already sense Veilguard’s combat will likely end up my favorite in the series, although admittedly, as a fan of action games, I’m an easy sell here. It’s flashy, quick, and thanks to different types of health bars, like a greenish-blue one that represents barrier and is taken down most effectively with ranged attacks, a decent amount of strategy, even if you don’t use the pause-and-play combo wheel. Like the rest of the game, too, it’s gorgeous, with sprinkles, droplets, and splashes of magic in each attack our mage unleashes. Though I’m seeing the game run on a powerful PC, which is sure to be the best showcase of Veilguard, Epler tells me the game looks amazing on consoles - he’s been playing it on PlayStation 5 and enjoying it in both its fidelity and performance modes, but I’ll have to take his word for it.

Pressing Start

The start or pause screen is as important to a good RPG as the game outside the menus. Veilguard’s contains your map, journal, character sheets, skill tree, and a library for lore information. You can cross-compare equipment and equip new gear here for Rook and your companions, build weapon loadouts for quick change-ups mid-combat, and customize you and your party’s abilities and builds via an easy-to-understand skill tree. You won’t find minutiae here, “just real numbers,” Busche says. That means a new unlocked trait might increase damage by 25 percent against armor, but that’s as in-depth as the numbers get. Passive abilities unlock jump attacks and guarantee critical hit opportunities, while abilities add moves like a Wall of Fire to your arsenal (if you’re a mage). As you spec out this skill tree, which is 100 percent bespoke to each class, you’ll work closer to unlocking a specialization, of which there are three for each class, complete with a unique ultimate ability. Busche says BioWare’s philosophy here is “about changing the way you play, not statistical minutiae.”

Companion Customization

You can advance your bonds by helping companions on their own personal quests and by including them in your party for main quests. Every Relationship Level you rank up, shown on their character sheet, nets you a skill point to spend on them. Busche says the choices you make, what you say to companions, how you help them, and more all matter to their development as characters and party members. And with seven companions, there’s plenty to customize, from bespoke gear to abilities and more. Though each companion has access to five abilities, you can only take three into combat, so it’s important to strategize different combos and synergies within your party. Rhodes says beyond  this kind of customizable characterization, each companion has issues, problems, and personal quests to complete. “Bellara has her own story arc that runs parallel to and informs the story path you’re on,” Rhodes says.

In Entropy’s Grasp

[SPOILER]

“When designing companions, they’re the load-bearing pillars for everything,” Rhodes says. “They’re the face of their faction, and in this case [with Bellara], their entire area of the world. [SPOILER]” Rhodes describes her as a sweetheart and nerd for ancient elven artifacts. As such, she’s dressed more like an academic than a combat expert, although her special arm gauntlet is useful both for tinkering with her environment and taking down enemies.

Unlike Neve, who uses ice magic like our Rook and can slow down time with a special ability, Bellara specializes in electricity, and she can also use magic to heal you, something Busche says Dragon Age fans have been desperate to have in a game. Busche says if you don’t direct Neve and Bellara, they’re fully independent and will attack on their own. But synergizing your team will add to the fun and strategy of combat. Bellara’s electric magic is effective against [enemy], which is great because we currently only have access to ice. However, without Bellara, we could also equip a rune that converts my ice magic, for a brief duration, into electricity to counter the Sentinels.

[SPOILER]

I continue to soak in the visuals of Veilguard [SPOILER]; it’s perhaps the most impressive aspect of my time seeing the game, although everything else is making a strong impression, too. I am frustrated about having to watch the game rather than play it, to be honest. I’m in love with the art style, which is more high fantasy than anything in the series thus far and almost reminiscent of the whimsy of Fable, a welcome reprieve from the recent gritty Game of Thrones trend in fantasy games. Rhodes says that’s the result of the game’s newfound dose of magic.

“The use of magic has been an evolution as the series has gone on,” he says. “It’s something we’ve been planning for a while because Solas has been planning all this for a while. In the past, you could hint at cooler magical things in the corner because you couldn’t actually go there, but now we actually can, and it’s fun to showcase that.”

Busche, Epler, and Rhodes warn me that [location] will starkly contrast to other areas. They promise some grim locations and even grimmer story moments because, without that contrast, everything falls flat. Busche likens it to a “thread of optimism” pulled through otherworldly chaos ravaging Thedas. [SPOILER]

[SPOILER]

Busche [performs combat] with ease, showcasing high-level gameplay by adding three stacks of arcane build-up to create an Arcane Bomb on an enemy, which does devastating damage after being hit by a heavy attack. Now, she begins charging a heavy attack on her magical staff, then switches to magical daggers in a second loadout accessed with a quick tap of down on the d-pad to unleash some quick attacks, then back to the staff to charge it some more and unleash a heavy attack.

After a few more combat encounters, including one against a [enemy] that’s “Frenzied,” which means it hits harder, moves faster, and has more health, we finally [SPOILER]. [Boss enemy] hits hard, has plenty of unblockable, red-coded attacks, and a massive shield we must take down first. However, it’s weak to fire, and our new fire staff is perfect for the situation.

[SPOILER] It’s clear that even after a few hours with the game’s opening, I’ve seen a nigh negligible amount of game; frustrating but equally as exciting.

Don’t Call It An Open World

Veilguard is not an open world, even if some of its explorable areas might fee like one. Gamble describes Veilguard’s Thedas as a hub-and-spoke design where “the needs of the story are served by the level design.” [SPOILER] Some of these areas are larger and full of secrets and treasures. Others are smaller and more focused on linear storytelling. [Location] is an example of this, but there are still optional paths and offshoots to explore for loot, healing potion refreshes, and other things. There’s a minimap in each location, though linear levels like [SPOILER] won’t have the fog of war that disappears as you explore like some of Veilguard’s bigger locations. Regardless, BioWare says Veilguard has the largest number of diverse biomes in series history.

Dragon’s Delight

With a 10-hour day at BioWare behind me after hours of demo gameplay and interviews with the leads, I’m acutely aware of my favorite part of video games: the surprises. I dabbled with Origins and II and put nearly 50 hours into Inquisition, but any familiarity with the series the latter gave me had long since subsided over the past decade. I wanted to be excited about the next Dragon Age as I viewed each teaser and trailer, but other than seeing the words “Dragon Age,” I felt little. Without gameplay, without a proper look at the actual game we’ll all be playing this fall, I struggled to remember why Inquisition sucked me in 10 years ago.

This trip reminded me.

Dragon Age, much like the Thedas of Veilguard, lives in the uncertainty: The turbulence of BioWare’s recent release history and the lessons learned from it, the drastic changes to each Dragon Age’s combat, the mystery of its narrative, and the implications of its lore. It’s all a part of the wider Dragon Age story and why this studio keeps returning to this world. It’s been a fertile franchise for experimentation. While Veilguard is attempting to branch out in unique ways, it feels less like new soil and more like the harvest BioWare has been trying to cultivate since 2009, and I’m surprised by that.

I’m additionally surprised, in retrospect, how numb I’ve been to the game before this. I’m surprised by BioWare’s command over EA’s notoriously difficult Frostbite engine to create its prettiest game yet. I’m surprised by this series’ 15-year transition from tactical strategy to action-forward combat. I’m surprised by how much narrative thought the team has poured into these characters, even for BioWare. Perhaps having no expectations will do that to you. But most of all, with proper acknowledgement that I reserve additional judgment until I actually play the game, I’m surprised that Veilguard might just be the RPG I’m looking forward to most this year.

[thepeculiarauthor]

Call of Duty: Ghosts didn't get enough love so I wrote an entire review!

The Rundown

First, a quick rundown from Wikipedia, if you’re new to the game. Call of Duty: Ghosts is a 2013 first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. It is the tenth major installment in the Call of Duty series and the sixth developed by Infinity Ward… The game acts as a standalone installment… Ghosts inherits much of the core gameplay and structure of previous titles, with a mission-based campaign and an open-ended multiplayer, but introduces a near-future setting to the series as well as an increased focus on tactical gameplay…

Post-apocalyptic sci-fi meets recon missions and a lot of crazy situations. This is one of the reasons I love post-apoc, and write it myself, because you can ask, “What if this happened?” even if it’s outlandish or crazy or just plain sadistic fun. I sort of chime in with the other players that said this is an innovative game.

Ghosts has a pretty cool plot, but it’s also a really good balance of plot and characters. Especially with post-apoc and all, you can either have too much of a focus on the plot, or too much of a focus on the characters, to where it’s heavy-handed and bogged down. Ghosts had great pacing, great action, and the characters pushed the plot along, so everything was smoothly intertwined. The gameplay was pretty cool in campaign. There were a few little janky parts and moments, but nothing major. I also enjoyed the different settings a lot.

Now that the semi-professional overview of the game is completed, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of what I really enjoyed, and maybe, some stuff I didn’t enjoy. Be warned, this review has a lot of spoilers, but I’m also 11 years late to the game, so you probably don’t care.

Also, as a slight disclaimer: a lot of the game’s “hate” was directed toward the game’s multiplayer option. I haven’t played multiplayer on Ghosts, so I have no thoughts about it, and this review won’t have any feedback on that. I will note people are still playing multiplayer, though. I booted up one game before jumping into the campaign, so it’s funny that for a “hated” multiplayer game, people are still running it over a decade later, but, yeah.

A Unique Relationship Dynamic

Ghosts is the only CoD game I’ve played where the MCs are bloodkin, which was such a cool detail. I grew up with four siblings, and there is so much to explore in sibling relationships, but you rarely see it in fiction — not genuine, deep relationships, anyway. Sure, the premise of most war/military stories are camaraderie, which is brotherhood, but there is still a difference in that vs. being siblings. Siblings share the same parents, upbringing, and have known each other since one of them was born; so there’s so much to unpack. I think Ghosts did a pretty good job at exploring that dynamic. It was sort of interesting to see Hesh be the “leader,” but Logan still takes so closely after their dad, too. It was so obvious that the game had so much in store with this dynamic, and the build up to a second game was really well done… But more on the forsaken “game two” later.

I really enjoyed Hesh and Logan. I liked the subtly implied thing throughout that Logan was maybe in Hesh’s shadow… But we didn’t see bad blood, so to speak. Logan/we still followed Hesh anywhere, covered him, saved him. I think it’s a realistic reminder that siblings and parents can have all sorts of little hiccups, but still be family. Again, maybe a small thing to note, but you don’t see it much? It’s usually, “Dad, you always loved/treated this sibling better than me! I’ll kill you!” which isn’t realistic.

The Traitor Trope

Anyway, speaking of the Walker dad… I like the trope they used with Elias Walker and Gabriel Rorke. I like the trope of brother bonds going bad, for whatever reason, and the group left behind having to figure out how to stop the “bad brother” from destroying things. It was interesting to have the “bad guys” break Rorke down and make him into a new person, and it was fun to see him hunt the Ghosts and want to eliminate them all… except Logan. (Which, on that note, very few stories end with the “bad guy winning,” which was fun!)

And I think the brother dynamic and traitor trope go hand-in-hand in this game! It felt that the game wanted you to notice that Hesh was the leader, and Logan followed, so maybe that was why Rorke saw different potential in Logan? (I mean, realistically, he probably saw the skills and “fire” in Logan, but maybe figured he would also be easier to break down?)

I mean, from a gameplay perspective, sure, it would have been cool to have options for Logan to make his own decisions throughout the game — but this game is also over a decade old, and I can imagine the logistics of offering that much leeway in a game model is hard, so I’m not too bothered by it.

(Update after writing this: so, as it turns out, the developers did intend for a multiple-options factor for the game’s ending, like BO2, I think. But they tossed the idea right before launch so the game had one ending, instead. Again, probably for a smooth build up into a second game, but… We didn't get the second game.)

Overall, while I loved the story and cast, the plot twist at the ending was a bit annoying. I knew it was coming — it’s the lil’ trope CoD can’t get enough of. “We killed the bad guy! Sure, we didn’t see the corpse or anything, but he’s as good as dead!” (I don’t know if I’m a sadistic little freak, but if a guy killed my dad / almost killed my brother and my group, I would find a way to decapitate him for good measure, but alas. What would you do? Let me know below, haha.) I think it would have been more believable to have the brothers fail, maybe narrowly so, but still fail, because seeing a guy escape a crash in the water, explosions, and yeah, a .45 round to the chest… Kind of a stretch. I think it could have been a bit more realistic, and dramatic, if Hesh had gone for a different angle to cause the domino effect, but whatever.

Loose Ends

There are a few other minor things I wanted to note that I enjoyed…

I know people that hate Elias — saying he was a bad father and all — but I didn’t think that was really the gig. I think when you’re part of a secret recon group, that until your kids prove they can be trusted/somewhat safe with that intel, you can’t just yap about it, and that if they want to prove themselves capable, they do have to be tested.

The intro mission to save Ajax was well done. One of the more impactful scenes in the franchise. The narration toward that scene later was a sucker punch, too, when Hesh acknowledged how the Ghosts treated their dead.

The cast. Man, what a group of characters. The Ghosts were amazing, and I genuinely don’t think the franchise/fandom gives any of them enough recognition. I think if they did a second game, it’d hit harder this round, for sure, and I think the cast deserves it.

Keegan running missions with Logan was one of my favorite parts. Again, I kinda liked the correlation of Keegan taking Logan under his wing / maybe seeing his potential, maybe even more so than Elias, and then Rorke seeing the same, but in his twisted version. At least, that’s my take on that.

Riley was such a fun addition, and a cool shoutout to K9s, which is another thing we rarely see in media, but should.

The voice acting was on point. Across the board, super well done. Hesh yelling for Logan at the very end? One of the few times I’ve actually gotten chills while playing a game.

The soundtrack was pretty good, too. Really nice tone for Ghosts. (Also, going from the “what just happened” at the ending and then getting hit with “Survival” by Eminem was absolutely hilarious.)

Overall, I have to admit, besides some minor plot things (like, you know, why not just kill Rorke instead of using a missile that, somehow, didn’t work; or maybe, elaborate on why the Ghosts weren’t actually readying a mission to get the brothers out, which could’ve added even more urgency to the ending, but my writer-brain digresses), I didn’t have much I disliked about the game. I liked it. It was a lot of fun to play. I really hope, even still, that a second game is released.

The Overarching Theme

This was a part of a decade where writing was heartfelt.

Modern Warfare 2, launched in 2009, was, and to this day, still is, one of the most heartfelt pieces of fiction created, but I notice a theme during that time period where most things had that gritty heart, and Ghosts is no different. Stories back then could have grit and hellfire and chaos and themes that reminded you of why you fight, why you get up every day, why loving people really matters.

I think Ghosts reminded its audiences that family is still pretty much all you have. (And, maybe another lesson would be, “Make sure they’re actually dead.”) Because nowadays, a lot of stories, in any shape or form, are just cheap money grabs, mindless jabs at nihilism or emptiness or shallowness, and stories that cater to lust. So stories like “OG” Call of Duty are insanely refreshing and sobering, as both a person/gamer, and even as a story creator.

Anyway, I’d love to hear your thoughts, too. Let me know if you’ve played Ghosts, and what you thought of it. I’ll have reviews posted for Black Ops 6, the original Modern Warfare 2 / the remake MWII, coming shortly, so sub for more content. And if you love the OG CoD, and like to read / want to try to read more, give my books a shot. The Infidel Books are like CoD meets Red Dawn, of sorts. You can find them here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08L656RT5

Angela

[i-do-enjoy-ethoslab]

Another good game/life advice from Etho, the commenter was asking how to not be a sore loser, and this is Etho’s response. I think my favorite quote is: “I'm there to have fun, and I want them to have fun!” Having fun in a multiplayer game is not just for you but for your playmates as well.

Transcript below the cut

I think the big question is: when you go into a competition, what is your mindset what is your goal in that competition. Are you there to prove something? Are you trying to prove you're better than somebody, maybe? Are you trying to prove something to yourself, that you're -- "oh I'm so smart, I'm a genius, I'm the strategic mind and quick reflexes!" If you're trying to prove something yourself, you're probably gonna get disappointed, you're gonna get upset when things don't go your way. You're gonna blame the game, you're gonna blame other people, you're gonna blame the controller, you're gonna blame everything except for yourself. Right? It's not your fault! If it was your fault that would mean you're bad, and you can't be bad because you're so smart! Aha, so keep your ego in check. When I play games, I like to try going to it with a friendly competition in mind. So, that means — not that I want them to go easy on me or that I'm gonna go easy on them. I'm gonna play my best still, and I want them to as well. But I'm there to have fun, and I want them to have fun! That's equally important. Because if they're having fun, I'm gonna have more fun. It's [not just] gonna turn into "hey we're playing games," it's gonna be "Oh, man! This is actually a great moment! I might remember this in the future even, because it was such a good time we had together." Right? Another big part of competition that's pretty important to me is the whole getting better at things. Now, a key distinction there: I'm not there to be better than someone, or to, you know, prove that I'm better. I just want to get better. There's that old saying, you know, "games rot the brain," you know? I don't believe that one bit. I think they sharpen the mind. I think they're good for you, and I want to get better for that reason. And it's just a fun journey to go through. Like, when you suck at a game, and then you get better and better until you finally master it, and then you move on to the next game kind of thing. But the big thing in that: if that is in fact your goal when you play games, the best time to learn the game is when you're losing. So you don't mind losing so much, because that's when you're learning the most. And if you're winning all the time, you're not really learning anything anymore. So that's the way to view the failures or the losses — is "what did I do wrong?" Analyze it and get better.

[tranquilwilds]

Some wolfish games to try out!

- Wolfquest, a classic, both the original and anniversary edition are amazing to play, though anniversary edition is a lot more accurate to real life wolves. You play as a yellowstone wolf, you can roam the lands, find a mate, claim territory, raise pups, etc! There is a multiplayer function too, so you can invite the whole pack to play, awoo!!

- Neva, an upcoming game where you play as a woman named Alba, who shares a bond with a wolf cub. It’s an action adventure game, and over the course of the story your wolf cub will grow, and you will fight together. The art looks gorgeous, and it looks as if it will be a tear jerker, likely with environmentalist themes. It can be wishlisted on steam now!

- Werewolf: The Apocalypse, always a great go-to for tabletop RPGs, I have never personally played this one myself, but I have heard great things and hope to get a group together one day!

- Skyrim, now hear me out here, play as a werewolf! especially with upgraded perks like being able to call upon different wolves to aid you, it can be really fun and feel very wolfish! if you want a little more unpredictably, go to falkreath and get the ring of hircine so you will transform at random. Now you are a true uncontrollable beast of the night!

- Lonley Wolf Treat, this is more for calm, cute story-based game lovers. You play as Treat, a wolf who is just looking to find a calm place to settle down. Along your way you’ll meet rabbits, foxes, witches, cats, other wolves, etc. This is a much more human than animalish portrayal of all of the characters, but still a fun game, with a lot of cute moments and plenty of callbacks to them being actual animals. It is also free!

- Okami, this game is well known to be a masterpiece, you play as Amaterasu, the japanese sun goddess in the form of a white wolf, as you restore the lands. It was originally made for the ps2, and you can somewhat tell, but it is another of those ps2 games that knows what it was doing with it’s console and made something beautiful to work alongside it. Very good game, and actually playing as the wolf is a huge positive!

- Tyto Ecology, may be an odd addition to this list, but it’s a super good game to really feel out how ecosystems balance themselves. You play in a birds eye view in a little dome where you build your own ecosystem by adding plants and animals into the area strategically. Can be a little tough to keep everything stable at times, but a nice calm game and a good one for learning about our ecosystems.

- Lost Ember, a truly beautiful experience, you play as a shapeshifter, though for a large part of the game you play as a wolf. It’s all about exploration through your many forms. It is currently for sale on steam!

- Werewolf, looking for a fun in-person game? Find someone to run your game as you and a group inhabit the bustling town of Miller’s Hollow. This game is not dissimilar to ‘Mafia’ but it’s with werewolves! Strategically kill and pin blame on others in your group as a wolf, use your powers to hunt down the wolves amidst your town, or use your precious vote wisely. This is the most fun with a group of around 15-20 people, but can be enjoyed even in a smaller group of 5 or with more players than that. There are official card games and such of this, but really all you need is someone who knows the rules to run the game!

I hope at least one of these games caught your eye, if you give any of them a go, feel free to leave your review in the comments or in a rb! I would love to hear your thoughts!

Happy howling!!

[hsr-texts]

find your cinderella

꒰‧₊˚✩彡‧꒱ ┊ ━━━━ chapter two

꒰⸝⸝₊ʚ♡ɞ ┊ streamer!reader x mystery hsr character ꒱

꒰⸝⸝₊ʚ♡ɞ ┊ otome event ꒱

꒰ ☰ WORD COUNT ┊1.5k ꒱

꒰ ☰ DESCRIPTION ┊ ━━ When you do an unboxing livestream for your subsribers, you find an invite to an exclusive event called the "Find Your Cinderella" masquerade gala where you are guaranteed to find your supposed true love, as a rather enthusiastic manager told you. ꒱

꒰ ☰ NOTES ┊hooray it's finally here! and also we get some cameos hehe ꒱

previously ┊masterlist

After seeing the results of the poll, you decided to set up your stream and waiting for the stream to fill up with people.

You grinned at the camera and greeted them, “Hey guys! Due to popular demand, I’m gonna be playing Freya’s Gate 5 for this stream.”

Before turning to play the game already, you noticed some text pop up in the corner of your screen.

“User130 donated 100 credits and left a note: Congrats on getting invited to the FYC Gala! I hope you have a fun time :)”

A grin pulled at your lips. “Thank you so much for the support, User130! And I hope you’re having a great day!”

This specific account has been a long supporter of your career as a streamer. They’ve been regularly sending donations biweekly. Even though they weren’t big amounts, you appreciated how long they’ve supported you even when you were just starting out.

“Alright, let’s get to playing! I’m planning to finish the main storyline here, maybe play some multiplayer with a few friends, and grind some exp to make sure I don’t like, get my ass beaten by the final boss,” you narrated what you were planning for that session, “I should probably level up some equipment too so battles won’t be as hard.”

You continued playing, going through the plot and reacting to it with your viewers. A few laughs here, a comment there, then the occasional “pause the game and then discuss your theory with your viewers” moment.

Taking up streaming was a good idea now that you thought of it. Playing games alone just didn’t feel as fun without someone to enjoy it with you.

Oh.

Another player was requesting to play with you.

You checked the ID.

“GGSWolf”

Your eyes lit up, recognising one of your friends. You clicked “Accept” immediately.

Her avatar popped up next to yours after a moment of loading. Yeah, your lag hasn’t been too good lately but hopefully once you finished setting up your new PC, it’ll be running as smoothly as a hot knife sliding down soft butter.

“Hey,” GGSWolf spoke into voicechat when she entered your world. Although you weren’t entirely sure who she was, you could tell she sounded quite young. Was she a highschooler, maybe?

“Hey, Wolfie!” You greeted, grinning.

“You need carrying? I saw you’re almost about to fight the boss.” Her voice seemed quite nonchalant, like this was about as easy as breathing for her. Sometimes you were envious of her skill when it came to games.

“Yeah! I just need to farm some mats to ascend my Grande so that I can cheese the final boss with the Airstrike Technique.”

“Good idea.”

The two of you entered the dungeon that had the best drop rate for the harp fragments that you needed. It started out great but…

“STILL NO DROPS?!” You exclaimed in frustration, looking at the loot you got for finishing the dungeon quest.

You could hear a soft pop from Wolfie’s mic. Seemed like she was chewing on bubblegum this whole time. “Wow, did all your luck run out after you got that invitation to the Gala?” She commented.

Groaning, you rested your head on your desk. “Maybe…”

“Yeah, my coworkers got invited too. One of them didn’t want to go but our boss said it was mandatory so he ended up accepting the invite too.”

You raised your head, confused. “Wait I thought you were a highschooler.”

“I’m older than that, dummy.”

You checked the chat and saw that they were just laughing at your sudden terrible luck.

“Hey you guys are such MEANIES!” You gasped in mock hurt. But then you turned back to your game, “So do you think I’ll be meeting your coworkers there?”

She hummed. “Well, the first one’s got a pretty distinct personality but the dude is about as social as a rock. You might come across him once or twice. The other one is more chill but she’s got a bit of a sadistic streak.”

“Ohh I see.” Considering the rules of the masquerade, you couldn’t actually find the identities of the other participants. You supposed that the event organiser wanted the event to stay true to the theme of Cinderella.

"Well, since clearly your luck is terrible right now, I can trade you some harp fragments,” Wolfie said. “I need some sword fragments. Prefarming for the new paladin.”

“Oh my god, you’re a lifesaver, Wolfie!” You exclaimed joyously, immediately right-clicking on her avatar and pressing the trade button on the dropdown menu.

She accepted the request and the two of you traded your materials.

Since you still needed more harp fragments, the two of you ended up grinding the dungeon for a couple more runs until you could ascend your Grande.

Bright colors flashed repeatedly on a screen, spelling out the word “JACKPOT”

The casino was lively as ever. The food was delicious, the fine decor provided a luxurious ambiance, and most importantly, adrenaline and pleasure rushed through the air as people lost themselves to the depravity of gambling.

The person grinned, looking at the screen. “Hehe, my luck is wonderful as usual. Praise Aha that I have such luck.”

A woman dressed in office clothing approached her with a device. “Sugo, we received a new report from the folks in the lab.”

They turned to her. “Oh?”

“It’s about the anomaly.”

“Ah, yes, yes, why don’t we discuss this somewhere private?” They collected their earnings from the slot machine and placed all of it in their pocket. One would wonder how they managed to fit such a huge pile into a tiny pocket but perhaps that was just one of the many mysteries of the entity.

The event organiser led her to a private lounge reserved for VIPs. They sat down at opposite sides of each other.

“So what exactly did you want to say?” Sugo asked, taking their mask off. Their eyes flashed with intrigue.

The woman nodded. “Yes, we run a few simulations between the anomaly and other participants one by one. Out of all of them, we found what could be their best match.”

Sugo grinned, quite pleased with this news. “Oh, how wonderful. I can’t wait to see if they’ll naturally gravitate to their best match or end up getting the wrong person, hehe.” They hummed. “But unfortunately we’ll have to cut this scene short.”

“Huh…?” The woman was confused.

“They’re watching us after all. I can’t give out spoilers so soon!”

After that was all done, Wolfie excused herself and left, saying she had to play another game due to maintenance being over. Apparently there was a new update and she really wanted the new banner character.

You decided to end the stream there, telling your viewers you’ll just beat the final boss on the next stream since farming materials for Grande took so long with your terrible luck. A pity.

After turning your setup off, you suddenly realised you forgot to do your groceries for the week. “Aw crap,” you spoke to yourself, going to check your pantry for what you needed.

You typed down your grocery list real quick and dressed up in casual clothes, taking your wallet and placing it in your pocket.

The afternoon sun shone down on you as you walked towards the grocery store. It was quite a stroke of luck that it wasn’t too far from your home. Going to buy stuff you needed didn’t take too long; Though, thinking about it now, perhaps the convenience of having a store so close by meant that you wouldn’t have to think about buy groceries much and that’s why you often forgot to do them.

Ah, well, it wasn’t too big of a deal.

You walked into the store, feeling the air-conditioned air hit your face. How pleasant.

Taking a cart, you made your way to the aisles where you could get the stuff you needed. However, on the way there, you spotted a familiar person.

They turned around and immediately noticed you, eyes lighting up. “Hey, funny running into you here, huh?” Your friend commented, chuckling. “You’ve been pretty busy with your streams, haven’t you? How’ve you been?”

You smiled in return. “I’m doing great! I actually got an invite to this super cool event called the Find Your Cinderella Gala,” you told them.

“Oh right! I actually saw the news on Trotter. Turns out there’s a whole bunch of celebs joining the event. You’re super lucky!” They responded. “I hope you have fun. Make sure to send me some updates and gossip after, yeah?”

“Heh, sure,” you chuckled.

Your friend nodded, satisfied with your answer. “Though, speaking of celebs, I recently got these tickets to a concert. You wanna go with? A bunch of friends are really excited since they like this band a lot.”

You considered it for a moment. It’s been a while since you were able to go to a concert. Maybe it’ll be good for you since you’ve sorta been cooped up in your house, making content for your fans.