Dragon Age: The Veilguard “Truly Knows What it Wants to Be” Praises BG3 Exec

Larian Studios' Publishing Director, Michael Douse, recently lauded Dragon Age: The Veilguard, offering high praise for BioWare's latest action RPG. This article delves into his assessment and highlights key aspects of the game.

Larian Studios' Publishing Chief Showers Praise on Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Baldur’s Gate 3 Executive Calls it a Dragon Age Game That Finally "Knows What It Wants To Be"

Michael Douse (@Cromwelp on X), the publishing director at Larian Studios (creators of Baldur's Gate 3), expressed significant admiration for Dragon Age: The Veilguard. He revealed playing the game "in complete secrecy," even jokingly admitting to playing it behind his backpack at work.

Douse highlighted The Veilguard's focused design, stating it "truly knows what it wants to be," a refreshing change from previous Dragon Age installments that sometimes struggled to balance narrative and gameplay. He likened the game's experience to a "well-made, character-driven, binge-worthy Netflix series" rather than a sprawling, lengthy epic.

The game's combat system also received significant praise. Douse described it as a "mix of Xenoblade Chronicles & Hogwarts Legacy," calling the blend "giga-brain genius." This departure from the slower, tactical combat of earlier Dragon Age games positions The Veilguard closer to the action-oriented style of BioWare's Mass Effect series, emphasizing fast-paced, combo-driven attacks.

Douse further praised The Veilguard's pacing, noting its "good sense of propulsion and forward momentum," and its ability to balance impactful narrative moments with opportunities for players to experiment with their character builds and abilities. This represents a departure from the more traditional RPG structure of its predecessors. His praise extended to BioWare's continued industry presence, emphasizing its importance amidst "moronic corporate greed."

However, the most striking observation was Douse's characterization of The Veilguard as "the first Dragon Age game that truly knows what it wants to be." While potentially perceived as criticism of previous entries, Douse clarified, "I’ll always be a [Dragon Age: Origins] guy, and this isn't that." He acknowledged that while it lacks the nostalgic charm of Dragon Age: Origins, The Veilguard possesses a distinct and respected vision. In his words, "In a word, it’s fun!"

Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s Rook Character Offers “True Player Agency”

Dragon Age: The Veilguard aims for deep character immersion through the Rook, a customizable protagonist with extensive personalization options. According to an Xbox Wire feature, players have considerable creative control over their Rook's background, skills, and alignment. The Rook's quest involves assembling a party to confront two ancient Elven gods threatening Thedas.

Character creation emphasizes meaningful choices, ensuring that backstory and combat specialization align with the player's vision. Classes include Mage, Rogue, and Warrior, each with unique specializations (e.g., Spellblade for mages). Personalization extends to the Rook's home, the Lighthouse, allowing players to decorate rooms to reflect their character's journey.

"As you do, Rook reminisces about their history before the events of the game," a developer told Xbox Wire. "This let me define more about my Rook—even down to choices I thought were incidental, like why he has face tattoos. The result is a character who truly feels like mine."

This focus on detailed character development, and the impact of player choices, likely contributed to Douse's positive assessment. With The Veilguard's release on October 31st, BioWare hopes players share Douse's enthusiasm. Our review awarded Dragon Age: The Veilguard a score of 90, praising its embrace of "the faster pace of the action RPG genre" and its "more fluid and engaging" gameplay compared to its predecessors.