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When it comes to the question of “Baldur’s Gate 3 or Dragon Age: The Veilguard?” my answer is to take my cake and eat it too, thank you very much.
BioWare has confirmed Dragon Age: The Veilguard for a Fall 2024 release, and I’m certainly far from alone with my excitement. There’s a buzz around the game now that inspires a sense of nostalgia – I’ve been here before with Dragon Age games, the pre-release period leading up to the game building day by day, whether new information regarding the game has been announced or not, and it’s heartwarming to see Dragon Age fans excited about the upcoming release. There is a particular topic that has become one of unfortunate reoccurrence since The Veilguard‘s reveal trailer was shared, one that I’d love to see disappear entirely – the attempt to pit Dragon Age: The Veilguard and Baldur’s Gate 3 against one another.
There seems to be two sides to these arguments that arise that create animosity – those who believe Baldur’s Gate 3 took the place of Dragon Age 4 (The Veilguard) and therefore the new Dragon Age is unnecessary, or those who believe that The Veilguard will bury Baldur’s Gate 3 and make last year’s critical darling a thing of the past. There are many out there remaining out of the conversation or rightfully calling out this unnecessary competition – just because these two games have similar elements does not mean the existence of one or the other negates it or lessens its value. An individual’s preference for either game or franchise as a whole doesn’t need to be taken to the degree that anyone should feel the need to tear down the other game.
Comments that build one of the games up at the expense of tearing the other game down are simply not compliments – there’s no winner in a scenario where human creativity isn’t being celebrated purely for the sake of human creativity persevering, particularly in the current state of the gaming industry where there’s far too much anxiety and far too little recognition going to the right people.
In video games – or any form of media, really – it’s not about who is doing a certain aspect “right or wrong,” and I believe this attitude is against everything creativity is. Because Baldur’s Gate 3 and The Veilguard have a different party structure (just to use one point of comparison as an example) does not make either one correct or incorrect, they are simply different, and in media different is a good thing. If every game replicated gameplay mechanics, story progression, and companion behavior it would ultimately suck the life out of gaming, and it should really go without saying that it would also be boring if the release of the game of your preference meant no other games similar would release ever again because “it’s already been done.” These two games existing at the same doesn’t need to be approached with a “this or that” mindset – they can (and will) coexist, and ultimately you’re only limiting yourself as a gamer and providing feedback that isn’t constructive to an audience that largely isn’t asking for it.
Comparisons are natural and healthy when they come from a mind with good intentions – if you’re throwing around comparisons between these two games (or any games) purely for the sake of tearing the other down, this is not healthy or helpful. Larian Studios released a great game with Baldur’s Gate 3, and it looks like BioWare has a great upcoming release on their hands with Dragon Age: The Veilguard. When it comes to these games, I have a very “Michael Scott holding Jim and Pam’s hands simultaneously and telling them how much he loves them” mindset – when The Veilguard releases, I’ll be ready to love it just as hard as I continue to love Baldur’s Gate 3.