I Finished Dragon Age: The Veilguard. I Have Some Thoughts...

Summary

The review offers a detailed critique of a fantasy RPG, discussing its strengths and weaknesses. The reviewer praises the environmental design, engaging exploration, and satisfying combat mechanics but criticizes the writing, particularly the modern dialogue and lack of meaningful player choices. The dialogue's inconsistency detracts from the immersion, and the companion quests feel fragmented and shallow. While the game's story and ending improve significantly, the reviewer believes the earlier portions lacked refinement, making the overall experience uneven. Despite these issues, the reviewer finds the game enjoyable and appreciates its strong ending, highlighting its potential if the flaws were addressed.

Takeaways

• 😀 The writing quality of the game starts weak but improves significantly as you progress, with some dialogue becoming excellent by the end.
• 😀 The game includes modern phrases and dialogue (e.g., referring to companions as a 'team') that feel out of place in its fantasy setting.
• 😀 Some companion quests are segmented into mini-quests that lack depth, diminishing their emotional impact and substance.
• 😀 Choices in the game often feel hollow, with minimal impact on the overall story or outcomes, reducing their significance.
• 😀 Combat becomes repetitive over time, especially due to a lack of new abilities and the inability to save or quickly swap builds.
• 😀 Despite engaging early on, combat loses its excitement when facing high-resistance enemies without the option to adjust skills and builds easily.
• 😀 The game sometimes talks down to the player, over-explaining things and guiding how to think and feel, which reduces player agency.
• 😀 The companion dialogues feel inconsistent: some are well-written, but many feel flat or underdeveloped, particularly with certain characters like Harding and Neve.
• 😀 While the game’s exploration and visual design are praised for being gorgeous and immersive, the pacing and depth of quests could be improved.
• 😀 The ending of the game is strong and emotionally satisfying, with meaningful resolutions, but the early and middle parts of the game feel undercooked in comparison.
• 😀 Despite the flaws, the player recognizes the game’s potential and appreciates the emotional depth, particularly in key moments of the plot and character arcs.

Q & A

Why does the speaker find the use of the word 'team' in a fantasy RPG out of place?

The speaker feels that using modern terms like 'team' in a fantasy RPG disrupts the immersion, as it doesn't align with the world-building and lore of a fantasy setting. They believe such terms can feel jarring and break the fantasy experience.

What criticism does the speaker have regarding the writing and dialogue at the beginning of the game?

The speaker criticizes the dialogue at the start of the game for being weak and overly explanatory, making the player feel like they are being talked down to. They believe it lacked the subtlety and immersion needed for a fantasy RPG.

What is the speaker’s opinion on the impact of choices in the game?

The speaker finds the choices in the game to be hollow, meaning they do not meaningfully alter the progression of the story or world. The outcomes of choices are often trivial, affecting only minor details like a companion’s damage type rather than the story itself.

How does the speaker describe the combat system in the game?

The speaker finds the combat system initially engaging but believes it becomes repetitive over time due to the lack of new abilities and meaningful progression. The limited ability to save and switch between builds also restricts the gameplay experience.

What does the speaker appreciate about the environmental design of the game?

The speaker praises the game's environmental and visual design, noting that every area in the game is beautifully crafted, making exploration enjoyable and immersive.

What is the issue with the companion quests according to the speaker?

The speaker finds the companion quests to be too segmented, often broken into smaller tasks that lack depth. They feel these quests are repetitive and don't provide the same level of substance as other quests in the game.

What does the speaker think about the decisions the player makes for their companions?

The speaker is uncomfortable with the player making big decisions for companions, especially when these decisions seem personal and dependent on each companion's backstory. They believe such decisions should be influenced by the companion's experiences, not dictated by the player.

How does the speaker feel about the pacing and structure of the game?

The speaker describes the pacing as uneven, with some parts of the game feeling forced or disconnected. They feel that the game alternates between pushing the player to follow the main story and focusing on companion quests, which disrupts the flow of the game.

What does the speaker think about the ending of the game?

The speaker considers the ending of the game to be one of the best they've seen in gaming, with a strong emotional payoff and a more refined quality compared to the earlier sections of the game. The ending felt connected and fulfilling, especially after a weaker beginning.

How does the speaker feel about the overall quality of the game's writing?

The speaker believes the game's writing starts weak but improves significantly as the story progresses. While some parts of the dialogue remain inconsistent or out of tone, there are moments where the writing shines, particularly towards the end of the game.