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Dragon Age: The Veilguard | Review Thread

What scores do you think Dragon Age: The Veilguard will get?

  • 60-64%

    Votes: 14 4.9%
  • 65-69%

    Votes: 14 4.9%
  • 70-74%

    Votes: 23 8.1%
  • 75-79%

    Votes: 59 20.8%
  • 80-84%

    Votes: 107 37.8%
  • 85-89%

    Votes: 53 18.7%
  • 90-94%

    Votes: 8 2.8%
  • 95-100%

    Votes: 5 1.8%

  • Total voters
    283
  • Poll closed .

Draugoth

Gold Member
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Q: At which time does the Review Drop?

A: Review drops at Monday, October 28 at 8 AM PT/11 AM ET according to Forbes.
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Dragon Age: The Veilguard Rook’s Coffer Edition


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As the name suggests, the $219.99 Rook’s Coffer Edition of Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a treasure trove filled to the brim with exclusive collectibles. In addition to all of the cosmetic items featured in the deluxe version of the game, the Rook’s Coffer Edition also includes the following items.
  • Light-Up Lyrium Dagger – The gleaming dagger of Solas’s ritual. Its blade has torn the very fabric of the Veil. Decorative replica not a toy (Approx. 22 in (55.88 cm) long)
  • Rook’s Card Deck – A set of cards depicting people and places from Rook’s adventures.
  • Enchanted Die – This beautiful die will help guide you through the perils of conversation.
  • Glass Potion Flask – A decorative vessel that would be essential for storing healing potions.
  • Cloth Map and Quiver – Look to this illustrated map to learn about the world you defend.
  • Dragon Age: The Veilguard Companion Lithograph – This art depicts the faces of your closest allies, the ones who’ll stand beside you against impossible odds.
  • Thank-You Letter – A note of gratitude from the creatives at the helm of Dragon Age™: The Veilguard.​

Dragon Age: The Veilguard PS5 Preload Times​

On PS5, you can start to preload the game two days early from October 29 at the following times:

  • PT: 9 am
  • CT: 11 am
  • ET: 12 am
  • BRT: 1 pm
  • BST/UK/GMT: 4 pm
  • CET: 5 pm
  • IST: 9:30 pm
  • JST/KST: 1 am (October 30)
  • AET: 3 am (October 30)
  • NZDT: 5 am (October 30)

Dragon Age: The Veilguard Xbox Preload Times​

On Xbox Series X|S, you can start to preload the game two weeks early from October 14 at the following times:

  • PT: 9 am
  • CT: 11 am
  • ET: 12 am
  • BRT: 1 pm
  • BST/UK/GMT: 4 pm
  • CET: 5 pm
  • IST: 9:30 pm
  • JST/KST: 1 am (October 15)
  • AET: 3 am (October 15)
  • NZDT: 5 am (October 15)

Dragon Age: The Veilguard Release Times​

The game releases worldwide on October 31 and will unlock at the following times:

  • PT: 9 am
  • CT: 11 am
  • ET: 12 am
  • BRT: 1 pm
  • BST/UK/GMT: 4 pm
  • CET: 5 pm
  • IST: 9:30 pm
  • JST/KST: 1 am (November 1)
  • AET: 3 am (November 1)
  • NZDT: 5 am (November 1)

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Critic Reviews​


But Why Tho? - Eddie De Santiago - 10 / 10


Dragon Age The Veilguard is a massive new world full of thoughtful stories, epic battles, and beautiful visuals to accompany them. This round of companions is among the most interesting, thoughtful, and downright charismatic, and adventuring with them made for an unforgettable journey.



CBR - Jenny Melzer - 7 / 10


The final verdict on Dragon Age: The Veilguard for me is positive overall. I am already excitedly exploring a second playthrough and taking my time to really let the world, and everything I've learned, sink in.



CGMagazine - Dayna Eileen - 10 / 10


From style to story and everything in between, Dragon Age: The Veilguard is everything I wanted from this entry in the Dragon Age universe.



COGconnected - Mark Steighner - 90 / 100


Polished and confident, Dragon Age: The Veilguard feels like a return to form for the developer. Dragon Age: The Veilguard gives us a beautiful world to experience, interesting allies to explore it with, and action that grows increasingly more nuanced throughout.



Checkpoint Gaming - Luke Mitchell - 10 / 10


Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a triumphant return to form for one of gaming's most loved developers. It's an epic and grandiose RPG adventure, interwoven with intimate, powerful stories about its cast of endearing and quirky companions. It has a truly stunning world to explore, with hidden secrets, alluring side quests and a literal treasure trove of lore to comb through. Its tight, in-depth combat systems and breadth of accessibility options deliver a highly personalised experience. But beyond the adventure itself, it's another shining testament to diversity and inclusivity, polished to near perfection in its presentation. Put simply, Dragon Age: The Veilguard is Dragon Age at its most captivating, a truly generational adventure that is as heartfelt as it is thrilling.



Cinelinx - Becky O'Brien - 5 / 5


After ten long years, the world of Dragon Age is back in the best way possible. Longtime fans of the Dragon Age series will find so much to love in Dragon Age: The Veilguard as this is the best visit to the land of Thedas yet. An easy contender for Game of The Year, highly recommended for playing as soon as possible.



Daily Mirror - Aaron Potter - 4 / 5


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Dexerto - Ethan Dean - 4 / 5


Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a stellar achievement that ends a decade-long dry spell. It tells one of the best stories in the series fuelled by some of its most memorable characters. It’s not a flawless journey but the minor imperfections don’t detract from one of 2024’s best RPGs.



Digital Trends - Tomas Franzese - 3.5 / 5


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.



Digitec Magazine - Philipp Rüegg - German - 4 / 5


With “Dragon Age: The Veilguard”, Bioware delivers a gripping action role-playing game that is aimed at the masses but doesn't forget its roots.



DualShockers - Callum Marshall - 8.5 / 10


Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a compelling new entry in the series, taking the franchise in a new direction with more RPG-lite ideals. This decision will alienate Die Hard fans but will undoubtedly win favor with new fans willing to embrace the series.



Eurogamer - Robert Purchese - 5 / 5


A fantasy role-playing game of astonishing spectacle. This is the best Dragon Age, and perhaps BioWare, has ever been.



Eurogamer.pt - Bruno Galvão - Portuguese - 4 / 5


With a spectacular and fun action combat system, simplified RPG mechanics, a strong story and cast, not forgetting the design of hubs that grow the more time you spend in them, Bioware delivers an unexpected but incredibly captivating game.



GRYOnline.pl - Anna Garas - Polish - 7 / 10


Dragon Age: The Veilguard is the best game BioWare has made since Mass Effect 3. It is crafted much better in terms of story and gameplay than DA: Inquisition (I find this game mediorce at best), and is superior to Andromeda in every way. But the things that used to dazzle me right now are „only” good. There's more to accomplish in the genre than that.



Game Rant - Joshua Duckworth - 10 / 10


After 100 hours and 3 playthroughs of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, I feel justified in my ten-year wait and satisfied by the results.



Gamepressure - Krzysztof Lewandowski - 6 / 10


This isn’t the end of Dragon Age that I was expecting - in this respect, the game must be rated low. However, as an action RPG with flair and a beautiful fairy-tale world, it turns out to be decent, and sometimes even more than that.



Gamer Guides - Tom Hopkins - 92 / 100


Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a phenomenal return to form for BioWare. The story is well-paced and the cast of characters are the trademark BioWare staple of fully-realised, but it’s in the newly action-oriented combat where things truly shine.



GamesRadar+ - Rollin Bishop - 4.5 / 5


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.



GamingTrend - Ron Burke - 85 / 100


The writing can be overwrought, written by committee, and occasionally forced, but it's also a major step forward for a team that needs the win. Dragon Age: The Veilguard brings us compelling characters, excellent combat, and a world worth saving.



Guardian - Malindy Hetfeld - 3 / 5


There is lots to do in this huge and beautiful fantasy world, but inconsistent writing and muted combat dull its blade



IGN - Leana Hafer - 9 / 10


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.



Kotaku - Kenneth Shepard - Unscored


The long-awaited fourth entry in BioWare's fantasy series isn't just good, it's some of the studio's best work



Metro GameCentral - Nick Gillett - 9 / 10


A triumphant return for BioWare, with a massive, action-intensive fantasy role-player, that combines a complex and intuitive fighting system with a great script and a glorious looking world to explore.



PC Gamer - Lauren Morton - 79 / 100


A genuinely enjoyable, gorgeous action-RPG that lacks the storytelling nuance of previous Dragon Age games.



PlayStation Universe - Garri Bagdasarov - 9.5 / 10


Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a must-have RPG this holiday season. There is so much that Veilguard brings to the table that it's hard to find something to dislike. Veilguard is a complete package that gives you everything you could ever wish for in an action-RPG, and is without a doubt a return to form for BioWare.



Press Start - James Berich - 10 / 10


Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a triumph for BioWare in practically every way. It brings together the best bits of all the games that have come before it, pairing an intricately woven narrative ripe with genuine choice and consequences with a fast, frenetic and endlessly satisfying combat system. The Veilguard is, without a doubt, Dragon Age at it's best.



Push Square - Robert Ramsey - 8 / 10


Dragon Age: The Veilguard isn't quite BioWare back to its absolute best, but it is the most cohesive and emotionally engaging RPG that the studio has delivered since Mass Effect 3. Its shift to crunchy action combat is an improvement over Inquisition's middle-of-the-road approach, and although the game feels a little light on meaningful player choice, the storytelling pulls no punches when it actually matters. This is a gorgeous and gripping adventure, backed by a cast of endearing heroes and deliciously devious villains.



Quest Daily - Julian Price - 9.5 / 10


Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a fantasy epic that showcases the best voice acting and overall polish of any game I’ve played this year.



Rock, Paper, Shotgun - Nic Reuben - Unscored


I'm not sure an hour passed in the fourth entry in Bioware's fantasy RPG series where I didn't wish they'd handled something differently. Then, once the credits rolled after 50 hours, I started a second playthrough.



SECTOR.sk - Táňa Matúšová - Slovak - 7 / 10


The latest chapter in the Dragon Age saga successfully combines the best of semi-open-world gameplay with a balanced and engaging combat system. While Dragon Age: The Veilguard falls short of previous installments in areas like side quests, story choices, and dialogue depth, it excels in combat quality, world design, and audiovisual presentation, delivering some of the most epic battles in the series. This game is a roller-coaster experience; at its peak, it entertained and amazed me, yet at times, its lack of depth dampened my enthusiasm.



Shacknews - TJ Denzer - 7 / 10


A game that is technically sound, and very beautiful, but fails to get its hooks in where it counts, and I feel like among other great RPGs that have come out just this year, Veilguard will have a hard time standing out.



Stevivor - Hamish Lindsay - 8.5 / 10


Dragon Age The Veilguard is the epitome of 'better than the sum of its. It’s been so long since I experienced this level of joy in a long-form RPG; I have a compulsion to keep playing and finish one more quest.



TechRaptor - Erren Van Duine - 9.5 / 10


Dragon Age: The Veilguard delivers an incredible experience built on fluid combat, deep lore and characters, and player choice. All of this is wrapped up in a polished package that is a must play for Dragon Age fans and RPG fans alike.



TheGamer - Stacey Henley - 4 / 5


Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a Dragon Age game like no other, and that alone will put some people off. But it brings with it the traditions of excellent character writing, strong world building through narrative quests, and offers the most exciting combat the series has ever seen. There is a stronger version of The Veilguard in here, one with more Solas and companion quests that find a more natural ending, but the one we’ve got is still a worthy successor to Dragon Age: Inquisition, and is a much needed return to form for BioWare.



VGC - Jordan Middler - 3 / 5


Dragon Age: The Veilguard feels like BioWare playing it too safe. While it nails what it does best, like the excellent cast and interpersonal relationships, from a gameplay perspective it feels out of date.



Wccftech - Alessio Palumbo - 9 / 10


From a visual standpoint, the game succeeds in providing many different biomes to explore as the party treks across Northern Thedas, fulfilling BioWare's promise to bring players to more locations than ever before. The environments generally look great, while the characters are a bit more of a hit-and-miss in that some are almost photorealistic and others look more stylized. In that regard, more uniformity would have been ideal.



Worth Playing - Chris "Atom" DeAngelus - 8 / 10


Dragon Age: The Veilguard is and isn't the game I wanted it to be. It's a rollicking fun story where you fight monsters, save lives, and lead your plucky team of adventurers against impossible odds. At the same time, it feels more like Mass Effect than Dragon Age, and since The Veilguard is the climax of a story, it might be difficult for newcomers to hop into. If I set aside my expectations, it's a pretty darn fun action-RPG that stands well on its own.



XboxEra - Jesse Norris - 10 / 10


Dragon Age: The Veilguard isn’t just in my Game of the Year rankings, it’s in my Best Games of All Time. BioWare has finally matched their recent excellent third-person combat with some of, if not their best, story work to date. This game is an absolute triumph for those old and new to the series.

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StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
The previews were surprisingly positive despite the tone. Combat looks good. Story and choices will be standard Bioware fare. this wont be a complete disaster.
I agree.

It'll get notched down due to the mobilish graphics and some reviewers wont like giving up NPC control, but I'll say it still gets 75-80%. Even disaster ME Andromeda got in the 70s.

So to get a really bad mark, they'd need to really fuck it up.
 
People seem pretty positive on this one so I’m gonna say 75-85 range. Could be BioWare’s big (last chance) comeback!
 
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Zacfoldor

Member
85 or bust, 85 after a week is what it will take to win me over. 84 is a skip, I shit you not. Woke games gotta jump thru hoops if they want my money…but the wallet opens like a flower for good rpgs, so I’m conflicted as to how I hope this turns out. 85.
 

T4keD0wN

Member
Would vote 50-55 but the poll doesnt go that low.
No "Dragon Age Keep" save importing from previous games makes it a bad game automatically regardless of how good the actual game is.

This doesnt look like a game even the biggest Dragon Age or old Bioware fans like me will like. Even though this is likely the very first big game for most people working on it, i expect a sad ending chapter for a once great studio.
 
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Calico345

Gold Member
I ignore the usual number scores, and I also totally ignore Metacritic. I use my own 1-5 number grading for quality, and I somewhat use ACG's Buy, Sale, Avoid meter. I will watch reviews for this to get a sense of it before i decide if I want to Buy, Wait for Sale, or Avoid.

I am not invested in the DA series, but I've followed the general news about it over the years. I am interested in Veilguard as purely an Action RPG in a fantasy setting. The Dragon Age aspect of it is irrelevant to me personally, but I am still following the fanbase's reactions.
 

rm082e

Member
I'm expecting 70-75 and a sales bomb.

I have no experience with the series personally. I didn't have time to play the first game when it was new, DA2 seemed like a rushed bag of filler. Inquisition seemed cool, but not enough to get me to jump in on game 3. But from all the videos I've seen of this new game, it looks really boring from a story/narrative/characters perspective. If that's the case, I don't think the game play looks appealing enough to justify the game alone.

I think there are a lot of older fans who are high on hopium. Meanwhile the people out there now who review games are a bit younger and I don't think they have a ton of nostalgia for the series. Reviewers will be less likely to weight the score higher based on love for the IP, so it will be a disconnect with long time fans of the series.

I will be very surprised if this game scores above an 82 and manages to sell a couple million copies in the first few months.
 

Brigandier

Member
This is going to get praised by the usual clowns and their gaslighting is going to be obnoxiously off the charts... "this game is the best game ever and those who don't like this game are far right racist misogynistic terf gamergate loving pieces of shit!!!!"

I think it'll end up high 80s because of the IP and studio hysteria alone but people who aren't total morons will dislike and even hate it.
 
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