Unseemingowl

This is an unfinished game. The recipe would have worked 99% of the time with most bakers, but this time, the bakers didn't use a scale, added applesauce instead of sugar, and mixed up baking soda for baking powder and it's all soggy in the middle. It's technically edible.

BADS:

I used to think the opening premise was ridiculous but now it's actually not, there's not really any other way they could have begun a new game. The disagreement with Solas is how he's tearing into the fade so it's inevitable. The primary issue is how the story treated it. Accidentally releasing the gods and their horrors into the world because you think you're saving the world is a mistake not unlike the one Solas is making himself. This mistake could have bound Rook and Solas, and actually made the regret prison he tricks you into make more sense and given it a more constricting feeling on the gamer. Unfortunately, Veilguard barely wants Rook to feel any sort of guilt for this. I saw maybe 2 mentions. And it's not even a part of the regret prison. Oh my god what a glaring omission this is. It hangs over every single conversation in the game. Rook you should not be sleeping at night.

The characters needed to hate each other more. The fucking therapy talk, the teamwork friendship talk, even the compliments the characters give you when you fight are so fawning. Like stop brown nosing me oh my god. Naruto would tell these characters to fucking settle down and not dattebayo so much. It's wild because I used to not really like Neve, her reaction to saving Treviso (which is frankly the only real choice there) is silly, but by the end out of all the characters she felt more like an actual dragon age character because she has an issue with you and you guys go on quests and grow to solve it. Everyone else just likes you and you do CBT together. I'm also convinced these characters used to hate each other more and have more story in the writer's room once upon a time because you can pretty easily pinpoint where each of them would have major issues with the other. Neve and Lucanis especially should be sorer against each other over Treviso versus Minrathous. Taash and Emmrich (one convo lol), Lucanis and Davrin (two convos), even Bellara and Davrin (not delved at all despite Bellara and him having pretty different feelings towards the ancient elves). Lucanis should have been able to be wary of Taash for a bit. Davrin is a Warden and the Wardens have a lot to address lol. Harding deserved to be angrier at the gods/ancient elves/ancient elven anything and have her questline mean something. It didn't lol (T_T). It's just not explored. And there's no excuse for it because it could have been explored during all the therapy speak. Almost all the choices and the deaths felt cheap, even the deaths of the minor characters like Bellara's brother. The choices weren't easy I'll give them that, they just weren't very good and didn't really enrich the story and give it the sense of urgency you get in previous games.

also no elfroot to collect? ok then.

you should have been able to romance the butcher

no post game quests or anything is diabolical sorry.

GOODS:

Solas :D tricking me so much he's sooo silly love that guy.

Characters do have potential enough that you can get some enjoyment out of it, and the voice actors were truly excellent at delivering despite the source material. The best example of this is that I chose Bellara to deactivate the runes in the endgame and when she goes on the throne and frees Solas to kill the archdemon it's so satisfying to see an elf in particular do that. If only there was a richer storyline where the significance of that could be supported and made it even more consequential.

The dodge mechanic sucks so bad but every other fighting mechanic is more satisfying. I actually did have fun fighting enemies and doing quests (there should have been more quests). It really is fun enough to get you to finish the game. Most of the graphics and the set design is lovely. Boss battles were really fun. I loved the blight pimple popping sound effect. I loved the lyrium dagger swishy sound effect. I'm sorry but I do like the Griffon storyline it just should have been one section of Davrin's story though not the whole thing.

It would have made the dynamic between Rook and Solas’ so much more interesting if they’d engaged with the responsibility Rook carries for how badly things fell apart in the beginning. And it would have made the antagonism more personal because they see their own great failure reflected in each other. Instead it just becomes another part of the case against Solas, because he’s such a liar who lies. I mean, he does, but the fact that he was involved in every original sin of the elven empire does seem a bit much, y’know?

Now correct me if I’m wrong, but as far as I recall, you can’t tell any of the companions to leave or make them so angry they leave on their own accord.? I mean good on everyone for keeping the eye on the ball, I guess, but come on. Realistically, both Lucanis and Neve should leave permanently once their respective cities are not chosen to be saved. Well, Lucanis I guess I could understand that he sticks around since he’s made a vow and all, but Neve? It’s out of character for her to return. The fact that she does is so indicative of how the character writing is so focused on making the player feel good rather than the character be compelling in their own right.

The worst part of the game actually is that I can see how it could have been excellent. Like the foundations are there, and there is enough to like that I feel truly distraught that it’s not better. Like, the sacking of Weishaupt is the best sequence in the game imo and genuinely thrilling, the concept of the Veil Jumpers as a faction is legit interesting, as is the Shadow Dragons. A lot of the side characters are really cool. Arlathan Forest looks great. And Solas and Lavellan got resolved.

Ultimtely though, I do feel bad ragging on it, since I know it must be rather devastating for a lot of the developers to see the hate it got after they worked so desperately to salvage the game after all the iterations that it got put through. But, it really is so mediocre so much of the time and full of nonsensical or hamfisted writing.

I'm not sure if that tracks, but if Blood of the Dawnwalker and then Witcher 4 are gonna lean into the traditional friction-full rpg style and then become succesful on top of Kingdom Come 2 getting its flowers last year, I think I good case can be made for Europeans carrying the torch for that style of games.

This is an unfinished game. The recipe would have worked 99% of the time with most bakers, but this time, the bakers didn't use a scale, added applesauce instead of sugar, and mixed up baking soda for baking powder and it's all soggy in the middle. It's technically edible.

BADS:

I used to think the opening premise was ridiculous but now it's actually not, there's not really any other way they could have begun a new game. The disagreement with Solas is how he's tearing into the fade so it's inevitable. The primary issue is how the story treated it. Accidentally releasing the gods and their horrors into the world because you think you're saving the world is a mistake not unlike the one Solas is making himself. This mistake could have bound Rook and Solas, and actually made the regret prison he tricks you into make more sense and given it a more constricting feeling on the gamer. Unfortunately, Veilguard barely wants Rook to feel any sort of guilt for this. I saw maybe 2 mentions. And it's not even a part of the regret prison. Oh my god what a glaring omission this is. It hangs over every single conversation in the game. Rook you should not be sleeping at night.

The characters needed to hate each other more. The fucking therapy talk, the teamwork friendship talk, even the compliments the characters give you when you fight are so fawning. Like stop brown nosing me oh my god. Naruto would tell these characters to fucking settle down and not dattebayo so much. It's wild because I used to not really like Neve, her reaction to saving Treviso (which is frankly the only real choice there) is silly, but by the end out of all the characters she felt more like an actual dragon age character because she has an issue with you and you guys go on quests and grow to solve it. Everyone else just likes you and you do CBT together. I'm also convinced these characters used to hate each other more and have more story in the writer's room once upon a time because you can pretty easily pinpoint where each of them would have major issues with the other. Neve and Lucanis especially should be sorer against each other over Treviso versus Minrathous. Taash and Emmrich (one convo lol), Lucanis and Davrin (two convos), even Bellara and Davrin (not delved at all despite Bellara and him having pretty different feelings towards the ancient elves). Lucanis should have been able to be wary of Taash for a bit. Davrin is a Warden and the Wardens have a lot to address lol. Harding deserved to be angrier at the gods/ancient elves/ancient elven anything and have her questline mean something. It didn't lol (T_T). It's just not explored. And there's no excuse for it because it could have been explored during all the therapy speak. Almost all the choices and the deaths felt cheap, even the deaths of the minor characters like Bellara's brother. The choices weren't easy I'll give them that, they just weren't very good and didn't really enrich the story and give it the sense of urgency you get in previous games.

also no elfroot to collect? ok then.

you should have been able to romance the butcher

no post game quests or anything is diabolical sorry.

GOODS:

Solas :D tricking me so much he's sooo silly love that guy.

Characters do have potential enough that you can get some enjoyment out of it, and the voice actors were truly excellent at delivering despite the source material. The best example of this is that I chose Bellara to deactivate the runes in the endgame and when she goes on the throne and frees Solas to kill the archdemon it's so satisfying to see an elf in particular do that. If only there was a richer storyline where the significance of that could be supported and made it even more consequential.

The dodge mechanic sucks so bad but every other fighting mechanic is more satisfying. I actually did have fun fighting enemies and doing quests (there should have been more quests). It really is fun enough to get you to finish the game. Most of the graphics and the set design is lovely. Boss battles were really fun. I loved the blight pimple popping sound effect. I loved the lyrium dagger swishy sound effect. I'm sorry but I do like the Griffon storyline it just should have been one section of Davrin's story though not the whole thing.

It would have made the dynamic between Rook and Solas’ so much more interesting if they’d engaged with the responsibility Rook carries for how badly things fell apart in the beginning. And it would have made the antagonism more personal because they see their own great failure reflected in each other. Instead it just becomes another part of the case against Solas, because he’s such a liar who lies. I mean, he does, but the fact that he was involved in every original sin of the elven empire does seem a bit much, y’know?

Now correct me if I’m wrong, but as far as I recall, you can’t tell any of the companions to leave or make them so angry they leave on their own accord.? I mean good on everyone for keeping the eye on the ball, I guess, but come on. Realistically, both Lucanis and Neve should leave permanently once their respective cities are not chosen to be saved. Well, Lucanis I guess I could understand that he sticks around since he’s made a vow and all, but Neve? It’s out of character for her to return. The fact that she does is so indicative of how the character writing is so focused on making the player feel good rather than the character be compelling in their own right.

The worst part of the game actually is that I can see how it could have been excellent. Like the foundations are there, and there is enough to like that I feel truly distraught that it’s not better. Like, the sacking of Weishaupt is the best sequence in the game imo and genuinely thrilling, the concept of the Veil Jumpers as a faction is legit interesting, as is the Shadow Dragons. A lot of the side characters are really cool. Arlathan Forest looks great. And Solas and Lavellan got resolved.

Ultimtely though, I do feel bad ragging on it, since I know it must be rather devastating for a lot of the developers to see the hate it got after they worked so desperately to salvage the game after all the iterations that it got put through. But, it really is so mediocre so much of the time and full of nonsensical or hamfisted writing.

“I guess I changed too.”

“You haven't changed. You just think you have.”

“So here's my question... Have you changed, Ada?”