When you hear the term ‘RPG,’ what are the first few thoughts that cross your mind? What about the genre, as a whole, are the most compelling reasons why it is such a popular gaming categorization? It’s a big question, to be sure. Role-playing gaming is so massively diverse and encompasses so many calibers of games and virtual experiences that it’s nigh impossible to fairly state what aspects make it the titan of the industry that it is today without leaving something out that one game may have, but another does not - it boils down to preference.
Now…Dragon Age: The Veilguard. The next mainline title and upcoming sequel in the Dragon Age video game series was finally shown to us in a tangibly consumable capacity during the recently passed Summer Games Fest, and theaudience reactions have been unagreeable, to put it mildly.
My Inquisitor’s Romance With Dorian Better Be Acknowledged In Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Let love prevail instead of having my hero run away…again.
I admit, as a fervent Dragon Age follower since Origins, I was also somewhat surprised at the direction BioWare chose to take with the look of the game, but once my initial surprise wore thin, I re-watched the 20 minutes of gameplay demonstrated fastidiously, and I found a lot within this sequel to be excited about.
The particular mission used to show off the primary feel of the game was questionable if the intent was to highlight more than the combat-focused appeal, but that’s not to say there wasn’t anything else to take note of. It was also a good move to begin the showcase with the aging fan-favorite rogue, Varric Tethras, as well as being sure to communicate the urgency and seriousness of the continued plotline from the previous game, Dragon Age: Inquisition, rather than throwing us in the middle of some miscellaneous side mission. With this showcase, BioWare did more than highlight the graphical fidelity, they pre-baked the tone of what this title could potentially be: darker, a story of friendship strained by opposing ideals, and the fate of all known reality hanging in the balance.
Most immediately and seemingly everyone’s biggest gripe has been with the graphics. I’m not going to pretend I don’t understand the dismay at going from what felt like an oil painting in motion in Dragon Age: Origins to a more modern, polished mobile game CGI trailer visual aesthetic in the span of four games, but I’m also not the type to look for the bad in something new and unfamiliar simply because it isn’t what I’m used to, rather than trying to understand why that change may have been made or how it may better fit the artistic direction.
When thinking about such big changes, it’s important to remember that developers do discuss these things at length beforehand and that the changes are very deliberate, so I have been urging my peers who have been off-put by the change to consider if the new look may serve to make the transition to this faster-paced gameplay appear more fluid and natural, or even if the previous art styles potentially limited the story elements and narrative tones attempting to be delivered at large.
Everyone’s opinion is their own, of course, and they are entitled to it. I simply hope to inspire others to approach objects of scrutiny from multiple perspectives rather than being trapped in nostalgia if that nostalgia is skewing something they hope to enjoy (in this case, a very popular long-running series we’ve all been looking forward to) as negative when it isn’t quite necessary, especially when none of us have gotten our hands on the game yet.
The other prominent points of contention have been the apparent linear level design and the new slate of companions. What was shown in the gameplay reveal was most definitely a main story mission, so we can say with confidence that, like Dragon Age: Inquisition, once a mission begins, its objectives must be completed in a successive order until it is complete and the rest of the game is available again. This is the case with most action-focused video games and it’s been preceded in countless successful RPGs to date, which is why it threw me a bit to see the backlash and the disapproving comments regarding the set route Rook (the player protagonist) took in the reveal when making their way towards the mission’s objective(s). That’s when I made the connection that folks were up in arms about thewayRook was progressing through the level rather than the level itself, meaning the combat. I’ve some thoughts on that, too.
BioWare Needs To Bring Consequence Back In Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Make my choices break my soul again BioWare.
My first thought was, “Oh!This combat looks like an updated Dragon Age 2!” and I, being a fan of that title as well, continued watching, contently enjoying the callback to another of the title’s ancestors (Varric’s introductory game, in fact). This was, unfortunately, not a shared sentiment en masse, though I can understand that as well. With many of the fans' public outcries writing off the punchy, hack-and-slash combat approach The Veilguard has taken, the general response by fans seems to be a disappointment.
The tactical camera combat option also appears to have been removed entirely, which was a central foundational pillar and appeal of Dragon Age since its conception. This, I can agree, is a blow and a decision I don’t understand. It’d be like taking out the dialogue tree options but still incentivizing you to speak with all the notable NPCs for relationship progression. Though not the series' original idea, the tactical cameraisDragon Age, and it’s a gigantic leap of faith to have it gone. However, as each mainline entry into the series so far has stood the test of time and taken up space in every room they’ve entered, I believe BioWare has earned enough faith in the Dragon Age series that we, as a fanbase, should grant them that faith, at least until we feel how it plays for ourselves.
The new companions set to join us during our adventure have also gotten their share of sidelong glances, and I am among them. They say not to judge a book by its cover, and I’m not judging, per se, but this is also a fantasy RPG world where a character’s appearance is typically the first clue you receive in understanding a character’s personality, motivations, and beliefs. Maybe it’s the new art style, maybe it’s the gaudy outfits, I don’t know, but none (aside from Varric) of the revealed companions immediately appealed to me, personally. That’s not to say I’m closed off to learning about any of them, nor will I approach them with misgivings or apprehension when I meet them in-game myself, but the trailer reveal did little to spark any sort of spurring intrigue in the kind of way that the Inquisition companions did.
Somewhat conflictingly, however, I respect each character’s design asgoodcharacter design, specifically in how it meshes with the new art direction the game has taken. Each of the designs does a great job of displaying what each character stands for, advertising their allegiances, and hinting at personal traits; none of the designs are lackluster in any sense. When you take each companion and picture them in motion alongside Rook within the game, none of them feel out of place, and the potential for interpersonal relationship expansion is palpable. With the new abundance of factions being introduced in Veilguard, the diverse team is just as necessary a decision to propagate the recurring theme throughout the trailers of unifying ideologies against a greater threat.
Given the climate and using deductive reasoning, I think the rejection of these new characters is less about them not meeting some sort of invisible standard and more about them being unfortunate collateral damage as part of a gameplay reveal that was already being hit with mass disapproval. These companions have just as much potential (if not more) to be as loveable a cast as each iteration of Dragon Age has delivered us prior, and we honestly have no reason to think that they won’t. True, none of them hit me with the same shock and awe I felt when I watched Vivienne first strut into frame with her ice magic or Iron Bull charge headstrong into battle, all scars and eyepatch, but that’s hardly a reason to dismiss any of them, especially with designs this good. I am alsoveryintothe little griffon that one grey warden companion had. So we’ve got that going for us.
Let’s Not Pit Dragon Age: The Veilguard Against Baldur’s Gate 3
It’s apparent that Larian Studios and BioWare are going on their own paths. Let’s respect that.
Interestingly, with the gameplay reveal, I was alsoreminded of another title that received a similarly cold reception: Final Fantasy XVI. When Clive Rosfield (FFXVI protagonist) burst onto the scene in a spur of flame, sword sparks flying and the gigantic Eikon battles taking center stage with the game’s showcase, many of the long-time fans were left befuddled by the game’s stark contrast from the other turn-based combat-centered titles that also advertised deliberation and tactical decisions. Even the popular recent run of theFinal Fantasy7 Remake series boasts a blend of live and turn-based combat, with abilities running on a cooldown system and the positioning of party members left up to player choice. FFXVI, however, received a more lukewarm response due to its pure real-time action combat, the inability to swap or control other characters in the party, and the exceedingly linear mission progression system - all traits and early warning signs shared by the Dragon Age showcase.
In spite of this, from a rather objective point of view, I would argue that Final Fantasy XVI was a stunning addition to the series. I can only say this as a person not particularly bogged by nostalgia, as I have only ever played the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, 15, and most recently 16, but as it stands alone, FFXVI made for an absolutely thrilling action RPG. I feel that it is because I lack the nostalgia for this series that I was able to truly appreciate the chance the developers took in moving away from what the fans are used to and instead delivering an experience defined by its flashy swordplay, fantastical transformations, andlarger-than-life high fantasy battles monster battles through gritty, real-time combat.
It was during my mental comparison of these fan reactions that I began to understand where the disconnect lies. The gap between the audiences that enjoy turn-based RPGs and live-action RPGs is more akin to an abyss than a simple split in the road. Transitions between the two are not unheard of nor are they doomed to be ill-received, but they must be approached with careful consideration and over time if they are to be met with warm appraisal. Final Fantasy 7 Remake is a good example of this. The blend of turn-based and real-time was accomplished elegantly and did not steal from the momentum nor the tonality of the game while still keeping nostalgic fans happy, which is another factor that makes or breaks this discrepancy.
Were Veilguard a new IP, I have no doubt that it would have had amuchdifferent viewer response to everything shown in the gameplay revealed (FFXVI as well), but because this is the continuation of a long-awaited series, fans have had their fingers crossed hoping to see more of the elements that had them fall in love with the series in the first place amplified and revitalized, not (appearing) gutted and rebranded. While I don’t think that the changes to the status quo will sink the game or throw collective endearment off of the game, initial impressions are bound to be apprehensive or cautious only because the game has a lot to live up to.
All that said, Dragon Age: The Veilguard is still going to be a day-one buy for me, regardless. My interest in seeing the story’s conclusion is strong enough on its own to warrant a purchase out of me even if I weren’t feeling the direction the game is taking (thankfully, I’m more open to it than my peers). Call me crazy or too hopeful, but I’m going to let myself believe this one will be every bit as enthralling as Inquisition (a.k.a. my most played game with 1543 hours) and pray that my possible delusion will be enough on its own to shield me from any potential shortfalls. In any case, Veilguard is sliding onto shelves in the Fall, which is shaping up to be a pretty stacked season in more than a few ways. I do hope by then they put the hair back on Varric’s chest, though.
