Veilguard is that friend who is too awake.

If you're online regularly like me, You know this meme. And as I played Dragon Age: The Veilguard, I couldn't stop thinking about it. It comes from a parody video in which a woman refuses to laugh at a Four Seasons Orlando Baby because of bad things happening in the world. This phrase is mostly used as an anti-intellectual move against posts on social media that are remotely critical of sociology of any kind. It's often used to assume that people do poop parties to care about things most of the time.

I like the way people proclaim themselves. 'Friends who wake up too late' are more likely to use this method. Because I'm the friend who woke up too late. I think it's intellectually lazy to complain about people with critical thinking that 'Too vigilant' because they say your words or actions may be offensive I'm a friend who rolls her eyes when people talk about using ChatGPT to write emails. Friends boycotting the brand in solidarity A friend who corrects people when they mislead someone. People derisively call me always awake. And I don't think it's shameful.

However, Veilguard woke up in a bad way. Because it was so afraid of being attacked that it erased everything interesting about Dragon Age.

If you click on this idea I'll complain about pronouns, joke with you, and thank you for your perspective.

What does it mean to be too awake?

There's something to be said about people who act out of fear of being shunned and take themselves so seriously that they remove nuance from their interactions. This is a very personal and private matter. But I feel most accepted for who I am when friends can joke about my intersecting identities.

It's funny when I send a picture of a girl with the caption “She's so beautiful” to a group chat. And I get a lot of “gay” responses. It was funny when my partner called me “Nobby,” which is short for non-binary. It's funny when I talk about being bisexual or straight and friends tell me to “pick a side.” That's the spirit of good comedy. The lively antics were an acknowledgment that they saw me for who I was. And they will bully me with love anyway.

It is this difference that separates being socially conscious from being completely self-centered. And that self-seriousness seeps through The Veilguard and renders it completely tasteless.

Only good people wear a veil.

As many (including our own James Troughton) have complained, all the Veilguard members get along. too Even if they really shouldn't. Everyone is kind to each other. and various conflicts It will be resolved quickly (if there is). Everyone sacrifices themselves and is honorable. and no one has conflicting beliefs.

Lucanis the Sorcerer Slayer and Neve the Sorcerer get along well, and although they have many reasons to be wary of each other, Lucanis is also possessed by a demon. which in the past can lead to catastrophic consequences. But no one seems to care.

Your Rook was just as obnoxious, never saying anything that might offend anyone. The dialogue you choose is basically the same. Jokey's answers are never sarcastic or mean. Aggressive responses are never hostile. Just be resolute You can't choose your battles with your friends. You really can't lose their approval. Because of the way the game is designed.

All sides were polished of their flaws.

In the game there is no interpersonal conflict at all because the characters completely lack any negative qualities. Which makes the character totally worthy of a yawn. But this attitude extends to Dragon Age's rich lore.

The Antivan Crows, for example, have long been known as a morally gray side. They're ruthless and only interested in coins. In Origins, Comrade Zevran (my favorite character) can be recruited after he fails to assassinate you. He reveals that the guild was founded mainly on child slaves who were bought and tortured and abused until they became cold-blooded killers.

In The Veilguard , these actions are not acknowledged or discussed. Instead, they were freedom fighters who resisted Antaam and protected their city. and make contracts only with people they consider evil. This moral shift is never explained, and Lucanis never mentions the abuse he will face growing up. One of the most interesting characteristics of crows was completely removed from the game in order to make them less obnoxious and morally virtuous.

Then there is the Lord of Fortune. which is a group with many pirate codes They are treasure hunters based on the coast. You know, they're pirates. We know them do Steal things, because Dragon Age: Tevinter Knights tells us so in Herold Had the Plan, where the three nobles attempt a robbery.

But when Rook jokingly tells Taash not to steal anything from the lighthouse, Taash tells them that the Lord of Fortune doesn't really steal things. They only accept things that don't belong to anyone. They go out of their way to return cultural items to their original home, much like Lara Croft in reverse, any moral ambiguity completely erased. As this might add complexity to Taash's character.

No racism, no problem.

Then there's the issue of attitudes towards elves, which seems to be completely overlooked. Dalish characters in the game are traditionally wary of outsiders. Seemingly oblivious to their new role in preventing the end of the world at the hands of their own god– And no one seems to hate elves anymore. Where before I'd been called “knife-eared” by random people, almost no one accepted my Rook race.

Origins has a very poignant section about the elven conditions in the segregation of Denerim, the ghetto where elves are separated. And this discrimination is a key factor in building the world of the series. It made me really sad the first time I played it. And it has a more revolutionary message than anything else Veilguard has tackled. That racism is interesting– Why was it removed?

Even worse is the fact that the Inquisition ends with elves from all backgrounds joining Solas on his quest. This racial tension would be the perfect seed for a game that explores the complexities of nationalist/ethnic movements. and the principles of self-determination This could make for an incredibly interesting game if done well.

But in The Veilguard it was recreated. Solas acted alone. And every elf you meet agrees with you: Evanuris is bad, Rook is good, there is no racial tension. no conflict Every character feels and wants the same thing. There are no metaphors here. no complexity And there is no slight difference. There are good sides and bad sides. And you will always be on the good side because all of your friends are naturally good people.

Woke up in all the perverted ways.

Dragon Age: Veil is Too woke, but not because it makes you trans or gay. By scrubbing all moral ambiguity from the characters. So that everyone you meet has no arguments and is nice. It sucks all the dimension out of the character. Turn them all into yes-people who always think you're right.

There's not much about the game that could be construed as repugnance that Dragon Age's incredibly interesting setting feels like generic fantasy, except for the fact that many of the fantasy settings contain racism. So it's worse: Veilguard lacks what makes Dragon Age good, and is a waste.