Where does DA go from here?
DA: The Veilguard. Man, where do I begin? The highs can be pretty high, and the lows are definitely quite low.
Whether or not the art style jives with you, this is some of the best - imo - production value I've seen from an RPG in a long time from facial animations, settings, etc. Props to BioWare for that. The zones feel independent, unique (also gorgeous) and really give you an insight to the cultures and people there. I enjoyed exploring for awhile until it felt almost Inquisition-grindy. I couldn't push forth too far into OG Inquisition for its engagement mechanics, which were pathetically Ubisoft-esc.
The classes - though few - feel very distinct from one another. Unfortunately, I don't see that driving me for another playthrough as combat becomes fairly grindy and repetitive especially on higher difficulties where enemy health is jacked up to no end. Playing as a rogue has been a good time, and I'll give praise to BioWare for allowing the player to freely respec their character at will. I've tried Duelist, Saboteur, and Ranger builds and have enjoyed all three for their variance on gameplay.
There are some great voice actors, but we know the writing isn't good. Said writing is PG-13 or pushing PG at times. I found myself enjoying the moment more than the actual dialogue except with Solas, I'd say. He was always enlightening to chat with. Enjoying the moment in dialogue in this game is more so enjoying the visuals and production values stated above. The companion stories DAV range from fantastic to needing to be completely reworked or removed from the game (obviously not happening). I'm a progressive and inclusive guy, but Taash's story feels so incredibly forced that I actually had to cringe. BioWare shit the bed on this. I don't care what race, orientation, etc. a character is, but to drag a player down some HR-infused storyline is bad writing - very bad.
IDK, man. DA has never had an entry even remotely close to another. DAO is one of the best games of all time. DA2 was massively rushed by EA and suffered for it. DAI tried to mix 1 and 2 alongside some heavily grindy mechanics. DAV succeeded (somewhat) with its combat model but lacked BioWare's legendary writing. It's a series that has a serious identity crisis. I hope we see another one, but I doubt it.
197 comments · 73% upvoted · other discussions
What might those be? Why single those 2 out?
It's done pretty much the exact same way as DA2 and the devs stated they used that game as a base for alot of things in Veilguard.
I personally found going out and doing things with your companions to get to know them to be far more organic than running around your home base after every mission, to see if new dialogue unlocked. It felt alot less gamified and like you were interacting with real people.
Because that's not how this game communicates information it doesnt lore dump on you, walk around the Hall of Valor, run around the Rivain coast with Taash and you will learn alot about Rivain and its culture. This game doesnt communicate in the same exact way as previous games its told through environmental storytelling, ambient dialogue, and banter.
The lack of devolpment is almost as if they fired his writer 18 months before the game launched, oh wait that's exactly what they did. Not properly dealing with what it means to have an abomination as a companion is a recurring issue with the series with Wynne it gets treated as a non issue and with Anders it treated as a non issue until he blows up the chantry and even than that is still arguebly just Anders and not Justice.
While I agree that the ending is a little iffy of Taash's quest, this is entirely misreading what Taash's quest I'd actually about, it's not "don't label me" but more a story of individuality and finding your own place in the world feee from outside expectations.
Maybe it's because I'm Ace and so far have only romanced Taash but I personally found Veilgaurd to have better romances than Origins and 2, and arguebly better than Inquisition.
This one I dont understand because everytime I see it brought up it's because people clearly missed something. They bring up that they train and use minors to do thier dirty work and they talk about how they are just contract killers, it's just spun through a filter that an aristocracy of a assassin guild would spin.
I felt the exact same way with Inky so I'm not to concerned, I'm just happy they actually have a personality unlike the Inquisitior
TootlesFTW 27 points · Apr 2025 · Purple Hawke
I'm singling them out because they are the game director & lead writer & a lot of my issues have to do with narrative and story decisions. I acknowledge that there's a lot else going on that was an EA directive, but I am not addressing those issues since I know that wasn't in their control. Many stuff was, though.
My problem is that it's not you talking to them, it's your companions talking amongst each other. Rook always felt like they were peeping in through a window at a party they weren't invited to, and you don't get any chance whatsoever to ask questions.
I'm asked to make a weighty life choice for Taash without any input from them about their thoughts regarding Rivain or the Qun. I can infer things, but at no point can I actually discuss what they like or dislike about each aspect of their life in the unique situation they're in. Versus the other games where you can sit & chat with each companion for 10+ minutes. The dialogue is so limited, and everything else is left to companion banter that you can't interact or engage with.
And I've argued this point, as well. We're seeing the Crows at the very top of the pecking order in DAV, so I can swallow the fact that everything suddenly seems very PG-rated for a league of assassin killers...(even though it's extremely disappointing that they never let the player actually delve into the grittier issues). But paired with the complete revision of Tevinter, it comes across as way too squeaky clean and feels like a deliberate choice to make the game more palatable.
My Inquisitor can be a straight up asshole to my companions to the point where they leave the Inquisition, or even physically assault them. I generally play nice and have never done this myself, but I had the option. Rook is practically on rails.
Contrary45 -8 points · Apr 2025
But you leave out John Eplar the Narritive and Creative director on the game?
Most of the time its 1 on 1 time with rook how is that talking amongst each other when the only other person besides Rook there is the companion you are interacting with
And you do the same for many other companions in the previous games and in Veilguard itself. You solely decide who is the be divine in Inquistion, you solely decide who is to be king/queen in Origins, you soly decide if Emmrich should give up his dreams to face his fear or let go of a loved one. These kinds of choices exist all through out the series where the companion has 0 input it's nothing new.
What revision, Tevinter is still ruled by mage supremacists, slavery still very much exists in the game world, the racism is so bad there is mention of a Qunari having to wear a hood to hide the fact he is Qunari. These all exist in game
TootlesFTW 22 points · Apr 2025 · Purple Hawke
Sure, you can add him. I was essentially saying they need someone with a strong narrative direction to lead the game. I am basing this on the dip in writing consistency from DAO-DAI to DAV (though I also acknowledged DAV still had some excellent writing). The only difference that I can attribute is the loss of Gaider & change in the team leads. I'm not attacking anyone.
A good majority of information you can learn about the companions comes from banter they have with each other. You cannot just walk up and join the conversation, even if you have follow up questions or it directly involves you (like Taash asking about the Crows, and you being a Crow). It's frustrating and feels isolating when I play as Rook. I never had this experience in any other Bioware game.
But I spent the entire game getting to know these people, talking to them about issues related to these choices (directly or tangentially), and thus I feel like my choices are informed. I do not feel that way in DAV.
"Oh, Dock Town just happens to be an area where there are no slaves and slavery isn't really mentioned, and also no one cares that you are an elf or a Qunari." I mean.
Contrary45 0 points · Apr 2025
While you learn alot from the banter I personally found alot of it is learned through thier personal quests, which is often 1 on 1 time between rook and the companions.
I personally felt I never knew enough about previous companions to actually justify why I get to choose these things in previous games other than a macguffin if being the main character. I spent the entire game if inquistion saying I didn't want anything to do with the chantry yet I have final say on who becomes thier new leader. Why do I who just learned about "the game" not even 2 hours ago get to decide orlaisian politics for the next few decades
Dock town has people selling themselves into slavery to escape docktown, it is genuinely below slavery in Tevinter, this is mentioned in game. There are people bringing up the racism alot in ambient dialogue or does none of this count because you personally didnt get called slurs?
XDanteBlackX 11 points · Apr 2025
Uh banter and player controlled dialogue are vastly different, banter is more background in essence since a game doesn't stop for it (and it can be missed of you're focused on something else like running around searching for loot). It honestly sounds like you're lumping the two together and they're not the same, in the previous titles the banter was mostly for levity, more often than not it was hilarious depending on your party but had mo direct impact on the story ie no friendship/rivalry, no romance, no critical story impact that effects character in question.
I really REALLY hope you're not lumping them together
Contrary45 1 points · Apr 2025
Did you even do the personal quests for your companions? there is a ton of 1 on 1 quests with your companions where there is dialogue between Rook and them that is what om talking about yes Banter is entire separate thing.
XDanteBlackX 6 points · Apr 2025
Well you're directly discussing banter like it's the same which is why I asked, and explained cuz it honestly sounded like you didn't get the difference
Contrary45 2 points · Apr 2025
I'm not, there are quests that exist to be between rook and 1 other companion it has player decide dialogue mixed with some banter. But you are also treating banter like it doesnt matter in the slightest to character devolpment when with out it Inquisition is a much worse game with easily the worst cats in the franchise
XDanteBlackX 7 points · Apr 2025
Banter in the previous games was more for hilarity than anything else, like Morrigan messing with Alistair because he was a Templar, Isabela poking fun at aveline and aveline calling her a whore in 2, and in dai Sera mocks pretty much everyone in the banter, story wise it really doesn't add much beyond breaking up monotony.
Even if the banter was suddenly gone from them it wouldn't affect the overall story like at all, banter is just for fun more or less since unless you use specific party members to trigger specific banter at specific times it's pointless and it's random, there's no way to force specific banter to occur, multiple factors are in play including the area and time of day (da2 you got specific lines depending on day night). I have played the original 3 since launch and have never considered banter important ...and I'm pretty sure other people agree, it's pure entertainment, like 90% of the banter is meant to be humorous
Contrary45 3 points · Apr 2025
These all add to the characters what are you talking about, without half of these kinds of these interactions most of the characters you listed are super flat 1 dimensional characters.
Conpeltely unchanged with no changes at all except alot of depth and nuance for the characters
I've been playing for over a decade as well and without the banter the games would be significantly worse
Edit: also how is "banter is always humourous" true when half of Cole's banter in Inquistion just foreshadowing lore reveals in Trespasser and Veilguard
TootlesFTW 6 points · Apr 2025 · Purple Hawke
I agree with you that removing banter would fundamentally impact most, if not all, of the companions. Banter is very important in rounding out their personalities. For example, I disliked Sera in DAI based upon her 1-on-1 dialogues alone but when I brought her in my party during my 2nd playthrough it completely changed my perspective.
Players remember Mass Effect and Dragon Age for the characters & companions - it's what Bioware is known for. Saying it wouldn't affect much if it was removed is bonkers.
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