Just finished The Veilguard. It's a good game and a welcome return to form for BioWare. The combat is a highlight; it's approachable but customizable, never boring. There's a ton of things to do and many vast maps to explore, but it's generally respectful of the player's time, it's not as padded as this sort of thing often is. The visuals are beautiful, especially all the detailed and striking environments. The character designs are something that I can live with and I got used to them, but I'd still like for the next Dragon Age (if there is a next Dragon Age) to go for a less cartoony, more realistic look. The companions are mostly delightful, in the end, I really loved six of them and grew to tolerate the seventh one. I didn't love any of them instantly, though, and that's going to be an issue for some people.
Still, after all this, I was prepared to give the game only a 6/10 or a 7/10. The problem is with the writing. Besides a few really strong moments and a couple of really cringy moments, the writing ranges from dull to passable. There were quests, character moments, and reveals that had me wondering in real time how easy it would be to punch up these basic video game moments into something special. It's downright frustrating how dull the writing is when every other aspect of the game is so polished. There is good stuff too, and it's often elevated by the excellent cast of voice actors, but quality writing is something that I'd attribute to maybe a half of the game, and that's not great.
But... ultimately, the game gets a venerable 8/10 from me. The final act is PHENOMENAL. It's beautiful and epic, and it brings the story together so perfectly that I'm kind of taken aback by it. THIS is the level of writing I was expecting, and to be fair, the final hours are very complimentary of the entire experience, it pulls stuff from every corner of the game, every hour spent slashing through the countless enemies. It seems like there's quite a bit of variation too, my version of the ending and how it made me feel was colored by all the quests I had decided to do, the companion I had romanced, the active decisions I kept making through those final missions, and several secrets and optional tasks I had delved into during the game. Those final hours in particular felt really special, really epic, even quite moving.
All in all, I'm really happy, even if the game has its issues. Ultimately, it was an enjoyable experience, obviously made with love and expert craftsmanship. I want more.
