#veilguard review

[3gremlins]

feel like im having a DA2 experience again where I really liked it and was in my little "this is good" cocoon where i played it many times only to emerge from underground and find everyone else hated it (i mean ive found the other da2 cicadas since but at the time it got really slammed). i've been really enjoying DA:TV so far ( lol tho obvs have notes) here's an early thoughts review, may be a bit spoilery, def rambley, trying to stay vague on stuff still (i think i'm about half way maybe? im trying to not look things up and doing it blind on my first run through. it's hard to tell b/c i went hard on all the side quests and am now way over level for the msq)

the combat system is a little jarring at first and i still miss at least being able to switch to and play as party members if your character dies (instead of the god of war style of full wipe), but i've gotten used to it (it's more annoying for boss fights, regular combat it's very zippy and fun). the targeting at least on controller is kind of annoying sometimes- i'll think i'm pointing at one enemy only to have rook turn and fire at nothing or companions to hit an add instead of a boss. I wish we at least had more control over how it queued who it was hitting. some of the arenas are obnoxious design wise - there's bosses that teleport to you and they give you like a tiny little box to dodge around, not the most fun. i do like that you can punch way above of your weight class sometimes which reminds me of DAO a little bit (like how you'd just wander into a fight or hit a gong and be like oh no, those enemies have skulls over their heads, oh well YOLO). sometimes it doesn't work out but when it does it's very satisfying. It's nice to be able to conquer something mechanically even underleveled (smol fromsoft vibes) Having always been a big fan of the strange composition parties (i.e not just war/rogue/mage), i like that this is now even more viable (and not just me being cheeky "we're having a leather party!" of all squishy rogues). but like the main thing about bioware games is the companions/interpersonal shit and i'm enjoying the heck out of that .i only do main quests to get more side quests from companions (or more side quests in general so we can troll around for more banter). i like petting griffons (and cats and dogs) and playing games with manfred*. I wish the gift system was more interesting like DAO or DA2- i was so excited to see it again and then it was a little disappointing to have them barely react when you get them stuff.

my current fave party are rook and the poison boys (emmerich and lucanis) since they're a rogue too and we just stack necrosis, bleeds and other elemental effects on things till they disintegrate. i like the lighthouse, it feels much cozier than skyhold. I love that you can just wander up to companions having convos and awkwardly eavesdrop. I do miss the little interactions/quests you could get with cole esp*** i think the animations are a little lack lustery? Idk there's something with the face model morphs that sometimes feels weird but the voice acting is strong enough that I don't notice too much. i do miss some of the more bioware-y cheeky things like item descriptions or weird notes near random silly environmental tableaus (there's a little but i just want to read all the notes! there's some in the grey warden areas where i was just like WAIT I HAVE QUESTIONS but there was no plaque about them T.T). where are the stacks of cheese (i do appreciate the fereldens love cheese jokes tho and harding getting so excited when someone says something nice about ferelden) i was esp bummed that there were no random things to read in the black emporium and it's all codex entries instead (that's my favorite tiny bit in DA2 where there's junk you can click on and xenon says weird shit to you). i also wish more had been done with accents of npcs- like i wish all the antivans had similar accents or your crow rook had an antivan accent, stuff like that (having a lot of "ferelden" generic british accents everywhere is disappointing. takes you out of the immersion a lot) My biggest gripe is probably the pacing - I wish it had more horror/mystery pacing like dao and da2 had- the reason we're all scarred by the brood mother is b/c the build up to that was so so creepy (also the necromancer bit w/hawke's mum in DA2). They gave us time to be unnerved or afraid and I do feel the evanuris reveals have been a little rushed so you can't really feel that worried about them (some of the side quests get close to this but still not quite there**). I wish they'd let them breathe a bit more instead of rushing from one giant world changing event to the next. Some of the reveals have been not so great- like lore that the fandom has poured over for 15ish years explained in one line?? i wish there'd been more build up of rook as a character too, maybe even a time skip from a prologue to finding solas kind of thing. the first trailer made it seem like that's what was going to happen but then it in media res'd us in a strange way. the first 10 hours of the game are probably the weakest imho, it took it a bit to get rolling and feel more natural. I appreciate that the first major decision doesn't really let you scum save for it (bit of a jump scare for me lol).

I also don't really need this much varric anymore, i kinda wish we had a different narrator if we have to have one. He feels really awkward to just have there and not doing anything(and not just kill off or have something happen to him? he got stabbed by the dagger and harding only touched it is what i'm saying). at least let him get better pjs and slippers or something Idk it does feel like bits of previous iterations they were working on are still there and they don't completely serve the plot well. And ofc there's the decisions not meaningfully carrying over thing- which is a huge bummer. But in reality they've never been good at that- the characters from previous games we see in new games don't really carry through their plots/arcs that much (it's more like cameos or they're a new person now) and the world states are usually effectively the same just with aesthetic faction swaps. I was sort of hoping we'd get some solavellan SOMETHING but it doesn't look like we will get much at all past the stuff in minrathous. i feel like if they were going to only include the one choice it really should have had more impact on the story. (i am also still a clown and want to talk to solas constantly still even tho he has no reason to talk to my rook at all, i do not care, i love a sad woof. i wish we could just casually visit him in the fade. i wish we could switch to lavellan and visit him in the fade, idk something. need more gareth david-lloyd pls) the interpersonal character decisions have been the only ones that mattered much and then only within the constrains of their own games- the bigger world changing stuff is usually the illusion of choice. It would have been nice if they let us have one protagonist carry through but i can also see why they liked changing it up and felt stuck in that format. tl;dr: i'm really like it for what it is but it's def got flaws. Parts of it feel super polished while other bits do not- i think knowing how game dev works that they had to make decisions on what was going to get prioritized and some of it works while others not so much. I wish the pacing was better for sure but i love the characters/companions which is generally what bioware is best at. sad it won't get meaningful dlc, i don't really care about mass effect 5 tbqh. So far I like it better than inquisition for the most part- it feels like a bigger/more polished DA2 in a lot of ways if that makes any sense (with similar budget/pacing issues, but the environments are more fun). as i mentioned in my other post, i really appreciated the trans/non binary inclusion into the story/cc tho. like that can't be discounted, even if the rest of the game has issues. (all the holes in the narrative make me want to do fan art and fan fiction tho so idk, maybe that's an okay thing. maybe dragon age is best at inspiring us to sandbox around in it)

*side note, i am surprised at how much i like emmerich like holy shit what a lovely soft nerd of a man! going to have to play through a few times and romance him and also bellara for sure (romancing lucanis this time round) i find myself shipping my companions with each other more than i normally do too. I just want them to be happy! I wish they'd let us have polyamory, like i could see little polycules in this squad so easily. i need to give bellara hugs and lucanis head pats. taash deserves head pats too, but my rook will need a ladder.

**i am going to cry if they do with the griffons what i think they're doing with the griffons. like straight up, feeling like it was a cursed wish to have them now T.T *** do we think the caretaker is cole? the character design makes me wonder (like the hat/silhouette is very cole like but maybe not. maybe i just want it to be cole lol) there's def characters i want to see show up that aren't going to and then bioware is like "what about this fan favorite??" and i'm like "eh".

[christinabindon]

I think I nailed my review tbh

[kaija-rayne-author]

Review 3.5 in series for Dragon Age Veilguard

Spoilers for Veilguard

18 hours in, 16 playtime

Same disclaimer as the others, if you've already read it you can skip to the cut.

Something came to my attention. I need to make it crystal clear that I utterly love the diversity in DAV. It's fantastic. I'm also a heavily left leaning, non-binary, queer as fuck reviewer, editor, and author.

I'm on media blackout while I play this, so I'm only getting second-hand info on how awful it is right now in the DA Fandom. Please be safe and take care of yourselves. Arguing with incels and white supremacists is completely pointless. They sea lion worse than an actual sea lion. Your mental health is important.

Y'know? Every single time the anti-queer brigade comes out for a new DA game, I sit there thinking 'have you Bozos ever played any DA game, like, ever?' My guess is nope.

Review 3 is here.

https://www.tumblr.com/kaija-rayne-author/766275903689981952/review-3-for-dragon-age-veilguard?source=share

Okay. Got several more hours into the game last night. I'm finally getting story bits!

It really shouldn't take 16 hours to get that far.

I utterly love Treviso. And to my surprise, most of the NPCs are brown. So they didn't fuck that up.

I've so far met Lace (hate her), Neve (withholding judgment), Bellara (withholding judgment) and Lucanis (hilarious that I actually like him in game). Though what's with the count Dracula look? Dude looks like he needs to find his coffin. That's an... interesting design choice. Gotta admit I loved the coffee meeting. I may end up eating crow. (I said in a group that if I ended up romancing Lucanis in game, I'd happily eat crow, because I utterly loathed his intro story, The Wigmaker, in Tevinter Nights.) I still have to meet the rest of the companions. And yes, it's a double entendre.

Again, the sets, backgrounds, and environments are fantastic and the best part of the game so far. It's an interesting twist to me that they chose a negative coded demon for Lucanis. I was thinking it'd be Valor.

And I feel seen in a caring manner on the trans options. I do wish the CC would've given me the same freedom of design on that front as BG3 did. It doesn't. Larian was far, far more brave and accommodating on that front. But I could make a representative character for me, so that's important and good enough.

Larian also had the courage to allow polyamory too. Sooooo. My opinion of not being able to be polyam like me in DAV is pretty damned low. Only 30% of the dating population is monogamous. Get with the times, Bioware.

And I don't like the non-open world thing. In fact, I hate it. I much preferred DAI on that aspect. I feel like the Devs are herding my rather contrary ass through the game and I just really don't like it. You often can't go back (say for potions you didn't need before but could use?) It’s really just unpleasant. I don't like being led around by the nose for the story the devs want to tell. I want to be able to explore. When I want to.

Arlathan turned out to be more beautiful than I originally expected. Not a city person so Virantium doesn't do much for me.

I had some pretty negative feelings about the game reveals, but that post is here if you want. Fair warning, I didn't censor myself much and it's both acidic and negative.

And I want both my third companion and my ability to play the other companions back, damnit. I really hate that too.

I've got a busy day, so I'm not sure if my weak ass will be able to play tonight. Though after 18 hours I'm feeling a very, very slight desire to play? Again, it shouldn't take an 18 hour commitment to want to log in to a game.

Oh, and I'm playing a rogue. 16 hours in and I've yet had the opportunity to pick a damned lock or defuse a trap or any of the fun rogue bits I play rogues for. Did they really decide to get rid of an entire section of the stuff that makes rogues fun to play? That basically turns my rogue into a weak ass elf good with a bow and dual weild. They could be any Joe Blow with that. They removed everything that made rogues special? Really? Really really? Fucking hell, man.

I'm recovering from a Pulmonary Embolism (really do not recommend) so my energy levels have very finite limits.

If you have the wherewithal, money is tight, and if you're enjoying these reviews, I could really use any financial aid people are willing to offer. My work of words is my only income, and I'm the only income in the house.

[vimmark]

:V

[captainofthetidesbreath]

"Ah. Your distraction worked. Could have set it when we were farther away." / "Désolé. I didn't say it was a good plan."

[felassan]

🐲 3 days until the worldwide release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard! 💜

[randomly-generated-tvmblr-name]

I'm enjoying the art so far. Voice acting is great, and the design is superb. I'm not crazy far into it, but it feels a little empty to me. I know a lot of people were not fond of DAI's open world, but I actually really miss the open world system. The combat system is good for me. I wouldn't consider it amazing or bad. I like the way skills work now. And not having to literally switch to other party members to get stuff done. I also miss the qunari's design. I think they're a little too soft and human like. I realize it's partially the artstyle, but I miss the vibe I got from previous designs. Character Creation is great! Some sliders could use a little more variation, but overall, it's a very solid game. I'm not sure if I'd replay it like I've done with previous games. We'll see though.

Playing veilguard for the first time! ♡♡♡ I was away from home when it came out. I'm SO EXCITED.

[seeker-ophelia]

"Do not rush. Explore. You have waited this long to find the end, do not ruin this moment for yourself because you could not wait. YOU WILL WANT TO REMEMBER THIS."

[olessan]

[leia-leek]

EA is a triple A gaming company worth billions. But BioWare? It's a subsidiary that is smaller than you think. (EA has about 13k employees, but BW has about 500).

Not pre-ordering or buying on the day of release isn't going to send a message to EA to improve its practices. It's only going to hurt BioWare and their remaining employees. (This isn't aimed at people who can't afford it, or don't like the game(s), or don't like what they've seen so far, or are very skeptical and want to hold off. I'm talking to people who are excited about the game and have the $60 to spare.)

Yes, there are things to criticize about BioWare and EA, I get it, I really do. What happened to Mary Kirby and those like her is awful. Fuck them for that, truly. The merchandise packages that don't include the game, kinda scummy. But if you don't take that as a sign that EA is pushing down, hard, on BioWare, then I don't know what to tell you. Do you think BioWare is somehow immune from EA's scrutiny? BioWare has two big misses in their recent history, after MEA and Anthem, they are on thin ice.

Will the game be buggy on release? Maybe. They do have a history of it. Hell, DAO is still buggy af, but we love it anyway. Will the game be bad? Possibly. There are story elements in each game that still piss me off to this day. It is a gamble, but if you like what you see and are excited, there is no reason not to support the franchise you love. Do you want more Dragon Age games? Do you want more Mass Effect games? If yes, then the best way to get more games is to buy this game.

The only thing that will happen if DATV sales suck, will be for EA to believe that Dragon Age games no longer sell and to nix or hold off on all future projects for it. By waiting for it to be on sale or pirating it, you could very well damn the future of BioWare and the DA franchise. You're not fucking up EA when you choose not to buy DATV, you are screwing BioWare, which is not the same as EA. BioWare can be dissolved, but EA won't. They won't care, EA will happily get rid of something that isn't making them money. EA is not gonna be hurt by DATV doing poorly in sales, they have their sports franchises that will always make them money. It will only hurt BioWare and the remaining developers. Do you like Weekes? Epler? Busche? Support them!

So if you are excited about Dragon Age: The Veilguard and want to see more Dragon Age games, don't let anyone convince you not to buy it, or pre-order it. Don't let anyone make you feel bad for doing so. If you have the money and like what you see, I encourage you to buy it and show support for your favorite franchise.

(Those worried about the SAG-AFTRA strike, don't be, DATV isn't included in the strike. More here.)

[apostaterevolutionary]

Oh man, I actually haven’t been this mad at bioware in years lmao (see my last reblog if you’re seeing this without context somehow). It’s oddly refreshing. Almost comforting even. Like ah, yes, of course they did something stupid, that’s just the world working as it always has. Sky blue, water wet, bioware making an absolutely massive fumble that fills me with burning rage. Normalcy

[cadashly]

WE ARE SO BACK??

[kaija-rayne-author]

Review 3 for Dragon Age Veilguard

13 hours in 11 actual playtime

Spoilers for Veilguard

Disclaimer the same as on the others. Skip to the cut if you've already read it.

I'm not an asshole disclaimer (same as the first one, if you read that, you can just skip down to the cut.)

Something came to my attention. I need to make it crystal clear that I utterly love the diversity in DAV. It's fantastic. I'm also a heavily left leaning, non-binary, queer as fuck reviewer, editor, and author.

I'm on media blackout while I play this, so I'm only getting second-hand info on how awful it is right now in the DA Fandom. Please be safe and take care of yourselves. Arguing with incels and white supremacists is completely pointless. They sea lion worse than an actual sea lion. Your mental health is important.

Though, every single time the anti-queer brigade comes out for a new DA game, I sit there thinking 'have you bozos ever played any DA game, like, ever?' My guess is nope.

So I'm waiting for my kids to go to freaking bed. I've gotten a few hours of playing in so far today.

It got a little more interesting after seeing Solas again. (And not just because I'm Solavellan. I honestly hate how he looks.) I mean just in the storyline.

It might almost be feeling like there might be a story somewhere in this mess? Aaaand it still hasn't caught me up. But at least I'm not cussing at it and wanting to rage quit anymore? (not holding my breath that that's gonna last.)

Saw some things I don't want to spoil that I was hoping to see in the game. But dude... did they have to go right along the middle between red and brown hair? Way to completely pander to everyone. Have some courage Bioware.

I used to think of Bioware games as interesting and groundbreaking fun. Starting to think they're going the way of milquetoast. Bland. I'm still holding off my complete opinion. I'll finish it first. But so far? The best parts of this game? Are the sets, environments, and backgrounds. It's about the only thing that feels like Dragon Age.

Did get a chance to meet some of my favourite characters from Tevinter Nights. So there's that at least.

I do love what they did with the characters from my favourite stories in that book. At least the ones we met so far. (And I absolutely called it on TN being a prequel book for this game.) You don't need to read it any more than you need to read any of the other supplementary materials. But those materials do give you a greater depth of enjoyment of these games. Just because you get to see characters you met in different formats in the games. And catch a few jokes you wouldn't otherwise.

Met Lucanis. Reserving judgment. Lolz. Anyone following me for a while will understand why. But as of this moment, I still like Illario better. In case you're curious, here's why.

Oh and I've absolutely decided I hate Lace Harding. This is not the Lace Harding I wanted to romance in DAI. And yeah... it's been eight years game time (Ten if you count Trespasser) and people change. But that much? I doubt it. The way she's depicted in this game is much closer to how the comics depicted her. Judgmental, close-minded, and just... unpleasant. If you're a Solavellan... you may not want to take her to some of the things in the Crossroads. She says things that anyone with freaking eyes could see aren't accurate.

She can just sulk in the Lighthouse for the rest of the game unless I absolutely need her for something.

Review part 3.5 here

[lafaiette]

Bioware fans finally getting the new DA game after waiting ten painful years:

Bioware:

[notmeowse]

so apparently some of the dialogue quips are almost exactly the same between the companions, rather than being unique little asides.

[source] [source] [source] [source]

[felassan]

Tom Henderson of Insider Gaming mentions that the review embargo for Dragon Age: The Veilguard will lift on October 28th 2024 [source]