One of this year's most exciting game releases for RPG fans is Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the latest title from the storied developer BioWare and its first new mainline entry in its fan-favorite fantasy series since 2014's Dragon Age: Inquisition. Players have been waiting over 10 years for the next Dragon Age adventure, and now, its scheduled October 31 launch is just days away. Notably, ahead of Dragon Age: The Veilguard's release date, the embargo for reviews of it has been lifted and critic opinions and scores across the web are available to peruse.
According to the review aggregation site Metacritic, Dragon Age: The Veilguard has a "Generally Favorable" score of about 83/100 based on 74 reviews carried out on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PlayStation 5, with most of the evaluations performed using Sony's console. Most reviews give the RPG a score that's somewhere in the 80-100 range, though several reviewers were more critical and gave it a 60 or 70. Here's a roundup of some notable quotes and scores:
- Eurogamer (100/100): "What BioWare has managed to accomplish here, in the face of all the pressure it's faced since Dragon Age: Inquisition came out 10 years ago, is extraordinary. From head to toe, wing to wing, The Veilguard is exquisitely realised and full of sophistication across systems and storytelling. It's warm and welcoming, funny and hopeful, gentle when it needs to be, and of course it's epic - epic in a way I think will set a high bar not only for BioWare in years to come but for role-playing games in general. This is among the very best of them."
- GamesRadar+ (90/100): "Dragon Age: The Veilguard is an approachable, expansive action-oriented RPG and feels like a true end to whatever the franchise was before. The book's not finished, but a significant chapter has closed. While Dragon Age: The Veilguard is undoubtedly different in many ways from its predecessors and takes lessons learned from Mass Effect to heart, there's a lot to love – mechanically and narratively – about the new normal and what is hopefully a foundation for what's to come."
- IGN (90/100): "Dragon Age: The Veilguard refreshes and reinvigorates a storied series that stumbled through its middle years, and leaves no doubt that it deserves its place in the RPG pantheon. The next Mass Effect is going to have a very tough act to follow, which is not something I ever imagined I'd be saying before I got swept away on this adventure. Enjoyable action combat, a fantastic cast of allies with sweeping story arcs all their own, top-notch cinematics, and moving, nuanced character writing are the wings on which this triumphant dragon soars, pulling out all the stops in a whirlwind tour of Northern Thedas and capping it with a terrific finale that’s built on memorably tough choices and consequences. If we never get another Dragon Age, at least it got to go out on a high note."
- PC Gamer (79/100): "My biggest fear for The Veilguard was that it would be forgettable. It isn't. I've got a lot of critiques on how it compares to the series' history, but that's a better feeling than apathy. I've had my issues with every Dragon Age since Origins, from Dragon Age 2's repetitive environments and action combat pivot to Inquisition's underutilized open world. The Veilguard nails action combat and exploration and visual grandeur but in a series about defining a hero with morally ambiguous choices, the choices here are too easy to make. In time, The Veilguard will have its own hotly debated legacy within the series, but thank goodness it will at least have one."
- Digital Trends (70/100): "Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a return to form for this once-lauded RPG studio that should satiate Dragon Age fans quite well after a decade-long wait. But returning to form and perfecting form are not the same thing. BioWare has plenty of room to regrow as it gets back on track making the kinds of games RPG fans want them to create."
- VG247 (60/100): "Dragon Age: The Veilguard is full of heart and soul. It’s also got some great ideas. Conversely, many of those ideas feel like they struggle to get out of first gear - and those that do find it harder still to make it to third. Sometimes the cleverest ideas are undermined by other systems or decisions. Simultaneously feeling polished to within an inch of its life in places and utterly half-baked in others, it’s as baffling as it is engaging; as frustrating as it is fascinating."
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Most of the strongly positive reviews for Dragon Age: The Veilguard laud the game's combat as well as its plot and overall narrative, though less favorable ones note some dislike for the strong focus on action and that the storytelling leaves something to be desired in terms of depth, nuance, and authenticity. Generally, I'd expect to have a blast with The Veilguard's action RPG mechanics and buildcrafting if you enjoy ARPGs, but you may be disappointed with its story given that it's proven to be rather divisive so far. Several critics have also written highly of the game's new stylized art direction, though amongst fan circles, it's been fairly controversial in the leadup to the game's imminent launch.
Windows Central has reviewed Dragon Age: The Veilguard as well, with my colleague Samuel Tolbert sharing his own thoughts in our review this morning. He writes that the RPG is "one of BioWare's most different titles yet, with an action-heavy focus that can be a mixed bag," and that "while not every story reveal here is perfectly handled, the characters you meet, both friend and foe, are among BioWare's best." He gave the game a rating of 4/5 stars, which translates to an 80/100 score.
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Overall, even though Dragon Age: The Veilguard doesn't sound like the smashing masterpiece players were wishing it'd be, the general consensus is that it's a good (maybe even great) game — and after BioWare's recent struggles with titles like Mass Effect: Andromeda and the ill-fated Anthem, that's all I was really hoping for. I grew up playing the developer's classics like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and the Mass Effect trilogy, and while the industry certainly hasn't had a shortage of awesome RPGs for players to enjoy in the years since their release, BioWare's absence has absolutely been felt. Now, though, it seems the studio has found its footing, and that has me excited for future games like the next Mass Effect.
Ironically, the one BioWare franchise I've never played until now is Dragon Age, but I've already begun my Thedas adventure in The Veilguard and am looking forward to continuing it this week. Even if it's not one of the best Xbox games or best PC games of the year, I'm always happy to sink my teeth into a new fantasy RPG and immerse myself in a world that's way cooler than ours.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard is available on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC (via Steam, the Epic Games Store, and the EA app), and PlayStation 5 for $59.99 (PC) or $69.99 (console) depending on which platform you're playing on. Note that you also have the option of accessing it through an EA Play Pro subscription or getting it "free" with an NVIDIA GeForce NOW deal that lasts until October 30. The game is slated to launch globally on October 31, 2024.
