Do uni homework and prepare presentations :/
I‘m on my way to the cinema to watch Anora. What are your plans for tonight, if you have any?
>effective but no fun because it's too easy to kill like this, thus it's more boring
<a true gaming pro (unlike you the retard) would think of this, the subhuman thinks of ac
you are a fucking smellard, as in smelly retard
i never said i had to use catnip, i only suggested it as an option for a handicapped smellard gollum like you
I feel like I should hold off on forming a full opinion until I finish it, but here’s what’s bothering me so far (I'm 17 hours in, 2 of which were spent in character creation)
0. it’s missing the elements I’ve always loved about DA games - engaging companion interactions that make you genuinely care about them and continuity with choices from previous games (example: when Morrigan appears, she introduces herself but makes no mention of the Fifth Blight or the Hero of Ferelden, which feels disconnected)
1. it treats the player like they can’t figure things out on their own - something happens, and then the game immediately explains it (example: you choose a drink preference at a café with a companion, and the screen announces, “companion X will remember your favorite drink”; just show it by having them remember and order it for you later!)
2. the combat is a nonstop series of dodges, rolls, and flashy effects; playing as a mage, I sometimes can’t even get a hit in because I’m too busy dodging, with enemies locked onto my character and ignoring my companions
3. (it's not a big spoiler, but if you want to go in blind I suggest not reading this part) previous installment built up the big bad for this game and he's completely sidelined, and by the way, Solas is just misunderstood and had good intentions, and now he's actually helping you, because he's such a good shiny Egg; I hope something happens with that before the game concludes because I'm annoyed
with that said, I don't think it's a bad game, I just expected something more from a Dragon Age game
Veilguard undermines the entire legacy of the series. the ending rewrites the story by introducing a shadowy organization that, apparently, was behind all major events since Origins. this one group is now suddenly responsible for everything, from Loghain's decision at Ostagar to the chaos in Kirkwall. even Corypheus (who was lame to begin with, but still had agency) is diminished as a villain because he's portrayed as a mere puppet of this organization. it's like they took all the complexity and personal motivations of these characters and tossed them out the window.
the twist about Varric being dead the entire time? it makes no sense. there's a scene where Harding walks in on Rook "talking" to Varric and doesn't even comment on it. she just watches Rook talk to empty air and thinks that's fine. also, none of Varric's friends (Isabela, Morrigan, Dorian) mention it? there's no funeral, no grief, nothing. and if Solas is able to manipulate Rook's mind to hide Varric's death, why wouldn't he just use that power to stop Rook from going after him altogether? it's as if the writers didn't bother to make it make sense.
it also doesn't help that they've completely wiped out or annihilated most of the main settings and characters players have come to care about over the years. Denerim and Redcliffe are gone, Orlais is decimated, and Ferelden is practically razed. major characters like Alistair, Anora, and the Warden? their fates are vague at best. it's like nothing we did in previous games matters. even with all our choices and the alliances we forged, the story plows through everything as if it's all meaningless. it's like the writers are wiping the slate clean for the next game.
and don't get me started on companions. they have almost zero chemistry with Rook. it's ironic that Rook seems to have the most connection with Solas, who's one of the antagonists. there's no real depth in Rook's relationship with the others, and it feels forced, like the game is struggling to build the same bonds we saw with Inquisitor, Hawke or Warden.
then there's the character of Taash, who's supposed to represent the game's trans storyline, but it's handled so clumsily. Taash is incredibly frustrating, acting more like an angsty caricature than a fully developed character, and it just feels like they're using trans issues as a box to check off. I hate it because DAI handled representation well; we had trans and gay characters, but their whole identity wasn't reduced to their sexuality or gender. they were complex individuals with unique stories. Taash, on the other hand, feels like a stereotype, and it's disappointing and harmful.
it's not a bad game, but it's a bad Dragon Age game. just like Andromeda was a bad Mass Effect game.
It has been 10 years since BioWare made a game that is universally considered as great. Anthem bombed pretty hard, and apparently now Veilguard bombed as well.
If the new mass effect game won't be a success, BioWare will be in real trouble if they are not already.
But I doubt that the people that were responsible for the great games of the past work there anymore.