The companions fromDragon Age: The Veilguardare missing something that is a strength of theBaldur’s Gate 3companions. For specifically an RPG,this effect on the game can appear strangewhen considering the marvels presented inBaldur’s Gate 3for both the player character and companions. Every companion quest inVeilguardfeels flawed in one aspect where one change could make the interaction and overall questlines seem more authentic.
[Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Dragon Age: The Veilguard.]
By learning the companion’s stories and seeing them develop throughout the game, players would expect a sense of realism that makes sense both for the story and in a mechanical way. This one thing stands out near the end of nearlyevery companion quest inDragon Age: The Veilguard, which may take players out of the immersion. From what it seems,BioWare has prioritized the player having control rather than a more authentic feeling connection with their companions.
Rook Shouldn’t Simply Decide Every Companion’s Fate
The Veilguard’s Companions Blindly Listen To The Player
On the r/dragonage Subreddit, userTrashyHamsteracknowledged the fact that inDragon Age: The Veilguard,thecompanion quests are heavily influenced by the player’s choices. While they recognize how commonly RPGs allow players authority over the story, they mention how they find “the lack of a third option telling them to figure it out themselves jarring in a recently released game.” The original poster also acknowledged that it feels strange there is no hidden system tracking Rook’s influence regarding quests, like an approval rating system that would gauge if companions would listen to the player or not.
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The original poster used Emmrich’s quest as an example ofhow an approval system could workin influencing his decisions, where “this could have taken the form of the counter to remain mortal receiving a +1 every time you address or otherwise acknowledge Manfred in a positive way…if there are less points than a specific threshold, he’ll decide to become a lich on his own accord.” This system would be similar to a game that RPG players have become familiar with in recent years, which has become a giant in setting expectations in the genre.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Has A More Interesting Approach
The BG3 Companions Are More Complex Than Dragon Age Companions
The approach to the player character influencing thecompanions inBaldur’s Gate 3is far more in-depth and realistic compared toThe Veilguard. It does a better job of how therelationship between the player and the companion will impact whether they take advice or not, coming from the companion approval mechanic. InBG3, players cannot simply tell their companions how to live their lives or change their views on events. This is natural and makes the companions feel like real people with complex personal stories.
The game also allows the player tostand back and let the companion characters choose their own fate. With this, they become more authentic characters with convincing personalities. Whether the player interferes or not, their decisions can go in many directions. AlthoughBaldur’s Gate 3has set a high standard for RPGs with how abundant and rich a world and its characters can be, it is fair to acknowledge the potential of RPG characters and how genuine they can be presented.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard Is Simply Too Obvious
RPG Characters Should Have More Depth Outside Player Influence
Veilguardcould have greatly benefited from having amechanic similar toBaldur’s Gate 3’sapproval rating. As it currently is, effortlessly convincing the companions of what the player wants for them may break the immersion. Especially with the big choice for the player being at the end of the questline, there is the option to completely undo any development the character may have gone through. Without the build-up of gaining the companion’s trust, so they listen to the player’s opinions like a real person would, the final blind choice at the end is simply odd.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard Is Missing One Crucial Feature That Ruins Companion Romance
Dragon Age: The Veilguard offers a variety of romance paths, and class specialization combinations, but lack something to make the choices worthwhile.
Looking at the marketing of the game, as well as many other RPGs that follow a similar format,the pressure that the player’s choices matteris a considerable element of the genre. Removing the aspect of consequences and small choices leading up to bigger events, which is often an expected element, can be jarring. Players being at the center of the game is still an important thing studios significantly consider, as they want players to feel in full control of the story as much as possible. However, this ignores how characters interact authentically in well-written stories.
Dragon Age: The Veilguardwould benefit from learning from the companions ofBaldur’s Gate 3, where the game considers whether the companion would listen to the player, depending on their approval. The lack of this in the latestDragon Agegame breaks some of the immersion and makes the characters feel a little less like real people. With higher expectations from an RPG, a genre now known for making the small choices matter and consequences slowly influencing the story, the lack of it seems jarring compared to the biggest RPG in recent years.
