EA Dragon Age: The Veilguard

[Deck Rickard]

Dragon Age: Inquisition is, in my opinion, the greatest RPG of all time. I may be alone in thinking that, but I don’t care. The world was more immersive than any other game I’ve played, the characters are fantastic, the landscapes are gorgeous, and the creature designs are wild. Corypheus looks a little silly but whatever. I feel like BioWare took everything good about my two other favorite games, Skyrim and Diablo II, and made the perfect sword & sorcery RPG.

Needless to say, the sequel has big shoes to fill. The trailer confirmed some things that we probably already knew. The protagonist won’t be the Inquisitor, which is a little bit of a shame because I got kinda attached to my Dalish Elf warrior. But hopefully the Inquisitor still factors into the story in a way similar to how Hawke appeared in DAI.

Varric is clearly returning (that’s him narrating), and his presence is always welcome. I hope that we get treated to more of Cassandra enjoying his smutty romance novels. Solas appears to be the primary antagonist, though I’m thinking that you’ll ultimately be able to talk some sense into him and unite together against a bigger threat. I also have to think Morrigan and her mother will appear in some capacity, given that weird scene with Solas and the Elluvian at the end of DAI.

What do you want to see in this game?

 

[Deck Rickard]

Anyone?

 

[X Knight]

In terms of RPGs, this is probably my most anticipated next game. Along with the next Mass Effect.

However, my excitement is tempered somewhat with caution, because I know the Bioware of today is NOT the same as the Bioware of old.

The new trailer looks interesting and I'm eager to see where they take this. I'm kind of hoping DA4 will return to the roots, so to speak, and be closer to Origins than DA2 and DAI.

With DA2 and DAI, I felt there was a general sense of "dumbing down" the RPG mechanics to go in more of an action-oriented direction. So I hope DA4 can reverse that trend.

The biggest thing I'd like to see is a greater emphasis on "class freedom." By that, I mean, you have more freedom to choose the skills to create the type of character you want to play as, instead of being locked into stone with the starting class you chose.

I know that, story wise, the class you choose affects how your character is treated in the game. And I don't want that to go away. In fact, I actually want that to be more meaningful, especially the specializations.

For example, in past games, if you chose the Templar or Blood Mage spec, that didn't really change your story or affect how others treated you. It didn't feel like you actually were a Templar or a Blood Mage, just that you could use those abilities.

Along the same line, I would like more hybrid-class options. And again, to have those mean more both story-wise and gameplay wise.

For example, an Arcane Warrior/Battle Mage would be a warrior-mage hybrid. But that should feel substantially different, play-wise, compared to a standard mage with a staff. The Spirit Blade spell from DAI Knight Enchanter could be made to be an actual weapon type for an Arcane Warrior hybrid class. So, if you choose this class (or advance spec), you would trade attacking with a staff for attacking with an actual Spirit Blade melee weapon.

Same with a mage-rogue hybrid. In the trailer, there looked to be some kind of "spirit bow" where the arrow was conjured up from magic. Again, I'm hoping that's a hint of a new kind of spirit weapon mechanic available to mages. I want that to be an actual weapon type that a mage-rogue hybrid class has access to.

Or, a warrior-rogue hybrid could bring back a Dex-focused, dual wielding style to warriors like you could in Origins. Or, instead of a dual-wielding, a more refined Rapier style, echoing the Duelist specs from prior games. But again, this Dex-focused warrior-rogue hybrid style would play differently than the standard warrior or rogue styles.

Basically, I want more variety in terms of gameplay style so I have more freedom to create and play the type of character I want to play as. If, for story purposes, you still need to be locked into a certain class, then at least give us more advanced, hybrid style classes that will allow us to take our playstyles in different directions.

If I want my character to play as a dual-wielding warrior or some kind of sword wielding mage, then give me options to do that. As the trailer says, this is supposed to be "my story."

 

[Deck Rickard]

Good stuff, and I agree with you; I’ve never played the first two games but I think they should give you more freedom to build out your character as you see fit, like in Skyrim. But I do hope that the character classes will also affect how you’re treated throughout the game, like you said.

For whatever reason, I’ve never played all the way through one of these types of games as a pure mage character (I just love sword and axes too much I guess) but playing as a warrior with certain mage abilities is very appealing.

 

[X Knight]

Good stuff, and I agree with you; I’ve never played the first two games but I think they should give you more freedom to build out your character as you see fit, like in Skyrim. But I do hope that the character classes will also affect how you’re treated throughout the game, like you said.

For whatever reason, I’ve never played all the way through one of these types of games as a pure mage character (I just love sword and axes too much I guess) but playing as a warrior with certain mage abilities is very appealing.

Yeah. I like both melee and spell casting. So, typically, if I can create some kind of "battle mage" or "spell sword" character that combines both melee and magic, I will tend to gravitate towards that.

That's what I like about games like Demon's Souls and Skyrim (minus the 1st person focus). You generally have more freedom to build out your character how you want instead of being boxed in to a particular class. The sacrifice, though, in those kinds of more "open-ended" games comes at the expense of character relationships and story, which is where I think Bioware excels at.

Bioware has teased hybrid classes or melee/battle mages throughout the DA games, but it is a concept that has never fully been formed, imo.

In Origins, you had the Arcane Warrior spec from the base game and Battle Mage spec from the Awakening expansion. However, as a mage, you still had NO access to any of the warrior skills, like Shield Bash. So, as an arcane warrior or battle mage, you could carry a shield into combat, but you could never actually use it because you couldn't use any warrior skills. Same with any specific weapon attack skills that warriors had access to.

Likewise, in the Awakening expansion, there was a Spirit Warrior spec I believe that was another attempt at a warrior-magic hybrid. But, again, as a warrior, you still had no access to the mage spells.

In DAII, I don't think they even had arcane warrior or other types of hybrid specs. That was just one example of how I felt DAII started "dumbing down" or "streamlining" stuff from Origins.

However, as another tease, DAII did feature some staves with bladed tips. In fact, that was the default weapon for the default Hawke (the player character) used in all of the promo material. But, in practice, it was mostly cosmetic because the bladed staff behaved just like any other staff and didn't do anything to increase your melee skills as a mage. In DAII, though, mages did change their standard staff attacks to melee strikes when enemies got close. I thought that was a nice touch because it kind of made sense. However, that was dropped in DAI, where the mages still did the same twirling staff attacks that fired projectiles, regardless of enemy distance. And again, I feel that's yet another example of how they removed a mechanic that was in a prior game.

Speaking of which, I think you benefited from not having played the 1st 2 DA games. If you had, then your opinion of DAI might be different. You may have felt, as I did, that the series seemed to be "regressing" when you compare each subsequent game to the prior game. Especially the 1st game, Origins.

So, hopefully, DA4 can take the elements that worked from the prior 3 games, combining the faster-paced, more action oriented approach from DAII and Inquisition, while bringing back some of the deeper mechanics from Origins.

And, give us fully formed hybrid classes to open up a greater variety of gameplay.

 

[Iceman]

Good stuff, and I agree with you; I’ve never played the first two games but I think they should give you more freedom to build out your character as you see fit, like in Skyrim. But I do hope that the character classes will also affect how you’re treated throughout the game, like you said.

For whatever reason, I’ve never played all the way through one of these types of games as a pure mage character (I just love sword and axes too much I guess) but playing as a warrior with certain mage abilities is very appealing.

Battlemage type classes are my favourite, preferably where you also have a ranged weapon too. Yeah love variety in these games.

 

[Deck Rickard]

Yeah. I like both melee and spell casting. So, typically, if I can create some kind of "battle mage" or "spell sword" character that combines both melee and magic, I will tend to gravitate towards that.

That's what I like about games like Demon's Souls and Skyrim (minus the 1st person focus). You generally have more freedom to build out your character how you want instead of being boxed in to a particular class. The sacrifice, though, in those kinds of more "open-ended" games comes at the expense of character relationships and story, which is where I think Bioware excels at.

Bioware has teased hybrid classes or melee/battle mages throughout the DA games, but it is a concept that has never fully been formed, imo.

In Origins, you had the Arcane Warrior spec from the base game and Battle Mage spec from the Awakening expansion. However, as a mage, you still had NO access to any of the warrior skills, like Shield Bash. So, as an arcane warrior or battle mage, you could carry a shield into combat, but you could never actually use it because you couldn't use any warrior skills. Same with any specific weapon attack skills that warriors had access to.

Likewise, in the Awakening expansion, there was a Spirit Warrior spec I believe that was another attempt at a warrior-magic hybrid. But, again, as a warrior, you still had no access to the mage spells.

In DAII, I don't think they even had arcane warrior or other types of hybrid specs. That was just one example of how I felt DAII started "dumbing down" or "streamlining" stuff from Origins.

However, as another tease, DAII did feature some staves with bladed tips. In fact, that was the default weapon for the default Hawke (the player character) used in all of the promo material. But, in practice, it was mostly cosmetic because the bladed staff behaved just like any other staff and didn't do anything to increase your melee skills as a mage. In DAII, though, mages did change their standard staff attacks to melee strikes when enemies got close. I thought that was a nice touch because it kind of made sense. However, that was dropped in DAI, where the mages still did the same twirling staff attacks that fired projectiles, regardless of enemy distance. And again, I feel that's yet another example of how they removed a mechanic that was in a prior game.

Speaking of which, I think you benefited from not having played the 1st 2 DA games. If you had, then your opinion of DAI might be different. You may have felt, as I did, that the series seemed to be "regressing" when you compare each subsequent game to the prior game. Especially the 1st game, Origins.

So, hopefully, DA4 can take the elements that worked from the prior 3 games, combining the faster-paced, more action oriented approach from DAII and Inquisition, while bringing back some of the deeper mechanics from Origins.

And, give us fully formed hybrid classes to open up a greater variety of gameplay.

Yeah, it’s possible that if I had played the first two games, my opinion of DAI might be different. I wish they would do a convert of the games on PSNow but it doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen.

Outside of the class stuff, I’m curious what story elements will be explored in this game. I hope there’s some follow up on the Descent DLC. I absolutely loved that expansion, even if battling that rock guardian was probably the most frustrating part of the entire game. I hope there is a return to the Wellspring and we find out exactly what became of Shaper Valta (Serana in Skyrim!).

Have any of you read the DA comics or seen the animated film about Cassandra? I was thinking of checking them out but I wasn’t sure if they were worth it.

 

[Iceman]

I am really hoping this turns out well. Firstly I want to see Bioware rebuild back to their former strength, giving us genre-leading fare with both Dragon Age and Mass Effect every few years for the rest of my life. Secondly I want this series to excel and thereby contribute to demand for fantasy RPGs so that we can have many more top ongoing series.

 

[X Knight]

Battlemage type classes are my favourite, preferably where you also have a ranged weapon too. Yeah love variety in these games.

Another warrior-mage hybrid build that I like to make, if possible, is the Holy Warrior/Paladin type of character.

 

[X Knight]

I am really hoping this turns out well. Firstly I want to see Bioware rebuild back to their former strength, giving us genre-leading fare with both Dragon Age and Mass Effect every few years for the rest of my life. Secondly I want this series to excel and thereby contribute to demand for fantasy RPGs so that we can have many more top ongoing series.

I agree. I'm hoping Bioware can reclaim its former glory with these next 2 games. Especially now with all the possibilities of the new hardware. There are less excuses now, hardware wise, to not fully realize your vision for a game.

And yes, I want more fantasy RPGs, too. Not just from Bioware but from other companies with new IPs. That's also why I feel, if I ever get a Series X, it will be because of games like Avowed, ES 6, and Fable.

However, even there, when compared to Avowed and ES 6, I'd say I'm more interested in DA 4 since I prefer 3rd person games over 1st person games. But regardless, I just want more fantasy stuff. Heck, I'd take a Demon's Souls 2 and now I'm even looking forward to Elden Ring.

 

[X Knight]

Yeah, it’s possible that if I had played the first two games, my opinion of DAI might be different. I wish they would do a convert of the games on PSNow but it doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen.

Outside of the class stuff, I’m curious what story elements will be explored in this game. I hope there’s some follow up on the Descent DLC. I absolutely loved that expansion, even if battling that rock guardian was probably the most frustrating part of the entire game. I hope there is a return to the Wellspring and we find out exactly what became of Shaper Valta (Serana in Skyrim!).

Have any of you read the DA comics or seen the animated film about Cassandra? I was thinking of checking them out but I wasn’t sure if they were worth it.

I remember checking out that Cassandra anime film and watched a bit of it, but never finished it. She seemed cooler in the anime than she did in the games. Though, one thing that made me mad about the anime is that I believe she was dual-wielding swords in that. However, in the actual game, that would be IMPOSSIBLE mechanics wise due to the class limitations of her being a warrior (only sword and shield or greatsword).

And again, that speaks to my frustrations with the limits and class restrictions that the game imposes on you, especially the recent 2 games. In Origins, you could at least make a dual-sword wielding warrior like anime Cassandra. However, if you thought that was cool and wanted to make a character like that in DA 2 or DAI, then you couldn't. Hopefully, DA 4 will give us more freedoms and options like that.

In terms of story, I never finished DAI or the DLC. But, from what I understand, and judging by the inclusion of Solas in the DA 4 trailers, the return of the elves and the conflict with Solas seems like it will play an important part in the next game?

Also, it seems like we will finally be able to visit the Tevinter Imperium in the next game? That and the elves/Solas plot makes me more eager to play as a mage and/or elf in DA 4. And, in general, I do like to play as magic or elf characters (or some kind of mystical royalty or nobility) in these fantasy games, since they tend to play important parts in the story. But I also like to play the traditional Knight/Warrior with sword and shield.

Another thing story wise that I'm interested in, is that I believe the Templar order is in shambles by the end of DAI? And Cassandra herself was a Seeker and not just a Templar. Again, from what I understand, the Seekers were like a separate division of the Templars but they could use Templar abilities WITHOUT becoming lyrium addicts. The whole lyrium addiction thing with Templars was one thing that always turned me off from going that route in these games, even though Templars were the closest thing to a Holy Warrior/Paladin type build.

So, maybe in DA 4, instead of Templars, we'll get a Seeker class or spec to choose from. I think that would be interesting and offer up something different than the standard Templar spec.

And in general, I'd like to see different, more varied and interesting specs in DA 4 than the typical specs we got in the prior 3 games. And not just the specs or classes, but the skills, abilities, and spell selections as well.

 

[Iceman]

I agree. I'm hoping Bioware can reclaim its former glory with these next 2 games. Especially now with all the possibilities of the new hardware. There are less excuses now, hardware wise, to not fully realize your vision for a game.

And yes, I want more fantasy RPGs, too. Not just from Bioware but from other companies with new IPs. That's also why I feel, if I ever get a Series X, it will be because of games like Avowed, ES 6, and Fable.

However, even there, when compared to Avowed and ES 6, I'd say I'm more interested in DA 4 since I prefer 3rd person games over 1st person games. But regardless, I just want more fantasy stuff. Heck, I'd take a Demon's Souls 2 and now I'm even looking forward to Elden Ring.

I definitely prefer 3rd person. Have you tried Skyrim in 3rd person? My character was really cool-looking so I played nearly the whole game in 3rd person. Only switched for variety sometimes like when jumping off a cliff haha.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

I'll hope for the best, but my money is on this not being all that good. Especially as Bioware is literally not what it use to be. They are very rudderless, and EA has basically caused a bunch of the talent that made them special quit. Also not to be too mean about it, because I do love some of their older games, but I do feel like they can still make those. The issue is that the genre and games in general have evolved well beyond those. Making a rather plotless chest high wall shooting dating sim, doesn't make anyone's day anymore.

 

[X Knight]

I definitely prefer 3rd person. Have you tried Skyrim in 3rd person? My character was really cool-looking so I played nearly the whole game in 3rd person. Only switched for variety sometimes like when jumping off a cliff haha.

Actually, in Skyrim (and Fallout), I found myself using 3rd person for exploring and walking around in general. But switched to 1st person for combat as it seemed easier to aim and attack for me. Also, combat in 3rd person, for me, just highlighted how "stiff" the combat animations looked. But overall, it just felt like 1st person was designed to be the main setting.

I'm glad Skyrim and Fallout gave you the option to switch, though. I'd be even less interested if they were purely 1st person. And hopefully, with Bethesda's new engine, they can make the combat animation better and more fluid.

However, in regards to Avowed, we don't know if that will offer a 3rd person option. I believe Obsidian's Outer Worlds only offered 1st person.

 

[X Knight]

I'll hope for the best, but my money is on this not being all that good. Especially as Bioware is literally not what it use to be. They are very rudderless, and EA has basically caused a bunch of the talent that made them special quit. Also not to be too mean about it, because I do love some of their older games, but I do feel like they can still make those. The issue is that the genre and games in general have evolved well beyond those. Making a rather plotless chest high wall shooting dating sim, doesn't make anyone's day anymore.

Yeah. That's why I'm cautiously optimistic. They've certainly taken a long time since the last DA and ME games. So hopefully that has given them time to work things out and come up with something good. But leadership, or lack thereof, can certainly play a role in messing things up.

And that's a good point about the genre and other similar games evolving. Which is why I'm hoping the next games do things that are new and fresh.

 

[Deck Rickard]

I remember checking out that Cassandra anime film and watched a bit of it, but never finished it. She seemed cooler in the anime than she did in the games. Though, one thing that made me mad about the anime is that I believe she was dual-wielding swords in that. However, in the actual game, that would be IMPOSSIBLE mechanics wise due to the class limitations of her being a warrior (only sword and shield or greatsword).

And again, that speaks to my frustrations with the limits and class restrictions that the game imposes on you, especially the recent 2 games. In Origins, you could at least make a dual-sword wielding warrior like anime Cassandra. However, if you thought that was cool and wanted to make a character like that in DA 2 or DAI, then you couldn't. Hopefully, DA 4 will give us more freedoms and options like that.

In terms of story, I never finished DAI or the DLC. But, from what I understand, and judging by the inclusion of Solas in the DA 4 trailers, the return of the elves and the conflict with Solas seems like it will play an important part in the next game?

Also, it seems like we will finally be able to visit the Tevinter Imperium in the next game? That and the elves/Solas plot makes me more eager to play as a mage and/or elf in DA 4. And, in general, I do like to play as magic or elf characters (or some kind of mystical royalty or nobility) in these fantasy games, since they tend to play important parts in the story. But I also like to play the traditional Knight/Warrior with sword and shield.

Another thing story wise that I'm interested in, is that I believe the Templar order is in shambles by the end of DAI? And Cassandra herself was a Seeker and not just a Templar. Again, from what I understand, the Seekers were like a separate division of the Templars but they could use Templar abilities WITHOUT becoming lyrium addicts. The whole lyrium addiction thing with Templars was one thing that always turned me off from going that route in these games, even though Templars were the closest thing to a Holy Warrior/Paladin type build.

So, maybe in DA 4, instead of Templars, we'll get a Seeker class or spec to choose from. I think that would be interesting and offer up something different than the standard Templar spec.

And in general, I'd like to see different, more varied and interesting specs in DA 4 than the typical specs we got in the prior 3 games. And not just the specs or classes, but the skills, abilities, and spell selections as well.

I definitely recommend finishing DAI; there are some genuine surprises in the DLCs when it comes to some of the characters. SPOILERS AHEAD. After you defeat Corypheus, Solas disappears and then there's this weird scene of him and Morrigan's mother where he's revealed to be the Dread Wolf, a character that is referenced earlier in the game as the elven god of betrayal and rebellion. Although history has depicted the Dread Wolf as a villain, in actuality, he created the veil to banish the Evanuris to the Fade and protect elves and humans. But now, the Dread Wolf (Solas) has come to regret that decision and plans to remove the veil to restore the elves to their former glory (endangering the world in the process). Many elves have been secretly working for him and he has amassed an army over time. Most of that is revealed in the Trespasser DLC.

Trespasser, IMO, is the worst DLC of the bunch simply because once you start it, the game is irrevocably changed. It moves everything forward two years and you no longer have access to Skyhold or other previously explored locations on the world map. Everything in Trespasser takes place in Val Royeaux and a couple new locations that sadly aren't as interesting as most of the earlier ones. Also, another fan favorite character might betray you towards the end so... be careful who you bring with you on your missions.

The Descent DLC is really good though, as is Jaws of Hakkon. Those two don't tie into the main questline all that much (although in Hakkon, you get a lot of background on the original Inquisitor) but are excellent self-contained adventures. I think they'll probably follow up on the ending of The Descent since the way it all wraps up is really strange and it will probably leave you with more questions than answers.

 

[Deck Rickard]

I definitely prefer 3rd person. Have you tried Skyrim in 3rd person? My character was really cool-looking so I played nearly the whole game in 3rd person. Only switched for variety sometimes like when jumping off a cliff haha.

I'll hope for the best, but my money is on this not being all that good. Especially as Bioware is literally not what it use to be. They are very rudderless, and EA has basically caused a bunch of the talent that made them special quit. Also not to be too mean about it, because I do love some of their older games, but I do feel like they can still make those. The issue is that the genre and games in general have evolved well beyond those. Making a rather plotless chest high wall shooting dating sim, doesn't make anyone's day anymore.

Yeah, I haaaaaate first person. I occasionally switch to it in Skyrim and Fallout for ranged attacks and some other stuff but for the most part, I NEED to see my character fighting. Combat is definitely another reason why I prefer DAI over Skyrim. It took me a little bit to get the hang of, but I like the blend of hack & slash Diablo-style combat and turn-based Baldur's Gate-style combat. My only complaint about it is that it can be hard to tell what's going on at times when your view is obscured by trees and things. But it's much better than Skyrim's IMO, where even after reaching level 50 and possessing the most powerful weapons and armor in the game, I still sometimes have trouble hitting a guy right in front of me.

 

[Iceman]

Actually, in Skyrim (and Fallout), I found myself using 3rd person for exploring and walking around in general. But switched to 1st person for combat as it seemed easier to aim and attack for me. Also, combat in 3rd person, for me, just highlighted how "stiff" the combat animations looked. But overall, it just felt like 1st person was designed to be the main setting.

I'm glad Skyrim and Fallout gave you the option to switch, though. I'd be even less interested if they were purely 1st person. And hopefully, with Bethesda's new engine, they can make the combat animation better and more fluid.

However, in regards to Avowed, we don't know if that will offer a 3rd person option. I believe Obsidian's Outer Worlds only offered 1st person.

The combat has always been the part that let down the Elder Scrolls games. Hopefully that is fixed for VI. I really hope Obsidian offer a similar third person option in Avowed.

 

[Iceman]

Yeah, I haaaaaate first person. I occasionally switch to it in Skyrim and Fallout for ranged attacks and some other stuff but for the most part, I NEED to see my character fighting. Combat is definitely another reason why I prefer DAI over Skyrim. It took me a little bit to get the hang of, but I like the blend of hack & slash Diablo-style combat and turn-based Baldur's Gate-style combat. My only complaint about it is that it can be hard to tell what's going on at times when your view is obscured by trees and things. But it's much better than Skyrim's IMO, where even after reaching level 50 and possessing the most powerful weapons and armor in the game, I still sometimes have trouble hitting a guy right in front of me.

I need to see my character fighting and exploring and everything else. That's kind of the point in going to all that work to design your ideal character.

 

[X Knight]

I need to see my character fighting and exploring and everything else. That's kind of the point in going to all that work to design your ideal character.

Exactly!! Especially if you are like me and you spend 99% of the time in character creation!!

 

[X Knight]

The combat has always been the part that let down the Elder Scrolls games. Hopefully that is fixed for VI. I really hope Obsidian offer a similar third person option in Avowed.

New combat system and improved character models. They have no more excuses with this new gen of hardware!

 

[X Knight]

Yeah, I haaaaaate first person. I occasionally switch to it in Skyrim and Fallout for ranged attacks and some other stuff but for the most part, I NEED to see my character fighting. Combat is definitely another reason why I prefer DAI over Skyrim. It took me a little bit to get the hang of, but I like the blend of hack & slash Diablo-style combat and turn-based Baldur's Gate-style combat. My only complaint about it is that it can be hard to tell what's going on at times when your view is obscured by trees and things. But it's much better than Skyrim's IMO, where even after reaching level 50 and possessing the most powerful weapons and armor in the game, I still sometimes have trouble hitting a guy right in front of me.

For DA 4, I hope they blend the more action-oriented approach they took in DA 2 and DAI with the more tactical approach from DAO. Also, bring back the finishing moves from DAO!

 

[Iceman]

New combat system and improved character models. They have no more excuses with this new gen of hardware!

Yeah 2 gens of extra power under the hood!

 

[Deck Rickard]

One thing I hope they change (and this may be an unpopular opinion) from DAI is having characters covered in blood during cut scenes unless it's really necessary. It's just kind of awkward to be talking to other characters when it looks like you just rolled around in slaughterhouse lol.

 

[X Knight]

One thing I hope they change (and this may be an unpopular opinion) from DAI is having characters covered in blood during cut scenes unless it's really necessary. It's just kind of awkward to be talking to other characters when it looks like you just rolled around in slaughterhouse lol.

Isn't there an option in settings to turn that off? I think it's called Persistent Gore or something.