bioware

Return to Thedas: Let’s Talk Dragon Age: The Veilguard

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Let’s get this out of the way early: No, I am not a traditional video game reviewer. Yes, it’s obviously harder for me to be completely unbiased about a game that I consulted on for years as a member of the Dragon Age Community Council. However, BioWare has never put any obligations on me nor even made any requests to say anything positive about the game that I don’t believe. Everything I have ever said and will ever say about Dragon Age: The Veilguard is my honest opinion and has been said because I wish to say it.

So. How about we put the big thing up front: Did I love it? Yes. Is it perfect? No, but what game is?

Dragon Age: The Veilguard opens how many Dragon Age fans might expect: hunting the Dread Wolf. Varric and his team (including your player character, Rook) have finally caught up with Solas as he’s attempting to perform a ritual to bring down the Veil. It all goes terribly wrong and instead, two of the elven gods are released from their prison and suddenly, Rook has a much bigger enemy (literally) and a far worse problem on their hands along with an unexpected, trickster ally. To handle this? We’re gonna need a bigger team. Time to assemble the Veilguard. Continue reading →

Damnit Anders: The Dragon Age II Feelings Essay

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Anders broke my fucking heart. And he told me right from the start that he would. I just didn’t listen.

Listen, you must know the drill by now: Bria plays a BioWare game and has a lot of feelings about it and then writes about them. Except this time, this isn’t my third play-through of Mass Effect. It’s my very first play-through of all the Dragon Age games and I am somehow mostly spoiler free. However, this is BioWare so I knew to expect two things: romance and devastation. This game absolutely delivered on both fronts. Continue reading →

Mass Effect, Murder, and Morality

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Mass Effect made me feel like a monster and it’s all my fault.

Wait. Let’s back up a minute and let me explain.

I have a long history of playing Bioware games. Honestly, I’ve mostly played Bioware games exclusively with occasional diversions elsewhere. Knights of the Old Republic was my jam in middle/high school and I adored the (non-Bioware but it felt like Bioware) sequel game just as much. There was something about being a part of Star Wars and getting to make choices that would affect not only me but the entire galaxy that was thrilling. Even though female Revan and female Exile will always be my preference, I made it a point to play through each game with all four potential paths at least once: light side female, dark side female, light side male, dark side male. It appealed to not only my completionist side but also let me experience the story in new ways.

And then Mass Effect happened. Continue reading →