Dragon Age: The Veilguard reviews and Metacritic score roundup: Does BioWare’s latest RPG live up to its legacy?
A decade in the making, the next Dragon Age is finally here. But is it good?
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One of this year’s most exciting game releases for RPG fans isDragon 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 nextDragon Ageadventure, and now, its scheduled October 31 launch is just days away. Notably, ahead ofDragon 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 siteMetacritic, 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:
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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 inour reviewthis 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 likeMass Effect: Andromedaand the ill-fatedAnthem, 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 theMass Effecttrilogy, 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 likethe 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 thebest Xbox gamesorbest PC gamesof 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 anEA Play Prosubscription orgetting it “free” with an NVIDIA GeForce NOW dealthat lasts until October 30. The game is slated to launch globally on October 31, 2024.
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Dragon Age: The Veilguard
10 years after the events of Dragon Age: Inquisition, a new team must be formed to stop the Dread Wolf from tearing down the Veil that separates the land of Thedas from a world of spirits and demons. Roleplaying as Rook, you’ll form alliances and build up allies to keep the world from being destroyed.
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Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he’s been an avid fan since childhood. He’s been writing for Team WC since the summer of 2017, and you’ll find him doing news, editorials, reviews, and general coverage on everything gaming, Xbox, and Windows PC. His favorite game of all time is probably NieR: Automata, though Elden Ring, Fallout: New Vegas, and Team Fortress 2 are in the running, too. When he’s not writing or gaming, there’s a good chance he’s either watching an interesting new movie or TV show or actually going outside for once.Follow him on X(Twitter).
