To say I am not particularly enthused in regards to the long-awaited new Dragon Age sequel, The Veilguard, could be a little bit of an understatement. As a longtime collection fan, the brand new sport simply does not appear to have the look, the appeal, or the RPG depth I am after in comparison with earlier entries.
Coming from that perspective, I’ve seen an uncomfortable development in the best way BioWare builders have been speaking in regards to the mission: that’s, dogging on the outdated video games to make the brand new one sound cool.
It is significantly noticeable throughout a run of latest GameInformer interviews, as a part of their actually in depth unique take a look at the sport. For instance, talking in regards to the battle mechanics, Mark Darrah (guide on the sport and former government producer on the collection) says: “Earlier Dragon Age video games bought to the realm of ‘fight wasn’t too unhealthy’. On this sport, the fight’s really enjoyable.”
As a longtime BioWare veteran who labored throughout the entire collection, Darrah’s greater than entitled to his perspective, however maintain on now. I feel Origins’ extra old skool, strategic fight was actually enjoyable, and I am fairly certain I am not the one one. DA2 and Inquisition’s fights had been higher than merely serviceable, too, and the place I do assume they had been flawed, it was principally in how they reached for a extra action-heavy really feel—precisely the type that The Veilguard is leaning into extra strongly than ever, as seen within the gameplay reveal.
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In talking in regards to the sport’s companion characters, his feedback get even stranger: “The factor that’s so wonderful about Veilguard is that is the sport the place we lastly mentioned out loud that BioWare’s best energy is telling tales by way of characters. For those who go all the best way again to Baldur’s Gate 1, Baldur’s Gate 2, these video games are telling tales by way of characters, however there wasn’t an intentionality behind that.”
Once more he is the person who would know—Darrah’s historical past on the studio goes again a lot additional than Dragon Age—however the notion that that is the primary time BioWare has ever “deliberately” informed tales by way of characters is baffling to me.
“On this sport, we’re lastly placing that intentionality in the beginning,” he goes on to say. “Placing the characters first, constructing the sport round that, round these character moments, which is admittedly the easiest way that BioWare is aware of inform tales.”
I am unable to say that gels with my expertise as a participant of BioWare’s RPGs in any respect, and significantly not the Dragon Age collection. All that point spent interacting with characters, following their private tales, romancing them, seeing their response to occasions—none of that was deliberately telling tales by way of characters?
Positive, these character arcs have at all times revolved round some world-ending menace, however The Veilguard is as deep within the realm of scary darkish lords as ever, with one other latest interview revealing that beloved character Solas—who chances are you’ll keep in mind was the titular character of this fourth Dragon Age sport for years, when it was nonetheless referred to as “Dreadwolf”—is actually changed as the primary villain of the narrative shortly after an introductory mission by two historical elven gods we have by no means even met earlier than. Although supposedly extra intentional about characters, The Veilguard’s battle seems to be to be pushed by extra huge, magical, inhuman huge bads like Origins or Inquisition had. In the meantime, Dragon Age 2 was deeply character-driven, telling a extra private story about its personal forged of misfits that made a lot of them breakout fan favourites regardless of the sport’s general combined reception.
Even previous character designs obtain a refined dig, with artwork director Matt Rhodes suggesting they had been intentionally simplified in comparison with what The Veilguard is doing. “The earlier artwork director had the mindset we should always make issues simpler for [cosplayers], which I feel is a misunderstanding of cosplayers,” he says. “We have seen the sort of challenges they’re prepared to tackle, and so we have gone for, in some circumstances, a degree of complexity and element that I hope a number of them are excited to rise to the problem for.”
It is onerous to see that as a difficulty within the memorable authentic seems to be of characters like Morrigan or Varric—and equally, all I might assume once I first noticed the admittedly extra detailed companions of The Veilguard is that they give the impression of being extra just like the forged of a hero shooter than an interesting adventuring social gathering. If that is an enchancment, it is one I nonetheless should be offered on.
I am being over-sensitive, I do know, however after a reveal that already felt alienating to many longstanding followers, in addition to a decade of excessive profile failures from the studio, this method appears foolhardy. Darrah is a BioWare veteran, however he is solely consulting on the sport, not main it, and through the years we have seen many excessive profile departures in addition to a mass layoff in 2023. Within the wake of Anthem and Mass Impact Andromeda, I feel it is wholesome to query whether or not the studio nonetheless has what it takes.
Quotes like this converse to an unearned vanity to BioWare’s messaging that I’ve famous earlier than. There’s at all times going to be a level of hyperbole to the messaging a studio places out about an upcoming sport, but it surely looks like on this case we’re getting boasts the place what we actually want is reassurances. Speaking up the failings of its predecessors solely serves to focus on all of the methods The Veilguard is diverging from them—and that is precisely what’s making it so tough to consider that this generally is a satisfying sequel.