Dragon Age: The Veil Guard - BioWare Drops the Ball (Hard)

Dragon Age: The Veil Guard looks pretty, runs smooth, but forgets what made Dragon Age Dragon Age. Shallow story, dull combat, and choices that don't matter. Ouch.

Alright, gamers, let's talk Dragon Age: The Veil Guard. BioWare's big comeback? More like a faceplant. The game looks fantastic. Seriously, the environments are gorgeous. The game runs like a dream, too. No stuttering, no crashes, smooth as butter. They even went DRM-free and Steam Deck verified – props for that. But here's the kicker: it’s all surface level.

First off, the character designs. They’ve gone for this stylized, almost cartoonish look. Think Dreamworks, not gritty fantasy. The result? Uncanny valley overload. It’s tough to connect with characters who look like they belong in a Pixar movie, not Thedas. The Qunari? They look… different. And not in a good way. It really takes you out of the experience.

Then there’s the story. Remember the complex narratives and tough choices from previous Dragon Age games? Forget about it. The Veil Guard plays it safe, with a story that feels like it’s aimed at a younger audience. The writing lacks the depth and maturity we’ve come to expect. The companions? They're just... there. Their stories feel disconnected, and the banter lacks the spark of previous games. The romance system? Don't even get me started. It's a shallow, checkbox affair.

Gameplay-wise, it’s just as disappointing. The combat, while visually flashy, is incredibly repetitive. You’ll be mashing buttons against the same handful of enemy types over and over. There’s no real strategy or tactical depth. The level design, despite looking pretty, feels restrictive. It’s like they built these beautiful sets and then fenced you in.

And the biggest sin of all? The choices. In a BioWare game, choices should matter. They should shape the story and have real consequences. In The Veil Guard, they’re mostly cosmetic. You’ll pick dialogue options that amount to different ways of saying “yes.” It’s an illusion of choice, a total letdown.

The last couple hours offer a glimpse of what could have been. Suddenly, there are actual choices, exciting set pieces, and some emotional moments. It’s like a completely different game. It just makes the previous 48 hours even more frustrating.