Dragon Age The Veilguard REVIEW - My Brutally Honest Opinion After 65+ Hours

[@norzza]

Tried to keep spoilers out of this video! Totally fine if you just want to 'listen' rather than watch. Have fun out there!

[@realitytripz6998]

Can you please tell us if greatswords exist in the game? I've only seen great axes and hammers so far.

[@johnwayne4911]

being a fan doesn't mean you should be a mindless and utterly stupid consumer. you will damage the quality of gaming moving forward by lowering your expectations into the ground.

[@TheDream6842]

​@@johnwayne4911Chill bruh🙄

[@hetfield144]

​@@TheDream6842why?

[@Itsbentopp]

Kind of my impression. If you’re a dragon age fan you won’t like it because it’s not a dragon age game. I don’t, however, think we should “feel bad” for developers with massive studios and budgets.

[@taboobunny9186]

Why most of the characters look like Disney villains?

[@cloggedaorta]

"Even as a die hard fan, it is a must-play" but "if you're a diehard fan who knows everything about the lore" you might be disappointed. The fence seating is kind of hilarious.

[@lokithecat7225]

Die Hard: So I *HAVE* to play it so I can see how much they fucked the Lore?

[@ANGRYWOLVERINE2060-ft2nc]

If he said this he is trying to hold on to review codes for the Mass Effect if it gets made. Likely some people won't get review codes next time because they were honest.

[@migss9581]

except he said the ride is fun and should be experienced? just to add his full comments. it was never going to be dragon age origins...dragon age hasnt been origins since origins...silly to expect it to be.

[@danielokorodudu5622]

I mean it kinda makes sense, most of the die hard dragon age fans want what would have amounted to a modernized origins with a different narrative, and if you come strictly looking for that you are likely to be disappointed as this game is not and was never really going to be that game. Doesn't mean the game doesn't have it's own merits nor does it mean that the game isn't a fun experience, it just means that when you finish you would have had a nice ride and journey maybe even a great one depending on your preference but even then you would still be a bit disappointed at the fact that it wasn't necessarily the game you wanted or expected. Just because it doesn't hit that expectation or vision doesn't mean it wasn't a good game, it just means it wasn't necessarily the sequel you wanted and that's okay, people are allowed to feel that way, but i do think that acknowledging the fun and good in what we got allows us to see past those missed expectations and enjoy the good action rpg for being exactly that "a good action rpg" even if it wasn't necessarily a good "Dragon Age RPG". Personally i'm just happy to get more of the dragon age universe and even if it doesn't hit that DAO high, I'm certain I'll still enjoy the game and have my fun while having something new that can pull me back into a universe I love even if not to the same degree as prior. I'm paying to be entertained and a game doesn't need to be a critical masterpiece to be entertaining, it just needs to be fun to me.

[@cloggedaorta]

I get you guy’s point, but Origins was not the focus of the his argument. None of the sequels were “Origins” but they were still Dragon Age. This time we just got PG13 Marvel’s Dragon Age with no stakes, just minor inconveniences

[@Thumplewart]

Ahh yes.. Exactly what you wanna hear for a recommendation "you might feel disappointed by the time the credits roll but, yes you should play it''." Main man here cleared the check but is still trying to hold onto his credibility lmfao

[@obedear_]

I mean, you left out the clarifying statement that came before your carefully selected pull quote, but sure, wilfully misinterpret his words if it suits you I guess.

[@nathanscott2871]

​@@obedear_ what was the statement?

[@atlasblast2082]

@@nathanscott2871 As a dragon age fan you may be disappointed, "but that doesn't mean the ride is bad." meaning: in a Vacuum he likes the game as a stand-alone product. The game takes the lore previous and makes a new canon entry, which will piss off a lot of people in their mid 30's-40's that craved the continuation. I'm in that demographic that played Origin through inquisition, but i've always looked at each game in a vacuum on whether do I like this because it's a continuation or is it a good game. I have to play this to make that distinction again.

[@sveipr]

It's not that hard to understand, he's saying he has issues with the game but still had fun and recommends it. That's a pretty common reaction to most games.

[@danielokorodudu5622]

@@sveipr Yep, people just want to hate. He clearly said he enjoyed the game and called it a good Action RPG, it may not be a good Dragon Age RPG but that doesn't make it a bad game, it just makes it something different from the expectation and the vision most of the OG fans had for the game. And games can be lesser sequels while still being good and solid games in their own right despite their faults, and I think the gaming community as a whole needs to learn to understand this fact.

[@vathone5896]

Seems like there are 2 reviewers out there. Those reviews who say it's bad and tell you why straight up, and those reviews that feel like they are trying very hard to justify and rationalise the game into an 'it's alright I guess' state. Lines like 'I like the sidequests because they change up the repetitive nature of the main quest' come to mind. If the main quest is repetative and you need a break from it, it's just bad... Sounds we are just trying to polish a turd to me.

[@duckonquack6969]

Good point ❤

[@texdoozy4502]

This dude took the check but is trying his damndest to maintain credibility. Don’t fall for it; dislike, unsubscribe, and move on.

[@MegaMerdeux]

Then you're not paying attention. Many reviewers genuinely liked the game. You're either cherry picking or only follow those you agree with. Which is an echo chamber

[@asdzxcz1360]

Difference is between honest reviews vs. shilling reviews for access journalism purposes...

[@wildwest1832]

@@MegaMerdeux Right because EA researches reviewers and cherry picks out the ones that give high scores most of the time. Its not by magic. lol. They find reviewers that will ignore negatives more often

[@Kross415]

''I'm conflicted about this game and you might feel disappointed by the time the credits roll'' but ''yes you should play it'' that's an interesting thought to say the least. I don't think you should recomment people to give BioWare their money for a disappointing product you're conflicted about.

[@ThwipThwipBoom]

Key word there being "might" he didn't say you _would_ feel disappointed, just that you might. For many people, Veilguard will be quite fun I'm sure.

[@KA1N3R]

He's recommending it because being conflicted means that, based on personal preference, there's a high chance you're going to lean more on the "enjoy" side of things. Stop turning it into this weird crusade thing.

[@Kross415]

@@ThwipThwipBoom They keyphrase is ''you SHOULD play it'' if I'm conflicted about something I'm not going to tell people to do it, I'm going to tell them I'm not sure if they should it or not, I can't believe you're trying twist reality this much 🤣

[@Kross415]

@@KA1N3R You're the one on a defensive crusade, you cannot justify ''I'm conflicted about this game but you should play it'' that's nonsense no matter how you look at it.

[@KA1N3R]

@@Kross415 what the fuck? It's not nonsense at all. I didn't particularly liked Red Dead Redemption 2, but I would still recommend it to most people since the likelihood of them enjoying it is quite high even if I personally didn't that much. It's not that complicated

[@Mike_2501]

Every review I’ve seen so far is saying the same things, but the final scores are so wildly different. •Repetitive combat and missions •Few meaningful choices •Shallow writing •Ignores previous lore •Visually messy battles •Odd story pacing But for some reason all these points are negatives for some and positives for others.

[@baklapjr]

They are positives for people who don't wanna lose their early acces review priviliges with Bioware lmao

[@luxum11]

This one doesn't critique points 2 and 3 though and explains well enough why the others weren't dealbreakers. I too have seen these points in other reviews, but rarely all together. There's plenty of subjectivity there. I think that goes a long way toward explaining the differences in overal impressions.

[@migss9581]

ive seen plenty saying best ending, great narrative, amazing companions streamlined from inquisition and its 'bloat' and fun combat. just not origins...because dragon age hasnt been origins since origins and even as a fan of origins i dont get why people dont realise thats not what this game is since da 2. lol. but by all means ignore the positive comments completely i guess....

[@luxum11]

@@migss9581 That's my sense as well, but I'm trying not to let my expectations run away with me.

[@vergillives9890]

​​@@migss9581so far for veilguard everything is bloat until the last 2-5 hours from the other reviews

[@NiftyAlpha]

your BRUTAL review is that you cant make up your mind? 🤣🤣

[@chayeej]

He doesn’t want to get put on EA ban list or red flag list

[@vergillives9890]

Indeed as its a "unparalleled masterpiece" -ign hes conflicted on -

[@dcsblessedbees]

🤣He is just protecting his Job for EA.🤑

[@MrsTold]

'i dislike a lot of things, i recommended this game' ???

[@danielokorodudu5622]

English comprehension isn't hard, You can be disappointed at a game not meeting expectation or vision but still have enough fun with it to recommend despite finding it lacking. Unmet expectations and having fun aren't mutually exclusive unless you box your mind into a state that forces that to be true, I can think a game wasn't as good as I was expecting but still think it was a fun game regardless it is not a hard concept to grasp. I personally don't have an opinion I'll see if I like it or hate it on release but the fact that people are acting like this review doesn't make sense just tells me how deeply people are willing to self-delude to maintain a state of negativity. If you aren't sold on it because you think the bad is greater than the good that's fine, but if a part of you is still interested in it regardless buy the game and form your own opinion while acknowledging that the game is likely not to be what you expect but also that there is still fun to be had in it regardless.

[@Uccisore28]

Dude, who are you scared of?

[@vergillives9890]

Getting blacklist like fextralife, wolfheartfps, and luke stevens who didn't get a review code-

[@JonnoDavies1]

This game looks very... whelming. A lot of the big studios seem to have lost their magic, and smaller studios with less investor interference seem to be picking up the slack. Potatoes are great, but if you eat them in the same recipe every single day, you're gonna get bored.

[@depoittier]

Tired of potatoes? Have you tried boiling them, mashing them up or putting them in a stew?

[@BodaciousDerb]

​@@depoittierPO-TA-TOES

[@noctoi]

Yeah, I'm certainly whelmed. (sigh) Very whelmed indeed.

[@bryandedon7459]

They've lost their magic bc all the people that made them great have either been pushed out or just left. These aren't the studios that made the games we love. They have the same name but all the people are gone.

[@MoonlightHorizon-ev7ev]

Man the walking on eggshells is crazy here bud. You will outlive this game so don't sell your soul to tread to lightly. The writing is infantile, the combat is a lame duck, the aesthetic is disney/pixar style, there's zero grit, zero darkness, zero reality, the pacing is a joke, and it's a safe - phoned in "triple AAArrggghhh" game. Hair textures be damned. For once skillup said it best, HR is in the room. The questionable review antics they've undertaken are also a massive red flag. You know this game sucks compared to what it should be if the real Bioware put 10 years into a game. We all know. But this isn't a bioware game. It's wearing bioware skins, but it isn't one.

[@vergillives9890]

And its the physical embodiment of after 900 hours it finally gets good-

[@BeHempy]

The cope is strong with this one. This game is gonna bomb.

[@lenajohnson6179]

too many people making up their minds in advance and worshipping at the foot of the grift will do that.

[@OnyxSkiesXIX]

I’ll get it when it’s cheap or during a big sale. The changes to combat don’t really appeal to me. The mage gameplay just doesn’t look like what I want. I wouldn’t mind them remastering DA:O at some point though.

[@shinfil3737]

To be honest i wouldn't trust current Bioware to remaster DA:O

[@adolfopla1217]

Is epic still giving free games from time to time ?

[@Quintessence4444]

Apparently it's DRM free but yeah i doubt it's something i want to play either. The mage combat was my last hope too.

[@OnyxSkiesXIX]

@@Quintessence4444 playing as a mage was the only thing that saved me as the series slid further and further towards the action side, but it seems like that’s kind of over now.

[@hf9801]

@@shinfil3737 EA remastered dead space, some other studio did it, and it was good

[@darkbeach72]

I think Neve is gorgeous, but I have yet to hear a single line delivery from that VA that doesn't sounds absolutely wooden.

[@Vongolasz]

Not sure if many might agree but I think if they wanted to make a dragon age game for casuals to make the big bucks they should've done exactly that. Don't make a game with Solas as the catalyst because it misleads players to believe this is the finale for Inquisition. Many people criticized it a lot but I still loved it, the whole build up til the final fight made me felt like the real inquisitor, a powerful force that will change the course of history. But I can tell without playing this game that the ending won't be something anyone would be satisfied with, whether you liked Inquisition or not. This game wasn't designed with such intention, its why many reviewers keep mentioning the lack of decisions you can transfer to veilguard, the game was kinda designed as a fresh start, a renewal. That would've been completely fine, if it was designed with a different plot that doesn't involve Solas or the same time period. I can't say I'm a lore savy, but you're telling me there was no other time period or story that can be told in Dragon Age that allows the developer to distance themselves from the core games and try something new? Simply put, they were ballsy enough to flip the finger to all Dragon Age fans who played their old games and telling us our previous decisions ain't worth Jack. And that ending for Solas' story you've been waiting all these years, even though back then it was the most hype shit ever, knowing you were eventually going to fight a "God" and he's your friend (I assume), the drama and conflict between the inquisitor and solas, along with how your new character might interact or react with the old character (the inquisitor) you created all those years ago; I mean, does that not sound like the best shit ever (for me anyway)? This might very well be a good action rpg game, or even a good game in general, but I don't think anyone can convince me that this is a GOOD Dragon age game.

[@quin1455]

If the game you propose is set in a different time period then it wouldn't be in the age of Dragon- meaning, it wouldn't be dragon age. I get what you mean though. I wouldn't have minded this game as much if this was a spinoff. Leave the experimentation to side games rather than the main game (sequel to inquisition).

[@MildlySweetCappuccino]

So they essentially made a generic rpg with a dragon age coat of paint instead of an actual dragon age game. What I don't understand is why won't they make their own standalone original game instead? Why deal with a franchise and world you don't care that much about anyway?

[@quin1455]

@@MildlySweetCappuccino because slapping a well known and beloved IP on a product gets people's attention

[@sombrego2260]

It's so bizarre to me that all combos have the same effect and the same visual feedback. I'm kind of fine with streamlining them as it was a bit tedious in Inquisition and felt undercooked but that giant yellow diamond thing looks super specific like it's some sort of time mage ability or something. It's really bizarre. I feel they should have had one per detonator/class that match the mage/rogue/warrior aesthetic to add some variety.

[@SM-cv8sv]

Most of the original designers for the past games left years before this game was released. It's bacsily nothing more then a bunch if new guys wearing the skin of the old games like a hat pretending to be something they are not.

[@smithynoir9980]

​@@SM-cv8sv As so many studios and teams are these days. Imo, there needs to be regulation requiring a company or team to change their name if the team is no longer majority original members. It's not right that anyone, in anything, gets to stand on the shoulders of giants whilst pretending and enjoying the benefits as if they are the same giants. Change doesn't have to be drastic, just add a version number on the end; BioWare3.0 given the team has changed at least that many times.

[@wildwest1832]

@@smithynoir9980 Brand recognition sells. That wont ever change.

[@danielokorodudu5622]

@@smithynoir9980 The idea that this game is gaining any good feedback by standing on giants is hilarious to me, this game is so critically thrashed due to the brand name, and is likely gonna have a smaller set of people playing it despite the massive fan base for this reason, had this game not been judged under the shadow of DAO, it would likely be seen as a decent action RPG worth checking out if you can afford to do so, rather than the unfortunate sequel that completely missed the mark that it is wildly being claimed to be. I reckon that if you go into this game DAO fan or not, looking to enjoy the game you bought rather than being a crtique who is searching for every way it didn't meet the high of DAO it'll be a decent experience, might be dissapointed that it didn't meet the expectation or vision but still be satisfied at having enjoyed the product you recieved even if not in the way you hoped.

[@vergillives9890]

Inquisition was pre anthem and they "removed" all the talent the sims4 team didn't approve of-

[@sludgemouf780]

ah yes, the unrealistic expectations of wanting games to be as good as they used to be.

[@timometsanoja9666]

Things should be moving forward and not backwards? What are you talking about??? So you want your PS6 to have less horsepower than PS5 and have uglier games??? Your math is not mathing...

[@ArmokSupreme]

@@timometsanoja9666 you did not make a single salient point.

[@deepblueatticus]

@@ArmokSupreme yes he did…can you not read?

[@ArmokSupreme]

​@@deepblueatticus No I can't read.

[@timometsanoja9666]

​@@ArmokSupremewhat exactly was something you didn't understand about my comment? I was just commenting on the dude saying that things cannot be as good as before. The better question is why aren't the games as good as they once were? Why are we going backwards? We should be building on things that have come before... Rather than trying to make things worse than before. Imagine buying a PC for 2000 with very good performance across the board. Then 5 years later you buy your next PC for 2000 and you cannot run things you could run on the old system. How would that be ok? iPhone 16 being unable to run things you could run on iPhobe 13... But I guess this is a new concept for the people who don't understand gaming or numbers...

[@c4mprnapper932]

Feel like people are scared to say it sucks. There's almost a disclaimer in every video to appease the mob

[@sonnenblumefrau2048]

Kala Elizabeth and Ghil Dirthalen has said overall it IS agood game. They do have some criticisms, but they are valid. What valid and solid criticisms have you had? None, clearly. Other than sounding like the thousands of men crybabies that are on Facebook screaming "Wokeguard", when DA has always BEEN "woke".

[@c4mprnapper932]

@sonnenblumefrau2048 im guessing you're a mature grown man? As opposed to me being a man baby?🤣

[@dustaone8521]

@@sonnenblumefrau2048 Speaking of "the mob", here you are, like clockwork.

[@marcusclark1339]

that's exactly it, "its just my opinion/you can like it/i'm not saying u can't enjoy-/maybe its not for me/not the target audience" its all so tiring and telling the toxic positivity echo chamber of modern gaming and media as a whole

[@meetthebaileys]

Some people did say it sucks but some people like it

[@statixfear]

So this is basically just Starfield all over again? For the hardcore Bethesda fans, that game scratched an itch and they still live by it being a "great" game. Personally, I feel like a lot of this game really just doesn't click with me. From the moment I saw the first reveal of the gameplay up to the early reviews I've seen so far. As a die-hard Dragon Age fan, myself, I would much rather watch a cutscene compilation or video essay on YT if I want to be caught up with the story. The concept of "give the game a chance even though I don't like what I've seen so far" only makes sense if there's no monetary cost... because people still buying a game that's lost the essence of the franchise is basically enabling the publishers into thinking that it's fine to push out games that are mid because they can rely on their "hardcore" fans.

[@samuelweimer9396]

For me more than the monetary cost it is the time suck honestly. I have not heard a single review (including the negative ones) that doesn't point out that the last couple of hours of gameplay are well written and interesting but I do not want to grind 50 hours to see a couple of interesting hours of gameplay unless the grind is in itself enjoyable. I agree, at this point i just want to watch someone else play through it and skip to the cut scenes.

[@statixfear]

@@samuelweimer9396 Tbf, I've seen from more than one reviewer, regardless of positive or negative, that actually stated the last 2-hour stretch of the main story is the best part. However, therein lies the issue... if I have to suffer through the remainder of the 30+ hours prior to "the best parts", then I feel it's not worth the asking price or the time investment.

[@setrakarcana4920]

Yeah, that "low chance" to give the game means 60 bucks, no thanks lol, it may not mean much to some but you're indeed funding this "new" Bioware...

[@vergillives9890]

Indeed watch a full play through before you buy to find out if you want to spend on it-

[@iMmunashe]

I love that this game is making it easy for me to identify the industry shills who I can add to the "Don't recommend channel" list

[@AgentStargrave]

Yeah, this game is allowing me to easily clean up my subs, it's nice. Thanks, fake Bioware!

[@matheus.bueno47]

Reviews have been so weird, major disagreements in main topics of the game like story/characters. So far people seem to be agreeing in only the art style is not good, and the final act is awesome, everything is all over the place. I think I will wait a couple of days so the general audience plays the game to get more opinions.

[@samuelweimer9396]

This is what I am seeing. I have watched several positive and negative reviews and the general vibe I am getting is the first 55 or so hours are grindy and mostly unenjoyable but the ending is really good? It's hard for me to want to invest that much time into a game to see the ending but I will wait to see actual player reviews. The level of player decision impact seems to get less with every release and it seems like you basically only have any real choices in the endgame. DOI was OK to me, I loved DOA but in DOI you didn't seem to have as much ability to impact your own story and this seems like even less. DOI was also more grindy than DOA and this seems like ultimate linear story grind fest for most of the game from what I am seeing.

[@Teo_live]

Its probably more worthwhile to just watch a youtuber do a pure story playthrough or ending playthrough. I don't see the point in hating +50 hours just to have 2 decent hours of endgame.

[@vergillives9890]

​​@@Teo_liveits the embodiment of it gets good after 900 hours-

[@giancarloribeirobrito659]

The game has no serious consequences because of your actions, you cannot insult your companion, there is no brutality, regardless of your choices in speeches you cannot offend your companions, the graphics look like a Pixar animation.

[@vergillives9890]

Only celebrate, comfort, and assist dialogs-

[@Verschal]

you can ignore developers and publishers on steam, i suggest to send a message that way.

[@purplefanta7142]

Combat looks flashy and fun but actually watching the enemies makes it look very easy and bland. enemies attack windups are insanely long, animations drawn out and huge backswings while the rest stand around and look at you. Damage sponges that arent dangeous are NOT my kind of game. Horrible writing on top and I'll pass. It looked like it could be fun but I just see too many cracks. I feel like its the kind of game I would be excited to play conceptually and then fall asleep trying to enjoy it. I look at the combat and compare it to another game that had flashy combat, ys 8. That game felt like I was playing dragon ball z. My heart would race, I'd have to time things or die horribly. I was always living on the edge. This looks easy and slow. Not only the dialogue, but the combat difficulty looks watered down and safe.

[@MrProdigy810]

The difficulty sliders change the windup and timing of many attacks and increase enemy aggression. I doubt it'll ever be one of the most exciting combat systems but it can be better based on your difficulty level and trials.

[@VesperOfRoses]

"Damage sponges that aren't dangerous" is pretty much every boss fight in every Dragon Age game since 2

[@ZrodyApo]

From what I've seen in other reviews that focused on gameplay, the ennemies are definitely damage sponges on higher difficulties. Ennemy variety is also severly lacking and most of them have the same move set

[@MrProdigy810]

@@ZrodyApo to be honest about enemies being sponges and lacking in variety, I'm not sure why that's a lock against the game, as that never had not been the case

[@ZrodyApo]

@@MrProdigy810 well I'm just quoting what was said in reviews, it just makes the gameplay loop very dull and repetitive, especially if you're going to play a game for multiple hours. A completionist playthrough is around 50 to 80h according to them). Some reviewers even had to lower the difficulty so they can advance the game because of how boring it was to fight spongy ennemies of the same variety with identical move set. The dragons seem to be the only exciting ennemies to fight, but there aren't many.

[@benj.mindenes4141]

It’s like someone’s trying to dress up in the dead body of Dragon Age as a Halloween costume and parade around in it. At least their timing is impeccable. This game is Dragon Age in name only.

[@Hawaiiman93]

Well things move forward all the writers left. You’re old stop shouting at the sky old man times change the question is do they keep the heart?

[@Oozaru85]

@@Hawaiiman93 The answer is no.

[@Hawaiiman93]

@@Oozaru85 and you can tell by all the not having played it you’ve done?

[@Oozaru85]

@@Hawaiiman93 No, by the reviews I have watched.

[@mandu6665]

Oh, what makes a Dragon Age game Dragon Age then? All three previous games are quite different.

[@matroska_5625]

To be fair, I'm playing DAO, DA2 and DAI at the moment now, and have been for a few weeks, and almost all items that you pick up are totally pointless. It's close to a 100% chance that any new equipment is going to be worse than what anyone has. I think that we tend to apply much higher standards to this game than we did to the previous ones. I've gone for like 20 hours in DAI without finding anything better than what I have - even when going into DLC.

[@nullpexception]

That's true on DA:I, where there are incentives to craft better items. Not my experience in DA:O, where items that weren't obviously loot were regularly better than what I had.

[@bryandedon7459]

Those games are 10 plus years old. Games are supposed to evolve. Also I'm sure there were people saying that stuff back then but you had to seek that out bc not everybody and their mother was on youtube making videos and commenting on them. Games should be held to a higher standard now. The technology is a lot better and they've been working on this game for a long time.

[@matroska_5625]

@@bryandedon7459 Yeah but most games I played 10 years ago - even longer ago, like on the NES - didn't have most items be either shit you can't use, stuff worse than what you have, or totally random junk. You're right about the KZbin thing, though, where nowadays things get blown out of proportion more because there's a pile-on through the internet.

[@vergillives9890]

Indeed we went from Skyrim 2.0 with fundamental differences to a subpar mobile game with less features-

[@ArvisSc]

Sounds like you didn't like the game but just don't want to be blacklisted by EA. Understandable but still sad.

[@protolegacy9184]

I'd like to know if enemies respawn in an area? As if you leave and then return. Or is there a set amount in the game? Thanks.

[@Xxsorafan]

I would think they do respawn in all the games even as linear as 2 spots where enemies spawn would usually be back if you re entered the area after some time passed

[@joshuapatrick682]

It’s a KZbinr with 80k subs, we were never getting a straightforward review here and I get it. You gotta read the subtext folks.

[@TheRealIronMan]

Honestly I would give this game a try if the companions are actually well designed, like just compare em to BG3 companions, literally every single BG3 companion is attractive af in their own ways while the companions in this game are just so generic and "normal" looking.

[@skychee]

I hope this is a coincidence, but I was very confused that this is the third review in a row in which I hear exactly the same phrase "most people will connect with 2 or 3 companions that they just VIBE with". It's such a weird phrase, with such a strange set of words, it's all soooo strange. And also mentioning petting grifon or playing rock paper scissors. I hope the scriptwriters of the game did a better job than the scriptwriters of the reviews for it.

[@DdHenley307]

I noticed that with some of the previews a couple weeks ago. "Better it's not an open world because there were too many fetch quests". Wouldn't that have more to do with the games quest designers , not the open world. Seemed weird for multiple people to say it

[@Spiddal_mary]

I know reviewers for some things have a list of specific lines written for them that they are asked to put in their reviews, by whoever is paying them. Probably most likely reason for repeated lines in multiple reviews. Sorry if this was already inferred in your comments and I just didn’t get it 😂😂

[@duckonquack6969]

I know what you mean, idk if it's a subconscious thing or what but I keep hearing the same weird phrases over and over everywhere! Weird lol

[@16Vagabond]

taash and bellara are incredibly annoying and cringe, is what I predict

[@danielokorodudu5622]

@@DdHenley307 That's because DEI could feel very very tedious and overwhelming, people aren't judging this game as it's own product which is realistically how you should approach a game review if you want to give an objective one, they are instead judging it under the shadow of the masterpiece that was DAO and that weight is stifling any positive reaction since every way it doesn't meet that expectation is being blown way out of proportion. The game is clearly not a critical masterpiece but I doubt it would be as critically bashed by the Nay-Sayers if it didn't have to live up to the DAO name.

[@invaderjoshua6280]

So your recommending people spend money to feel conflicted and likely disappointed? What the heck? Access journalism needs to stop. Just say a bad game is bad and move on. You can have respect from your viewers or the publishers not both if you act like this.

[@DeadlyGrub]

Lists a large amount of negatives... still says buy it? Okay but why not say wait for a sale or something? 🤔 Also how can the combat be fun if it's repetitive as you say; that would imply it gets boring from monotony? This so far seems like your scared to just say you don't recommend it.

[@danielokorodudu5622]

1. He mentioned things he liked about the game alongside stuff that he disliked, hell he even outright said the game was a good Action RPG even if not necessarily a good DA RPG. 2. He didn't say sale because he clearly had fun with the game and thought it was worth his money, he just mentions that you MIGHT feel a sense of disappointment due to the game likely being different from what you expect and not being similar to DAO in strengths as that is what is widely accepted to be the gold standard for the Dragon Age series. 3. He did not say Combat was repetitive he actually mentioned it being very fun and engaging, what he did say however was that quest format was repetitive which is fair, as even with a decent combat system if you re doing the same shit over and over again for what are likely 5-10 hr game runs daily so you can finish the game and review it, the odds of burn out happening are pretty high as people get burn out with less, I have shot to do so I'll probably be consuming the game in 3-5 hr bursts every 2-3 days till completion so even if the tasks are repetitive It will likely not bother me much as good combat can carry through short bursts of that nature. 4. You can think a game doesn't meet you expectations but still consider it worth your money, Why? Because a game being Fun and entertaining is not and has not ever been mutually exclusive with it meeting expectations, AC Origins and Odyssey were not what I expected them to be when they came out and I was disappointed that they weren't made in the vision I wanted for the game but had fun with both games and despite mourning older AC titles I'd recommend both as I think despite not meeting my expectations both games are worth a purchase. It's really not a hard concept to understand or acknowledge< either people just want to be obtuse or the level of English comprehension from the viewers of this video is vastly lower than I give it credit for.

[@DeadlyGrub]

@@danielokorodudu5622 Someone's angry and yes he did say the combat gets repetitive due to a lack of enemy variety in the review. I could fetch the time stamp but I doubt it's worth acknowledging you given you basically wrote an Essay then punctuated it with an insult. How to lose an argument 101.

[@vergillives9890]

He will lose access if he does and more scared of losing access he more "conflicted" about it but you must buy for him to keep access-

[@danielokorodudu5622]

@@DeadlyGrub I'm not insulting anyone it is an observation more than anything else. People are acting like he didn't get his point across when the entire video acts as context to perfectly explain why he says he feels conflicted but would still recommend you buy the game. Unless people are choosing to selectively ignore him then there really is no other explanation that a lack of English comprehension since his point was clear as day to me. Also since I don't have the energy to rewatch the video to actually heck if what you are saying is true, for the sake of conversation I will assume you correct. The combat being good and the game being repetitive due to lack of enemy variety are 2 completely different things, you can have good combat and still feel burn out if you there is a lack of variation and you play for an extended period.

[@anonvoila4883]

It's wild how streamers with early access reviews are just playing it safe or giving them 9 score to keep those sweet, sweet benefits rolling in. When it comes down to whether or not a game's worth the hard-earned cash, fence-sitting doesn't help anyone. People need straight-up honesty, especially when their wallets are on the line. While it's easy for influencers with early access codes to drop a casual "yes" or "conflicted," the real insight often comes from those grassroots streamers who didn't get any perks. They call it like they see it, without sugarcoating the reality. It's refreshing and absolutely necessary in this day and age where transparency is everything.

[@mandu6665]

Lol, come on dude. You're on some flat earth conspiracy levels of ignorance here. Funny how people are all about transparency for this game but gave Baldur's Gate 3 and it's tons and tons of bugs at launch, broken party members, underdeveloped third Act and pathetic epilogues at launch a free pass! Interesting! BG3 must have been paid for reviews with all those sweet benefits rolling in!

[@anonvoila4883]

@@mandu6665 If my comment appeared ignorant, then you must be a VIP member of the special bus club. Yes, BG3 gets a pass because it's from a small indie studio that doesn't have the backing of a mega triple-A studio or an army of media journalists praising their every move. So what's Bioware's excuse? On top of everything else, Larian Studios didn't even deny the most critical streamer a review code; they let the game speak for itself. So please, go ahead and reply-chatting with special folks like you is just delightful. 🤡🤡

[@marvel__ink]

I much prefer an honest review with valid criticism and positives rather than a black or white one.

[@anonvoila4883]

lol my comment got deleted it’s fine I took a scene shot of it. This is just proves my point sad not not unexpected

[@anonvoila4883]

@@marvel__ink that's a very acceptable take on it. At the end of the day, it's your choice, so what you do with it isn't up for debate

[@alexrababah9500]

I'm very excited. I think it's fair to say that the game is good, but to also feel sad that it has departed from how the franchise used to be. My memories of DAO will always be precious to me, but I look forward to what Veilguard has in store.

[@julilla1]

This sounds absolutely fair. There are things to dislike in every game, even one that you like.

[@Frazec_Atsjenkov]

Still enjoying the heck out of BG3, and will for many months/years to come. While I am a massive fan of DA:O, this game leaves me pretty cold. Not sure exactly why that is, it just does. In my mind, BG3 is the spiritual successor to DA:O.

[@Swecan76]

BecauseDA:O and BG3 are very different in combat game play. Origins and BG3 are turn based or almost TB.

[@Frazec_Atsjenkov]

@@Swecan76 Don't fully understand what you are saying. DA:O = Dragon Age Origins.

[@jean-noell2269]

BG3 is a good game, but for me as a player it's the opposite of DAO. In the later, you create a character and you can play his origin, in BG3, as a Larian game, you create a character and you are the only one that has no origin/backstory even worse compared to your companions (developers characters, obviously they had a lot of fun) you play the bland one.

[@willlanphier3410]

@@jean-noell2269 that's what the Dark Urge is for. Custom character with the same urgency to the plot as the companions. Heck i'd say Dark Urge easily has the MOST plot relevant backstory only one that comes close is shadowheart.

[@GordonHammer]

Not just in your mind. The two are extremely similar in design, save for RTWP vs turn-based. And they're two of the greatest stories in gaming ever.

[@keithbailey8391]

You can't help thinking that BG3 has raised the bar so high that many studios that were heavily committed to their games tried to incorporate some of Larian's style. I'll defiantly play Veilguard because I'm not obsessed with the lore , I just want to connect with the characters and have fun along the way. Almost every RPG has repetition, who can forget early FF games with those incredibly low drop rates which forced you to rinse and repeat enemy battles so that you would eventually get the loot you are after. A very thorough review NorZZa................what's next ?

[@lost4parts336]

Remember, Bioware hand picked the critics to review this because they are biased to the game.

[@giorgoskatselis9515]

Although this review is not received well by the people (more dislikes than likes), it earned a subsription from me. Its easy to pick sides (Game of the year or a game that is bad in everything) but for a title like this one, the truth is in the middle. And this video depicts this mixture of emotions, very well I think.

[@LEMONedOblaat]

That crow helmet really caught me off-guard at 15 something in. I think the game looks pretty solid but some of the writing seems a little cringy. I appreciated your balanced review.

[@peterfromberg7977]

Thank you for a nuanced review, I feel like all reviews these days are so overly negative and polarizing.. most youtubers love jumping on the hate train for more views.

[@SPSteve]

I might buy it when it is on sale for 50% off. I have a lot of hours in the first 3 games, but this game leaves me feeling apathetical.

[@smithynoir9980]

When it comes to Veilguard, best I can do is play it completely free. Likely with better performance than the paid-for version.

[@MiSambra]

Not to be "that guy", but they actually opted to leave DRM out of Veilgaurd, so it probably runs fine. I am of the opinion that the game itself looks terrible, though.

[@bayramaktas4135]

Good, honest review, the game will be a hit! When İ read all the negative comments here it's just ridiculous. People, If even Larian praised the game, it can't be a bad game, I'll definitely buy it!

[@mattsal2070]

I agree, I’ll make up my mind once it’s actually out, but people love to hate everything these days

[@baklapjr]

Larian didn't praise the game, only the head of publishing did. Someone who doesn't have anything to do with the actual development of a good game but only the publishing of it

[@bayramaktas4135]

@@baklapjr OK, the publishing director Michael "Cromwelp" Douse of BG3 makers at Larian Studios gave Dragon Age Veilguard full praise because, as he said, he had already played the game in secret, still someone with weight, I would say.

[@Teo_live]

The game is near guaranteed to flop, which is why Bioware offered it for peanuts as a freebie with Nvidia subs to artificially boost its numbers. There is nothing wrong with liking any game, but lets not pretend this is going to be a "hit".

[@bayramaktas4135]

​@@Teo_live😂😂 But that's not from Bioware, it's a gift from Nvidia if you buy something expensive from them, an old sales trick, so nothing is free!! After the last trailer and the mostly positive reviews, sales figures have skyrocketed on all platforms, wait until the first let's play videos are shown very soon, then even more will buy the game, despite all the unfounded negative criticism, Veilguard is a very good game.

[@Heims511]

I need to know are there GREATSWORDS!?!?!?

[@dariogomez8921]

X2

[@Mataniel]

You and me both... I really hope we have them available.

[@chaitea3421]

Well… yes!

[@ThwipThwipBoom]

Greatswords are lame, magic is way cooler.

[@norzza]

There are no greatswords 😔

[@Gameservatory]

Thanks for the candid review, NorZZa. Will temper my excitement, but still looking forward to seeing it for myself.

[@BluClarityReviews]

Will just fitgirl this game

[@GonzoJohn733]

I don't think this company deserves the money based on how they've treated people that were honest in their previews. They just snubbed them and now they are withholding keys from reviewers they KNOW will be honest. That is disingenuous. I don't do business with a company like that.

[@allisterttooulias4458]

A very thorough and well thought out review, thank you.

[@daisybunni]

thorough*

[@OddSanity]

Great review man. You highlighted some pros , and some cons and I respect it. I will still get the game and enjoy it for what it’s worth. It may not be your traditional DA, but it looks solid

[@Stormypinkness]

Norzza coming out with the only review I trust. This review is thorough and balanced. I'm excited to play!

[@AdrianGrave]

are these comments ai generated?

[@Stormypinkness]

@@AdrianGrave nope, I'm very much a real person. But the negative comments are very telling of people that clearly aren't fans of the series.

[@enoughisenough4-d3h]

​@@Stormypinkness😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@Macheako]

@@Stormypinkness does anyone love you?

[@artinotsoparty]

Stormypinkness: Norzza coming out with the only review I trust. Norzza: I am so conflicted about this game and you might be disappointed by it but its a mustbuy. My brain: Who are these clowns ignoring such conflicting statements and just blindly buying a product?! Ah right...most probably diehard Ubisoft customers.

[@timothyhayes2726]

Sadly, the fan base will hate on this game no matter how good it is. They hated on DAII and Inquisition when it came out. They hated on Mass Effect 3 and Andromeda. And all of those games were actually good games. (Yes I said Andromeda was a good game.) I have been playing since Origins and I really wish they would just create a remastered version already. I am very interested in this game but I know that it is not Origins. I am just hoping it will be a good in between from Origins and DAII.

[@jerrybuffington6473]

Steam>Your Store>Preferences>Store Preferences>Tags to Exclude>LGBTQ+

[@GoatSays]

Didn't know you could do this. Thanks!

[@Zhoyzu]

If it wasnt for this version of combat in Dragon Age i wouldnt have been interested in returning at all. I think this game will be a solid 9/10 for me based on combat loops as i was additcted to it in ME3

[@deniscasella9138]

Super honest review , well done !

[@wafflezorz1]

How do you know it’s honest?

[@aries148]

@@wafflezorz1play the game and find out.

[@JochenHeistermann]

After the final words from the Review I decided to give it a Chance. My beloved rpg Was ultima7 serpent Isle. Does anybody remember that one?

[@ChandlerUSMC]

Hell. Yes. You are not alone. :)

[@JochenHeistermann]

@@ChandlerUSMC After Black Gate I thougt it cannot get better, but than came Serpent Isle and the Underworlds as spinoff. But than Ultima 8 killed the series.

[@criminaltango5062]

man was fighting for his life to call this game rubbish but EA's money bag must be a really big motivator

[@primalspongebob6144]

Great seeing someone mention FF16’s compendium. Definitely something that should be done a lot more moving forward. Good review and tbh a lot of companies could be putting out higher quality games. Even without the old teams, they can do better.

[@Amaneas]

Thank you for this honest review. I like that your final thoughts go at it from different perspectives. Some other reviewers seem to not be capable of this

[@ColdRain-d9x]

It surely is a different perspective. Basically, you will probably be disappointed, but you should buy it. What kind of sht is that?

[@stormyphoenix7050]

How did you like the sound track? The music and such?

[@norzza]

Music was good. Didn't stand out though, not an OST I'll listen to separately.

[@Modverse]

Thanks for the positive review. been playing since origins, even if its not amazing, i'm excited for a new chapter in thedas,

[@lisitchkajojo]

Thanks for the thorough and well balanced review

[@MicahLetsPlay]

Thank you for you review and I really liked it. Combat was the biggest thing for me because I love action RPG's I'm also a long time DA fan myself. Cheers!

[@matroska_5625]

Also, I've been meaning to say this for a few videos, but I love how you're honest, you're not just shilling and nor are you ripping into the game for sake of it. I love that. But for t he love of the Maker, it's "especially" not "expecially". Triggers me every time.

[@MrOzzi18]

This was a pretty fair and constructive review! Only a few more days to go for the full release!

[@remnantryku7112]

As a longtime fan of all 3 DAs, if I'm going to play a game just to be "disappointed as the credits roll," then Veilguard is definitely not worth the time. Unfortunate.

[@Makoto03]

Thank you so much for this review. I personally appreciate that each Dragon Age game feels distinct and unique. It does seem like this game wasn't really worth the decade wait but it might still be enjoyable for me. The action gameplay looks fun.

[@DudiReviews]

i'm still torn between Human mage or dwarf warrior, but your point on early companions raises a good point

[@Max_Toovey0308]

Good review mate, thanks for giving your thoughts. Looking forward to picking the game up and trying it out.

[@Edge2177]

It's disappointing how so many people are censored for their opinions both good and bad, Bioware/EA have lost their players and they hoped to bring in new but this is just a failure.

[@pitogiros]

Good review. As a big DA fan i have dropped my expectations a lot. Your comments have confirmed this for me. It's aimed towards more casual players. So i am planning to enjoy the journey but don't expect much. Sounds very watered down overall for what it used to be. Pitty as i prefer to hold these franchises in higher standards but it is what it is. Will try to have fun with it. Combat looks decent.

[@yohanes2034]

You know same as me. Still gonna buy the game at least if it’s playable or decent cause I love DA lore so much. So I’m gonna play the game just to see the continuation of the story. Tbh many content creators just dumping negativity just for clicks and engagements. At the end it’s you that play the game. If unsure then wait for several days after release.

[@AdrianGrave]

you guys are the reason that companies are so bad... you'll just buy their trash anyway.

[@pitogiros]

@@yohanes2034 Well said! And a bunch of those overly negative creators do it because it helps grow their channel and following.

[@XRay2x]

I need someone to tell me if there are 2 handed swords / greatswords in this game u.u

[@marvel__ink]

None, he answered another comment

[@bastiwen]

Apparently not :/

[@MrEgg93]

Sounds good. Sounds fun! Got quite a backlog to get through first but I'll pick it up on sale. Onto my DAI playthrough. Dragging a little so hopefully I'm near the latter part of the game

[@TheEffectOfMass]

Thanks for your review. So, regarding the divisive reviews out there. I think the real problem stems from BioWare trying really hard to appeal to everyone. It's got fast and snappy combat. It tries to maintain some of the tactical aspects. It's got nods and cameos for old fans. It's got diversity. It runs amazingly well on PC for that crowd. It focuses on the companions for story lovers. The list goes on. But does it do any of that particularly well? I think to people who say no to that question will give it more of a negative review.

[@danielokorodudu5622]

Thing is it doesn't do any of that particularly badly either, so at it's very worst the game is an average Action RPG with a decent combat system that has a level of depth to it, worth a buy if you can spare the cash or are intrested in the action RPG scene, maybe not a full price purchase if you can help it but not necessarily a failure by any means and will likely have people who loved or hate it depending on their preference. Unfortunately instead of that review we get overly negative stances simply because this game doesn't live up to the long overbearing shadow that DAO has cast over the entire franchise, and it is suffering from being different enough from the premise of the predecssors that the world is jumping at every excuse to riot and perpetuate negativity.

[@TheEffectOfMass]

@@danielokorodudu5622 The more I think about it, the more I feel like this is the reason. A long shadow that many considered great. And the new games don't quite reach those highs. Too much has changed, and there's a great deal of people who don't like change. I felt the same about Mass Effect: Andromeda. I love that series, and I thought Andromeda was a decent game. Just not as good as the others. I still enjoyed it though.

[@danielokorodudu5622]

@@TheEffectOfMass Oh same andromeda was definitely not as good as the OG ME trilogy but it wasn't a terrible game, just wasn't the ME I wished I had. My disappointment with it didn't prevent me from enjoy the game for the duration of play, and if a game manages to entertain me I think of it as a win and worth my money, after all i am not playing games to be a critic, I am playing them to have fun first and foremost.

[@NewYears1978]

The way you described combat feels very Hogwarts to me. A ton of the same type combat mechanics. I loved that game but also got kind of old after awhile.

[@Solidsnake724]

The writing is atrocious and so are the characters.

[@Ehetere]

As always appreciate your thoughts, though as a die hard fan it's something I've feared for a while. I will be playing and can't wait to get into the specifics more in a few days, if nothing else some intelligent discussion will be interesting!

[@lilSmurf69]

the point they named it dragon age is going to make alot of people refund this game imagine paying for coffee to get served tea this game and the originals are miles apart

[@Ninjya44]

I reinstalled Serious Sam 2 and played that instead. Did you know they released a new patch for the game in 2021? Wild!

[@RogueDiscipline]

This game is literally telling us which KZbinrs can be trusted and who can easily be bought.

[@kthxpls]

Exactly.

[@gottinrod]

My face is tired of non-buynary propaganda.

[@Frank_Torre]

From what I've seen of the game so far I thunk it'll be a great place to sink hundreds of hours over multiple playthroughs. As for Dragon Age's constant changing with each game, I've never had a problem with that as it meant they were willing to try something new instead of giving us the same thing over and over again. That said the majority of us who've played all 3 prior DA games would still say Origins is the best while DA2 was the least of the series. Yet DA2 was the kicking off point for the chaos that Thedas now sees itself in. I truly believe no game will ever top Origins in the series as those who played it when it came out are steadfast it can't be topped, while those who maybe started with Inquisition and then went back to Origins and DA2 may like the more action paced RPGs more then the original style Origins. Still I've high hopes for Veilguard. With 1 major thumbs down being smooth forehead Qunari.

[@jdrobin1]

I'll pick it up eventually. I've played and beaten all previous entries. I never pay full price for AAA games so I'll get it when it's half off or finds it's way to Gamepass.

[@kelziebub1]

Thank you for your honesty. Can't wait to see how it is myself x

[@aries148]

I’m getting this. The combat looks too good to miss. Probably will do two play-throughs on two separate difficulties. Thanks for the review.

[@Joe-ti7qd]

Kiddies will love it. Like yourself

[@aries148]

@@Joe-ti7qd lmao thanks little man I appreciate it. Keep watching reviews in anger and frustration!

[@bladeking1231]

@@aries148bud I recommend looking at another review the other ones I’ve seen tell about how they turn the difficulty down just to get it over with faster

[@aries148]

@@bladeking1231 hey bud. I don’t care. I will judge for myself.

[@bladeking1231]

@@aries148 fair enough

[@TheBlueDeath123]

After hearing how EA only sent review copies to reviewers they already judged as positive on the game…no thank you

[@beaucole446]

Are all 3 versions of the faction gear available to all character regardless of class

[@norzza]

Yes, the others appear as appearances you can purchase from the vendor

[@beaucole446]

@@norzza OOHHH HELL YEAH

[@Rafaelupifieri]

do we have a greatsword option as weapon for warriors?

[@Eyydrian]

Being a die hard fan of DA doesn't mean that you should consume any slop that's pushed out with a Dragon Age label. In fact, I'd say that if you're a die hard fan, you should be upset at how mistreated the IP has been over the years, and shouldn't encourage any further destruction of the series. I don't get how you're recommending this game to die hard fans while at the same time saying that the same people you're recommending the game to might be disappointed at the ending. It makes no sense.

[@annesilverblade]

Is there the option to not recruit companions or have them leave as in previous dragon age games or are you locked in to recruiting everyone?

[@enrique6335]

I want to know this as well. Things like that really added to the role-playing and uniqueness of each playthrough. I remember once doing a playthrough in Inquisition without Sera and Vivienne.

[@Blackreaper95]

According to skill up you are locked into recruiting everyone and you can't piss off companions, fight them, or have them leave your party.

[@norzza]

You are forced to recruit them all.

[@rudeboyjohn3483]

​@@norzzaoof. Forced to do anything in an "rpg" sounds like a bad time

[@Faminetheblack]

@@norzza "forced" Doesn't sound very fun to me to be "forced" to do anything.

[@KeillaSellay]

How much they paid you for these lies??

[@MikeThaDevil]

Morrigans head looks like a pidgeon on top of a neck

[@Charlotte_8000]

Doed the hame has NG +?

[@justr1809]

it may look cartoonish in a sense but considering that my pc will be able to run this on the highest setting I cant wait for this game. Loved origins, liked very much 2, and still play inquisition. This game is gonna be great for me. Plus the lore in every game deepened and got better and better. Just 3 days left.

[@zrpggamer]

Thx for the review, i'm going to keep my preoder. Positive enough that i'll give it a go.

[@uvmedia2550]

Watch skillup and mattplays..I just cancelled mine

[@LazyLautrec]

Can your companions actually kill stuff? I normally like to play as a tank in most games and set up kills rather then kill myself but most videos ive seen your followers are just there to set up combos and not much else.

[@danielokorodudu5622]

They can, their skills and stuff still do damage or set up for damage, hell you can even use the tactical pause screen to make them focus a target in group battles, so you can play a supportive role to your companions skills and damage by utilizing those systems, the only thing they can't really do is die, which is a positive to me as I don't mind micromanaging skills and attacks when playing turn based games but the idea of having to micromanage party members in fast paced action combat thoroughly puts me off.

[@Necrostrike]

All the good in-depth reviews with examples put out by hot australian men. I wouldn't mind if they take over games journalism. Adding this channel and Skill Up to my catalog XD

[@allnamestakenlol]

Ugh, no thanks.