It’s impressive to see someone who not only takes the time to fully complete a game before reviewing it, but who also balances their insights with well-thought-out pros and cons. This approach adds a layer of credibility and gives the audience a full picture of the experience-something not always seen in reviews. The pros and cons are clearly grounded, giving readers a transparent sense of what truly works and what could use improvement. Keen to see more of your work especially with future games to come!!
Thanks so much! I'm a firm believer in playing a game to its fullest before I can give a balanced and fair review, and EVERY game has pros and cons....even GOTY games :)
I did not like this game at first Kept going back and forth on it. The more I played it the more it seems like I understood it. I’m now in love with this game. The more I play the better it gets.
Personally, I don't review games in the traditional sense. I'm not particularly enamored with categorizing things against one another and I have a natural aversion to hierarchies, which I see as systems of control. So, for me, ranking this vs. that or even one game in the franchise against another is of low importance. I am an old surfer and rock musician, and my love for climbing trees or falling off perfectly good skateboards and motorcycles informs my preferences in games. I am primarily kinesthetic in my orientation toward games. How it "feels" to move my avatar in 2d or 3d space is of slightly more importance to me than any other criteria by which I judge (or choose) games. A great example is Conan Exiles. Because I can run, jump and catch myself on (almost) any surface, the game is something akin to a Spiderman title, insofar as how I move across the map and interact with my environment. Dragon Age the Veilguard gratifies that preference in the way I can move through the world space and interact with objects, whether through exploration (barrel breaking, combat). There is a sense of verticality that makes me want to try various things to reach points I see in various ways, and combat feels fluid enough that I can develop certain reflexive "moves" to engage and take down foes, such as jumping in, striking /comboing, dodging "out" through and enemy's hit box, and rolling back into strike from the flank or rear. (9/10) The next most important component of gameplay for me is story. I recognize that story is your primary motivation and respect it, but if a game doesn't "feel" good to "play" (move through the world space) I can watch it on a monitor for the story and be perfectly satisfied. DATV does two things well with regard to story. First, it continues a lore journey I began with origins and continued through subsequent games because of the novel approach to elves and dwarves and how the later races (human and Qunari) exist within that framework. I started playing D&D in the late 70s when I was 10 years old, and I appreciate the story of the elder races in this game because it is so original compared to say, the Forgotten Realms or Warcraft, which are primarily Tolkien based. DATV is, for me, a story about wrapping up that lore in a satisfying way (elves are spirits who take bodies through their "interactions" with the titans and in doing so, reshape their world. Dwarves are the hive children of the titans who "broke off" from their unity because of the actions of the first elves, and so on. (10/10) Secondary to the lore is the relationship stories. This includes how my character interacts with the primary story, their companions and romantic relationships and the returning cast of "demigods" and old "friends" in the player sense, if not the POV character sense, like Morrigan, Varric, Harding, Solas, and so on. I really enjoyed this aspect, even if it is not perfect. For example, I can't imagine my Rook, who has never met Morrigan, questioning her on her early love life, or relationship with her own son, though I would have LOVED codex entries hinting at some aspects of my choices from previous games. (7/10) I played a Grey Warden Captain America warrior for my first playthrough. Elf, of course, because their racial story is novel and unique among fantasy games. My "canonical" playthrough is Solavellan and it was very emotional for me to see "my" inqusitor and Solas, reunited in DATV. My favorite companions had compelling story arcs. Taash softens in their bigotry and intolerance if you allow them to grow through their arc with their mother, Bellara grows up and learns to focus through their storyline with regard her brother, and so on. I particularly enjoyed the optional dialog and choices I had as a Grey Warden, like the Mayor in the first blighted town. Emmeric developed a greater appreciation of death that made his goals bittersweet, and so on. As in real life, I vibed with some personalities more than others, upon first meeting them. I truly appreciate how each companion evolved as a person throughout the story and found their arcs to be very satisfying, even if their overall personality isn't something I'd want to immerse myself with on a day-to-day basis (just like real life). Finally, I didn't have much issue with boredom with regard to combat because I used the games usability and customization to match my own preferences more closely than the difficulty presets. This was largely due to the ability to crank incoming damage to my Rook "up" while dialing enemy sponginess "down," but also includes things like setting the combo menu to click instead of hold, turning off quest markers, and so on. Like you, I can't wait for round two with a mage. (8.5/10)
It's awesome to hear how you connect with this game on such a personal level. Your love for the lore, especially the unique takes on elves and dwarves :) I know we've spoken on this elsewhere, but it really is one of the most unique takes on the "elves and dwarves" in fantasy RPGs.
Really appreciate your great Reviews. Almost feels refreshing finding someone who does not join in on all the Drama and just explains what is there and what is not and just enjoys games. Came for your AWESOME new world videos and now i am excited for your future Videos.
Awesome Review! I always love hearing from people who played through games. I'm really looking forward to playing the game in future. It's been so long, I decided to play the first 3 games before Veilguard.
40 hours in, and I think this game is very good. All of the good elements overtake any criticisms I have. I have issues with some of the writing, and I wish they gave us more dialogue choices to shape our Rook a bit more personality wise in a granular sense, but overall this is a solid, high quality AAA action RPG that has so far been well worth the asking price. The art style, the companions, the combat, the loot, the level design, the quests and exploration; it all works for me. I actively enjoy the gameplay loop to the point that I’m collecting all the chests and doing all the side content. The combat is fantastic, and on Underdog difficulty cooldown management, parrying, and situational awareness are absolutely required, and midway through the game starts throwing more and more enemies at you. I also think the boss fights have so far been awesome. I actually think BioWare nailed the linear level design, while still offering open zone exploration areas that give you more agency. It’s a huge step up from Inquisition and Andromeda. The loot is very well designed, not only in efficiency (having duplicate loot items act as upgrades is fantastic), but also in satisfying progression, with the highest tier of loot offering up neat little gameplay changes to combat, like the item that augments your potion to send out attacking bees on nearby enemies. I think it’s odd to compare this to BG3 though, because they’re completely different styles of RPG, and Larian and BioWare have completely different goals with their games, and will broadly appeal to different types of players. BioWare makes games aimed at the AAA mainstream audience, and their game design reflects that, while it was more of a crazy anomaly that BG3 broke into that same space and audience . BG3 is one of my favorite games of all time, putting over 600 hours into it since it’s 1.0 release, and Dragon Age The Veilguard is just a different type of RPG. It’s way more like Mass Effect for sure, and I actually love that about this game. Hell, even the music has spacey synths. I think there is space on the market for more action focused RPGs like The Veilguard that can be enjoyed on a less intense level than something like BG3.
Thank you so much for your review. I absolutely agree with your opinion. Best game I’ve played this year and I played a lot. While ff7 rebirth lost me at around 40 hours even though I actually love that game, Veilguard has me so engaged that I don’t feel any tiredness while playing. It’s rare that a game has kept me hooked through out the game. 8,5-9/10 for me!
This is my first Dragon Age game, which I only started last week so have only played around 12 hours, but so far I'm loving it. I'm playing as a warrior, and am loving the combat. I saw another of your recent videos where you're playing as a mage, and I definitely want to try that out on my next play through! I'm excited about unlocking further skills/abilities in this game. Keep up the great videos!
We play DA/ME in similar ways. I never try to 100% a game in 1 playthrough. I 100% across many playthroughs, playing the MC in a variety of ways. LOVED Veilguard! I'm thinking up my 3rd character now while I go through my 2nd game! GREAT REVIEW! You got yourself a sub!
I needed time to recover from my first playthrough. My Rook fell in love with Harding and kept her close at all times. So those of you who know the end will know what that cost. I had no idea. Having avoided all spoilers, it was all a huge surprise for me. And I did cry. Bittersweet doesn't even touch it. Omg. I did actually get offered the "best ending". But after everything Rook had been through, He wanted to fight. And that ending was very satisfying. This game was for me 10/10. My only criteria is fun. Yes there were things I wanted that were missing (playing a city elf shadow dragon, and encountering zero prejudice and seeing zero slavery was the biggest disappointment) but I got so much out of this game that I can forgive that
It's been an absolute joy experiencing the game for the first time with you! It was picked apart even before it's release. It's The game people love to hate. Even I have back and fourth on so many things as I've found out more. It's not perfect sure but at it's core, by that end game portion, I felt EVERYTHING❤🎉 *My grammar feels off I'm sorry🤣*
I completely agree with you I overall am enjoying this game more than BG3 just because this type of gameplay is way more my speed.. I am loving this game and am 32 hours into my gameplay .. that is crazy that you finished at 76 hours that means I still have so much to look forward to .. love your channel!
@Renfail oh I have been dude , I think the art style is absolutely fantastic. The gameplay is quick and the combos never get old. Just a brilliant experience so far...
Great review mate!!! Well done on the politics, you handle that section like a pro. I’m about 15 hours in and absolutely loving it. Every time I turn it off I want to play again, haven’t had that feeling since dark souls.
I agreed with just about everything you said. I wouldn’t put it over BG3 (or the Elden Ring expansion) but good lord that’s a high bar. There was a bit of a slog in the beginning, as you mentioned, but at some point around recruiting Emmrich j was completely invested. I did a 100% completion on normal mode and was slightly overpowered by the end. That worked too though. It seemed as if I should be powerful. Fantastic game. I wholeheartedly recommend it.
@ I’m also a an older straight white male (with two boys in college) and all the ‘woke’ stuff just didn’t bother me. I’m happy enough for others to find a path in the game that helps them relate to Rook. And all it takes is me not clicking on a couple of options in character creation. I don’t get the angst. Agree on Taash’s character ark. I didn’t expect to get emotional, but damn if I didn’t. Still would pick Shadowheart’s first but it’s a close second.
I went with a Dagger and orb mage, with focus on elemental damage, ice, fire and lightning. when combat started getting a bit boring i would just refund my ability points and try out different stuff, that made it a lot more fun for me. I do wish there would have been a bit more enemy types tho, and i still dont really like how certain enemies look, but i doesnt really take away from the enjoyment. If you liked Inquisition then you will love Veilguard, it feels like its the game bioware always wanted to make.
great review, it's nice to hear an objective review of the game rather than getting on the band wagon like a lot of other people. When I first started playing around 15 hours in my rating was a 5/6, but as I've played through the game more and done more of the companion quests and progressed the main story it's now up to an 8/10 and I am really enjoying it. I am now 42 hours in and looking forward to the ending all I've heard is good things story wise. The main reason for picking up Veilguard was continueing Solas's story, he is one of my favourite characters in gaming and I loved DAO and Inqusition. The more time i've put into this the more the negative thoughts have started to dissipear, and for those who say the game isn't dark (no spoilers) there are plenty of dark themed moments.
Well Said. I think that sums up my feelings. I’m about to head to Act 2 with two parallel save games ( one mage, one Fighter) and the complaints are so minor. Lost in the story. I feel like bad review scores are focused on comparing Veilguard to other DA games, and lose sight of how this game is so lore-affirming. I’m just partway thru the Regret of Solas quest line and the plot and story are a DA lore nerd nirvana. Honestly people who complain about some minor dialog issues and art style are truly losing the forest in the trees. 9.5/10.
Really enjoyed your nuanced review! Thank you! How I would love to watch your playthrough now, but don't want anything spoiled. The pain! xD I'm 120 hours in, still in Act 2, and although I have some issues with the dialogue writing at times, I love it to bits. I adore every single companion. Their banter is so cleverly written and makes me laugh so much. Warrior/Slayer gameplay is extremely fun. I can't wait to see how the story will continue to unfold but at the same time I'm dreading every step I take that brings it to an end. Whenever a game gives me that feeling, it's already a phenomenal game for me personally.
Almost 35ish hours in and just about to finish act 1. Playing on story mode due to my disability, and it's plenty challenging enough. So this will be my completionist playthru. Absolutely loving it, and already going for taash romance. Can't wait to see the full story play out. I'm totally invested
I completed the game last night and whilst there certainly are aspects of the game I didn't like such as the non binary (I have no issue with it, it becomes an issue when it's shoved down my throat and I feel like I'm being spoken to like a child). I enjoyed the game especially the ending I was so sad but also happy with my ending and I will certainly play the whole franchise from origins to veilguard again at some point.
This is probably the closest review of the game that I share an opinion with myself, and I appreciate you for saying it without worrying about all the backlash for it. I know some people aren't going to like what you said, and you explained why it is your favorite and why you like it better than other games. No game is perfect, and I'll agree that Veilguard isn't, but it is the most polished out of all the DA games to me. The game has a different art style that you have to get used to, but the overall world and graphics are beautiful. The game opens up more and gets better the further you get into it, which made it feel like Inquisition to me when you had to go back to areas later at either higher level or after certain story beats which I loved. I agree that the fetch quests can be a little annoying, but every single Dragon Age game had them, so you had more ways to level up or to gain power. I was worried it would be more linear than DAI, but it opens up way more the further you play it. I had some friends worried about it, but when I told them to keep playing, they realized the same thing as I did. The combat is great and takes time to get used to. You have to find the right mix of characters and figure out the primer and detonator system, which works well. I love the difficulty settings because it gives everyone the chance to experience this game. If it's too easy, turn it up, and if it's too hard, turn it down and enjoy the story. I had friends who couldn't beat BG3 or Dragons Dogma 2 because they couldn't get the mechanics down or just gave up and went back to easier games. If they all had the God mode option, especially for casual gamers, I feel like people would be less intimidated to play big RPG's that they would usually avoid because they didn't want to waste their time or money. The thing that bugs me the most is how people believe it's a woke propaganda game when it just has small parts of inclusivity. Besides picking pronouns at the beginning like a lot of other games and which you can skip just like you can with a certain characters quest ark. I recommend playing that ark because it's a lot deeper than I expected, but I understand that if you dont like that stuff, then you can just completely avoid it and enjoy the rest of the game. Too many people act like one character ruined the entire game, but most of those people were never really going to play it anyway. The last thing is the writing which I agree can be campy and too hand holdy with over explaining but I found that more towards the beginning of the game so I think it was meant to help out newer players to explain the lore to them but comes off weird to the diehard fans like us. The overall story is one of the best and makes you want to keep playing, which is what you want in an RPG. When you don't want to stop playing because you want to finish a quest or story that makes a great RPG to me. Sorry this was long, but if you dont explain your reasons, then you can't just say you like a game these days. There will be people that have a completely different view than I did which is fine and some people will agree with me but we shouldn't get mad and attack others for having a different opinion than our own. I hope people will avoid the noise from people hating on it that didn't even play an hour of the game just because they heard it was woke. If you give this game a chance, I believe most people will be pleasantly surprised and if you won't because of what you heard from a couple other reviewers than I hope you aren't missings out on a good game that you might have liked without all the negativity surrounding it. Also, this is my opinion on the game, which doesn't mean it's right for you, so hopefully you enjoy it as much as I did. 🎮 Thanks
@KeironP1 Thanks for the comment and for taking the time to read it. I had to go in depth because if you don't, the haters will just say you're just shilling and can't give good reasons for liking it 😂.
I am loving this game so far, better than I expected to like it. BG3 is different style game but still my favorite, and I feel all the companions are better in BG3. However, I am impressed with the companions in Veilguard also (And i Haven't met all of them yet). Draconis is my early favorite also. My biggest surprise was Bellara after hearing she was annoying; I am actually liking her character and haven't been annoyed yet. Very happy I got the game. Thanks again on the reviews.
I do find the writing a bit meh but I am indeed still in the first 10 hours, curious to see where it goes. Graphics and combat is amazing though, I'm hooked!
Game is so immersive. For me that is the most important game quality. BG3 is objecitvely better game but in this game I enjoy more. I don't find combat repetitive at all. It has a lot of diversity you can change skills, difficulty, abbilities...For me is 10/10.
I just finished my first play through, playing on Underdog, clocking in at 96 hours with all side quests done except for a couple in Rivain bc I was at max rep (finally) and just wanted to finally get to the ending. (Some of the time isn't entirely play-time accurate as I did leave the game running a few times while I had breaks/got food etc, but defnintely still 90+ hours for me.) I came to this game right on the end of a very thorough replay of Inquisition in which I romanced Solas, so also quite emotional lol. And while I definitely have some personal, very mixed feelings on some aspects of Veilguard, they stuck the landing with Solas, the overarching main story AND with Solavellan so hard, I genuinely only wish they could have both, along with the gods, had more screen time. The companions were a bit hit and miss for me personally, my favourites ended up being Davrin, Bellara and Emmrich. I like Neve a lot but I wish that her 'protagonist moment' had a bit more OOMPH, and the one that surprised me most was Lucanis in just how utterly indifferent I felt about him. I like him well enough but damn, for me he really ended up just kinda...being there. I thought going in he was going to be one I ended up romancing based on his archetype, but he has no romantic chemistry with Rook whatsoever. So when Davrin came along and actually pulled out some rizz when I flirted him well...that was that. I was toast. 😂 Taash's story was quite well done and thoughtful, but it doesn't resonate for me at all, for various reasons, especially in the setting of Dragon Age. It's the game-makers setting so of course it's their right to do what they want with it, but modern western transgenderism being just 1:1 injected into this setting in the way it was, is as jarring as seeing someone show up calling themselves a Christian or Muslim. It also doesn't help that Weekes makes himself just a bit too obvious in all of it tbh. Either way, I just wish it was possible to discuss or criticize the subject, since it's a cultural form that is PART of our culture being reproduced in this way it should be ALLOWED to be discussed, in a way that's constructive and respectful, but reactionary morons have made it basically impossible. Probably the most disappointing companion for me was actually Harding though, and I'm struggling with it because like you, her companion storyline had me in tears during basically every quest. But for me personally, the way it was handled was SO dissatisfying and this ties into one of my biggest genuine complaints about the game - the absolutely SHAFTING of the dwarves and the lack of a significant Dwarven faction, location or quest-related NPC's. The entirety of the monumental, gargantuan lore revelations about the dwarves and titans is just loaded solely onto poor Harding's shoulders and for me personally...it just wasn't enough. I'm genuinely sad about it. But I need more time to pull my thoughts together about that, and maybe I'll come to feel differently on future playthroughs. I have some other quibbles and I do think some criticism of the dialogue is warranted, in that it definitely is quite stilted at the start and does then start to feel a BIT repetitive and stale towards the end, but I agree that it's mostly carried by strong performances all around. It's interesting because in terms of dialogue tone, the game that most often came to mind for me was actually Horizon Forbidden West. Rook, who I really grew to care for, isn't a character you really get shape as the player and they are very much put into an 'emotional support wine aunt' role within the team where you essentially act as the supportive sidekick to your companions on their journeys. I have a lot of other thoughts about this as well buttt...I need more time to get them in order. Either way, it's a fantastic game but definitely not my favourite Dragon Age. I think that still goes to Inquisition for me. I also played an Elven Duellist Rogue and I almost regret going into this class first because I'm convinced there's no WAY the other classes could be this fun to play. 😂I loved the combat and it never really became repetitive or a chore to me because I became so powerful + unkillable with all those adrenaline stacks in the late game that every enemy mob + boss I encountered just folded under my whirlwind of necrotic swords like wet tissue.😂 Edit: I also wanted to add, thank you for your measured review, I appreciated your thoughts.
You know…I didn’t have any interest in Taash at first. I was excited to see their romance with my adorable Harding blossom but after I did the first little companion quest with feeding the birds, it was a struggle to not hit that flirt option. Loved your review! I’m enjoying the game. There are so many elements that I really, really like. I’ve restarted the game three times so I haven’t finished it yet LOL. But it’s fun. I don’t know if I would say it beats BG3, but it’s a good game. Really polished. I love orb and dagger so much. I get to be a roguish mage!
I am happy for you liking this game so much. I also played all Dragon Age titles from the start as I did Mass Effect and eben Baldurs Gate. (Yes, I am that old) In my opinion, this game is not bad but okish. It has never the dark side and choices that older DA titles had and never even let you choose evil options. I wouldn't have chosen them, but being completly barred from them felt like contraining my rpg experience and I really hated it. That's where BG3 shined, with its own evil playthrough story. Graphics are really cool, that is true (best in all DA games, but was to be expected since the other games a far back in time technically). The disney like effect is likely meant toward the speech choices you have, which are always good. You are not allowed to disagree to your members answers or even tell somebody they should just stfo. (which I really really would have been able to sometimes). The dialogues overall were well..okish - beside the expections mentioned before. Origins had far better banter and dialogues imho. The combat system was cool, not too flashy (like in asian action-rgs) but agile and good. Here DA 4 really is the best of all DA games. Regarding to characters: I really dispised Tash. Not bk she was what she is, but how badly she was represented and forced upon you as a childish character. You cannot win the best possible outcome without having even her on hero status (and therefore force yourself through her subquests). And I did not wept during her story line as I think it was all her fault but I was not allowed to tell her but instead forced to support her. If somebody misbehaves I want an option to tell her/him/them and not being forced to lie. The other characters were nice, although some were really very childish in their views too. Never had a good british necromancer before, almost made me like necromancers. I am glad that there are ppl out there loving this game as it is. I had 3 playthroughs with 236 hours to get all possible options and choices checked and can't even put it halfway to BG3 (where I am at 1294 hours and still play it). Thank you for your well argumented review and have fun in Thedas! :)
You can always tell which reviews on, say, Metacritic are from people that didn't play more than the first hour ( if at all ). It's even more obvious when they're just looking for excuses to bash the "woke game". "Bad/childish writing" is a perfect subjective, general criticism because it's so subjective you can't really prove it to be disingenuous. And, hell, I do I even have to mention how many MetaCritic reviews are literally copy-pastes of each other? And so many Metacritic reviews are copy/paste. Lot of the RUclips reviews, the bias is obvious just from looking at the poster's other content. That said, there ARE valid criticisms of the game. Personally, I wouldn't rate it above BG3 or DA:O, but it is still a very solid game IMO. 8/10. Because I'm not one of those people who don't know how ratings work and thing anything below 9/10 is "failure", so I actually scale my ratings on an even gradient from 1-10 instead of toploading the 9 and 10 end of the ratings. Even BG3 and DA:O only get a 9/10 from me. A game would have to be life changingly amazing to get a 10 from me. ;) It's a shame the anti-woke crowd is so prolific and has gotten so sly about hiding their agenda behind weak, unfalsifiable claims that they're able to turn off the average consumer who doesn't look deeply into the content of the reviews and put too much trust in the user scores on sites like MetaCritic. I've seen a lot of people who were turned off by the reviews but convinced to give it a chance and wound up loving it. Thanks for being one of the voices of reason. Whether everyone agrees with your review or not, it's clear it's an honest review from the heart and not pushing an agenda.
Both. They are completely different games. One is a single player, party-based RPG, the other is an MMO with a single player story arc. Totally different. Both if you can :)
Nice detailled review !! Like i already said i am new to DA series , i got this game because 1) it was an Rpg , i look at some first review and it was so talk about in good or bad so i got the game. I am 35h in and this is an awsome game 9/10 i give it , so glad i bougth it !
jesus, finally a mature review that doesnt compare to the mythical false memory of DAO terrible mechanics. Also takes into account the cringe humor that has existed since DAO. 100% agree on Taash's arc. solid replayable game. IMO.
Before going in I did look at some of the reviews both by mainstream sites and independent reviewers. But I wanted to play it by myself before forming any opinion around it as I was really excited for it and I also completed all the previous ones leading up to the launch. So I got the game completed it by clocking in around 80hrs, and unfortunately at least for me the game fell short of expectations. I really like the world design, and combat, the ending was pretty well done as well along with the prologue, but those were the only moments which got me excited. Writing and dialogues felt off and awkward at times. Apart from Davrin I hardly felt any sense of connection with other companions. I also played around with different choices, but apart from one or two every choice just didn’t seem to had any major effect. Maybe I’m over analysing it but going into this game after playing all the previous ones, it was a bit of let down. Or maybe I’m no longer the audience for it anymore which is fine if Bioware is thinking about taking it in some other direction. Sad to say but if thats the case it might be my last DA game.
The franchise will move on without you, and those of us who are true fans will evolve with the company just as we've done since they made their first game. Ride or die with Bioware :)
I discovered you when I was looking for info about New World Aeternum on console and found your content very useful. I enjoy your review style, which seems to be very thorough and objective , like one of the others I follow Mortismal Gaming, and I'll be keeping an eye on your stuff. I've been playing through DA:V as a Spellblade on the Series X and it's smoothness has really kept me moving through the story. It's been fun so far, but I'm mystified as to when the internet became full of partisan groupthink crusaders esp. when it comes to games, is this a new thing to get upset about someone else's opinion or has it always been like this and I didn't notice? Keep up the good work!
I didnt see any of the Taash stuff. Her attitude rubbed me the wrong way. Thats probably part of her arc;:she probably grows up from a brat who doesnt appreciate her mum to a less self centered person, but i didnt do her side stuff and no there wasn't anything "woke" in the game i experienced.
Personally, Bioware has kind of lost me over the years. I think the last game I truly loved was ME3, so idk if this game will really be for me. That being said, I appreciate you going against the online discourse even for something I don't care a ton about. I found you from your Starfield videos, which is a game I do really enjoy and find the online chatter to be utterly ridiculous to the point of parody. Like it probably should be studied at some point as the prime example of everything wrong with online game discourse these days. Keep up the good word. We need more channels like this.
Have to disagree on the side quests being weak. I’m at 76 hours and about 3/4 into the main story, things like the Formless One, the Dock Town despair demon murders, and a handful others lead to some of the best boss fights (all are optional), not to mention the blight champions/revenants etc and where that leads. These are easily the best bosses I’ve had since Origins including how much I loved DAI high dragon hunting. Eppler had said the side quests were much deeper in prelaunch interviews and they all have threads to connect and add to the journey and reward good loot upgrades too. I tend to play completionist runs most every time, it’s worth exploring all options here and embracing it without a doubt.
I said SOME, not all, of the side quests =) I believe I specifically mentioned some of the chain quests were quite nice, but the ones that were "there's a bad guy who did this, kill it and fetch me this thing, here's your reward" were the weak point in that link.
Imagine if BG3 have real time combat, and Veilguard climax. Greatest game ever made. Initially i hate veilguard, then i play it cuz i just want to see how Solas arc wrap up. I LOVE the ending.
The person who closed their eyes you mentioned, that's why I can't respect their opinions anymore. It's one thing to genuinely not like a game, but another to be disingenuous. That person, I'm a positive as I can be that they're super salty they didn't get a code and decided they were going to find things they hate about it. Thanks for being honest. A friend of mine just finished and expressed agreeing with some of the most negative people, but at least he was honest that he wanted something else. There's also things he absolutely likes about the game. I just can't understand being stuck in the past and wanting everything to stay the same. I love when series change and evolve. I could understand if DA2 was Veilguard, but it feels like after 3 games this is what the og team were building up to.
I’m finishing up today, just got into the ending last night. I like the game a lot and it’s one of my favorites of the year. It does alot well from the loot to the combat and look of the game. The performance is also almost perfect. The only downside for me so far is the writing. Not that it’s bad per se. The main plot is really engaging and well written and the companions on the whole are pretty good. There’s just some moments that really missed for me companion wise and I felt disappointed by some of their quests. Getting to the end of them and being like “that was it?”. I romanced Taash and their romance is almost non existent throughout the game and is not present at all in their companion quest which was a real head scratcher. My partner is romancing Lucanis and she is also feeling disappointed because he spends the whole game ignoring Rook’s flirts and pursues NEve so it feels weird lol.
Thank you for the review, I was already dying to play this but when you brought up how many time you cried with the companion quests, I want to play even more :"D I'm a huge sucker for emotional stories.
So many lies being told about this game out there. The narrative that it’s not “dark”, that there’s no conflict between characters, that your choices don’t matter, that dialogue is all “marvel quips”, that the gameplay is shallow. All of it is completely untrue. It’s sad that a lot of people will never experience this amazing game because they listen to what dishonest people on the internet say. Or they will play it and won’t give it a chance. Gaming discourse in 2024 sucks. Hopefully with time when all the discourse has died down more people will decide to play it.
@thecounselingcouch68 Different strokes for different folks. It's a good thing that there are so many games. I enjoy both of these games, but I enjoy this game more. BG3 is has more consistent quality, but I find this one to be more entertaining as a game and more immersion. I always felt claustrophobic in BG3, this isn't open, but I don't feel like my shoelaces are tied together either like in BG3. Both very good games for different reasons.
@@animegamergeek1427 I hope that oneday more people have your mimdset. It's so sad that peolpe hate on youtubers like Renfail and mortismal gaming for liking this game.
Everybody got different opinions 😂 yea BG3 is a good game and I hear nothing but good things bout he literally say to him personally that it’s better then bg3
Spoiler : Thanks for your honest review. I started with origins. I can't lie as someone who is nonbinary i'm kinda annoyed as taash i know why they act how they act. But its really hard. I know they dont know how to process their émotion and was isolated all their life. Its a me problem. I really start to like them After their final qu'est with the mom... When i Saw how they process grief i finally understand. This is just an angsty teen with anger issues.
I am federally obligated to disclose if I am being compensated for a video, such as this one here ruclips.net/video/vpMIExz-6Cc/видео.html (I get called a shill at least 50 times a day. That word doesn't mean what many people think it mean lol)
I really, disliked a lot of this game and refunded, personally. I understand on your channel my opinion is probably not mirrored, but the fact that DA:V is in the GOTY discussion is why people question the integrity of game reviews/reviewers, in general. There are simply no metrics for this game to support a nomination beyond the big-corpo reviews; which have generated some obvious controversy. Going to be interesting to see how we explain this away if something like...Black Myth isn't nominated. I don't know, there is a strange feeling in gaming these days. Reviews feel like political strategy and the disconnect between gamers and "trusted sources" is larger than ever. That said, even though I didn't like the game, I am always happy to see people having fun. This is what is great about your channel; I always appreciate your professionalism and the way you bring the "youthful joy" to the games you play. As a 42 y/o gamer myself, this is what its (should be) all about!!. Thanks for the reviews! **Edit: so hyped for STALKER 2!**
Considering you can't refund a game on steam if you've played for more than two hours, your claim of disliking a "lot of this game" is simply an impossibility. You didn't play a lot of ANYTHING in less than two hours, considering this game has at least 60-80 hours of content at the base level. So yeah...
@@Renfail Hey there, thanks for the reply! I think my intention with that statement was that I disliked a lot of "what the game was bringing to the table", which I believe is discernable, objectively, in two hours. I agree, I didn't play "a lot of the game" if hours played is the only consideration. My apologies for the lack of clarity there, but I think the critique would be better served if I was attempting to the review the game; I am not. I leave that to the pros, like yourself. For reference, I also did the same 2- hour refund with Cyberpunk 2077--just not my vibe. Hopefully the rest of my comment didn't get lost in translation. Disagreement on that aspect aside, appreciate your content and I'm excited for the S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2 streams :D
Bruh nobody is telling you how to think, you are allowed to enjoy what you want without someone telling you some inane comment, go play bg3 lots of people around the world really enjoyed it , why constantly go after a game to fud it cause some youtubers are all in on a money making scheme of rage bait to make you rhiled up over nothin
@@Renfail aww lol. Hey listen man, in terms of someone being "triggered" (which gets thrown around to much nowadays anyways, its lost its relevance) my comment has to be at like a -3. Could what i have said been WAAAAY worse-sure, but i'm an adult on the internet. You stated a opinion so far from mine i simply as stated...Thanks for saving me time lol. it was as simple as that-for goodness sake i even said good day sir lol. Not everyone is "triggered" cause they leave a comment that doesnt rub with ya. Honest wish ya the best lol. I apologize?
How does a studio influence the rating of a game that it makes? What you are saying is that you discriminate games based upon the studios that made it.
i keep seeing peole comppllain about the wrtieng. but thats something i have to see forr myself [ can't play the game till next week] as everytime i hear people complain about something in a biware game it never bothers me.
@@Renfail this has been what i have done since atlest mass effect 3. bioware fans have never been hapy with thier games since mass effect 2 it feels like.
so you're intentionally scouring youtube looking for bad reviews, and you're angry you accccdentylly run into a positive one? what a weird obsession to have.. and how sad to be filled with so much vitriol. "Everyone is entitled to an opinion even if it's wrong I guess" - well at least you got that right :)
It’s impressive to see someone who not only takes the time to fully complete a game before reviewing it, but who also balances their insights with well-thought-out pros and cons. This approach adds a layer of credibility and gives the audience a full picture of the experience-something not always seen in reviews. The pros and cons are clearly grounded, giving readers a transparent sense of what truly works and what could use improvement. Keen to see more of your work especially with future games to come!!
Thanks so much! I'm a firm believer in playing a game to its fullest before I can give a balanced and fair review, and EVERY game has pros and cons....even GOTY games :)
@@Renfail You are a refreshing stroke of colour in the full picture of the games you play. Tu vales tu peso en oro!
I did not like this game at first Kept going back and forth on it. The more I played it the more it seems like I understood it. I’m now in love with this game. The more I play the better it gets.
great to hear
Personally, I don't review games in the traditional sense. I'm not particularly enamored with categorizing things against one another and I have a natural aversion to hierarchies, which I see as systems of control. So, for me, ranking this vs. that or even one game in the franchise against another is of low importance. I am an old surfer and rock musician, and my love for climbing trees or falling off perfectly good skateboards and motorcycles informs my preferences in games. I am primarily kinesthetic in my orientation toward games. How it "feels" to move my avatar in 2d or 3d space is of slightly more importance to me than any other criteria by which I judge (or choose) games. A great example is Conan Exiles. Because I can run, jump and catch myself on (almost) any surface, the game is something akin to a Spiderman title, insofar as how I move across the map and interact with my environment. Dragon Age the Veilguard gratifies that preference in the way I can move through the world space and interact with objects, whether through exploration (barrel breaking, combat). There is a sense of verticality that makes me want to try various things to reach points I see in various ways, and combat feels fluid enough that I can develop certain reflexive "moves" to engage and take down foes, such as jumping in, striking /comboing, dodging "out" through and enemy's hit box, and rolling back into strike from the flank or rear. (9/10)
The next most important component of gameplay for me is story. I recognize that story is your primary motivation and respect it, but if a game doesn't "feel" good to "play" (move through the world space) I can watch it on a monitor for the story and be perfectly satisfied. DATV does two things well with regard to story. First, it continues a lore journey I began with origins and continued through subsequent games because of the novel approach to elves and dwarves and how the later races (human and Qunari) exist within that framework. I started playing D&D in the late 70s when I was 10 years old, and I appreciate the story of the elder races in this game because it is so original compared to say, the Forgotten Realms or Warcraft, which are primarily Tolkien based. DATV is, for me, a story about wrapping up that lore in a satisfying way (elves are spirits who take bodies through their "interactions" with the titans and in doing so, reshape their world. Dwarves are the hive children of the titans who "broke off" from their unity because of the actions of the first elves, and so on. (10/10)
Secondary to the lore is the relationship stories. This includes how my character interacts with the primary story, their companions and romantic relationships and the returning cast of "demigods" and old "friends" in the player sense, if not the POV character sense, like Morrigan, Varric, Harding, Solas, and so on. I really enjoyed this aspect, even if it is not perfect. For example, I can't imagine my Rook, who has never met Morrigan, questioning her on her early love life, or relationship with her own son, though I would have LOVED codex entries hinting at some aspects of my choices from previous games. (7/10)
I played a Grey Warden Captain America warrior for my first playthrough. Elf, of course, because their racial story is novel and unique among fantasy games. My "canonical" playthrough is Solavellan and it was very emotional for me to see "my" inqusitor and Solas, reunited in DATV. My favorite companions had compelling story arcs. Taash softens in their bigotry and intolerance if you allow them to grow through their arc with their mother, Bellara grows up and learns to focus through their storyline with regard her brother, and so on. I particularly enjoyed the optional dialog and choices I had as a Grey Warden, like the Mayor in the first blighted town. Emmeric developed a greater appreciation of death that made his goals bittersweet, and so on. As in real life, I vibed with some personalities more than others, upon first meeting them. I truly appreciate how each companion evolved as a person throughout the story and found their arcs to be very satisfying, even if their overall personality isn't something I'd want to immerse myself with on a day-to-day basis (just like real life).
Finally, I didn't have much issue with boredom with regard to combat because I used the games usability and customization to match my own preferences more closely than the difficulty presets. This was largely due to the ability to crank incoming damage to my Rook "up" while dialing enemy sponginess "down," but also includes things like setting the combo menu to click instead of hold, turning off quest markers, and so on.
Like you, I can't wait for round two with a mage. (8.5/10)
It's awesome to hear how you connect with this game on such a personal level. Your love for the lore, especially the unique takes on elves and dwarves :) I know we've spoken on this elsewhere, but it really is one of the most unique takes on the "elves and dwarves" in fantasy RPGs.
Thanks a ton for this review! Have fun with your round two, I have yet to start my round one but soon
Thank you for this levelheaded and thorough review.
My pleasure!
Really appreciate your great Reviews. Almost feels refreshing finding someone who does not join in on all the Drama and just explains what is there and what is not and just enjoys games. Came for your AWESOME new world videos and now i am excited for your future Videos.
Thanks!
Awesome Review! I always love hearing from people who played through games.
I'm really looking forward to playing the game in future.
It's been so long, I decided to play the first 3 games before Veilguard.
Enjoy when you do!
this man knows 👌
Yep, I do :)
40 hours in, and I think this game is very good. All of the good elements overtake any criticisms I have. I have issues with some of the writing, and I wish they gave us more dialogue choices to shape our Rook a bit more personality wise in a granular sense, but overall this is a solid, high quality AAA action RPG that has so far been well worth the asking price.
The art style, the companions, the combat, the loot, the level design, the quests and exploration; it all works for me. I actively enjoy the gameplay loop to the point that I’m collecting all the chests and doing all the side content.
The combat is fantastic, and on Underdog difficulty cooldown management, parrying, and situational awareness are absolutely required, and midway through the game starts throwing more and more enemies at you. I also think the boss fights have so far been awesome.
I actually think BioWare nailed the linear level design, while still offering open zone exploration areas that give you more agency. It’s a huge step up from Inquisition and Andromeda.
The loot is very well designed, not only in efficiency (having duplicate loot items act as upgrades is fantastic), but also in satisfying progression, with the highest tier of loot offering up neat little gameplay changes to combat, like the item that augments your potion to send out attacking bees on nearby enemies.
I think it’s odd to compare this to BG3 though, because they’re completely different styles of RPG, and Larian and BioWare have completely different goals with their games, and will broadly appeal to different types of players. BioWare makes games aimed at the AAA mainstream audience, and their game design reflects that, while it was more of a crazy anomaly that BG3 broke into that same space and audience .
BG3 is one of my favorite games of all time, putting over 600 hours into it since it’s 1.0 release, and Dragon Age The Veilguard is just a different type of RPG. It’s way more like Mass Effect for sure, and I actually love that about this game. Hell, even the music has spacey synths.
I think there is space on the market for more action focused RPGs like The Veilguard that can be enjoyed on a less intense level than something like BG3.
It's got lots to enjoy :)
Thank you so much for your review. I absolutely agree with your opinion. Best game I’ve played this year and I played a lot. While ff7 rebirth lost me at around 40 hours even though I actually love that game, Veilguard has me so engaged that I don’t feel any tiredness while playing. It’s rare that a game has kept me hooked through out the game. 8,5-9/10 for me!
Glad you enjoyed it!
This is my first Dragon Age game, which I only started last week so have only played around 12 hours, but so far I'm loving it. I'm playing as a warrior, and am loving the combat. I saw another of your recent videos where you're playing as a mage, and I definitely want to try that out on my next play through! I'm excited about unlocking further skills/abilities in this game. Keep up the great videos!
Glad you enjoy it!
We play DA/ME in similar ways. I never try to 100% a game in 1 playthrough. I 100% across many playthroughs, playing the MC in a variety of ways. LOVED Veilguard! I'm thinking up my 3rd character now while I go through my 2nd game!
GREAT REVIEW! You got yourself a sub!
That's how you do it!
I needed time to recover from my first playthrough. My Rook fell in love with Harding and kept her close at all times. So those of you who know the end will know what that cost.
I had no idea. Having avoided all spoilers, it was all a huge surprise for me. And I did cry. Bittersweet doesn't even touch it. Omg.
I did actually get offered the "best ending". But after everything Rook had been through, He wanted to fight. And that ending was very satisfying.
This game was for me 10/10. My only criteria is fun.
Yes there were things I wanted that were missing (playing a city elf shadow dragon, and encountering zero prejudice and seeing zero slavery was the biggest disappointment) but I got so much out of this game that I can forgive that
Soooo good
Some people say this game looks too Disney, meanwhile some locations had me thinking this is what Hell probably looks like.
But but but what about the haters who say there's no grimdark!? (sarcasm)
It's been an absolute joy experiencing the game for the first time with you!
It was picked apart even before it's release. It's The game people love to hate. Even I have back and fourth on so many things as I've found out more. It's not perfect sure but at it's core, by that end game portion, I felt EVERYTHING❤🎉
*My grammar feels off I'm sorry🤣*
It really did feel awesome :)
I hear the last parts of the game close to end is crazy good I'm playing it now
Soooo good
I completely agree with you I overall am enjoying this game more than BG3 just because this type of gameplay is way more my speed.. I am loving this game and am 32 hours into my gameplay .. that is crazy that you finished at 76 hours that means I still have so much to look forward to .. love your channel!
thank you for beautiful and spoiler free review it warms my heart. I'm still early game and going real slow but enjoying every second!! 🥰
You're very welcome!
The game is actually pretty dam awesome I've been hooked tbh. Yes there is some bad dialogue but it's definitely a great time.
have fun :)
@Renfail oh I have been dude , I think the art style is absolutely fantastic. The gameplay is quick and the combos never get old. Just a brilliant experience so far...
Great review mate!!! Well done on the politics, you handle that section like a pro. I’m about 15 hours in and absolutely loving it. Every time I turn it off I want to play again, haven’t had that feeling since dark souls.
Soooo good
I agreed with just about everything you said. I wouldn’t put it over BG3 (or the Elden Ring expansion) but good lord that’s a high bar. There was a bit of a slog in the beginning, as you mentioned, but at some point around recruiting Emmrich j was completely invested. I did a 100% completion on normal mode and was slightly overpowered by the end. That worked too though. It seemed as if I should be powerful. Fantastic game. I wholeheartedly recommend it.
I think it's great that you did a 100% run!
@ I’m also a an older straight white male (with two boys in college) and all the ‘woke’ stuff just didn’t bother me. I’m happy enough for others to find a path in the game that helps them relate to Rook. And all it takes is me not clicking on a couple of options in character creation. I don’t get the angst. Agree on Taash’s character ark. I didn’t expect to get emotional, but damn if I didn’t. Still would pick Shadowheart’s first but it’s a close second.
I went with a Dagger and orb mage, with focus on elemental damage, ice, fire and lightning. when combat started getting a bit boring i would just refund my ability points and try out different stuff, that made it a lot more fun for me. I do wish there would have been a bit more enemy types tho, and i still dont really like how certain enemies look, but i doesnt really take away from the enjoyment. If you liked Inquisition then you will love Veilguard, it feels like its the game bioware always wanted to make.
I'm loving the mage so far!
great review, it's nice to hear an objective review of the game rather than getting on the band wagon like a lot of other people.
When I first started playing around 15 hours in my rating was a 5/6, but as I've played through the game more and done more of the companion quests and progressed the main story it's now up to an 8/10 and I am really enjoying it. I am now 42 hours in and looking forward to the ending all I've heard is good things story wise.
The main reason for picking up Veilguard was continueing Solas's story, he is one of my favourite characters in gaming and I loved DAO and Inqusition. The more time i've put into this the more the negative thoughts have started to dissipear, and for those who say the game isn't dark (no spoilers) there are plenty of dark themed moments.
Sooo many dark moments!
Well Said. I think that sums up my feelings. I’m about to head to Act 2 with two parallel save games ( one mage, one Fighter) and the complaints are so minor. Lost in the story. I feel like bad review scores are focused on comparing Veilguard to other DA games, and lose sight of how this game is so lore-affirming. I’m just partway thru the Regret of Solas quest line and the plot and story are a DA lore nerd nirvana. Honestly people who complain about some minor dialog issues and art style are truly losing the forest in the trees. 9.5/10.
Glad you are enjoying it!
Really enjoyed your nuanced review! Thank you! How I would love to watch your playthrough now, but don't want anything spoiled. The pain! xD I'm 120 hours in, still in Act 2, and although I have some issues with the dialogue writing at times, I love it to bits. I adore every single companion. Their banter is so cleverly written and makes me laugh so much. Warrior/Slayer gameplay is extremely fun. I can't wait to see how the story will continue to unfold but at the same time I'm dreading every step I take that brings it to an end. Whenever a game gives me that feeling, it's already a phenomenal game for me personally.
Nice! :) And thank you!
Almost 35ish hours in and just about to finish act 1. Playing on story mode due to my disability, and it's plenty challenging enough. So this will be my completionist playthru. Absolutely loving it, and already going for taash romance. Can't wait to see the full story play out. I'm totally invested
Enjoy the ride!
I completed the game last night and whilst there certainly are aspects of the game I didn't like such as the non binary (I have no issue with it, it becomes an issue when it's shoved down my throat and I feel like I'm being spoken to like a child). I enjoyed the game especially the ending I was so sad but also happy with my ending and I will certainly play the whole franchise from origins to veilguard again at some point.
Enjoy the ride
Great review !
Thanks!
This is probably the closest review of the game that I share an opinion with myself, and I appreciate you for saying it without worrying about all the backlash for it. I know some people aren't going to like what you said, and you explained why it is your favorite and why you like it better than other games. No game is perfect, and I'll agree that Veilguard isn't, but it is the most polished out of all the DA games to me. The game has a different art style that you have to get used to, but the overall world and graphics are beautiful. The game opens up more and gets better the further you get into it, which made it feel like Inquisition to me when you had to go back to areas later at either higher level or after certain story beats which I loved. I agree that the fetch quests can be a little annoying, but every single Dragon Age game had them, so you had more ways to level up or to gain power. I was worried it would be more linear than DAI, but it opens up way more the further you play it. I had some friends worried about it, but when I told them to keep playing, they realized the same thing as I did. The combat is great and takes time to get used to. You have to find the right mix of characters and figure out the primer and detonator system, which works well. I love the difficulty settings because it gives everyone the chance to experience this game. If it's too easy, turn it up, and if it's too hard, turn it down and enjoy the story. I had friends who couldn't beat BG3 or Dragons Dogma 2 because they couldn't get the mechanics down or just gave up and went back to easier games. If they all had the God mode option, especially for casual gamers, I feel like people would be less intimidated to play big RPG's that they would usually avoid because they didn't want to waste their time or money. The thing that bugs me the most is how people believe it's a woke propaganda game when it just has small parts of inclusivity. Besides picking pronouns at the beginning like a lot of other games and which you can skip just like you can with a certain characters quest ark. I recommend playing that ark because it's a lot deeper than I expected, but I understand that if you dont like that stuff, then you can just completely avoid it and enjoy the rest of the game. Too many people act like one character ruined the entire game, but most of those people were never really going to play it anyway. The last thing is the writing which I agree can be campy and too hand holdy with over explaining but I found that more towards the beginning of the game so I think it was meant to help out newer players to explain the lore to them but comes off weird to the diehard fans like us. The overall story is one of the best and makes you want to keep playing, which is what you want in an RPG. When you don't want to stop playing because you want to finish a quest or story that makes a great RPG to me. Sorry this was long, but if you dont explain your reasons, then you can't just say you like a game these days. There will be people that have a completely different view than I did which is fine and some people will agree with me but we shouldn't get mad and attack others for having a different opinion than our own. I hope people will avoid the noise from people hating on it that didn't even play an hour of the game just because they heard it was woke. If you give this game a chance, I believe most people will be pleasantly surprised and if you won't because of what you heard from a couple other reviewers than I hope you aren't missings out on a good game that you might have liked without all the negativity surrounding it. Also, this is my opinion on the game, which doesn't mean it's right for you, so hopefully you enjoy it as much as I did. 🎮 Thanks
Thanks for the thoughtful comment! And yes, haters are always gonna hate =P
It’s like you out my exact thoughts together in a way I never could. Amazing comment!
Perfectly put.
@RadioactiveRasp Thank you so much!!!! Thanks for taking the time to read it 😊
@KeironP1 Thanks for the comment and for taking the time to read it. I had to go in depth because if you don't, the haters will just say you're just shilling and can't give good reasons for liking it 😂.
Nice review lay out everything perfect gave your pros and cons glad you didn’t spoil nothing 😂 new subscriber
I am loving this game so far, better than I expected to like it. BG3 is different style game but still my favorite, and I feel all the companions are better in BG3. However, I am impressed with the companions in Veilguard also (And i Haven't met all of them yet). Draconis is my early favorite also. My biggest surprise was Bellara after hearing she was annoying; I am actually liking her character and haven't been annoyed yet. Very happy I got the game. Thanks again on the reviews.
You are welcome :)
Dang.. I have to make another playthrough with a Solavellan. i used to play as Male in all dragon age series so I had no relationship with Solas.
You are in for a treat!
I do find the writing a bit meh but I am indeed still in the first 10 hours, curious to see where it goes. Graphics and combat is amazing though, I'm hooked!
Have fun!
I have just one question: How would you compare this game to The Witcher 3?
Phenomenal
Game is so immersive. For me that is the most important game quality. BG3 is objecitvely better game but in this game I enjoy more. I don't find combat repetitive at all. It has a lot of diversity you can change skills, difficulty, abbilities...For me is 10/10.
Awesome!
Wow...
I just finished my first play through, playing on Underdog, clocking in at 96 hours with all side quests done except for a couple in Rivain bc I was at max rep (finally) and just wanted to finally get to the ending. (Some of the time isn't entirely play-time accurate as I did leave the game running a few times while I had breaks/got food etc, but defnintely still 90+ hours for me.)
I came to this game right on the end of a very thorough replay of Inquisition in which I romanced Solas, so also quite emotional lol. And while I definitely have some personal, very mixed feelings on some aspects of Veilguard, they stuck the landing with Solas, the overarching main story AND with Solavellan so hard, I genuinely only wish they could have both, along with the gods, had more screen time.
The companions were a bit hit and miss for me personally, my favourites ended up being Davrin, Bellara and Emmrich. I like Neve a lot but I wish that her 'protagonist moment' had a bit more OOMPH, and the one that surprised me most was Lucanis in just how utterly indifferent I felt about him. I like him well enough but damn, for me he really ended up just kinda...being there. I thought going in he was going to be one I ended up romancing based on his archetype, but he has no romantic chemistry with Rook whatsoever. So when Davrin came along and actually pulled out some rizz when I flirted him well...that was that. I was toast. 😂
Taash's story was quite well done and thoughtful, but it doesn't resonate for me at all, for various reasons, especially in the setting of Dragon Age. It's the game-makers setting so of course it's their right to do what they want with it, but modern western transgenderism being just 1:1 injected into this setting in the way it was, is as jarring as seeing someone show up calling themselves a Christian or Muslim. It also doesn't help that Weekes makes himself just a bit too obvious in all of it tbh. Either way, I just wish it was possible to discuss or criticize the subject, since it's a cultural form that is PART of our culture being reproduced in this way it should be ALLOWED to be discussed, in a way that's constructive and respectful, but reactionary morons have made it basically impossible.
Probably the most disappointing companion for me was actually Harding though, and I'm struggling with it because like you, her companion storyline had me in tears during basically every quest. But for me personally, the way it was handled was SO dissatisfying and this ties into one of my biggest genuine complaints about the game - the absolutely SHAFTING of the dwarves and the lack of a significant Dwarven faction, location or quest-related NPC's. The entirety of the monumental, gargantuan lore revelations about the dwarves and titans is just loaded solely onto poor Harding's shoulders and for me personally...it just wasn't enough. I'm genuinely sad about it. But I need more time to pull my thoughts together about that, and maybe I'll come to feel differently on future playthroughs.
I have some other quibbles and I do think some criticism of the dialogue is warranted, in that it definitely is quite stilted at the start and does then start to feel a BIT repetitive and stale towards the end, but I agree that it's mostly carried by strong performances all around. It's interesting because in terms of dialogue tone, the game that most often came to mind for me was actually Horizon Forbidden West. Rook, who I really grew to care for, isn't a character you really get shape as the player and they are very much put into an 'emotional support wine aunt' role within the team where you essentially act as the supportive sidekick to your companions on their journeys. I have a lot of other thoughts about this as well buttt...I need more time to get them in order.
Either way, it's a fantastic game but definitely not my favourite Dragon Age. I think that still goes to Inquisition for me.
I also played an Elven Duellist Rogue and I almost regret going into this class first because I'm convinced there's no WAY the other classes could be this fun to play. 😂I loved the combat and it never really became repetitive or a chore to me because I became so powerful + unkillable with all those adrenaline stacks in the late game that every enemy mob + boss I encountered just folded under my whirlwind of necrotic swords like wet tissue.😂
Edit: I also wanted to add, thank you for your measured review, I appreciated your thoughts.
Cheers
You know…I didn’t have any interest in Taash at first. I was excited to see their romance with my adorable Harding blossom but after I did the first little companion quest with feeding the birds, it was a struggle to not hit that flirt option.
Loved your review! I’m enjoying the game. There are so many elements that I really, really like. I’ve restarted the game three times so I haven’t finished it yet LOL. But it’s fun. I don’t know if I would say it beats BG3, but it’s a good game. Really polished.
I love orb and dagger so much. I get to be a roguish mage!
I'm glad you are enjoying it!
I am happy for you liking this game so much. I also played all Dragon Age titles from the start as I did Mass Effect and eben Baldurs Gate. (Yes, I am that old)
In my opinion, this game is not bad but okish. It has never the dark side and choices that older DA titles had and never even let you choose evil options. I wouldn't have chosen them, but being completly barred from them felt like contraining my rpg experience and I really hated it. That's where BG3 shined, with its own evil playthrough story.
Graphics are really cool, that is true (best in all DA games, but was to be expected since the other games a far back in time technically).
The disney like effect is likely meant toward the speech choices you have, which are always good. You are not allowed to disagree to your members answers or even tell somebody they should just stfo. (which I really really would have been able to sometimes).
The dialogues overall were well..okish - beside the expections mentioned before. Origins had far better banter and dialogues imho.
The combat system was cool, not too flashy (like in asian action-rgs) but agile and good. Here DA 4 really is the best of all DA games.
Regarding to characters:
I really dispised Tash. Not bk she was what she is, but how badly she was represented and forced upon you as a childish character. You cannot win the best possible outcome without having even her on hero status (and therefore force yourself through her subquests).
And I did not wept during her story line as I think it was all her fault but I was not allowed to tell her but instead forced to support her.
If somebody misbehaves I want an option to tell her/him/them and not being forced to lie.
The other characters were nice, although some were really very childish in their views too. Never had a good british necromancer before, almost made me like necromancers.
I am glad that there are ppl out there loving this game as it is. I had 3 playthroughs with 236 hours to get all possible options and choices checked and can't even put it halfway to BG3 (where I am at 1294 hours and still play it).
Thank you for your well argumented review and have fun in Thedas! :)
You can always tell which reviews on, say, Metacritic are from people that didn't play more than the first hour ( if at all ). It's even more obvious when they're just looking for excuses to bash the "woke game". "Bad/childish writing" is a perfect subjective, general criticism because it's so subjective you can't really prove it to be disingenuous. And, hell, I do I even have to mention how many MetaCritic reviews are literally copy-pastes of each other? And so many Metacritic reviews are copy/paste. Lot of the RUclips reviews, the bias is obvious just from looking at the poster's other content.
That said, there ARE valid criticisms of the game. Personally, I wouldn't rate it above BG3 or DA:O, but it is still a very solid game IMO. 8/10. Because I'm not one of those people who don't know how ratings work and thing anything below 9/10 is "failure", so I actually scale my ratings on an even gradient from 1-10 instead of toploading the 9 and 10 end of the ratings. Even BG3 and DA:O only get a 9/10 from me. A game would have to be life changingly amazing to get a 10 from me. ;)
It's a shame the anti-woke crowd is so prolific and has gotten so sly about hiding their agenda behind weak, unfalsifiable claims that they're able to turn off the average consumer who doesn't look deeply into the content of the reviews and put too much trust in the user scores on sites like MetaCritic. I've seen a lot of people who were turned off by the reviews but convinced to give it a chance and wound up loving it. Thanks for being one of the voices of reason. Whether everyone agrees with your review or not, it's clear it's an honest review from the heart and not pushing an agenda.
Cheers, appreciate it.
63 hours in. Still not finished. Work still getting in the way lol
Damn work!
Debating if I should get this or New World Aeternum? Any thoughts?
Both. They are completely different games. One is a single player, party-based RPG, the other is an MMO with a single player story arc. Totally different. Both if you can :)
Nice detailled review !! Like i already said i am new to DA series , i got this game because 1) it was an Rpg , i look at some first review and it was so talk about in good or bad so i got the game. I am 35h in and this is an awsome game 9/10 i give it , so glad i bougth it !
It's a great entry point to the series!
jesus, finally a mature review that doesnt compare to the mythical false memory of DAO terrible mechanics. Also takes into account the cringe humor that has existed since DAO. 100% agree on Taash's arc. solid replayable game. IMO.
Cheers!
Before going in I did look at some of the reviews both by mainstream sites and independent reviewers. But I wanted to play it by myself before forming any opinion around it as I was really excited for it and I also completed all the previous ones leading up to the launch. So I got the game completed it by clocking in around 80hrs, and unfortunately at least for me the game fell short of expectations.
I really like the world design, and combat, the ending was pretty well done as well along with the prologue, but those were the only moments which got me excited. Writing and dialogues felt off and awkward at times. Apart from Davrin I hardly felt any sense of connection with other companions. I also played around with different choices, but apart from one or two every choice just didn’t seem to had any major effect. Maybe I’m over analysing it but going into this game after playing all the previous ones, it was a bit of let down. Or maybe I’m no longer the audience for it anymore which is fine if Bioware is thinking about taking it in some other direction. Sad to say but if thats the case it might be my last DA game.
The franchise will move on without you, and those of us who are true fans will evolve with the company just as we've done since they made their first game. Ride or die with Bioware :)
Thank you for review!
I liked the game too, it's definitely my GOTY this year
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
I discovered you when I was looking for info about New World Aeternum on console and found your content very useful. I enjoy your review style, which seems to be very thorough and objective , like one of the others I follow Mortismal Gaming, and I'll be keeping an eye on your stuff. I've been playing through DA:V as a Spellblade on the Series X and it's smoothness has really kept me moving through the story. It's been fun so far, but I'm mystified as to when the internet became full of partisan groupthink crusaders esp. when it comes to games, is this a new thing to get upset about someone else's opinion or has it always been like this and I didn't notice? Keep up the good work!
It's a new thing over the past couple of years, and it's gotten worse and worse as time has gone on.
I didnt see any of the Taash stuff. Her attitude rubbed me the wrong way. Thats probably part of her arc;:she probably grows up from a brat who doesnt appreciate her mum to a less self centered person, but i didnt do her side stuff and no there wasn't anything "woke" in the game i experienced.
that's exactly her arc; angsty tean, to adulthood.
Personally, Bioware has kind of lost me over the years. I think the last game I truly loved was ME3, so idk if this game will really be for me. That being said, I appreciate you going against the online discourse even for something I don't care a ton about. I found you from your Starfield videos, which is a game I do really enjoy and find the online chatter to be utterly ridiculous to the point of parody. Like it probably should be studied at some point as the prime example of everything wrong with online game discourse these days. Keep up the good word. We need more channels like this.
cheers!
Have to disagree on the side quests being weak. I’m at 76 hours and about 3/4 into the main story, things like the Formless One, the Dock Town despair demon murders, and a handful others lead to some of the best boss fights (all are optional), not to mention the blight champions/revenants etc and where that leads. These are easily the best bosses I’ve had since Origins including how much I loved DAI high dragon hunting. Eppler had said the side quests were much deeper in prelaunch interviews and they all have threads to connect and add to the journey and reward good loot upgrades too. I tend to play completionist runs most every time, it’s worth exploring all options here and embracing it without a doubt.
I said SOME, not all, of the side quests =) I believe I specifically mentioned some of the chain quests were quite nice, but the ones that were "there's a bad guy who did this, kill it and fetch me this thing, here's your reward" were the weak point in that link.
This game is amazing. I'm excited for future of all BioWare games. I already bought my ticket for ME5 hype train.
Choo chooooo! I can't wait :)
Awesome review! I am curious, when you beat the game the first time, what level was your Rook?
49
I wasn't going to play because I saw every bad review, but you made me reconsider. thanks
You're welcome! Hope you enjoy it.
The game characters are a fucking joke, game is really bad when it comes to the characters, not even a damn companion is decent enough.
Great review! I have been wondering...what is the name/model of the chair you use during your long gaming sessions?
it's nothing more than a simple office chair off Amazon lol
Thank you for the quick reply 🙂
I was so moved when you cried during Taash quest ♥
Love those Background grunts!!🤣🤣🤣
Same!
The Solavellan ending made me ugly cry. It felt worth the decade long wait, and I didn't think that would be possible.
Ooooh I cried more times during this game than any other game I've ever played.
Thank you for the unbiased review. Could smash the subscribe button hard enough.
Glad to be of service :)
Stopped watching by "better than BG3" 7:10
Shrug
Imagine if BG3 have real time combat, and Veilguard climax. Greatest game ever made.
Initially i hate veilguard, then i play it cuz i just want to see how Solas arc wrap up. I LOVE the ending.
Yeah!
The person who closed their eyes you mentioned, that's why I can't respect their opinions anymore. It's one thing to genuinely not like a game, but another to be disingenuous. That person, I'm a positive as I can be that they're super salty they didn't get a code and decided they were going to find things they hate about it.
Thanks for being honest. A friend of mine just finished and expressed agreeing with some of the most negative people, but at least he was honest that he wanted something else. There's also things he absolutely likes about the game.
I just can't understand being stuck in the past and wanting everything to stay the same. I love when series change and evolve. I could understand if DA2 was Veilguard, but it feels like after 3 games this is what the og team were building up to.
Wholeheartedly agree
You ahould play dicinity original ains 1 and 2
I already have. Before BG3. They were good games. Not as good as this game :)
/agreed
Indeed :)
I’m finishing up today, just got into the ending last night. I like the game a lot and it’s one of my favorites of the year. It does alot well from the loot to the combat and look of the game. The performance is also almost perfect. The only downside for me so far is the writing. Not that it’s bad per se. The main plot is really engaging and well written and the companions on the whole are pretty good. There’s just some moments that really missed for me companion wise and I felt disappointed by some of their quests. Getting to the end of them and being like “that was it?”. I romanced Taash and their romance is almost non existent throughout the game and is not present at all in their companion quest which was a real head scratcher. My partner is romancing Lucanis and she is also feeling disappointed because he spends the whole game ignoring Rook’s flirts and pursues NEve so it feels weird lol.
interesting!
thank you for this level-headed and normal review! it's so appreciated online recently with all the inflammatory drama for engagement. subbed!
Yeah, trying to be sensible here :)
Thank you for the review, I was already dying to play this but when you brought up how many time you cried with the companion quests, I want to play even more :"D I'm a huge sucker for emotional stories.
Prepare yourself for the emotional rollercoaster!
So many lies being told about this game out there. The narrative that it’s not “dark”, that there’s no conflict between characters, that your choices don’t matter, that dialogue is all “marvel quips”, that the gameplay is shallow. All of it is completely untrue. It’s sad that a lot of people will never experience this amazing game because they listen to what dishonest people on the internet say. Or they will play it and won’t give it a chance. Gaming discourse in 2024 sucks.
Hopefully with time when all the discourse has died down more people will decide to play it.
It's hard to cut through the noise, but it's possible if you dig for the truth :)
This man just started WW3 by saying he liked veilguard more then BG3😂
Great games are great games, regardless of what came before :)
That was the moment I knew that we don't look for the same things in video games.
@@thecounselingcouch68 that's the beauty of different people, different games & different opinions
@thecounselingcouch68 Different strokes for different folks. It's a good thing that there are so many games. I enjoy both of these games, but I enjoy this game more. BG3 is has more consistent quality, but I find this one to be more entertaining as a game and more immersion. I always felt claustrophobic in BG3, this isn't open, but I don't feel like my shoelaces are tied together either like in BG3. Both very good games for different reasons.
@@animegamergeek1427 I hope that oneday more people have your mimdset. It's so sad that peolpe hate on youtubers like Renfail and mortismal gaming for liking this game.
Better than balders gate 3 wow!
Everybody got different opinions 😂 yea BG3 is a good game and I hear nothing but good things bout he literally say to him personally that it’s better then bg3
Spoiler : Thanks for your honest review. I started with origins. I can't lie as someone who is nonbinary i'm kinda annoyed as taash i know why they act how they act. But its really hard. I know they dont know how to process their émotion and was isolated all their life. Its a me problem. I really start to like them After their final qu'est with the mom... When i Saw how they process grief i finally understand. This is just an angsty teen with anger issues.
EXACTLY they are an angsty teen with anger issues and that has to get sorted out :)
Careful man, you'll be accused of being a company shill..lol
I am federally obligated to disclose if I am being compensated for a video, such as this one here ruclips.net/video/vpMIExz-6Cc/видео.html
(I get called a shill at least 50 times a day. That word doesn't mean what many people think it mean lol)
The word shill has lost its meaning nowadays
😂😂😂@@Renfail
Is there a new game plus mode after you beat it ?
Nope
I really, disliked a lot of this game and refunded, personally. I understand on your channel my opinion is probably not mirrored, but the fact that DA:V is in the GOTY discussion is why people question the integrity of game reviews/reviewers, in general. There are simply no metrics for this game to support a nomination beyond the big-corpo reviews; which have generated some obvious controversy.
Going to be interesting to see how we explain this away if something like...Black Myth isn't nominated. I don't know, there is a strange feeling in gaming these days. Reviews feel like political strategy and the disconnect between gamers and "trusted sources" is larger than ever.
That said, even though I didn't like the game, I am always happy to see people having fun. This is what is great about your channel; I always appreciate your professionalism and the way you bring the "youthful joy" to the games you play. As a 42 y/o gamer myself, this is what its (should be) all about!!.
Thanks for the reviews!
**Edit: so hyped for STALKER 2!**
Considering you can't refund a game on steam if you've played for more than two hours, your claim of disliking a "lot of this game" is simply an impossibility. You didn't play a lot of ANYTHING in less than two hours, considering this game has at least 60-80 hours of content at the base level. So yeah...
@@Renfail Hey there, thanks for the reply!
I think my intention with that statement was that I disliked a lot of "what the game was bringing to the table", which I believe is discernable, objectively, in two hours.
I agree, I didn't play "a lot of the game" if hours played is the only consideration. My apologies for the lack of clarity there, but I think the critique would be better served if I was attempting to the review the game; I am not. I leave that to the pros, like yourself. For reference, I also did the same 2- hour refund with Cyberpunk 2077--just not my vibe.
Hopefully the rest of my comment didn't get lost in translation. Disagreement on that aspect aside, appreciate your content and I'm excited for the S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2 streams :D
I agree, dragons dogma 2 was extremely repetitious for combat.
Better than bg3? You're tripping bad.
Even if you love the game thats just a bad take
You and I are playing COMPLETELY different games.
@Renfail it's fine that you like VG, but you have to admit every RP aspect is better in BG3.
Veilguard is more of a action adventure in that regard
@@Aambr094 Nope. I don't have to admit anything. Your reality is not mine. We are playing COMPLETELY different games.
@@Renfail tbf reality should be the same for everyone. Play what you want but be truthful. Truth is BG3 is better at being an rpg.
@Aambr094 nope. It's simply one of many options
Veilguard is better than baldurs gate 3-thank you for saving me approximately 22mins. Good day sir.
Triggered much?
Bruh nobody is telling you how to think, you are allowed to enjoy what you want without someone telling you some inane comment, go play bg3 lots of people around the world really enjoyed it , why constantly go after a game to fud it cause some youtubers are all in on a money making scheme of rage bait to make you rhiled up over nothin
@@Renfail aww lol. Hey listen man, in terms of someone being "triggered" (which gets thrown around to much nowadays anyways, its lost its relevance) my comment has to be at like a -3. Could what i have said been WAAAAY worse-sure, but i'm an adult on the internet. You stated a opinion so far from mine i simply as stated...Thanks for saving me time lol. it was as simple as that-for goodness sake i even said good day sir lol. Not everyone is "triggered" cause they leave a comment that doesnt rub with ya. Honest wish ya the best lol. I apologize?
How does a studio influence the rating of a game that it makes?
What you are saying is that you discriminate games based upon the studios that made it.
I love the things I love. Do what works for you.
i keep seeing peole comppllain about the wrtieng. but thats something i have to see forr myself [ can't play the game till next week] as everytime i hear people complain about something in a biware game it never bothers me.
Ignore them and find out for yourself. I personally loved it :)
@@Renfail this has been what i have done since atlest mass effect 3. bioware fans have never been hapy with thier games since mass effect 2 it feels like.
Just happy he'll be moving on to a different game soon.
Suck it up, buttercup. We play what I want on this channel, not what you want :)
@@Renfail Thanks, I had a suspicion about you which you now confirmed. Goodbye sir.
@@flekmatik Kisses and hugs!
Worst review RUclips has recommended so far. Everyone is entitled to an opinion even if it's wrong I guess
Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering. Come back from the dark side, my friend. Come back to the light.
so you're intentionally scouring youtube looking for bad reviews, and you're angry you accccdentylly run into a positive one? what a weird obsession to have.. and how sad to be filled with so much vitriol. "Everyone is entitled to an opinion even if it's wrong I guess" - well at least you got that right :)