The Veilguard Was My 10/10 a Year Ago, and It Still Is Today

Dragon Age: The Veilguard was released on October 31, 2024, meaning many fans’ stories with it began then. My story started a little differently because I received a PS5 copy for review about two weeks before. The review embargo was lifted on October 28 that year, and I gave it 10/10. In fact, according to the aggregate site Metacritic, I was not the only one—as it maintains a generally favorable Metascore of 82 and has a few 10/10 scores. I can only speak for myself, as there are understandably justifiable lower scores too, but Dragon Age: The Veilguard was a 10/10 a year ago and still is today.

Opinions Change – We Should Welcome That

Before getting too far into that, I think there are a few nuances to highlight first. I rarely review games because I do not enjoy playing on a timer, in essence, alongside the fact that I often preview games for Game Rant. Of the reviews I have done, sometimes I look back and am curious if I overrated/underrated something. Sometimes I feel different about a game as time passes. That’s just how opinions work; they change.

I think Death Stranding is a prime example. I do not like slower games and avoided it for a long time, and my first impression was not a good one. Over time, however, it convinced me there was value to its meditative gameplay. That made me even more excited for Death Stranding 2 (which I am still playing and enjoying). It’s worth noting I reviewed neither. Similarly, sometimes I think I slightly underrated Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, and sometimes I think I somewhat overrated Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, both of which I did review. All of this is to say, despite my opinion often fluctuating with time, Dragon Age: The Veilguard earned and continues to earn that 10/10. In reviews, you make a judgment call based on the time you have, but I maintain my judgment call on DATV was the right one.

A Little Doubt in All Things is Good

Yes, I also previewed Dragon Age: The Veilguard. That means I played a portion of the game even earlier in 2024. If you doubt me personally because of the preview, you should. I maintain reasonable doubt in all things is good, but I am also a big fan of putting my money where my mouth is. I received a PS5 copy for the review, yet despite that, I did not cancel my pre-order for Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s Collector’s Edition on my Xbox. I also bought it on Steam, so I can play it on my Steam Deck. I bought it twice after receiving a review copy. If it somehow ended up on the Switch, I’d buy it there too. I felt this needed acknowledgment, so do with this information what you will.

What’s 10/10 Actually Mean?

There is a common belief that 10/10 means perfect; I do not ascribe to this belief. I do not accept that perfection exists, certainly not in this industry. Every major company in the game industry chases trends. Battle Royale games were a dime a dozen after the release of PUBG and Fortnite‘s BR mode. Soulslikes? Everywhere. Roguelikes? Everywhere. If a perfect game existed, then every game would just be a derivative version of that game. If the industry decided Skyrim was perfect, all we would have is Skyrim-likes, and Bethesda wouldn’t have the space to release it multiple times itself. So, 10/10 doesn’t mean perfect to me, but what does it mean? Let’s unpack what DATV means to me.

My Dragon Age Review Period is Something I Wish Everyone Could Experience

The First Two Weeks

I spent two weeks deep in the latest game of my favorite franchise, and the internet did not interfere when I surfaced from a dark room lit only by my TV screen. I wish that were something everyone could experience nowadays—the lost ability to enjoy a game without being subjected to online discourse. I could check my phone and not have people I don’t know influencing my opinions on things. There were no spoilers (man, the rage I felt for those impacted by that early leak), no people saying things they didn’t genuinely believe to capitalize on blind rage, no outrage, no content-ualizing the game at all.

It was just me and Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and the internet had no place in my relationship with it. That is the peace I wish for everyone, with their favorite games, with their day-to-day, with anything they just want to enjoy. I know you can stay off socials, sure, and I would encourage that, but social media and the internet are a necessity in 2025. Pretending it isn’t, pretending it is some choice, is nonsensical. Finally, after a decade of waiting, I was feeding my Dragon Age fixation with something new.

It’s funny. I received the code while I was in the airport heading home. I called my wife to download the game, and it wasn’t finished by the time I got there (because of slow internet). I slept for four hours, woke up out of excitement, and proceeded to play for 20 hours straight. Whether I reviewed the game or played it at launch, as I had intended to do, that was just going to happen.

Now, day-to-day work/life doesn’t end when reviewing a game. I play games more than most, but even then, hours are hours when work, family life, etc. have to factor in too. In those two weeks, I played every chance I got for as long as I could. I was not going to produce a review that did not test out every class, chase every choice, and speak as cohesively as I could about the entire experience. I was letting my fixation loose, and no matter what, DATV knew how to get its hooks in me.

Every Playthrough Since Then

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am going to drop the semi-professional facade for just a moment:

The Siege of Weisshaupt? One of the best sequences in the franchise. The Grey Wardens? My god, that was their best depiction since Origins. The Blight changing? YES. PLEASE. VARRIC? I mean, come on! The twist is obvious in hindsight, but it works if you want Varric to be alive. Varric is the OG of the franchise, so hopefully you care about the Dwarf? I was actively looking to see if Veilguard was pulling a Reznov, but I fooled myself. Some scenes strongly suggest Varric is dead, but it’s so easy to latch onto the ones that maybe somewhat indicate he is alive. When I first saw Varric in the Regret Prison, I remember working through all the mental gymnastics I had experienced to that point, and when he confirmed he was dead, I remember thinking, ‘Harding and Bellara? ’ Which is exactly one of the dialogue options, like it got me hook, line, and sinker.

The gameplay? The best in the franchise. I’ve played a handful of times since launch, and I can’t say I’ve repeated a core party structure or Rook build in DATV once. I like Dragon Age: Origins’ combat, I like Inquisition’s, but I mean, DATV’s is the most engaging. No one is ever going to fully be able to reconcile the tactics of the early games with action combat, least I don’t see how, but like, eh? Release a full-blown tactics game similar to Origins and I’m playing it too, but DATV’s combat feels cohesive and tight.

The overall story? It’s in line with the others. It’s pretty straightforward, as every game is a group of misfits beating a big bad. The Hero of Ferelden gathers a bunch of weirdos to defeat the Fifth Blight and the Archdemon. Everyone in Hawke’s found family needs therapy, but they manage to “fix” Kirkwall’s problems. The Inquisitor’s entire inner circle is having an identity crisis, and yet they gather to face Corypheus. Rook’s specialists are all trying to put out fires, pretending it’s fine while knowing it is anything but, and fighting a bad dude (who I prefer to think of as wearing a wig) and his tentacle sister.

The DATV companions? Inoffensive, for the most part, but lovable. I would take more grit, but also, I just love gritty characters. That’s irrelevant to how they played their role. Neve calling my Rook “Trouble” cinched her as my favorite romance. The way Lucanis explores his personal demons and Spite is awesome. “Inner Demons” is one of my favorite missions in the franchise. Davrin is the definitive Grey Warden, the best depiction of the Order in a companion since Origins. Harding? That’s my dwarf. Titans? That’s my lore. Emmrich? I did not expect to like the old necromancer as much as I did, certainly not as much as the internet did, but the ramifications of his story/the Lich lore for future games made me so excited. I wasn’t sure I could reconcile Liches in Dragon Age lore, but I mean, Origins had werewolves. Executors could be vampires, and I would just accept it at this point because the series often treats these things well, if differently.

Taash? Fire-breather lore, OH. MY. GOD. The Devouring Storm. THAT’S AWESOME AS HELL. The struggles of a young adult trying to find their place in the world? I mean, come on. Taash is awesome as hell. Bellara is one of the sweetest people in Thedas who gets put through the emotional ringer? That’s storytelling 101. The cameos? I need you all to know I popped for Dorian, Valta, Isabela, Felassan, Valya, Maeveris, waking up my wife on several occasions.

Choice? Yeah, it probably has less representation of past choices than any game in the franchise. I like Solas, I dig his romance, I respect his character and love his writing, but I certainly ain’t his biggest fan. I understand why some fans were upset that other romances weren’t that present, but it’s not a deal-breaker for me. What choices in Origins are represented well in Dragon Age 2: drunk Alistair? A comment about werewolves? A cutscene with the King/Queen? Nothing carried much narrative weight, and I am a-okay with that. In an ideal world, we would have had another Inquisition that had the time and direction to bring more choices forward, but we don’t live in an ideal world and that’s the thing about development. Every video game begins as an ideal game, but a shippable game is only made through a series of compromises. That’s true of every game released ever.

Compromises have to be made, and that’s not always easy or obvious. It didn’t, and still doesn’t, bother me. I think this is where I understand the critiques most, of course, as I would have liked to see more choice representation. But I was reviewing the game I received, not the game I wished it would be. I’m still delusional enough to hope that, just like Inquisition followed DA2, we still get more.

Illusion of choice, though? I do not hate the illusion of choice in any game, and there are certainly some tricks in DATV. A magician never reveals their secrets because it makes the magic seem less impressive. An illusion is magic. If you are immersed, you are illusioned; those words carry the same meaning. You are invested in the world as it stands, and knowing what comes after, knowing how the game is designed, and knowing the inner workings and narrative weight of any choice isn’t something I care all that much about, in the specific context of any individual playthrough. I play to see all outcomes, to give things weight through my immersion, and in a single playthrough, that knowledge doesn’t matter to me. In my worlds, in my immersion, are my characters simply trying to stop the latest big bad to spell doomsday for Thedas.

At this point, I know I am word-vomiting, but what else can I do? I love the game. I love every aspect of it, and I love its rough edges. Every Dragon Age game has had a video game identity crisis from gameplay to presentation, but that identity crisis is one of its best parts. This is a world told through the lens of an unreliable narrator, and as we’ve moved through it, lore has developed and changed: sometimes in ways that fulfill fan expectations, sometimes in ways very different from what’s expected, and sometimes in ways fans don’t like. I snorted so hard when Solas was just like, “Yeah, of course the Archdemons are tied to the Evanuris.”

I don’t want a game that gives me what I want and like at every turn, no matter how much I cry for a Darkspawn companion in a Dragon Age game; okay, maybe I would be quite happy if that ever happened.

My Judgment Call Stands

At the end of the day, I made a judgment call after two weeks with the game. I weighed all possible choices, all possible outcomes, I weighed the magic and the illusion thereof, and even parts that were not “perfect” did not detract from the experience it gave me. The experience of playing Dragon Age: The Veilguard gave me everything I wanted after years of waiting.

Now, assuming I need to return to someone somewhat professional again, are there legitimate complaints from fans who feel different from me? Yeah, absolutely. A 10/10 is not universal. It is not “perfect,” and everyone has a game they consider a 10/10 that others hate. Or at least I hope you do. I don’t want your love or even distaste shackled to popular opinion. I respect people who were let down by parts, who didn’t get what they wanted out of the experience. I can only speak for myself, and that’s the thing.

A truly great 10/10 game stays with you. It does not end when the credits roll. Beyond the lens of the video game itself, Dragon Age: The Veilguard still impacted my life in so many ways. For every possible negative, I was treated with better, concrete positives. Good games stay with you, and the best of the best bring something more into your life. It has brought more to my life every day since its release.

Dragon Age: The Peace of Launch Day

I remember watching Dragon Age: The Veilguard players share their thoughts on the game at release. Not all was positive, sure enough, but I could see fans enjoying themselves in Thedas and expressing their opinions. I could see fans reacting in real time to Varric, to Rook, to combat, while I was already aware of the content. I took half a day, at the very least, to sit and watch people in the community play the game and share their thoughts. I think that was honestly my favorite party of reviewing the game, not my opinions, but those of the fine folks I followed.

I imagined this is what it’s like for a dev at launch, seeing fans reacting to the world and their work. It’s a position of privilege that, yes, I’ve experienced before, but it’s never been such a position of privilege where I was so heavily invested before. It was so peaceful, I was so happy, and I got to see how others felt about a world I loved. Even those who disagree with me, I loved seeing all the interactions in good faith within my circles.

That peace did not last, as I am sure many reading this understand or know. It’s easy to get lost in that stuff, and honestly, y’all, it’s hard. I almost lost myself in it many times because I’ve never handled big emotions, especially anger, well. I’ll have an outburst and shut that down. But instead of getting lost, the opposite happened. I felt found.

December 2024 – I Got Kidnapped, Kinda?

Near the end of last year, after a good chunk of the bad stuff had developed or been communicated to me, I was doomscrolling one afternoon as people do. I stumbled across a Dragon Age roleplay account, which I thought was pretty cool. I managed to follow quite a few, and really, I was looking for something to bring some Dragon Age positivity into my life. I was expecting little social media posts from the perspective of these characters, and that’s what I got.

What I did not expect was for them to notice me; I typically excel at not being noticeable. In a matter of hours, there were dozens of posts about me—honestly, y’all, this probably did not help my main character syndrome at all—and we were all making these random jokes about Dragon Age. Suddenly, I was a duck breeder from Ferelden who flunked out of Mabari breeding school and somehow the protagonist of Dragon Age 5. I saw a post from Elgar’nan where he quacked; the absurdity of it is something that still makes me smile. NOTE: During proofreading, I stumbled onto this and cracked a wide grind again. (In case you skipped my byline, this makes sense when you know my last name is Duckworth.) But I was making dumb jokes with all of these roleplay accounts, which is not how I expected it to go, and then they brought me into a Discord: Blightme.

Bite me/Blightme? Get it? This community is what I needed, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard brought me into it. I can’t speak for everyone, only myself, but this community is so warm, so inviting, so respectful of differing opinions. It’s the best place on the internet. If any of you happen to be reading this, know that I cannot express enough how much Blightme means to me. This entire community, despite some having their own qualms with the game, has benefited, made new friendships, and found people to nerd out with, thanks to the release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. That connection is powerful and means the world to people like Blightme, at least people like myself.

In Blightme, that anger I had felt before turned to hope. I refuse to accept that the devs who were knocked down stay down. I refuse to accept that people who find hope cannot hold onto it. I refuse to accept, however bad everything may seem now, that this is the end. Maybe its future looks different from what I hoped, but I believe in a world where misfits shine despite the wig-wearing baddies. I refuse to accept that Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s release is the last time this IP will shine, and I’ll even go further: I refuse to accept that it is the last game. I see the signs, I see the writing on the wall, but if I die delusional, it’s better than living angry.

Blightme Was Just the Start

I cannot express how much being brought into this community means to me. They saw the same negativity surrounding Dragon Age that I did, and yet, they chose to be themselves—their whimsy, their happiness, and yes, even their sorrow and outrage over every single ounce of bad stuff. But I’m also lucky enough to be in the media side of this industry, however small a role I actually play, and I see the spirit of Blightme everywhere.

In March 2025, I attended an Atomfall preview where I met up with a colleague from TheGamer, Rhiannon Bevan. She and I disagree about Dragon Age: The Veilguard on a lot of things, but we still had a fruitful, in-person conversation that was filled with an undeniable love for Dragon Age. I can’t recall all of it, but I know we talked about Mark Darrah’s videos (which are basically must-watches), we talked about the development, we talked about the characters. I was ranting and raving, and gosh, I honestly don’t know how people accept me when I’m in that mood. This article probably gives you a good idea of how I will talk about Dragon Age in person. It is a great memory, and I know whenever I see her again, I can fully expect another fun Dragon Age conversation.

In May 2025, I attended a preview of The Alters (and other 11-bit titles). There, I was able to show off my Dragon Age tattoos and talk with someone who was involved in the game. Not in a professional manner, mind you I like to turn that off a lot more than you may think, and it was just meeting someone involved in your favorite franchise. It should be fun, and it was. I also spoke with a second person there who was a huge fan, who loves Dragon Age, and who was a certified Solavellan. Gosh, again, I am not Solas’ biggest fan, but I love seeing the impact the game had on her. However brief these encounters were, they remain one of my most cherished memories of the year.

In July 2025, I attended Tennocon. Again, I was there for work, but I also bumped into Violet Hughes, who had served as community manager for Dragon Age: The Veilguard. We had time to talk, as fans, about Dragon Age, about Veilguard, about Morrigan, about each of the games, and so much more. Tennocon, for Warframe, is a great reminder that fandom is real, but this conversation was also just that: a reminder that Dragon Age fandom is real.

This may not seem like much to some of you reading this, but I promise you: life is much better when you take time to enjoy the small things. A simple conversation is more than enough for me. A whole community and more benefited from the release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and that’s undeniable.

In each conversation, I can’t say we fully agreed on everything, but isn’t that the point? Perfection would leave no room for disagreement, and the lack of disagreement would mean there’s no room for growth. I wouldn’t trade these memories for anything. Talking about a game should be fun, and if it’s not fun, why bother? Tipping my hat to Reggie Fils-Aimé, of course.

My Yearly Dragon Age: The Veilguard Marathon

Speaking of fun, I did my annual Dragon Age marathon earlier this year. It was the first time I got to do so for all four, and in retrospect, Veilguard makes the entire franchise so much more fun.

The Devouring Storm motif, at least as a storm, has been tied to the Qunari since Origins. The Dalish camp is so much more fun to explore now that we’ve met some gods. The Grey Wardens and the vision of Weisshaupt in Origins? Totally new lens. Flemeth/Morrigan? Oh my gosh. I do wish we had more OGB content; I don’t feel that story is over. There’s just so much, and I look forward to what I discover in my next marathon.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard Stayed and Brought More into My Life

Everything in Dragon Age: The Veilguard was everything I needed it to be, and my next marathon is already calling my name. Dragon Age: The Veilguard, in and of itself, is a solid 10/10 experience for me. Maybe not for everyone, but a game made for everyone is a game made for no one. I hope everyone gets to experience something close to this in life, with video games, another hobby, or just whatever. I had genuine peace around launch until I didn’t, and while that was less than ideal, Dragon Age: The Veilguard stayed and brought me some of my best memories so far in 2025.

That’s that. It stayed, and I am grateful. Sometime after launch, there was a #hashtag trend going around where folks were thanking the Dragon Age devs. I didn’t know what to say then, and I don’t know what to say now. I simply can’t conjure up the words to show the appreciation I feel and the deep impact every moment, even simple conversations about the game, had on me. No matter what I write, nothing can fully encapsulate what Dragon Age: The Veilguard brought into my life. Thank you isn’t enough, and neither is 10/10.

Released

October 31, 2024

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ // Blood, Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence

Publisher(s)

Electronic Arts