#i also realize that some of them are probs due to the game's tumultuous development

[yume-x-hanabi]

So I've played enough Veilguard that I've finally recruited all companions. I've been enjoying the game so far, but ngl I really miss Inquisition in many ways. I think I'll replay it after this (but I need to finish Zelda too, aaah so many games, so little time).

Anyway, some thoughts so far. (If you respond, please keep your response spoiler free for anything that happens after recruiting the last two companions.)

The three main things I really miss from Inquisition are:

1. Exploration

Like I know, there's a lot to do on the areas we get, but... idk, it feels kinda linear and disconnected at the same time. I really loved how vast the zones in DAI were, like there's this meme about never leaving the Hinterlands but honestly that's what got me hooked to the game in the first place, there was just so much to explore, it felt like the possibilities were endless. Here it's a bit too much like Xillia lol, follow a path, maybe come back later to open up new zones, but otherwise it's pretty linear. (ik it's closer to DAO and DA2 in that regard so it's not like they're changing the formula entirely, but personally I preferred the DAI style and I really miss it.)

2. Skyhold

I know it fits the circumstances better, but... the Lighthouse feels so empty. I miss how bustling the homebase was. I miss going to the companions and talking to them about random stuff. I miss the NPC populating the area (you can find them in other cities mind you, but it's not the same thing if you have to travel to different places instead of just hearing their ambient dialogue as you run around your own castle). I miss the war table missions.

3. Getting a feel of your character from early on

I like Rook but gosh building up headcanon for her is a struggle. We're told next to nothing about her background, so ig you could feel like "great, a blank slate to headcanon in any way" except wrong, because you'll then get details that contradict it later on. I really, really wish they'd either been clearer about certain stuff in the character creator, or even better, let you set things up at the beginning through dialogue wheel choices. Like, one of my fave parts of Inquisition was to develop my Inky through the options given through conversations with companions or story moments. I played a Lavellan, and I had fun establishing her feelings about her clan and elf culture, how she hated the Andraste thing being forced upon her, stuff like that. With Rook, I made her a Veil Jumper elf mage, so I thought she was Dalish, picked vallaslin and everything... only to learn she's not Dalish when picking the option to comment on her vallaslin. But then she speaks elvish and knows Dalish cultural things (which would make sense for a Veil Jumper as she did spend some time with a Dalish clan but I'm told other faction Rooks also have that when it makes no sense for them). Also apparently she might have been in a Circle? Not sure, the game isn't entirely clear but seems to both imply it and not. I guess it's to leave stuff out for interpretation but I would have much preferred it if it was something you could define clearly through options.

Like take the Dalish vs city elf thing - quite easy, instead of that weird comment when picking the vallaslin option in the mirror scene, have several options, one that's like "I remember the day I got my vallaslin like it was yesterday" (cue more options like "I was so nervous/excited/happy/scared/whatever"), one that's "I got it when I joined the VJ", and one that's "I know I'm not Dalish but I thought it was cool". Or something like that. And based on those options you get slightly altered lines when your background becomes relevant later on. Like, please help me build my character, game. Don't just let me make stuff up in my head only and then spring details at me out of nowhere.

A few others things I'm a bit eh about:

Dialogues often feel very stilted. Could be due to the voice acting tho; the voice I picked for my Rook has a rather unnatural speech cadence in a lot of instances, I wish she sounded more like how a real person talks rather than a pre-recorded train announcement lol. Do English-speaking players have the same issue or is it just the French VO?

It feels weird saying this, but where's the discrimination gone? I'm playing an elven mage, and I've yet to hear a single "knife-ear", even in fricking Tevinter. The tension between all the races and mage vs non-mage etc was part of what made this world so rich, so it feels like we're in a diluted version of the setting, which as worldbuilding nerd is pretty disappointing.

The lack of continuity with your previous games' playthroughs. Like I don't need a full report on how my every choices impacted the current story, but I wish we could have carried more over, if only for throwaway lines and little world tidbits. Like talking to Harding about the Inquisition is frustrating compared to how detailed Varric was about the DA2 cast in DAI. And there are some choices I thought would be significant, like who is made Divine, Bull's fate in Trespasser (and whether he romanced Dorian ;p) etc. Like seriously I don't need much, just a throwaway line here and there, which is sad not to even have.

That said, there's a lot of things I like so far:

The little visual details. Like I'm obsessed with the way long hair falls off the shoulder when Rook moves. So cool. Also injured companion's scars fading progressively. Little things like that are pretty neat, I spend a lot of time just staring at the screen lol.

Some areas are really pretty. I also spend a lot of time staring at the scenery lol

The way you can set appearance independent from equipment. Also the personalization of the Lighthouse. Yeah ik I'm a sucker for fashion and interior design options XD

All the accessibility options. I don't really need them, and idk if they're well implemented, but looking at all the ways to customize your gameplay is pretty cool.

Also this is the first time I've actually heard "iel" spoken out loud.

The puzzles. Sometimes it's a bit frustrating to be stuck on a thing until you have more companions (can't help it, I see a treasure chest, I need it now), but otherwise figuring out how to get the stuff can be pretty satisfying. Sometimes I spend a lot of time on it, thinking I should probably come back later then, but end up solving it anyway. I wish there'd be more sidequests tho.

ASSAN. I'm tempted to romance Davrin just for Assan lmao. Also, petting cats and dogs everywhere. The cats purring. Gimme all the cats.

Overall I'm quite liking all the companions so far. There's still a lot to discover about them, but they're all compelling in their own way, and it's always hard to choose who to take along (while in Inquisition I had clear favorites rather easily). Also banter between them when exploring being more frequent really makes me want to bring different combinations to get to know them and help them get to know each other heheh. (Honestly I might end up shipping them between each other more than with Rook lol)

Varric's dramatic storytelling at the end of each story point.

The basic premise. Solas' 10-year grand plot to tear down the Veil being thwarted by a reckless dumbass knocking down a statue and him getting trapped as a result and being relegated to giving cryptic advice in her dreams is peak comedy. A+ execution, would do it again.

Bellara and Neve starting a bookclub. I think I'm more invested in this ambient subplot than in the main story at the moment lmao