Could Veilguard be the END?

#dragonagetheveilguard #bioware #dragonage
Dragon Age The Veilguard is BioWare's next big game. But will it be enough to keep them afloat, or will it drive them to the brink? Remember, they are on the back end of back-to-back failures.
Surely this has to be the homerun we have all been waiting for, but I'm skeptical.
What do you guys think?
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[@Lathander720]

This is not the old BioWare, this is something totaly different with the same name.

[@Gungrave123]

i think EA is keeping them around for PR reasons at this point. "Bioware" is not even a shadow of what it was, its more gone than Blizzard.

[@HazVsRPG]

The games are financial successes though, except for Anthem. My thing is, when will people actually go 'Yeah nah, im out this is ridiculous' Because I think a lot of people SAY that, but then sales numbers reflect otherwise. So im kind of puzzled on this one.

[@dhockedy1273]

Larian and Owlcat own the RPG scene now.

[@HazVsRPG]

Agreed!!

[@HarpoonTheWhaler]

whos owlcat? id love some game reccomendations.

[@dhockedy1273]

@@HarpoonTheWhaler Pathfinder: Kingmaker, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous. Warhammer 40k: Rogue Trader

[@TheRavenShadowsWolf]

@@dhockedy1273 Owlcat: -They lost the lisence to Kingmaker - so it cannot be further patched, to make it playable. - Wrath now has a current console update that crashes the game at certain points (and the secret ending is so obfuscated that you'll play a thousand times to get to see it once, if you're lucky) - Rogue Trader doesn't even mark on the controller layout in game, which button is for basic attacks... so I couldn't even attack the first enemy in the prologue with my Bio Psyker attempt. : / * Larian does ONE game series. Divinity. Even BG3 (which isn't Baldur's Gate 3 - because that series is canonically FINISHED) IS Just Divinity Original Sin with 5e painted onto it. It's a fuck ton of pointless assed skill checks with a Die system that's set up to MAKE you fail and have to reload about a billion times on any actual "choice" you want to make. If that's what you call an RPG, I can't help you. (Multi-classing is also a PAIN to figure out when to do it - but that's as much a D&D based problem) They "own" the RPG scene ONLY because no one cares to actually MAKE a Role Play Game anymore. The best we get is this slop. Or RPG "Elements." Cyberpunk was famously SUPPOSED to be the next great RPG - and by the end they'd changed the game so much stripping things they'd promised would be there away that they had to call it an Action Adventure title LEGALLY. >.< I'll be impressed if some company somewhere wants to give us a better polished version of DarkSun. The Shattered Lands was never really finished, wake of the ravager was worse... tackle that; and then I'll give any company that gets all the things right and FINISHES both games with a proper magic/psionics system in place, my due respect. Hell give me a decent Superhero game where I can BUILD my own superhero/level up my powers and go around just wrecking the environment or saving the world (with no dumbassed escort/protect me quests) and I'd be happy. Dragon Age had 3 GOOD specializations: Spirit Warrior, Arcane Warrior, Legion Scout. You could argue Knight Enchanter before the nerf whacked it hard... but NONE of those are in most of the games. Hell, you had to get DLC to get two of the three I mentioned in the original... The series STARTED with The Wardens, and it SHOULD end on the victory over the LAST BLIGHT. I don't give a flying fuck what other political bullshit you throw at what should remain a NEUTRAL party (which wasn't even in the first damned game - and is my major problem with it in fact) or what factions they want to retcon into having existed. The series BELONGS to The Grey Wardens. To Haz: As far as I know in D&D 30 is the max level - and by that point you're actually STRONGER than most listed Gods. Up to the point of being able to challenge (not necessarily win against mind...) a Terrasque. Unless they somehow upped the level cap recently...

[@dhockedy1273]

@@TheRavenShadowsWolf TLDR, Bunch of whining is all i saw then i lost interest, sounds like you suffer from not knowing how to play RPGs which is your problem and BG3 is Baldurs gate, the story of baldurs gate continued in books after the game and as for your idea that BG3 is just DOS with 5e shows you know Feck all about DnD and DOS, because if you did you would know DOS is the closest thing to an authentic DnD experience you will find in games

[@nunchuksteev9811]

All of these big companies following ESG guidelines and taking Black Rock checks are ruining the industry. Warhammer was awesome because of the unapologetically masculine energy, something we used to come to games for that has been gutted. Over the top badasses used to be a plenty in gaming.

[@HazVsRPG]

1000% I think that will be a topic for my next video.

[@MarwolfAeducan]

bro forgot jade empire a beloved hidden gem

[@HazVsRPG]

I totally did, aanother commentor said the same thing, i feel like i need to apologise haha because I intended for it to go in, anotehr absolute banger to add to the fact that bioware used to be so nimble, agile - it didnt matter what was thrown at them they nailed it.

[@themagnus2919]

SUPER under-rated

[@plaernotree]

@@MarwolfAeducan 1000 fists

[@Cheff-oc4wu]

I was gonna say that. Every game they put out was top notch back then.

[@YeOldeMachine]

It's the art style that's really turning me off Vielguard. Bright purple UI screen and all this damn neon everywhere. I'd just prefer it looked more like a dark fantasy RPG. It also gives me such an MMO vibe. Gameplay reminds me of Elder Scrolls Online.

[@HazVsRPG]

I hear you on this one, I'm not sold by it either. I also am not a fan of the main cast of characters looking like 'the most unlikely group of friends ever'. It feels visually forced to me.

[@janeway73]

💯 how I feel about it, you worded it so well! The neon sparkles, the bloom effect, the manga girls fight MMO feel to it, so true 😅 I can't imagine paying serious money for this.

[@HarpoonTheWhaler]

@@HazVsRPG:( I just hope it's good. That's all I ask

[@gamevids7814]

For me the fighting looks like dragon age 2 has a baby with black desert online. I mean yah Asia those days is a big market maybe that's what they are after.... It's kinda sad . I do know it's the first entry in the dragon age Saga I will not preorder or buy at full price. Already though dragon age inquisition had a quite heavy and pompous Story and this looks kinda like more of this... Paired with political messages. I hope the Autistic npc finds his way back into the game. I really loved this in BioWare Games.

[@skyrim654]

The main thing that stood out to me about Spacemarine 2 with its story and dialogue, which really took me aback. Is that it treats me (the audience) like a damn adult, and the actors on the screen as adults. They may have their issues, but they handle business like any mature individual would. It was quite refreshing.

[@HazVsRPG]

Yes!! It felt very 'grown up' and it felt really different, which is odd isn't it. Al games should be like that if the cast is mature!!

[@lokennz]

Bioware is like Triggers Broom (Only Fools and Horses reference!) - how many of the original creatives can leave before the company isn't really Bioware anymore.

[@HazVsRPG]

Yah, Agreed. Its alarm bells when the founders / creators of the whole place bail out lol.

[@TheHxc777]

@@HazVsRPG old Bioware crew members ( James Ohlen, Chad Robertson and Drew Karpyshyn ) are making Exodus game now, but it will be a sci-fi rpg.

[@docmacabre]

There are just so many things wrong with this game. The art style, the combat system, companion reduction, intrusive UI, the color vomit etc. The characters and attack or spell effects look as if they've been pasted into the game. They do not match the gorgeous world. It also feels like a downgrade from Inquisition. Character movements (walking, running, jumping) look wooden. Then it's the little things that only add to the feeling of this game being unfinished, such as missing foot prints and textures (people looking oddly dry in the rain despite raindrops on their skin, for example). Inquisition had all that. The game looks half-baked, if you ask me. Also, the marketing is atrocious. In the first gameplay reveal, they pretty much ruined everything the Trespasser DLC set up, by way of using the worst tropes ever (scaffolding) and spoiling the outcome. They kept adding other major spoilers in subsequent videos. Then the focus on trivial things such as the character creator and the romance aspects of the game. And the dialogue is just bad... I also fear that they've sanitized the game heavily. I highly doubt we'll be put into situations with morally questionable decisions. Lucanis would be one example. Unlike Zevran, who was sold to the Crows as a child, Lucanis is the grandchild of one of the leaders. Already in the novel, I felt he lacked depth. He gives off average hero vibes, not at all as if he's an assassin who gets paid to dispose of people, whether they be good or evil. In general, the characters, from what we've seen so far, feel extremely bland to me. And then there's the redesign of the Darkspawn. They look like silly Halloween decorations. The Qunari and elves now just look like humans cosplaying as such. So yeah, I cannot see how this could possibly be a game that I'd like. I'll wait and see what gamers I trust will have to say once it's been released.

[@HazVsRPG]

The races being humanized is a real big one for me. My next video will tackle the way that I think games are going visually. Especially games coming out of the west. They have a way of saying 'inclusive' but to me what I see isnt inclusive at all. Its much more 'exclusive' if anything.

[@docmacabre]

​@@HazVsRPG I wouldn't be surprised if the redesign of elves and Qunari was done bc it's easier to have one character model instead of three. Well, technically it would be four (female dwarf & human, male dwarf & human) instead of eight. Saves time and money. Why the hell they thought it was a good idea to make the characters look as if they were abusing Instagram model filters is anyone's guess...

[@lorddrakkon5336]

Dragon Age: Veilguard is Star Wars The Acolyte of gaming

[@youareacoward8459]

The old bioware is gone.

[@MarkSartor-d8q]

Bioware doesn't deserve to survive, if Veilguard is the best they can do.

[@bored_ming5639]

Bioware is Bioware in name only. I will be happy if Veilguard is good but its doubtful.

[@HazVsRPG]

Yeah I have to agree, cant argue with that with how things stand at all.

[@ivanklaric5341]

@bored_ming5639 first impression of the game , majority of audience are not happy with it. so if the story does being good, not sure if it will succeed, with the story alone

[@xavierhouston4650]

The director needs to go.

[@spellandshield]

Lord Haz, I am glad you mentioned James Ohlen; you should check out Exodus; he is the lead director and I have happened to cover the game a fair bit, might be of interest to you.

[@HazVsRPG]

OH! Dude I didnt know - I need to look deeper into what these guys are up to now. I have seen the trailer and it looked good, I will check out a few of your vids on it!!!

[@firestorm7977]

Not going to lie I’m concerned this game is going to get ruined by diversity tick box’s and the art style doesn’t even feel like dragon age

[@krasmasov6852]

Dragon Age has always been diverse

[@joereynolds475]

Diverse? yes . woke? no. The difference is when diversity is added for the sake of it and often as a substitute for or at the expense of good writing. No one complained about the diversity in origins because it was a good game. Hence why bg3 is a success.

[@krasmasov6852]

@@joereynolds475 So then diversity is never actually a problem

[@bearddragoon5182]

I have a lot I could say about Bioware but I'll just leave a quote here. "I have many times felt, I would rather have hope than the things I am hoping for."

[@HazVsRPG]

Its a good quote that one! I do hope for the best, i want another developer to have SOME faith in, to create solid RPG experiences. I want the list to grow, not get smaller!!!

[@viperswhip]

Well, blame the Doctors for selling to EA in the first place, this was always going to be the result.

[@eduardogerman7317]

You can be 100% sure that is going to suck big time

[@HazVsRPG]

Firm and resolute, i like your style.

[@Icipher353]

Bioware is a pale shadow of what it once was. It doesn't really matter if Bioware folds at this point. They're not interested in making CRPGs anymore, and other studios have taken the CRPG mantle from them.

[@matthieuwilliams7043]

You forgot to mention Jade Empire my friend. That was also a good one.

[@HazVsRPG]

It was another homerun for bioware 100% haha its been fun seeing all the people bring up jade empire, i feel really bad for forgetting it!!

[@gnarlin4964]

The gameplay that's been shown is action schlock, which is NOT what I want out of an RPG. It's not an RPG, it's an action game wearing the bloody face of Dragonage and it's obvious.

[@HazVsRPG]

I definitely understand that, I dont mind action rpg's but it does seem like there is less and less slow methodical turn based or realtime with pause stuff to pick from nowadays.

[@alexworm1707]

I'm glad bioware existed, but i wouldn't give two shits if they go under. New studios will take its place. Bg, bg2, nwn, mass effect triology, da:origins, they've gave more then i could have asked. But i didn't touch anything from them since me 3. Bioware nowadays it's just not what I'm looking for in my games.

[@via_negativa6183]

Nah you are right man. I was there for baldurs gates release and I've played every bioware game until anthem. I won't be playing veilgard. As soon as they got bought by electronic ass it was over. I called it out at the time and over the years I've only proven to be right. EA is now puppeteering the corpse of bioware and they have been dead for years. It's weekend at biowares and that weekends about to be over

[@HazVsRPG]

Hahaha this is beautiful - pinned comment worthy.

[@adayexpired6370]

I was hopeful before they showed it. But it’s all looked 💩 since.

[@jakeshootsstuff8187]

Take Bioware out behind the shed, it's over.

[@proteuswest1084]

Here's my take: I am not a fan of EA at all. I've very much disliked how they've interfered with BioWare in the past, their consumer practices, and the general feeling of how they've handled a lot of their game franchises historically. I am a huge fan of BioWare, and that's persisted despite the problems they've had with their last two games. I've been playing BioWare games very actively since 2007, so I say I qualify as a reasonably old fan of both Mass Effect and Dragon Age. In my view, Dragon Age games all have their problems, all the way back to Origins. They're always different problems, whether it's game crashes on PC, behavior systems that don't always function, reused assets, janky movement and animations, or open world bloat. What I don't think they miss on are their characters and their story. A lot of the writers who were around in Inquisition wrote the same characters in Veilguard. The companions they've shown seem interesting, and the lore they've teased falls right in line with what they've been building in the other games. I am really excited for that. I also am heartened by the fact that this is the most consumer friendly BioWare game that has come out under the EA banner. This game costs $60 on PC, same as BG3, it is Steam Deck verified and Steam Native, which means it doesn't require the EA app if you buy it on Steam, it is confirmed to have no microtransactions, no day one DLC (or any announced DLC at all), reasonable PC requirements, no early access on preorder, and it's fully playable offline. People who are holding on to a negative view of this game based solely on the first trailer are, in my view, either not willing to adjust their viewpoint based on new information, or they are looking for games from the early 2000's. Most of them can't even accurately describe their experience in Origins because they played it once 15 years ago, and they think it's turn based like BG3. If that's the expectation, then yeah, this game probably isn't for those folks. But as an old fan who has enjoyed all the games, this is right up my alley. It combines a lot of things I love about both Mass Effect and Dragon Age, it takes into account the common criticisms of the older games, and it tells me that the core fanbase of these games were listened to in the development of this game. I don't expect perfection, but I think I'll like it, no matter how many people try to tell me I shouldn't.

[@alexworm1707]

@@proteuswest1084 your alley sucks, sorry to say it lmao

[@justinmartin845]

It seems to be happening with so many studios sadly. For me it was Blizzard, seeing them stumble so hard was hard to watch. I can relate.

[@Vhaal-666]

I don’t blame EA, I blame BioWare everything went to 💩 when they stopped being a CRPG studio and became action adventure studio.

[@HazVsRPG]

interesting, but this all happened around the same time (ish) I never thought about that angle before.

[@Vhaal-666]

Successful game studios thrive by cultivating traditions and building upon them over decades. Games like Elden Ring and Baldur’s Gate 3 are the result of decades of refinement, not overnight success. Dragon Age 2 serves as a case study in the risks of when developers-hired for their expertise-become "yes men," failing to challenge flawed plans or offer critical feedback early in the process. This kind of breakdown is avoidable when honest, constructive input is given from the start because no one wants to have a career ending event with a loss of tens to hundreds of millions. Dragon Age: Inquisition marks a turning point, largely driven by then-lead Mike Darrah's belief that Dragon Age couldn't compete with Skyrim-a game that, despite its popularity, barely functioned as an RPG. As a result, the core gameplay traditions BioWare had developed since Baldur’s Gate were abandoned. Since then, fans have consistently asked for more of Dragon Age’s distinctive style, but instead, they’ve been given games more aligned with Mass Effect, a direction the audience moved on from a decade ago and now one cares about the studio and giggles with glee when watching it burn because they’ve had 15 years of spite building up. The solution is straightforward: game companies must stop hiring developers from failed projects and be more selective when choosing designers, artists, and other key creatives. There’s a noticeable decline in the quality of ideas, which, unsurprisingly, carries over to the production phase. If the entire pre-development process is flawed, no amount of time, money, or resources can save the project. Worse, it risks irreparably damaging the studio's reputation and the IP's brand, which has more lasting consequences than a tax write-off.

[@Trace153]

You skipped Jade Empire 😔

[@HazVsRPG]

I forgot!!!! Another banger by bioware!! both critic and user score above 8!!

[@noctoi]

@@HazVsRPG Yes! I assumed you skipped it because it was considered by many of the old guard in bioware as a "game that didn't do well", but even that "flop" was widely regarded by users as brilliant!

[@gamevids7814]

I love Jade empire never give up hope on a second game in this Grand world... I just guess it will not be BioWare if they stay on the course they took since inquisition.

[@Trace153]

@@gamevids7814 lol, yea at this point I want BW to just official die. So those IP’s could be sold to another publisher to give it the treatment that old team was able to do. We know dev studios still have talented staff at them, just not at these.

[@justingedak]

EA seems to have a history of buying great game companies and ruining them lol. They did the same to the old Ultima series when they bought Origins Games.

[@HazVsRPG]

Did they buy origins? Man i had forgotten that. Haha I should do a video on companies that have fallen into a downward spiral after EA purchased them.

[@justingedak]

@@HazVsRPG Yeah haha back in the 90's, I'm old. Ultima 7 and 8 were such amazing games in their time. Ultima 9 was crazy bad though thanks to EA hahaha. I wonder what other companies they've bought and destroyed.

[@TheNZSamaritan]

Haz, you're a bloody legend. I so appreciate your stream, your effort in content, your clear & relatively unmitigated take on the industry. I had a free week last week while my partenr was away, and revelled in your twitch streams even though I was strictly lurking only. Very very much appreciate all the good work you've put in and the output we're all enjoying when we get th time :-) Keep it coming, may you always keep loving what you do :-D Yours faithfully, thousands hours

[@HazVsRPG]

You absolute Legend man! Good to hear from you dude! Im loving this style of content, a lot of people are engaging with it a lot more than usual so I will continue this trend for sure! I hope you are well brother!!

[@SeriousPeaches]

Gamers are becoming increasingly repulsed by forced diversity, modern politics, feminization of men, and uglification of women, and girl bosses in western gaming. Veilguard checks all these boxes and if Dustborn and Concord are any indication, the failure will continue. It might sell based on brand loyalty, but Star Wars has more brand cache and Outlaws is a commercial failure. I hope it crashes, burns, and we get a game for the actual core audience in the long run.

[@janeway73]

I agree with you and I'm an LGBTQ woman. Mindless, forced diversity is what it is, unnecessary and just a marketing tool anyway. I preferred npcs in games like the first Witcher and DA Origins: gritty, real, rude, raised by their harsh environment and funny. They felt like people that you would actually meet in the world they were in. None of these grey, over-sophisticated, childishly naive characters I've seen in Veilguard are interesting to me in any way.

[@HazVsRPG]

Yeah this is something id like to cover in my next video - i'm going to tackle it headon. I don't know if its going to go over very well, I'll probably create a bunch of haters tbh lol

[@HazVsRPG]

The only character out of all of them that I am even remotely interested in knowing more about is actually Harding. And that's only because we know about her already from inquisition, if that wasnt the case, for me there would be none either. Im hoping i can just for the most part ignore everyone except Varric, hes a bro.

[@janeway73]

@@HazVsRPG You probably will 😅

[@cvokcz5321]

Honestly, I'm really looking forward to DATV, more and more with each gameplay shown. I've been a big fan of DA since 2009, I've read all the books and comics, and even though DAO ignited this love, DA2 is my favorite. It gave the world of Thedas its own face, the characters weren't just cliche archetypes, and the story was more personal than just save the world like every BW game. When replaying DAO, it sometimes feels like a film by Zack Snyder due to the absence of colors and light :D And only Morrigan seems to me to be a really interesting companion today, and maybe Sten, thanks to the difference in cultures. The only thing I hope is that the choice of race will play a bigger role, I love dwarves in fantasy but in DAI it didn't really fit the protagonist, it was obvious that the inquisitor should be a human. This is probably the biggest advantage of DAO for me personally.

[@michaljagielo7448]

20 fps face animations Cartoonish graphics Sloas face...just wtf? Horrible companions apart from Varric. New Qunari design... Morrigan looks worse than in Origins. Rook. Just sounds like a final nail to the coffin. From Warden, to Hawke to Inquisitor to Rook. What in the actual...? Tash is male. Everybody feels fake, bossy and empowered. This game is basically Dragon Age Andromeda...

[@HazVsRPG]

The qunari looked very odd to me, way too human for my taste. And youre absolutely right about Morrigan.

[@AdamSiuda]

I just wanted to say i really enjoy those kind of videos, your thoughts about different aspects in video games. More content like that pls !

[@HazVsRPG]

Hey thanks so much dude, I appreciate this! Yes! More coming!!!!

[@johanndaart7326]

Hey, all good things come to an end. The BioWare that's gone, created many great games for us players. Baldur's Gate is my childhood. Just like rock bands, you can't expect them to dish out record after record, that will top the charts (but BioWare did!). Making games also takes a big toll on devs. If guys like Ray, Greg, James were into making games for 20 years, were on the top of the hill, but then got families, made money... Can we expect more out of them? They are still active and creative, but in other fields. Let the new, young devs, hungry for success, show what they got, with new technology :)

[@HazVsRPG]

You aren't wrong on this ideal, but its entertainment. And if they make stinkers, they will fall because the competition is too fierce nowadays.

[@johanndaart7326]

@@HazVsRPG I think the competition to make a "game" game if you have a budget for development and marketing, like those big corporations have, is low nowadays. Space Marine 2 is celebrated now, but it's just a good game without bs. In the golden era of gaming, when every game was just a game, I don't think that Space Marine 2 would be so hyped. Also it is currently clear, that those big corporations are about power, not money. They plow with their agenda, even if it causes them loses. It's because the elite uses corporations as means of control over the population. If you have power, money comes. They play for the long run and accept the temporary loses. They even say it openly during WEF - that their main problem is that the population stopped trusting the mainstream media and they need to tighten the screw. All those big social media sites are censoring the content and even making it hard to search for what you want to browse, so they can shove what they want you to watch. Same with games. All digital. All studios and distributions belonging to MS, Steam or Sony. Nowhere to escape. Play what we want you to play. MS bought those gaming companies not to make games but to control the gaming market, even if it causes short term loses. And hey, you want to make a game with modern tech? You need investors. And they also open the doors of distribution and marketing. But you need to get onto the agenda. You can also refuse the investments and make your niche edgy game with distribution doors closed. Free will ;)

[@NoradNoxtus]

So sad people don't remember jade empire

[@SquidGains]

Not so hopeful here based off everything I've seen. Generally fantasy action adventure and rpgs are my favorite types of games too. The Witcher for example was so so good. I 100% agree they need a win with the fans for trust and reputation of the studio. I'm not so optimistic because of it being EA, but we will see. Definitely a wait for reviews type of beat.

[@HazVsRPG]

Yeah that is a big one for me, the win for the fans will go a long way in rebuilding this fractured RPG foundation that they have.

[@karasu5107]

I think you have some very fair points overall, but I do like it when characters in game feel more like real people and I absolutely love panam😅 on the other hand I totally agree with you that the industry/investors ruin or rather fck up the whole identites of studios like bioware. That whole woke nonsense they force on us, just to please the masses is BS. I'm super hyped for DA:V though, but only because I want it to be good. I really really want it to be good. The first trailer, as you said, was baaad! And I cried almost.. but the gameplay looks good, the world looks good, the character design, eww... nah... and the neon everywhere awful as well, but I still hope for the best... i don't believe in God, but if it is good at the end of the day, man I will go to church 🙏

[@michaelcoffey1991]

@Haz I wish they would re release the DA games on current gen consoles. I share your worry. I wish EA never asked Bioware to do that always online stupid Anthem game they got set up for failure.

[@BlaineCraner]

There's a reason Baldur's Gate 3 didn't go to Bioware...

[@HazVsRPG]

Imagine what it would have looked like.....

[@BlaineCraner]

@@HazVsRPG I'm thinking Red, Green, Blue.

[@Ironclad6661]

Like almost every single content creator that was invited to play the game really like it. It looks good and I'm 56 year old CRPG OG gamer, original WOW beta tester (1 of 500) and been around D&D games since Gary Gygax was creating the modules at TSR. Dragon Age has been an ARPG with CRPG elements since DA2. Would I like an Origins style DA. YES! But for what this is respected content creators are enjoying it and most of the reviews have been positive.

[@HazVsRPG]

The reason I dont subscribe to any of this content is that hand picked / cherry picked creators can carefully control the narrative prior. Its well known that large creators have talked openly about the fact that they wont do invitations and early access unless they can be 100% unbiased and they can say if they dont like something or not. But even with my small channel I have had to sign agreements that literally say I am not allowed to say anything bad about the game.

[@Ironclad6661]

@@HazVsRPG Ah I see. I didn't know that. I just want to give the game a chance. I'm guilty like many to prejudge games. I didn't play DA2 until after I finished DA Inquistion because I was so pissed it wasn't just like Origins. When I finally did play DA2 I found it to be a pretty entertaining game and good story. The DLC with Felicia Day was one of my all time favorite few hours of gaming including boss fight.

[@phantomvox951]

Of course the end of the road is near.

[@quadboy4lyfe]

I agree BioWare started going down hill with DA2. I will admit I liked the combat mechanics in that game. I remember playing the demo when I was a kid and I was like “wow this is pretty cool.” But when I finally saw what the story was it was a huge let down. ME3 was pretty good, I didn’t think it was as disappointing as other people thought. But DAI was just totally boring and repetitive. Yeah it was a pretty good looking game but again the characters were stale and the gameplay was boring. I also think making Star Wars the Old Republic a mmo was also a massive mistake. I did play the game a bit but because I don’t have a decent PC the game was very difficult for me to run. Had they ported it on to Xbox I would have played every single class in the game for months but unfortunately they didn’t. After that MEA was the last BioWare game I played and we all know that was a disaster. I never even considered touching Anthem. Now that DAV is coming out I like the sound of the combat mechanics going back to DA2 but I already know that the game is already a huge departure visually from the others and I already know there’s going to be a ton of modern day political propaganda injected into the game. So I’m on the fence. Most likely I’m just going to wait until it goes to gamepass and maybe I’ll play it then. Until then it’s probably gonna be a no for me dawg.

[@HazVsRPG]

Understandable 100%!

[@Guava11534]

I understand that people don’t like the artstyle but honestly were you expecting anything else? If you played DAI you knew where the game was heading next which was Tevinter and that’s where all the neon lights are at and that’s because Tevinter isn’t ferelden or Orlais, Tevinter is a land dominated by mages which make it look extremely different. If you have been following Veilguard even back when it was just dreadwolf and saw that teaser trailer then you would know exactly what you were getting into because they showed Tevinter and looked exactly like it does now. Look I love every DA game and every DA game taken place in either Ferelden, Orlais, or Kirkwall and each game looked pretty similar. Veilguard is taking you to every location that you heard of and showing how different the world really is. As someone who loves the lore I couldn’t be more excited to see these new environments.

[@HazVsRPG]

I dont think the new environment really is playing an impact on whether or not I will like the game. Exploring worlds is a big part of why i love RPG's so Im not typically bothered by 'new places' - but you have to admit, there is a clear difference in the visual style. the visual communication is very different from all previous games. Characters have a very 'Overwatch' / 'Disney' / '5v5 Hero Shooter' looking vibe about them all. Its a significant art direction change. It would as if Elden Ring 2 tried to look more like Genshin Impact. Its *very* obviously different in that way - and that difference cant be explained away by the location. Saying that though, the art style difference for me personally is the least of my concerns haha!!

[@bentaft8791]

Finally a level headed comment.

[@Guava11534]

@@HazVsRPG yes it is different but why is that a bad thing? People don't wear the same type of clothing in Asia or EU and the same would apply in this world. Idk man I just don't get why characters being more stylized like they would in a game like OW or other games is a bad thing. That being said I don't agree they look like Disney characters or OW characters but similar to those games these characters are stylized and more unique looking based on their factions. If you don't enjoy this game then fine I get it much has changed but personally I'm looking forward to this and I hope I'm not the only one.

[@paendapower]

@@Guava11534 If you would stay in your strange metaphor, than that would mean Bioware tries to sell Asian clothing in Europe and wonders why people are irritated and alienated by their clothes.

[@Guava11534]

@@paendapower I have no idea what you're talking about. Do people not wear clothing based on their culture irl? The same would apply in dragon age I'm sure the reason why Neve looks the way she looks is because that is just the style of what the people in Tevinter wear.

[@DMT-ix9zj]

I think you're spot on i always thought EA ruined Bioware also.Great video and exactly how many if not most of us feel .I'm not buying/playing this dumpster fire until i know for sure it's that home run you and all of us are hoping for,

[@HazVsRPG]

Thanks for your thoughts dude!!

[@Juhani92]

Bioware should make Neverwinter Nights 3.

[@HazVsRPG]

Do you think that would actually be any good though? With wizards of the Coast and Bioware as it currently stands?

[@dirkbsilver9260]

I loved Bioware's games till DAI and Andromeda. ME3 ended most everything for me as its ending ruined much of my love and same for its multiplayer, though I loved the rest of it.

[@Cyprienne]

Bioware done for after DA2 disaster direction they took all the way down.

[@anonvoila4883]

I just have one thing to say: why, in a fantasy world where anything can happen, would you still be required to have surgery? Isn't that a real-world application? So what's the purpose of the fantasy if it mimics reality this closely? That's how you know the story overall is going to be mediocre because the director can't seem to detach themselves from reality enough to give us an exceptional and imaginative grimworld setting. Modern audience don't buy shit the fans that you left behind are the ones buying collector edition and spending all most in game

[@HazVsRPG]

I wish I could make sense of this comment because I feel like there's some gold in it. 😅

[@anonvoila4883]

@@HazVsRPG LOL, sorry about that! I learned that the character creator added features such as cellulite and body scars (post-op), which had me wondering if this was a fantasy RPG or a real-life sim. How can this final chapter be the fantasy we've been waiting for when it's so grounded in modern-day realism? What you were saying just confirms my thoughts, but I'm starting to think this game isn't going to be the epic conclusion we were hoping for. Can they sell enough copies to meet sales goals? The answer is no.

[@robertadams305]

You nailed it. First trailer sucked donkey balls. Then trailers and info bursts got "better". But Veilguard looks like an action shooter/melee with minimal Rpg elements. Your party are banter spammers only. I'm not on the fence: I wont be playing Veilguard when it comes out. And I refuse to call it "Dragon Age".

[@HazVsRPG]

A strong stance to take, but tbh im not surprised and wont try to convince you of otherwise. I will be making another vid when it comes out obviously, but it will be honest, just like this vid. Will look back and see how off I was. Im 100% prepared to eat my words if its a good game.

[@Ratchies]

Great video, never seen your stuff before but really like your take on things, of course you're insanely wrong about Panam but I can forgive you for that.

[@Urukage]

Veins popped, Panam best relationship. EZ Veilguard looks like hot trash. I'm at the point as a gamer that I have no mercy when it comes to obviously bad games. Nothing about what these companies is doing will change unless we vote with our wallet and let them know exactly how we feel about their products in no uncertain terms.

[@HazVsRPG]

LOLOL Panam! I agree man, its actually that time now. Purchasing on faith isnt an option anymore because weve been let down so many times over and over!!

[@jcfra420]

I am betting the kill off Varric early on. Which is a no go for me. I was really excited waiting for Dreadwolf. But from what I have seen of it, I am not at all interested. I dislike the art, the characters. The fighting style. It all comes off like a mobile game. I do not see this game as being very deep. Going to have a LOT of roleplay with the companions and everyone f&*king everyone. If I am being honest, I did not like that in BG3. I may buy it in like 6 months for half price on Steam (with all of the expansions). Maybe by then, the mods will have pulled off a miracle. But dude...Don't hate on MEA. With mods, it was pretty damn good. Especially compared to today's lackluster releases. By the time I bought it, they had patched alot of that stuff, and Nexus mad it good. Some of the best combat in all of the series. Yeah the story was a little meh, but honestly I would have preferred they had made a sequel and made it rock. Rather than that Remaster. All that remaster did, was make a copy of the game with the most popular Nexus mods in it.

[@HazVsRPG]

If varric dies I will probably just end my playthrough right there. Also I can't rate a game based on how good mods make it. Because that's not credit to the devs, which is what I'm talking Bout here. I swear if varric dies.......

[@buckchoi]

As others have said the art style/direction, colour, and character looks in Veilguard really turn me off. Compared to that- the other day when you mentioned/showed Disciples I went and bought I&II on GOG right away. For some reason HoMM never clicked, but the darker look of Disciples hooked me, probably put in a couple dozen hours so far. Visuals matter! And I say this as someone who simply doesn't have a good eye for graphics, framerates, or art.

[@HazVsRPG]

Oh that is so badass man, Im glad you are liking disciples!!! Yeah Im still very much on the fence for Veilguard. Its hard to be super pumped about it as much as i want to be.

[@AsimovBR]

Nice vid dude

[@elissahe2377]

Let me be 100% honest with you. Dragon age wasnt meant to be the off brand equivalent to baldurs gate. Its was meant to be different. When they came out with origins, they were just testing the waters with an in between action combat and turn based combat which wouldn't work in today's standards of gaming because its not one or the other and you have waves of enemies coming at you all at once so they changed it. Companies have the make things they are happy with even at the expense of their consumers. Bioware has had a couple of fails, but thats just life. You aren't going to succeed without failing somewhere along the road. You cant learn and grow and continue to do the same thing over and over again. With veilguard, theyre risking losing the audience that only liked origins because they've already lost them after the changed the direction slightly so now theyre branching out to other audiences to expand their community. I personally dont think the game will fail because on ps5, it is in the top 20's out of over 4k games and its all in all in the top 100's out of 9k across all platforms. That means they have a couple million preorders and in order for a game to succeed, they need abiut 15k. I think its going to be on par with inquisition

[@HazVsRPG]

'Companies have to make things they are happy with even at the expense of their consumers' I agree with the sentiment, but this only works for so long before their customer base dwindles. You can see this with how disney has milked the crap out of the starwars franchise, driving quality and adhereance to the source material lower, and lower ultimately now, just because its got a 'starwars' name - no longer means anything. Also how do you get the information about preorders and sales based on top 20s and top 100's? Id love to find that info out!

[@elissahe2377]

@@HazVsRPG Disney has another issue. The star wars franchise could have ended at any moment because it wasn't left on any cliff hangers whereas dragon age inquisition was left on a huge cliffhanger for the fate of Solas, the state of the veil and world, also the qunari invasion. A good story would never end on that before giving the fans closure with a final game to the series. If you look up how much money does a game have to make for it to be a financial success, it says somewhere in the $10k range and divide that by how many copies need to be sold. For the rankings, I just look it up on each individual pages. Ex. Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, epic, etc. then you count for the exact placement. On PS5 dragon age the veilguard is currently 16th in preorders out of a total of 4k games on the list for preorder. It also helps to use the drop down menu to sort best sellers

[@Mythos131]

Dragon Age Inquisition has a Steam user score of 74% a much better metric than Metacritic. Inquisition was the best in the series and one of the best RPG's of all time and I'm really looking forward to Veilguard--every thing about it looks awesome.

[@inquerion8867]

Joking? Or not? You have very low standards if you really think that Inquisition was the best in the series or one of the best RPGs of all time. It is a casualized and consolized game filled with fetchquests. Very few RPG elements compared to DA1 Origins. Had some good parts, but best of all time? Nope. At least it was better than Andromeda and Anthem.

[@Mythos131]

@@inquerion8867 Lots of people consider Inquisition the best in the series

[@inquerion8867]

@@Mythos131 Which is very sad. Casualization of this franchise continues. New target audience has far lesser quality standards, no longer cares about RPGs etc. Thankfully, we (old Bioware fans) now have Larian, Owlcat, Spiders and other RPG studios so I will not be very sad if EA kills Bioware for good after Veilguard release (in my opinion it will flop).

[@Mythos131]

@@inquerion8867 I started playing RPG's with the AD&D Gold Box games in the early 90's. Your characterization that Veilgard low quality is total BS. You can not like game if you want, but can't say the quality is less because it is certainly higher quality. I think it will be the biggest Dragon Age ever.

[@krasmasov6852]

​@inquerion8867 Inquisition is my favorite too, and I started with Origins.

[@CurtOntheRadio]

I thought DAO was a step backwards from NWN, other than graphically and sonically. DA2 was arcadey junk and I never could get into DAI (WTF is with that camera?) Since NWN all they needed was refresh the formula and incrementally renew the graphics, sound and production values etc. When did we get tired of it? Never? They just swept it all away whilst updating (a bit) the shiny instead. Now they've "progressed" to DragAndAge: Arkham. Oh wow. It looks completely soulless garbage to me. It all looks bad but consider this: when does the camera/video show any lingering love or fascination for its visuals, for anything in the inventory, for any little detail in the world, for an amazing vista, for a terrifying beast, for a moment of sadness, grief or .....or anything? Seems they don't even care about any of it themselves. It surely is the end.

[@alexbecker2212]

I think the same, not going to buy it.... I wait for a sale 75% , should not take long. Sadly was looking forward to play it. It just sounds and looks bad.

[@HazVsRPG]

I dont blame you, make no mistake ill be there to make some decisions and give you guys an honest heads up about the game on day 1!

[@guzzo3913]

Banger of a video!

[@HazVsRPG]

Thanks so much dude!!

[@davidradach9311]

I agree with nearly everything you said. I’ll even add to your theory about the 2007-10 period when EA bought them. By that time, Dragon Age Origins would be nearly done, and Mass Effect 2 would be well underway. EA couldn’t really stop what was going on with either game, but they could chop them up and make parts of them paid DLC. Like you, I’d buy BioWare games on Day One, no questions asked. And like you, after Andromeda and Anthem I could see EA had dramatically altered them. I’ll not lie, I do plan on preordering Veilguard, based on what I’ve seen of it. I’m hoping I don’t regret that decision. Personally, I’d rather not see another video get shut down and more jobs lost, but that’s up to them and what they’ve done. I don’t blame anyone for being skeptical or not wanting to play it, this is a radical change from what came before it!

[@HazVsRPG]

Thats right, I did read several discussions on the fact that the DLC felt a little cheap for origins, i wasnt 100% sure if that could be chalked up to EA - but i love to speculate, its food for thought.

[@wompoo7967]

What about MDK 2 that was a good game, Shattered Steel meh (first game alright but not great) and Jade Empire, I really enjoyed that game. One thing about ME 3, the massive lie on a video by Casey Hudson (which BW or EA took down when the shit hit the fan) In short he said we would never give you an RGB ending and they did. Edit side note waiting for Exodus by Archetype Entertainment with James Ohlen at the helm. As for Failguard, the second BioWare game I will never ever play (first game was the Sonic game).

[@HazVsRPG]

Yeah I did leave out some bangers, a few people have called me out on them haha! WHOOPS! So why wont you play Veilguard? Whats the reasons?

[@Ravix0fFourHorn]

looks like a mobile game

[@eestiny9734]

If EA were that good, they wouldn't destroy all these games souls, and loose billions over the decades. They went for smaller but secure profit, cause of greed!

[@noctoi]

Yep, all of this is spot on. The "anti-woke reviewer" thing isn't as big of a thing as it appears. Just look at the BG3 user scores - Despite being JUST as "woke TM" as BioWare games, it's got pristine user scores. As far as my expectations, they were in the dirt BEFORE I saw the gods awful companion teaser. Each new piece of info is giving me whiplash, but all up, I'm expecting it to be a game that I hate with some interesting pick a path style movie cut scenes. I won't be buying on release. I won't be buying at all unless I see several independent full clear reviews from creators that are NOT on the "community panel" for bioware. IF those reviews say it's good, I'll get it on sale from Steam in a year or so. My days of preordering and even buying on release for BW are well over.

[@HazVsRPG]

Oh 100%, the game is good. THe art is good, the cast of character look fantastic, its possible to create average joe looking characters all the way through to hot / attractive characters - THAT is 'representation'.

[@Kylesico912x]

My biggest issue with the game is there is a lot of warning signs that it won't be as good as they make it out to be. It goes beyond the first trailer. For example, have we even seen an preview from someone outside of Bioware's inner circle of creators? The first trailer beside, the devs claim that the game is about the companions but Rook seems to be the only one remotely important in gameplay. Watching the gameplay trailers, the companions barely have an impact in battle while also regularly getting separated from Rook by basic grunt enemies. For a character focused RPG, that's a pretty major red flag as you'd expect your companions to be capable of holding their own. There is also the UI that seems to be too colorful for the setting. Neon purple in a world that was once known to be dark fantasy doesn't mix. It's also very MMO-esque which isn't very confidence building if you were turned off by that style back in Inquisition. There is also the skill trees that from what I've personally seen looks more fluff than actually substantial. Then there is their reasoning for banning blood magic, in that they view it as too evil for a hero to be using due to it's connection to demon summoning and controlling people. Something to keep in mind, Blood Magic has always been like this since Origins contrary to what they claim. However it was also used by oppressed mages to fight back against their oppressors. Like everything in this world, it is a major grey area. Feels less justified to prevent the main character in the setting of TEVINTER from using blood magic, at least in my opinion. On top of all that, Bioware is very insistent in spoiling major moments of the game before it's even out. Comes off as desperate. I don't think the game is going to be the hit they are hoping it'll be. I think we're past the age of preordering and buying games off name recognition alone. Between inflation making money worth less and the rising prices of games, gamers need to be serious wowed in order to get into their wallets. And unfortunately Veilguard falls seriously short for me.

[@janeway73]

I didn't know that blood magic isn't allowed in TEVINTER, LOL, it was a thing even in Origins. It's my overall impression that the companions are a bunch of goodie-two-shoes, generic, boring. No bold choices were made here. The game seems to be targeted at new generations, kids in particular. The character style is Disney-esque, cartoony. No realistic, gritty, epic stories or characters can be expected here, I'm afraid.

[@HazVsRPG]

Yeah this is a good summary, much of which i actually had listed in this video, but then cut it out because i did a breakdown of all of origins through to veilguard and it ended up being like a 40 minutes video instead haha!! But I agree generally with what youre saying here - I did enjoy Inquisition however, ive played through it many times at least 5 times all the way through, but the gut feeling is STILL 'why did they do this?' I just dont get that when playing through origins - theres no 'man this just isnt good'

[@johndeighan2495]

Even in Baldur’s Gate 2, you had characters who came with their own stories and their own attitudes - and I loved it. In short, I totally disagree with you. I want some pushback, some resistance, some three dimensionality in my companions. Too much isn’t good: I don’t want a bunch of snowflakes. But I don’t want a bunch of cardboard “heroes” who lack any motivation or agency either.

[@HazVsRPG]

Those pushbacks where based on 'alignments' it was very clear if you have a Lawful good party, and tried to include chaotic evil characters, they would create problems, and sometimes attempt to murder each other. The character fit perfectly into those 'boxes' and they didnt fight against it. My point could have been clearer about that, its not about pushing back, its about having the choice to choose from a list of companions, that fits your playstyle and personality for the main character you make for this playthrough. You had the choice from a bunch of lunatics, through to some goody two shoes. And those characters played that role to the T. They didnt try to all be some grey area, with redemption arc's, making you believe their good people when they are chaotic evil for example.

[@johndeighan2495]

@@HazVsRPG Anomen had a redemption arc. Keldorn could go off the rails. Viconia had a redemption arc of sorts. Jaheira had a ton of issues to sort through. They were some of the best characters in the game. I think a mix is best: some good, some bad and some who could go either way based on how you manage the situation. But I do agree that modern RPGs often forget that great characters can be painted in primary colours. Not everyone has to be a snowflake. Not everyone needs some kind of trauma to work through. We absolutely need more scumbags like Edwin and Korgan. And more uncomplicated heroes like Mazzy.

[@AB-ez4rm]

Dragon Age The Wokeguard

[@cameronkluttz4835]

I think it's looking better the more I see of the game. Looking forward for when it comes out.

[@evalationx2649]

Idk they recently showed some gameplay and they turned the Qunari into normal dudes with horns on their head. They already soften the look of the darkspawn up, now it looks like the Qunari have gotten the same treatment.

[@AgingGamer1977]

This will not be the DA we are hoping for. I think all of your fears, which are also most of the DA fan bases as well, will come to be true. Just look at the Qunari in this game, and the Darkspawn. You can't swap between party members in game? This game is gona be a travesty.

[@HazVsRPG]

I dont like the way the Qunari look right now. Its way too humanised. RIP Iron BULL!!!! Also I didnt like that Bioware said 'You guys couldnt handle swapping between characters in this game' like way to backhand your fans.

[@isildur101]

I've hated EA since they ran Origin down into the ground. What a great company that was, before EA got their claws into them

[@HazVsRPG]

The good old days!!!

[@Spiritual_Machines_Gaming]

I'll put it this way, I built a new PC essentially to play Veilguard. I'm disregarding the reveal trailer, it doesn't exist to me. But everything after that has me somewhat hooked. The only thing I'm cautious on is the story, i'll find out more on that when it comes out.

[@HazVsRPG]

I want to bury my head in the sand over that trailer too. But the fact is, the influential people that made decision, are working on the game. I secretly want this game to succeed so badly, but at the same time im doing my best to remain level headed so i dont react so harshly if it doesnt go as well as i would like.

[@Spiritual_Machines_Gaming]

What a lot of people don't realize with the dragon age series is that unless you literally remake Baldur's Gate, there was no way to bring Origins combat/gameplay forward and keep everything. There was also a lot in Origins that was just unnecessary. DA2, despite its flaws elsewhere, pruned a lot of this, and people rioted, but it was actually for the benefit of the game. DAI took some more out of the Origins combat, but the premise is still there but much more simplified. I would venture to say that about 50% of the complaints on DAI are that it deviates from Origins too much when really it doesn't and players are just clueless.

[@gammav9779]

@@Spiritual_Machines_Gaming I wish the game is called Kingdom amalur 2 : Fortnite not dragon age. I like the warrior gameplay but this is not dragon age. I want swapping character, lots skill slot and 4 full party.

[@klittle5627]

I am not hyped about Bioware games anymore. I'll just wait to see if DAV is full of identity politics. No buy if it is; buy if it isn't (unless it's trash).

[@krasmasov6852]

Have you never played Dragon Age? It's always been gay as hell

[@klittle5627]

@@krasmasov6852 I have played all three dragon age games and loved all three. Those moments didn't bother me because they were made before DEI/ESG became a non-theistic religion. DEI/ESG is now forced on us and it's preachy, dogmatic, actively hates white hetero conservative/moderate men and is very bigoted toward anyone of any color or gender who rebel against the totalitarian tactics of this single-minded religion. Activists brewed the hate, not gamers.

[@krasmasov6852]

@@klittle5627 Your obsession with wokeness is more of a blind religion than rainbow capitalism

[@shanandobson4009]

personally after everything i've seen DA Veilgaurd is going to be worse than DA2 it will be simpler with an infinitely worse story and characters, it looks like it won't even try to be an RPG, i hate Inquisition because the story is shit, the characters are half baked, the lore feels like fan fic and the gameplay is worse than 2 in my opinion, but at least it had one good twist and they tried. Veilgaurd will at best be a worse version of inquisition and i sincerely hope the new Bioware under EA crashes and burns.

[@HazVsRPG]

I do feel a bit of the sting to push them back to their roots. But I do hope they learn, survive and give us something good. But I can totally understand this point of view too.

[@shanandobson4009]

@@HazVsRPG yeah just been seeing red since the character intro trailer i grew up with these games and rebought them whenever i got a new pc or console it sucks to see something so good creatively essentially crash and burn before your eyes.

[@adamaccountname]

The parts that people hated about inquisition were the things EA tried to force, such as large open world areas for multiplayer

[@mrfrenglitch2172]

Im pretty hopeful after seeing the new Veilguard trailers. It might not be the same formula as previous titles but from what Ive seen it looks like its gonna be fun anyway. Yeah its a different art direction but as long as it looks good ill be quite happy. My only concern now is what the content of the game will be. Im worried the game is not gonna have that much content. When you ask 90$+ for game, you better put some meat into it cause people are going to be real disappointed. Thats what really matters imo.

[@alispeed5095]

I love your take about panam + lazael. I 100% killed her the first time l had the option to do so. Why did the devs expect us to be patient? Even when l in later playthroughs kept her alive, she stuck at the camp... And sadly her character does change later on but damn, it requires patience that most gamers likely lacked. As an all time dragon age fun, l already gave up. I dont think l will be playing veilguard. The series is dead. Its sad coz once a life time ago, l believed that the dragon age franchise as the best rpg game in existence.

[@HazVsRPG]

I feel this 100% its like a shadow of its former self. Its hard to watch that slink away in the darkness.

[@Strike-w6k]

Youre not the only one. I am sick of this "safe rpg" we are getting. As much as i liked baldur's gate3, it did not deserve the hype. We need real fantasy with real sexy women and mascular men. We need the nerdy stuff. And we need a real fun game. Like what SpaceMarine2 is. Veilguard is not dragon age. Its woke age.

[@HazVsRPG]

I hear that, my next video is specifically about the way that female characters in particular have changed over time in the west.

[@Aerwasilien]

It’s trash! I have no hope.

[@HazVsRPG]

Come on man, you must have at least 5% !!! Something left in the tank.

[@rarepny]

A great critique of, if we are really looking at these developer/producer truthfully, what the gaming industry has wandered away from. Like nobody understands the world they are trying to create their story in. Stop trying to create a RD2 story in Gotham just because you think that'd be quirky or chic. No, stop it. Thanks Haz! Gasbagging at it's finest!

[@HazVsRPG]

You absolute legend, thanks for your support dude!

[@Richard-oo6pc]

Compare the game developers working for Bioware in 1998-2010 to the ones there today and the problem will smack you in the face with how obvious it is.

[@HazVsRPG]

I may just be making a heavier hitting video up next which dips into this.

[@sofajockeyUK]

I've never bought a BioWare game I didn't enjoy. Andromeda was mid and Anthem was flawed (but fun for a time). Veilguard is looking very solid, I'm not at all worried.

[@HazVsRPG]

I do appreciate the no nonsense support. I wish i was still there. But theres too many other companies making really good games now, so im a little more reserved with the old cashola, giving it out where it deserves etc.

[@marconeves1979]

The fact that this game has Ghilanain AND Elgar'nan (especially him) as the final bosses (and final Blights), tells me that this game is telling us the final Tale of the Dragon Age saga. If it fails, they will at least have finished the story. If it's very successful, I'm sure they already put some easter egg or hint in the game that opens it up for a sequel. This is why they literally skipped the "Dreadwolf Rises" phase of the story and went straight to the Veilguard storyline. BioWare had no time or guarantee that they could actually finish the saga otherwise. And so, here we are. Edit: Ultimately I will remain skeptical until I play this thing. BioWare need to prove to me that they made a good game..... I dunno about story, but everything else I've seen so far for DA Veilguard is just slightly above Mid to me.

[@HazVsRPG]

Slightly above mid is kind of where im sitting. I dont doubt there will be a game in there. I can tell from looking at the trailer that i will probably play it and think "its not THAT bad' The problem with that, is that i think it desperately needs to be a 'Holy shit man, theres bioware again!!! THATS THE SHIT RIGHT THERE!'

[@marconeves1979]

@@HazVsRPG I feel ya for sure. We also need to be aware that the feeling we felt when we played Dragon Age Origins (the first and best imo) will never come back. That game was special. At best, some moments in this will remind us of it. The final boss in Veilguard better be epic in nature, otherwise yikes...

[@ChukwuemekaNwozuzu-ye1nk]

What did you mean by supporting characters being "thirsty"? I'm hopeful and will be getting it day 1. Awesome perspective video.

[@HazVsRPG]

Like all of the support cast of characters overtly flirty, want to jump in your pants no matter what character you make. Thats something that realy is a turn off for me haha.

[@ChukwuemekaNwozuzu-ye1nk]

@@HazVsRPG oh so you mean BG3. Yeah I know what you mean.

[@sergy98]

We can't take this video seriusly if he is wearing a Valhalla hat. Worst AC game

[@HazVsRPG]

HAHAHA Im going to change it soon and see if anyone notices anything.

[@Zoggwogg]

Who gives a shit about user scores.

[@HazVsRPG]

You should be saying that about 'game critics' scores. Especially when I know for a fact that faverable reviews can be 'purchased' reviews from actual players is a better aggregate, especially when you remove the perfect scores, and the scores of 0 because that's just crap.

[@Zoggwogg]

@@HazVsRPG oh you're an idiot. Sorry I even engaged lmao

I hope so.

[@HazVsRPG]

Haha simple, and to the point.

[@Unworshipediety]

You can escape the world, I can't. As a black guy I am forced to face the world. Trope stuff just bores the hell out of me. Mainly because it's something I can't relate to. A perfect world where nothing of worth happens to you, that's something I'd like to experience, but it's not possible for me. My world is, getting pulled over by cops at random, accidentally staring off at nothing and having the person across the street thinking I'm about to jack them, so they in turn come at me instead. So, when I play games with complicated characters I can totally vibe with it because I can control the narrative. Lae'Zel was my favorite characters in my first playthrough, but I like fiesty, uptight, and know-it-alls.... so I'm biased on ladies like that! When I hear people complain woke this, woke that, I'm like... _"This is the same argument recycled and repackaged decade by decade, it's not a knew thing."_ As folks and culture mix and match we're going to see vastly different takes on stuff. And I think creatives are starting to hone in on the girl boss stuff, and I've seen signs of characters that seem to be more palpable and not so _great at everything,_ but I don't care too much about that either. It was never an issue with male characters in games, so it seems just alien to me when folks complain about it. But anyways, *Veilguard* to my eye looks like it lost the _zest_ and the element of _dirty darkness,_ it seemed to have. It looks like it lost its griminess and looks too *shiny,* hope that makes sense? I don't mind the pansexual color-coded theme it's going for. You could choose to sex folks or not, no big issue there, I was just concerned that it didn't seem like it had weight to their character designs. The characters seemed more like Fortnite avatars, rather than the down and dirty Dragonage aesthetic that I've grown to luv. That's what made it stand out from the rest, the world was hopeful but evil seeps up from the ground and could make itself known at anytime. Anyways, interesting video, I totally disagree with you on some of the, _I want everything to be boring_ comment to tropes and the like. But yeah, I agree that the trope thing does work very well for 40k. I'd hate to be playing that game and then one of the marines looks at me and starts to tell me _about his Daddy issues..._ That would be kinda weird. But in games like D&D, complicated mofo's are sort of what that franchise is about through and through. All the books, novels, and even cartoons like to delve into the complicated relationship stuff. Anyways, too long! take care and best of luck!

[@HazVsRPG]

With regards to d&d old Bioware games built on old d&d rules. Alignment was critical to characters. I guess I should have been clearer when I said tropey, but what I meant was for example in Baldurs Gate 2, if you wanted to be a goody two shoes or 'boring' you could. And you had the choice of characters to join your party that fit. If you wanted to play as a jerk, you could also pick from a lineup of chaotic evil jerks to accompany you. The characters were very black and white as per their alignments. And if you tried to mix and match these as a team, sometimes they would even attempt to kill each other! The relationships and inter party dynamics where very deep. This is AMAZING. We don't have any of that now, because characters aren't just lawful good, or chaotic evil, they are this fluid person whose personality you kind of influence and change, which in my eyes makes them shallow am uninteresting. I prefer to have a bunch of characters that are designed well and know who they are, and if they are someone that has no idea who they are, then make that their personality and go on for that 100%. I feel like every character wanting to bed you, is poor character development, it's cheap. Supporting cast should be hard written 'will only want to bed qunari male' end of discussion. But making every character willing to bed any race and gender is just a weak character base that they can't escape from.

[@Unworshipediety]

@@HazVsRPG Ah ok, I think Baldur's Gate 3 had a little bit of what you're talking about. At first, you couldn't really have Minthara in your party possibly without possibly losing Wyll, Karlach, and later Halsin. At least that was the case in some form or another before it was made easier through a *updated patch.* I do remember Baldurs Gate 2 and how difficult *Viconia DeVir* was for me to handle as she caused many problems within my party. I stuck with her though. But hey thanks for the feedback, I get what you're saying, I don't know how I feel about it yet, but I'll give it some thought and take care!

[@subhadeepdey3111]

The art style and combat looks like I am playing valorant - awful

[@HazVsRPG]

I can totally understand that. Its definitely veered more towards that overall more childish, pixar edge to the character art direction and much more saturated vibrant look for the environments in the game.

[@bloodfurypk666]

bioware is dead, i still play all thess old game today , Veilguard is a woke mess ,R.I.P MALE Qunari

[@HazVsRPG]

Iron bull lest we forget.

[@bloodfurypk666]

@@HazVsRPG do you see the new male Qunari ? and taaath is a shemale or some type of wierd bs

[@janeway73]

VG Qunari design is ridiculous. Ridiculously bad. 😂

[@grod4L]

It has the stench of DEI trash, plain and simple

[@konstantinchufistov1828]

I really hope so , Dragon age Wokeguard looks goofy.

[@HazVsRPG]

If you dont mind, what do you think looks goofy about it? Art you talking the colors, the way the characters look etc?

[@konstantinchufistov1828]

@@HazVsRPG Darkspawn looks goofy and comical, characters - we have transgender qunari , afro -american elf warrior, mage with one leg . Even Morrigan looks strange. DEI agenda deliberately pushing forward. (we don't have such things in Russia) . Combat UI is just a terrible bunch of flashing icons scattered through the whole screen. As a fan of the series, I think this is the end . BG3 is the best example of how the new dragon age should have been made and what people want.

[@totomen666]

Be ready for hardcore LGBT+ experience at veilguard, welp it's a everything their non-a-woman devs were talking about.

[@krasmasov6852]

So the classic dragon age experience. Awesome

[@mustycrusty754]

@@krasmasov6852 just because it gives you an opinion doesn't make it so it was just one layer of what made dragon age origins so great

[@krasmasov6852]

@mustycrusty754 And you know that Veilguard doesn't have layers how exactly?

[@mustycrusty754]

@@krasmasov6852 lol from the gameplay they showed to sell us the game and trailers the art style alone doesn't match looks way to cartoony

[@krasmasov6852]

@mustycrusty754 Wait I thought we were talking about thematic layers and now you're talking about graphics

[@Vladislav888]

18:40 I didn't like DA:I and I don't like this one either

[@thomasb2031]

If you look at Steam user ratings, it's DAO > DA2 > DAI. If you look at the total views between the Inquisition trailer and Veilguard, it's 11 million vs 2.2 million. Personally, I don't like the combat (JRPG style), the companions who look like they walked straight out of a fashion show, the colorful art style, their BS marketing that falsifies the terms "tactical" and "strategic," the TQ+ propaganda behind Taash, and the inconsistency in ethnic diversity (feels like Rings of Power). In short, everything shows that this will be an action/adventure game with dialogue choices that have no consequences, very linear, and ticking all the boxes of political correctness. RIP Bioware 1995-2012.

[@HazVsRPG]

Its harsh to read it like this - but id be really scraping the bottom of the barrel for scraps to argue against what you're saying. Its sad. I just hope theres a good solid game under there. They really need this, I dont want another RPG foundational game dev to go the way of the birds.

[@GaliosUA]

@@HazVsRPG Tbh, Bioware is already dead for me. Larian seems like the studio that can take their place in the RPG niche, releasing banger after banger.

[@sheldonmustdie2]

I agree with you 100%

[@STT1998]

This is not the old BioWare

[@subatoistormborn5499]

Meritocracy vs Ideology Heroic characters vs Bitchy preachy ideologues True creatives vs people who take others hard work and put their crappy stamp on