Larian Studios' Publishing Director, Michael Douse, recently lauded BioWare's Dragon Age: The Veilguard, praising its focused design and engaging gameplay. Let's delve into his insightful commentary on this new action RPG.
Larian Studios' Publishing Chief Showers Praise Upon Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Baldur's Gate 3 Executive Calls The Veilguard a "Well-Defined Vision"
Michael Douse (@Cromwelp on X), the publishing director at Larian Studios (creators of Baldur's Gate 3), has expressed enthusiastic approval for BioWare's latest RPG, Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Douse revealed on Twitter that he played the game "in utmost secrecy," even resorting to playing behind his backpack at the office!
Douse highlighted The Veilguard's clear sense of purpose, a refreshing change from previous series entries that sometimes struggled to balance narrative and gameplay. He likened the experience to a "high-quality, character-driven Netflix series" rather than a sprawling, lengthy epic.
Douse also lauded the game's innovative combat system, describing it as a brilliant blend of Xenoblade Chronicles and Hogwarts Legacy—a combination he termed "a stroke of genius." This shift aligns The Veilguard more closely with the fast-paced action of BioWare's Mass Effect series, featuring fluid attack chains and impactful combos, a departure from the slower, tactical combat of earlier Dragon Age titles.
Douse praised The Veilguard's pacing, noting its "strong sense of momentum" and its ability to balance impactful narrative moments with opportunities for players to experiment with their character builds and abilities. This represents a thoughtful evolution from the more traditional RPG structure of its predecessors. His commendation extended to BioWare's continued industry presence, which he deemed essential amidst "short-sighted corporate decisions."
However, Douse's most compelling observation centers on The Veilguard's newly established identity. He declared it "the first Dragon Age game to truly know what it wants to be." While this might be interpreted as a subtle critique of past Dragon Age titles, Douse clarified, "I'll always be a Dragon Age: Origins fan, and this isn't that." While lacking the nostalgic appeal of Dragon Age: Origins, The Veilguard's distinct vision resonated deeply with Douse. "In short, it's fun!" he concluded.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard's Rook Character Offers "True Player Agency"
Dragon Age: The Veilguard aims to deliver a deeply personalized experience through the Rook, a customizable protagonist with extensive personalization options. According to Xbox Wire, players will have unprecedented creative control over their Rook's background, skills, and moral alignment. As the Rook, players assemble a party to confront two ancient Elven gods threatening Thedas.
Character creation in The Veilguard emphasizes player agency, ensuring that choices, from backstory to combat specialization, meaningfully impact the player's experience. Players can choose from Mage, Rogue, and Warrior classes, each with unique specializations (e.g., Spellblade for Mages). Personalization even extends to the Rook's home, the Lighthouse, where players can customize rooms to reflect their character's journey.
"As you play, Rook reflects on their past," a developer told Xbox Wire. "This allowed me to define my Rook more completely—even down to seemingly minor choices, like face tattoos. The result is a character that truly feels like my own."
This focus on character detail likely contributed to Michael Douse's positive assessment, particularly the game's emphasis on impactful choices. With The Veilguard's release on October 31st, BioWare hopes players will share Douse's enthusiasm.
In our review, we highlighted The Veilguard's embrace of the "faster pace of the action RPG genre," with gameplay that is "more fluid and engaging than its predecessors." For our full review and 90-point score, please see the link below!
