The Veilguard report warns OG fans of what awaits them

A New Dragon Age: The Veilguard report has warned OG fans that the new Dragon Age game will be nothing like the previous ones, especially Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age 2. This was somewhat apparent between the change in art direction, the change in gameplay, and the fact that only three decisions from Dragon Age: Inquisition carry over to the new game, and none from the previous two games. However, if there was any doubt about it, it will be suppressed in a new report.

The report comes from YouTuber Neon Knight, who claims to have gotten his hands on the new BioWare RPG early on, presumably at a recent press event, where he spent seven hours with the game. And according to the YouTuber, the new Dragon Age game is more or less a soft reboot.

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“So with Dragon Age: The Veilguard, I think there have been many attempts to convince the general public that this game is something that it actually isn’t, to convince you to dismiss the evidence of your eyes and ears, what you’ve seen in trailers and previews, and believe that the Dragon Age DNA in Veilguard, and especially the gameplay, is more than a very thin coat of paint,” said Neon Knight. “And as someone who played the game for about seven hours a few weeks ago, I think my position here is that this is not the case. A thin coat of paint is more or less exactly what Veilguard has to offer long-time fans, and serious, level-headed discussions about this game are completely hampered by what seems like an almost universal refusal to just say that out loud.

As the YouTuber says, there’s somewhat of a denial among hardcore fans that the new Dragon Age game isn’t what anyone expected for over a decade. It may end up being a great game, but it’s certainly a new direction for the series in more ways than one.

The art direction and lack of any meaningful connection to previous games is most apparent, but the change in direction is most apparent in the gameplay, something Neon Knight confirms after experiencing it himself.

“Combat and exploration is in full swing, or at least 85% God of War 2018 worship. This new Dragon Age is all about the action: building up a rage meter to release an ultimate release, getting perfect parries, shield throws, talismans that activate special abilities, plenty of pots to break and chests to open, the YouTuber said. “You get it, the point is that someone really liked God of War 2018 and said, ‘Why don’t we just do that and be done with it.’”

It’s also evident in the tone of the game. Some of the marketing material so far, as well as some of the game text that has been shown, shows a game that is a bit more intense than previous games. And this is a direction BioWare is heading. Banter and gags have always been a part of BioWare games, which do a great job of navigating the silly and serious, but in Mass Effect Andromeda we saw this crop up a bit, and not executed all that well either. It also seems to pop up a bit in The Veilguard. To that end, the YouTuber notes that the tone reminded him of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy.

“BioWare does this very strangely with Veilguard. On the one hand, it’s a direct sequel with a number of returning characters in prominent roles. But on the other hand, it’s a soft reboot that tries to minimize any direct ties to the past in an effort not to turn off non-Dragon Age fans,” the YouTuber concluded.

Only time will tell if these concerns are valid, but they are not isolated concerns. Many Dragon Age fans share similar concerns to varying degrees. After BioWare’s latest games, there is also simply fear that it can no longer deliver the goods, something it has not done for ten years. In light of this, and at this point, it seems like Dragon Age: The Veilguard is in danger of becoming yet another clumsy effort from BioWare.

H/T, that park square.