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Well, That Wasn’t Shocking, But It Still Stings

After last night’s Game Awards ceremony, where The Veilguard snagged just one nomination for Innovation in Accessibility, it’s painfully clear: Bioware didn’t just miss the mark – they missed the entire shooting range. For a franchise that once defined the RPG genre, this was less a comeback and more a Flemeth-level disappearance. I, at least, was hoping for a Best Performance nomination for Gareth David-Lloyd, who once again delivered a masterclass in voice acting as Solas. His portrayal captured every layer of the Dread Wolf – the charm, the melancholy, and the quiet menace – with a perfection that deserved more recognition.

Don’t get me wrong – the Innovation in Accessibility nomination was well-deserved. Making games more inclusive and ensuring more people can experience Thedas is a victory worth celebrating. But considering despite The Veilguard’s stellar music, voice acting, and potential for a complex narrative, it’s frustrating that this was its only recognition. Thedas has always been a world of depth and nuance, and this game deserved more than a single nod.

That said, the effort behind The Veilguard is undeniable. The graphics are stunning – if your rig can handle them without melting. The environments, character designs, and intricate details show that the team poured their hearts into this world. There are flashes of brilliance that remind us of Bioware’s undeniable talent for world-building.

A Divided Reception

Here’s the thing: while some hardcore critics were unsatisfied, many long-time fans genuinely enjoyed the game. It may not have been everything we hoped for, but it wasn’t the disaster some made it out to be. The disconnect is real, though. As a Soulsborne fan, even I was surprised to see Shadow of the Erdtree get nominated for Game of the Year – it’s a DLC, not a full game. Meanwhile, Star Wars Outlaws received multiple nominations despite being critically panned. So why was The Veilguard left in the Fade while other titles skated by?

The criticism came hard and fast, and some of it was impossible to ignore. The game promised a new, epic chapter in the Dragon Age saga but stumbled over its own lore. Long-time fans were baffled by inconsistencies and retcons, as if Bioware looked at the Codex and said, “Continuity? Never heard of her.”

And, of course, there were the usual cries of “It’s too woke!” from a small but vocal corner of the internet. Because heaven forbid a fantasy game reflect a diverse world. Bioware gave us options, but somehow the mere existence of non-binary Qunari had people acting like they were being forced into a Pride parade. 

This release left many wondering if The Veilguard would have fared better as a standalone fantasy game rather than a Dragon Age entry. The storytelling, once a masterclass in faction conflict and moral ambiguity, felt… thin. Instead of brooding dilemmas and knife’s-edge decisions, we got conflicts that wrapped up faster than a fetch quest in The Hinterlands. The world used to feel like it was on the brink of collapse; now it just feels like everyone’s in group therapy.

Hope for the Future

Do I think Bioware can bounce back? I believe they can. They’ve pulled off redemption arcs before (Mass Effect 3, anyone?). If they can dust off the lore books, listen to the feedback, and remember what made Origins and Inquisition great, there’s still hope. Bioware fans are nothing if not patiently stubborn. 

Maybe The Veilguard was just a misstep on the way to something greater. Maybe the next DLC or update will patch the gaps, retcon the retcons, and remind us why we fell in love with Thedas. I’m not ready to give up on this world just yet.

And if all else fails? At least we’ll always have the haunting echoes of Solas’s voice and the bittersweet memories of a Dragon Age that used to be.

Cover image via EA Games

Naliaah Castro is a NY-born blerd, gamer, and grad student juggling parenthood, work, and co-paneling on New Blerd Order. With a love for horror, RPGs, sci-fi, and fantasy, she’s probably either deep into a video game or rewatching Lord of the Rings for the hundredth time.

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The post Between Lore and Outrage: The Divided Fate of ‘The Veilguard’ appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.