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 explores the game's innovative features.

Larian Studios' Publishing Chief Showers Dragon Age: The Veilguard with Acclaim

Baldur’s Gate 3 Executive Calls The Veilguard a Focused and Enjoyable Experience

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 resorting to playing it behind his backpack at work!

Douse highlighted The Veilguard's clear sense of purpose, stating it "truly knows what it wants to be." This focused approach contrasts with previous Dragon Age installments, which sometimes struggled to balance narrative and gameplay. He likened the game's experience to a "well-made, character-driven Netflix series," avoiding the drawn-out feeling of a "heavy, 9-season show."

The Veilguard's combat system also earned Douse's praise. He described it as a "giga-brain genius" blend of Xenoblade Chronicles and Hogwarts Legacy. This departure from the slower, tactical combat of earlier Dragon Age games aligns The Veilguard more closely with the fast-paced action of BioWare's Mass Effect series.

Douse emphasized The Veilguard's pacing, noting its "good sense of propulsion" and its ability to balance impactful narrative moments with opportunities for players to experiment with their character builds. This represents a departure from the more traditional RPG structure of its predecessors. He even commended BioWare's continued industry presence, deeming it vital amidst "moronic corporate greed."

However, Douse's most compelling observation centers on The Veilguard's newfound identity. He considers it "the first Dragon Age game that truly knows what it wants to be," a statement that, while potentially critical of past titles, is ultimately positive. He clarified, "I’ll always be a [Dragon Age: Origins] guy, and this isn't that," indicating that while it differs from the original, The Veilguard's distinct vision is commendable. In short, Douse concluded, "it’s fun!"

Dragon Age: The Veilguard's Rook Character Offers "True Player Agency"

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

Character creation emphasizes meaningful choices, ensuring that backstory and combat specializations 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 likely contributed to Douse's positive assessment, particularly the emphasis on impactful player choices. With The Veilguard's October 31st release, BioWare hopes players will share Douse's enthusiasm. Our review, awarding the game a 90, praised its embrace of "the faster pace of the action RPG genre" and its more fluid and engaging gameplay compared to its predecessors.