Dragon Age: The Veilguard

BioWare’s return to Thedas remains one of the most divisive blockbusters of 2024, which is all the more reason to play it to find out where you fall. For me, Dragon Age: The Veilguard feels like a fresh start for a studio that has been in desperate need of a recentering for over a decade. I have my grievances about how it handles carryover from the previous games, but BioWare managed to pull off something that ties decade-old threads together in satisfactory, even mind-blowing ways.

The Veilguard feels more focused, shedding open-world vagueness for a more concise level design, and committing to being an action-RPG after years of trying to appease both the tactical purists and those looking for an action-oriented fantasy RPG. This is BioWare getting its priorities straight, and while the team has its hands full with the next Mass Effect for now, I hope that this can act as a springboard for a more intentional Dragon Age 5, not bound by the mistakes of the past. — Kenneth Shepard