- Hashem Habibian
- 2024-12-14
- 11:29 pm
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Bio Ware
Release: Oct 31, 2024
Reviewed on: Xbox S/S
One could consider the Dragon Age franchise as one of the most influential titles in the RPG genre within a dark fantasy world. However, the bitter events and controversies that have plagued the well-known Bioware in recent years have caused fans of the Dragon Age series to lose hope for its new installment. Now, we must see if Bioware has managed to meet the expectations of Dragon Age fans with Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
The game’s story practically continues from the previous installments, starting with Solas’ decision to destroy the Veil. The gamer plays as a character named Rook, who is tasked with ending the chaos and turmoil created by Solas. From a narrative design perspective, the game bears no resemblance to its predecessors. Not only is the atmosphere and setting far removed from classic dark fantasy titles, but even the dialogues and characterizations lack depth. The dialogue choices are quite shallow and trivial, and despite having good voice actors, this void is not filled.
The game’s narrative is not limited to dynamic dialogues and environmental storytelling. Music, along with level design, carries another part of the game’s storytelling atmosphere. Unlike the environmental storytelling and dialogue choices, Dragon Age: The Veilguard excels in music and level design. The narrative not only crafts epic boss battles but also transforms the exploration of the game’s world into a captivating storybook. The puzzles woven into the game further enrich the experience by revealing fragments of the intricate subplots.
In summary, Dragon Age: The Veilguard tries to stay faithful to the story of previous installments in the series, but this effort is underdeveloped, and the narrative structure fails to depict the deep dark fantasy atmosphere as effectively as previous titles in the franchise.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s gameplay has undergone significant changes compared to previous titles in the series. We no longer see the tactical and NPC-driven approach. While you always have at least one companion in battles, assigning tasks to deuteragonists (companions) is straightforward due to the intuitive user interface, allowing the combat to remain primarily focused on the main character. It’s no exaggeration to say that the combat has evolved towards a hack-and-slash style, which I see as a definite advantage. Modern gamers crave more engaging and dynamic combat experiences, and this shift has made the gameplay more accessible and enjoyable even for those who are new to the franchise.
One notable change is the removal of the ability to switch to secondary characters and manage their tasks. The variety in each companion’s (deuteragonist) abilities and the skill tree designed for both the main character and companions allow you to create diverse builds. This variety in combat, combined with the abilities of companions, enhances the game’s replay value and prevents fatigue during gameplay.
The game’s sound design perfectly complements the gameplay pace, defining the rhythm of the levels. In typically safe areas, the background music serves as a guide, alerting you to approaching danger before anything else. The pinnacle of sound and music design is reached during combat, where the background music energizes you, and the excellent sound effects make your attacks feel more impactful.
However, a significant drawback is the game’s inconsistent visual design. While Veilguard showcases beautiful visual effects, and no significant frame drops from a technical perspective, the color choices and enemy designs do not align with a dark fantasy title.
In this context, it’s worth mentioning that if this game was not a continuation of the Dragon Age series, we could praise its artistic graphics. However, despite the acceptable technical visuals, the artistic choices are the Achilles’ heel in storytelling and atmosphere creation for a dark fantasy title.
In summary, Dragon Age: The Veilguard heralds the revival of Bioware, and we can expect this well-known studio to return to its glory days in the future. However, it’s clear that Veilguard, despite its positive aspects, bears little resemblance to a Dragon Age game, but it is still a good game that you shouldn’t miss out on.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard Review
In summary, Dragon Age: The Veilguard heralds the revival of Bioware, and we can expect this well-known studio to return to its glory days in the future. However, it’s clear that Veilguard, despite its positive aspects, bears little resemblance to a Dragon Age game, but it is still a good game that you shouldn’t miss out on.