Summary
One of the big problems manyDragon Agefans have withThe Veilguardis its lack of RPG elements, especially when it comes to choice.
But over a month after its launch, some fans are now dipping their toes back in for another playthrough, just to find that there “are only enough roleplay options for a single run of the game.”
“Around almost every corner is a situation that I was waiting to hear different dialogue, pick different choices, and it just never comes,“Reddit user geckohell posted, amassing over 1,000 upvotes. “Dragon Age: The Veilguard is not a roleplaying game. There is no roleplay. It is an action adventure game, and I feel a little misled.”
As many commenters point out, big choices like which city to save do open up new paths, and your race/class play a role in dialogue, however small. The problem is that several of these choices don’t have wider ramifications on the party or story, but this wouldn’t be as big a dealbreaker if not for Rook.
Let’s Talk About The Rook In The Room
The story being mostly linear, going from plot beat to plot beat, isn’t unique to The Veilguard — the illusion of choice has always been a hot topic for BioWare games. But in past Dragon Age titles, you had far more control over who your protagonist was. That’s where the roleplaying truly shined.
Fans wish they were able to shape their player character more intimately in The Veilguard, making moral choices like inOriginswith the Dalish and werewolves, or inDragon Age 2with deciding whether or not to help Anders.
In The Veilguard, however, it’s near impossible to shape your Rook into who you want them to be, especially with (as our own Features Editor Tessa Kaur argued)the most egregious dialogue wheel in the series. Many fans argue that they are too nice, acting almost like a “therapist” to the party, no matter what you choose.
“I can be different people in the other games,” Vex-Fanboy replied. “Rook is always just Rook, but the [Hero of Ferelden] can be [a] quite different HoF to HoF.
“InquisitionI can have completely different relations with religion and belief and dictate that, evolve it over the game, see it through the cultural lens of my race etc. That stuff all matters. I think nothing about Rook approaches that.”
It’s not just Rook themselves that’s the problem, it’s also how companions react. “My biggest disappointment by far is how little the dialogue changes,” Enticing_Venom said. “The companions will often give the same reply regardless of which option you choose so there’s little difference in how conversations flow. That’s quite frankly, not good writing. It lacks reactivity and highlights how little Rook and their personality matters.”
It’s worth noting that several fans commented to say that they are enjoying their second runs, excited to see even the most minimal of changes, while also unravelling the aftermath of larger choices like picking between Treviso and Minrathous. However, it’s clear that a common sentiment bubbling in the community is that The Veilguard just doesn’t let you roleplay enough.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
WHERE TO PLAY
Dragon Age: The Veilguard is the long-awaited fourth game in the fantasy RPG series from BioWare formerly known as Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. A direct sequel to Inquisition, it focuses on red lyrium and Solas, the aforementioned Dread Wolf.
