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[IGN] Dragon Age: The Veilguard Is at War With Itself

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
They probably aren’t mentioned as Veilguard because it was a last minute change. Wasn’t this game called dreadwolf?

As for the part you guys are talking about overly blatant lbgt stereotypes, that’s because in order for people who love personal politics to enjoy it, it has to be really in your face for everyone to see. Show the world kind of thing.

If you do it too modestly or none at all, then the people complain “well, where’s the gender stuff? I don’t see it”.

So then it comes down to the devs and writers whether to make it really obvious like gay comedy relief guy with a pink or flower shirt in a tv show or movie, or have a more low key realistic gay guy who blends in and doesn’t stick out like the doofus, they’ll often make it obvious so they can check off the box they did it. If the gay person isn’t gay enough where you can’t really tell then he’s be too straight and doesn’t count.

So it kind of a trap. If a company is too modest they get bashed, and if too obvious they get bashed too.

Good luck writers and directors.
 
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Mayar

Member
Yeah nah, no mention of the CRINGE gender politics nonsense and millenial dialogue. Kinda just glossing over rather than actually criticising
This is a normal damage control, they can no longer directly criticize a game that they gave a rating of almost 10 and editor's choice. It would look extremely funny and ridiculous. This article is most likely to show - "We are on the same wavelength with the players", and it is written in such a way as to wag a finger in the direction of Bioware, but at the same time not to offend them.
 

Panajev2001a

GAF's Pleasant Genius
I like the game but man he’s so on point about the characters. They are so basic and simple they are legit bidding to be around. I fast forward through most conversations because i know it will be all kumbaya with these people.

And yes they did both varric and solas dirty. Two great characters both relegated to cameos. Lame.
Which is why I think these kind of “auteurs” think they are being progressive and inclusive but they feel as transphobic and anti- as those they consider as enemies. You push a certain kind of story and make of the characters identity a big deal and go to war with your fans because they do not give you a chance with The Message you have for them?
At least MAKE the GamE freaking Great!

Most of the entertainment properties that shout how much they are there for modern audiences tend to be crap so they associate progressive values with crap… and then they wonder what happened 😂
 

Filben

Member
Here is a trans person ripping the game to shreds



Skip to 20:10 for the part that focuses on modernism in gaming

Damn, I didn't know Inquisition had a kunari word for transgender. This sounds actually like good, sticking-to-the-lore-of-your-fiction writing.

But I guess if you think your players are stupid (see how every puzzle and exploring is pointed out to you, also in other recent games) you don't get away with writing like this and have to be as much in-your-face as possible.

A real shame because the gameplay looks quite fun. It could have been EASILY so much better.
 

mdkirby

Gold Member
Here is a trans person ripping the game to shreds



Skip to 20:10 for the part that focuses on modernism in gaming

Just watched most of that, was good to see a take from I suppose who its intended audience was. I had started to think “maybe it’s just some really bad scenes you can mostly avoid, and then it’s pretty good”, and that I may give it a go in a 6 months or so, but nope. I’ve now definitely seen enough of that game to know I have zero interest in ever playing it.
 

Gojiira

Member
This is a normal damage control, they can no longer directly criticize a game that they gave a rating of almost 10 and editor's choice. It would look extremely funny and ridiculous. This article is most likely to show - "We are on the same wavelength with the players", and it is written in such a way as to wag a finger in the direction of Bioware, but at the same time not to offend them.
Ugh of course they gave it a 10 lol
In that case yeah your definitely right.
 

M1chl

Currently Gif and Meme Champion
Here is a trans person ripping the game to shreds



Skip to 20:10 for the part that focuses on modernism in gaming

What an absolute queen.

With the music the piece on modernity in gaming, sounded like light in the dark current game world. Granted until people who are supposedly intended audience start speaking out, we never going to get better.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
Here is a trans person ripping the game to shreds



Skip to 20:10 for the part that focuses on modernism in gaming

Just started watching this now as I'm watching the late night Raps/Lakers game.

That opening 2 minutes of cutscenes is easily the worst I've seen in gaming ever. I guess DA writers and gamers like their game with cringy dialogue you'd get in a Lego game. lol
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
At at 12:28 mark after showing example of lamest quests ever.... "Some of the most boring people in existence are making our games"

Not totally true. I think is has more to do with disinterest (people making games for a pay cheque) and political (personal views and cant make a game too gritty or violent).

These game makers would probably make a cool painting or clay vase, but not video games. And DA is supposed to be a more dark RPG. The game doesnt even let you control NPCs like older games. They did that to streamline the gameplay and programming needed. the dialogue in the first 2 minutes of the video is something for a modern day woke party than a game based on dragons and swords and spellcasting.

You dont hire a tennis coach to manage a hockey team.

(Edit: For a big laugh start watching bit at 18:05. LOL)
 
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sophnar0747

Member
Here is a trans person ripping the game to shreds



Skip to 20:10 for the part that focuses on modernism in gaming

Leonardo Dicaprio Look GIF by Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
 

MAX PAYMENT

Member
While I don't think it's a bad game necessarily, it does feel like it was written by Disney/Marvel. All the dark themes seem to be gone. I think it feels more like the Dungeons and Dragons movie in terms of tone and light-heartedness than any of its predecessors.
 

ikbalCO

Member
Yeah, this does reads like damage control.
Tbh i am enjoying this game because the combat is fine and i dont listen to much of the dialog since i listen to a podcast when i play this game, saving me from the worst part of the game.

But they messed up with the review, giving it to a biased person whom ended up writing a reverse “wired hogwarts legacy type review” for a game with very obvious and unavoidable flaws. Sounds like IGN wants their clicks back.
 

GymWolf

Member
While I don't think it's a bad game necessarily, it does feel like it was written by Disney/Marvel. All the dark themes seem to be gone. I think it feels more like the Dungeons and Dragons movie in terms of tone and light-heartedness than any of its predecessors.
The dark themes are still there but the cartoony art design and milquetoast writing does the setting\themes no favour.
 

Garibaldi

Member
Here is a trans person ripping the game to shreds



Skip to 20:10 for the part that focuses on modernism in gaming

Really well put together video. The segment about Garrus and Shep shooting the shit smashed the nail right on the head with the issues I have with modern gaming.
 
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Garibaldi

Member
You must pick up the rocks! You must pick the flowers! You must buy the newspapers! You must do all the pointless crap! The story will suffer if you dont!!!!
Yup, you must not enjoy this intimate/ cathartic moment without an illusion of agency. Oh and if you are especially good we might given give you a shiny orb of uselessness to upgrade your equally useless gear to slightly bigger numbers because emotion you genuinely feel isn't enough of a reward. Enjoy!

Two scenes later....here is a new piece of gear which renders the last reward utterly redundant. Thank you for collecting the mushrooms this time
 

Mayar

Member
You can make great looking qunari in the game but the dev didn't care or where to lazy to make them Qunari male
To be honest, something is still wrong. The face itself turned out relatively normal, but there is some kind of trouble with the horns. I can't formulate what, but something is just not right...
Either they are not positioned correctly, or the design is wrong, or they lack mass.
dragon-age-2-qunari-vs-dragon-age-veilguard-qunari-v0-b4qg3c26lymd1.png
with-the-qunari-race-being-playable-a-late-addition-to-v0-xskhkt5wiobd1.jpeg


If you look at old models and art from DA2 and DAI. Their horns take up a significant part of the cranium, sometimes even go all the way to the back of the head. In this part, they have some super neat horns glued right on the forehead.

EDIT - I realized what this reminds me of:
They apparently took the design of the horns of the Tieflings from ADnD as a basis, namely, the Tieflings have horns that start growing from the frontal lobe of the skull.
baldurs-gate-3-tieflings.jpg
 
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YOU PC BRO?!

Gold Member
The entire article read like damage control to me. Perhaps a means to get out in-front of the inevitable "game didn't meet sales expectations" articles that will follow shortly. If IGN had any credibility, they should retract the absurd and clearly ideologically motivated 9/10 rating by non-binary reviewer Leana Hafer.

In the article, its clear the author doesn't believe that Veilguard is anything close to a 9/10. Like others, in an attempt to not draw ire from certain groups, the writing, story and characters are tentatively criticised. His criticism shamefully massaged to the point of meaningless, vaguely worded drivel. Such spinelessness.

Veilguard is a game made for the ethereal and nondescript 'modern audience'. That's simply code for... the game is designed to appeal to modern leftists. A world in which 'Dark Fantasy' is scary and not a desirable backdrop for the superficial, conflict averse characters that now inhabit the world. Every conversation plays out as if HR is in the room. No freedom to challenge the perspectives or opinions that constantly lambast you. As if the protagonist simply exists to play psychiatrist to the deluge of mental health issues on display. Constantly affirming and validating throughout the entire game. How laborious. Forget that there are dark elven gods on the loose wreaking havoc... we have to stop every 2 seconds so Taash can tell us about her gender identity crisis. It would be funny if it wasn't at the expense of a once great franchise. What a joke.
 
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stn

Member
The whole "HR is in the room" is my biggest issue with this game. No renegade play through, all choices lead in the same direction, no actual grit or dark themes. Even Taash's gender arc could have been done in a more organic way that didn't break the immersion with the use of modern-day terms. Given all of the production issues, I have no doubt that there was a lot of disagreement and friction within the team when the game was being made.

I'll buy the game when it hits the bargain bin.
 

EverydayBeast

ChatGPT 0.1
Origins was excellent, Awakening played like a true sequel, 2 with Kirkwall while not for everybody was near perfect, Inquisition sometimes felt like a chore, I would say Veilguard will be graded on its post launch success, the character, and headline stuff really don’t matter to the casual gamer.
 

A2una1

Member
I really hope there's more and that they set it far from this particular storyline. One of the things I liked about DA:2 was that it was its own thing. Solas continuing on from Inquisition was a mistake. They should treat this like Final Fantasy. Have some things that make it thematically Dragon Age, but tell a wholly original story in an original world every time.
Anders and the spirit justice where from the Expansion from da:eek:
 
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