Recent reviews by kylelemons

Earning a strong 4.25 out of 5 on my completely made-up personal rating scale, I found Dragon Age: Veilguard to be a truly worthy addition to the Dragon Age series. I'll admit I am relieved, as this gives me some confidence in BioWare's ability to continue delivering compelling Dragon Age and Mass Effect games.

I feel like I have to address the question of representation, since it seems either explicitly or implicitly to be counted as a negative in many reviews. The representation felt noteworthy to me, in a positive way. During character creation, I was pleased with the independent choices for gender, identity, presentation, and voice, alongside unique customizations like vitiligo and top-surgery scars. There's an option for a transgender identity that thoughtfully adds depth through unique dialogue opportunities. Overall, this is an aspect I absolutely enjoyed and felt enhanced the narrative.

The overall story was excellent, with good pacing with well-integrated side content and companion storylines, making my 75 hours fly by without ever feeling like I was ever sent on an errand. I think it's often hard to strike a balance with side content so that it doesn't feel like you're neglecting the main quest when you engage with it (looking at you BG3), but I always felt like I was participating in the main story even in side content. Major set-piece battles felt consequential and atmospheric (and yes, plenty of dragons!).

The core combat was a significant highlight for me, punchy and rewarding, even on default difficulty. I was rarely in danger of actually dying, but it still felt visceral and like I was using my toolkit to survive and progress. I think there's a lot of depth here for folks who want more of a challenge on higher difficulties, too. The progression system for talents and gear feels good, ensuring a constant sense of advancement.

Exploration is consistently rewarding, with maps full of puzzles and secrets. Your companions are unique and interesting, with a staggering amount of well-integrated banter and impactful personal arcs that make the world feel alive. Also, you can pet the cats! (with a little surprise for those who play on controller)

There is still room for improvement though. The facial animation when characters smile and talk simultaneously wasn't my favorite, so I picked the happy-go-lucky options less as aresult. A lot of the puzzles are either easy or tedious (and could be even more so on replay). There is missable loot in non-returnable quest areas, as well, which can prevent you from getting the Legendary tier of your favorite item. Overall though, these are minor points in an otherwise great experience.

If you've enjoyed previous Dragon Age or BioWare titles or you're looking for an excellent RPG (and the 50-75 hour time investment isn't too daunting), I highly recommend picking up Veilguard!

Absolutely gorgeous game, and engaging from start to finish. The achievements are very reasonable, and you will get most of them simply by playing the story. You have to be willing to do some exploring without a clear direction at various points, but the game manages to reward exploration with progress even without holding your hand. Definitely recommended.

A great "physical puzzler." Sort-of Kerbal Space Program meets Portal. Definitely recommended.