Before the reviews drop for any major game release, there’s always this tension. After all those months, sometimes years, of hype, teasers, trailers, previews, potential demos, Reddit threads, and gameplay showcases, we finally see what critics think. Whether it’s a relatively new IP like Black Myth: Wukong or an exclusive with an established character, like Astro Bot; a remake like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth or a remaster like, well, The Last of Us 2 Remastered, where the critical reception lands is something many await with bated breath.
However, something is different with Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Perhaps it’s because this is one of the biggest games of the year, but it goes beyond that. This is the first single-player title from BioWare since the disastrous Mass Effect: Andromeda in 2017. It’s the studio’s last major release since the even more disastrous Anthem. For Dragon Age fans, The Veilguard is the first new title in the franchise since 2014.
Then one must consider how big of a deal this is for the development team. Between the rumored reboots, confirmed direction changes, departures of key creative people and management, and name changes, Dragon Age: The Veilguard has come a long way over all these years. However, the reviews (at the time of writing this feature) are out and…it’s an 84 Metascore based on 51 critical reviews on PS5. The PC version is at an 80 based on 24 reviews, while the Xbox Series X/S has a whopping 93 Metascore based on five critical scores.
Overall, it’s not bad. Upon checking Metacritic’s rankings of the best games in 2024, The Veilguard is the 60th best-reviewed title this year. However, what’s become more interesting is the diversity of the reviews and the responses to them.
Despite a clear majority of the critics recommending the title, impressions are fairly divided on its quality. IGN gave it a 9 out of 10, praising its combat, companions, writing, and choices, saying it “refreshes and reinvigorates a storied series that stumbled through its middle years, and leaves no doubt that it deserves its place in the RPG pantheon.” Eurogamer went with a five out of five, praising many of the same elements while proclaiming it as “the strongest and loudest answer BioWare could have mustered for the people still doubting whether it could do it.”
However, you also have the positive but not quite as glowing, like GameSpot, who went with a seven out of ten for its review-in-progress. While it praised the environments, character creator depth, companions, and combat (depending on the class), it called protagonist Rook “listless”, found the character designs lacking, and disliked playing as a Mage. Nevertheless, it closed by saying that The Veilguard feels like “BioWare making a good BioWare game again”, and that’s something to be happy about.
Then there are the more mixed reviews, like The Guardian, which called the story “the least interesting” thing about the game and its gameplay “by the numbers.” It also felt Rook lacked a personality of their own. While praising the companions, the writing quality is noted to “vary wildly”, and players shouldn’t expect the same level of banter as in Dragon Age: Inquisition. It ended by calling this a “perfectly enjoyable RPG, but an underwhelming Dragon Age game.”
These are only a handful of reviews, but each has pretty distinct takes on why they like or dislike the game (even unique reasons for why Rook feels underwhelming). Some have pointed out the distinct lack of grim content like in Dragon Age: Origins, while others called it “warm and welcoming, funny and hopeful.” Where one found the absence of something to be a key demerit, another took what was given in a positive stride.
As expected, the responses are pretty varied as well. Some are happy that it isn’t a complete disaster like BioWare’s last few efforts, while others champion the negative takes and question the positives. None of this should be surprising, but it bears repeating: Everyone has their own opinions, which they’re entitled to.
If there’s such a wide range, whether it’s positive or negative, it indicates just how the latest title affected them differently. Some may have gone in with fond memories of the older games but kept their minds open. I can relate, having recently played Ys 10: Nordics, and, though I had fun, I found it less enjoyable than Ys 8: Lacrimosa of Dana or Ys 9: Monstrum Nox in terms of story-telling, world design, and combat. Does that mean everyone who gave it a positive review is wrong? No.
It’s also not surprising to find those who didn’t like the game’s art style or the lack of dark content. Look at the initial reception to Baldur’s Gate 3 when its alpha gameplay first debuted. Believe it or not, a significant contingent of players didn’t like it and were vehemently against it. Of course, there are plenty who found more to love about Dragon Age than its dark subject matter, but the point is that everyone approaches these things differently.
If the combat isn’t doing it for you in the most challenging settings, but someone else finds enjoyment in Story difficulty, neither of your experiences is invalid. Very few games can cater to everyone’s whims and desires because everyone is different, down to how they want events to play out or characters to behave.
That’s probably why one of the most negative reviews for The Veilguard encouraged others to seek other positive points of view. It’s not because you should listen to differing perspectives just for the sake of it, but self-awareness that their word isn’t the absolute truth. What may nag at and disappoint one person doesn’t apply to everyone else, as with every other piece of media and art in the world.
Meanwhile on Steam, Dragon Age: The Veilguard is the second best-selling game right now, even ahead of Monster Hunter Wilds, which has a beta coming to all platforms this week. Does this mean most people didn’t read the negative reviews or only focused on the positives? Did they only see the Metascore and decide, “Good enough,” before putting down $60 for the PC version? How many pre-ordered The Veilguard the second it became available and are avoiding everything to experience it for themselves first-hand?
Reviews aren’t the be-all, end-all of opinion and discourse. They’re opinions from those who spent sufficient time with a game and provided their perspective on it, breaking down each aspect. You can disavow them just as easily as anyone would ignore your opinions. Even if it has reviewed relatively well, I don’t know if Dragon Age: The Veilguard will financially succeed. If it is, who’s to say if that’s enough for Electronic Arts or not? And how will that affect the studio’s approach?
Regardless, as a fan of the series and RPGs, I’m excited to play The Veilguard. I hope it’s a great game, even if it falls short in some aspect or another. And regardless of what anyone else thinks, isn’t that all anyone can really ask from any game, irrespective of someone else’s opinion?
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.