Insulting Its Own Legacy To Promote Dragon Age: The Veilguard, BioWare’s Lost It

You’ve enjoyed BioWare’s legendary RPGs your whole life and had one hell of a time playing through the impactful Dragon Age series. Seeing the series return with “Dreadwolf” was an unrivaled feeling of bliss for you. However, watching it give up its identity to become a trendy action game crushed your soul, and then Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s reveal trailer was the last nail in the coffin.

Can you relate to this imaginary scenario? Who am I kidding, it’s not imaginary, it’s my feelings I’m describing. Dragon Age: The Veilguard is no longer the Dragon Age I knew, and I’ve grown to accept that. However, as if to rub salt in my wounds, BioWare has adopted the peculiar strategy of dissing its own past games, the ones I hold dear.

BioWare Thinks “Dissing Your Own Past Games Is Cool”

Let me make this clear I don’t necessarily hate Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Though it’s nothing like what I wanted it to be, I’ve accepted the fact that it’s a step to appeal to a different kind of audience, and if they find it fun, I don’t plan to ruin their good time with my babbling. However, BioWare insulting the legendary classics just to make The Veilguard seem cooler is something I can’t overlook.

guys my first tattoo ever was the grey warden motto. ive been a dragon age fan since high school. why did i watch the veilguard trailer. i need to be held so bad cause i need to sob into someones shoulder.

— Laufie (@laufiex) June 12, 2024

Ever since the game’s reveal, BioWare has decided to “uplift” it by dissing the past games instead and making it look good in comparison. Subtle statements have been issued that downplay a certain factor of past classics.

In a recent interview, Dragon Age: The Veilguard consultant and the executive producer of past games Mark Darrah expressed how the combat in those “wasn’t too bad,” while in this game, “it’s actually good.” I don’t know about you, but what I heard was “Past Dragon Age games? The combat wasn’t good in them. This is where it’s genuinely good.”

That’s not all. He believes Dragon Age: The Veilguard is where BioWare’s character-driven stories are at their peak. In past games, these character-centric scenarios existed, but weren’t “intentional.”

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Moreover, a degrading statement regarding character designs was also issued by art director Matt Rhodes. Apparently, they were purposefully simplified in past games to make things easy for cosplayers. However, it was deemed “underestimating the cosplayer’s capabilities,” and thus The Veilguard went all in on character design complexity and attractiveness.

An Unacceptable Insult To The Legendary Classics

I vowed not to nitpick about Dragon Age: The Veilguard, as long as it’s a solid action game that executes the concept right. However, that was before BioWare decided to take a dig at some of my favorites. What’s ridiculous is that it’s not some competitor’s title it’s degrading, these are its own creations it worked dedicatedly on.

Now that shots have been fired, I have to retaliate. First, let’s look at the combat point. How on earth is Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s combat “actually good” and the others’ is not? The strategic depth and tactical approach to Dragon Age’s combat is something I genuinely fell in love with. It was an original take, something that gave the series its identity. In comparison, what is Dragon Age: The Veilguard? Just another God of War clone.

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Action combat may be adrenaline-pumping and trendy, but it can never replace something you worked hard to make your own. Dragon Age’s tactical combat was its backbone, its soul. The Veilguard traded it to chase trends, I can never respect that.

And what the hell is this about character-driven stories not being intentional? You mean to tell me the unbelievably complex character development and plotlines I was blown away by in Dragon Age and Baldur’s Gate, and all the time I spent excitedly exploring these lovable characters was something not intentional? Now that’s outrageous.

These classics had some of the best party mechanics and character interactions I’ve seen in CRPGs. Calling those impactful encounters and mind-blowing character development unintentional is so appalling that I don’t even want to debate.

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Lastly, the character designs. Calling these generic hero shooter-style characters and unbelievably cheesy design as “complex, in contrast to the simplified characters of past games,” is laughable, to say the least.

Self-Depreciation To Hype Dragon Age: The Veilguard Will Backfire

Getting that load off my chest felt really good, not going to lie. Of course, I’m far from over, but you get the idea. All this degrading is completely baseless, and it’s not going to help Dragon Age: The Veilguard in any way.

On the contrary, it just might have the opposite effect instead. Think about it, what would you feel if you saw someone calling his own past work bad to sell the current one? It conveys nothing but desperation and a lack of confidence. You’re resorting to self-depreciation to market something, how bad is it that it needs such desperate means?

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BioWare knows the value of its past gems and people’s belief in those games. By calling them bad and Dragon Age: The Veilguard better in comparison, BioWare is counting on people just taking its word for it and forgetting everything they know and care about the games. “Hey, BioWare says this one is way better, let’s forget about the classics we enjoyed and get this instead.” As if.

The only thing people will see is BioWare’s heinous practice and desperation to make the game appealing. Not only will it earn the wrath of diehard fans, but also their distrust in BioWare’s current and future products. The company’s reputation is about to take a massive hit if this continues.