Dragon Age: The Veilguard “Truly Knows What it Wants to Be” Praises BG3 Exec

Author: Sadie Mar 04,2025

Dragon Age: The Veilguard “Truly Knows What it Wants to Be” Praises BG3 ExecLarian Studios' Publishing Director, Michael Douse, recently lauded Dragon Age: The Veilguard, offering high praise for BioWare's latest action RPG. This article delves into his assessment and highlights key aspects of the game.

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Michael Douse (@Cromwelp on X), the publishing director at Larian Studios (creators of Baldur's Gate 3), expressed enthusiastic approval for Dragon Age: The Veilguard. He revealed playing it "in utmost secrecy," even jokingly admitting to playing behind his backpack at work.

Douse highlighted The Veilguard's focused design, stating it "truly knows what it wants to be," a refreshing change from previous entries that sometimes struggled to balance narrative and gameplay. He likened the game's experience to a "well-crafted, character-driven, binge-worthy Netflix series" instead of "a lengthy, drawn-out television show."

The combat system also received significant praise, described as a "brilliant blend of Xenoblade Chronicles and Hogwarts Legacy," a combination he termed "giga-brain genius." This departure from the slower, tactical combat of earlier Dragon Age games aligns The Veilguard more closely with the fast-paced action of BioWare's Mass Effect series.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard “Truly Knows What it Wants to Be” Praises BG3 ExecDouse commended The Veilguard's pacing, noting its "strong sense of momentum" and its ability to balance "epic narrative moments with opportunities for players to experiment with their class abilities." This represents a departure from the more traditional RPG structure of its predecessors. He even extended his praise to BioWare's continued industry presence, calling it vital amidst "corporate greed."

The most striking point was Douse's assertion that The Veilguard is "the first Dragon Age game that truly knows what it wants to be." While potentially a subtle critique of past titles, Douse clarified, "I'll always love Dragon Age: Origins, and this isn't that." While not replicating the nostalgia of Origins, The Veilguard's distinct vision resonated strongly with Douse. In his words, "It's simply fun!"

Dragon Age: The Veilguard's Rook Character Offers "True Player Agency"

Dragon Age: The Veilguard “Truly Knows What it Wants to Be” Praises BG3 ExecDragon Age: The Veilguard aims for deep character immersion through the Rook, a customizable protagonist with extensive personalization options. According to Xbox Wire, players will have considerable creative freedom in shaping their Rook's background, skills, and moral alignment. The Rook's mission: assemble a party to confront two ancient Elven gods threatening Thedas.

Character creation emphasizes impactful choices, ensuring player decisions regarding backstory and combat specialization resonate throughout the game. Players can select from Mage, Rogue, and Warrior classes, each with unique specializations (e.g., Spellblade for mages). Personalization extends to the Rook's home, the Lighthouse, allowing players to decorate rooms to reflect their character's journey.

"As you play, Rook reflects on their past," a developer told Xbox Wire. "This allowed me to truly define my Rook—even seemingly minor details like face tattoos mattered. The result is a character that feels genuinely mine."

Dragon Age: The Veilguard “Truly Knows What it Wants to Be” Praises BG3 ExecThis detailed character focus likely contributed to Douse's positive assessment, especially the emphasis on meaningful player choices. With The Veilguard's release on October 31st, BioWare hopes players share Douse's enthusiasm.

Our review of Dragon Age: The Veilguard highlighted its embrace of "faster action RPG gameplay," describing it as "more fluid and engaging than previous titles." For a detailed review and our 90-point score, please see our full article.