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.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard Earns Rave Review from Larian Studios' Publishing Head
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), has expressed immense admiration for Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Douse shared his enthusiastic review on Twitter, revealing he played it "in complete secrecy," even resorting to playing behind his backpack at the office!
Douse highlighted The Veilguard's focused design, stating it "truly knows what it wants to be," a refreshing change from previous series entries that sometimes struggled to balance narrative and gameplay. He likened the experience to a "well-crafted, character-driven Netflix binge" rather than a drawn-out, less focused series.
The game's combat system also received significant praise. Douse described it as a brilliant blend of "Xenoblade Chronicles & Hogwarts Legacy," a combination he termed "giga-brain genius." This innovative approach aligns The Veilguard more closely with the fast-paced action of BioWare's Mass Effect series, offering fluid attack chains and impactful combos, a departure from the slower, more tactical combat of earlier Dragon Age titles.
Douse further praised The Veilguard's pacing, noting its "excellent propulsion and momentum," and its ability to seamlessly integrate key 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 commendation extended to BioWare's continued industry presence, which he deemed vital amidst "moronic corporate greed."
However, the most striking aspect of Douse's review was his assertion that The Veilguard represents "the first Dragon Age game that truly knows what it wants to be." While this might be interpreted as criticism of previous titles, Douse clarified: "I’ll always be a [Dragon Age: Origins] guy, and this isn't that." While not replicating the nostalgic charm of Dragon Age: Origins, The Veilguard's distinct vision resonated deeply with Douse. His final verdict? "In a word, 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 highly personalized traits. According to Xbox Wire, players have extensive creative control over the Rook's background, skills, and alignment. Players assume the role of the Rook, tasked with assembling a party to confront two ancient Elven gods threatening Thedas.
Character creation in The Veilguard emphasizes meaningful choices. Players select from classes including 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 character detail 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 of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, awarding it a 90 score, praised its embrace of "the faster pace of the action RPG genre" and its more fluid and engaging gameplay compared to its predecessors.
