Elder Scrolls 6 and Avowed Succeed Where Dragon Age: Veilguard Fell Short

After nearly a decade in development, BioWare’s Dragon Age: The Veilguard finally hit the shelves last year. As a new chapter in the Dragon Age series, it was one of the most talked-about and contentious game releases of 2024. Following the lukewarm responses garnered by games like Anthem and Mass Effect: Andromeda, fans were eagerly hoping BioWare would regain its status as the premier RPG creator with this latest offering. Yet, despite earning decent reviews from critics, far superior to those of the studio’s most recent titles, Dragon Age: The Veilguard didn’t quite capture the players’ hearts as expected.

Looking at its reception on Steam, the game holds a 69% Mixed user score, falling short compared to earlier Dragon Age entries. To make it even more concerning, EA announced that sales figures hit around 1.5 million copies, only half of what they had anticipated. Players found plenty to critique, ranging from limited player agency to script quality, with the most significant setback being its inaccessibility to newcomers — unlike competitors like Avowed or The Elder Scrolls 6, which managed to avoid these pitfalls.

All sharing the stage as new arrivals in long-quiet franchises are Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Avowed, and The Elder Scrolls 6. Dragon Age: The Veilguard resurrects the series nearly ten years after Dragon Age: Inquisition left off. Concurrently, Avowed entered the scene on Xbox Series X/S and Windows PC about seven years following Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire’s debut. While The Elder Scrolls 6 remains shrouded in mystery, it will follow The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim by over 14 years.

Introducing new episodes into dormant series is thrilling, but they often struggle with accessibility for fresh players, especially in story-rich games. Avowed and the highly anticipated The Elder Scrolls 6, however, have strategies to combat this challenge. Though Avowed exists in the Pillars of Eternity universe, it operates independently of the prior storylines. This spin-off approach allows players to delve into the narrative without prior experience. Plus, Avowed contains an in-game glossary to swiftly bring players up to speed during conversations.

While little is known about The Elder Scrolls 6, if history is any predictor, it will likely embrace novices much like Avowed. Considering the standalone nature of its predecessors, The Elder Scrolls 6 will probably host a fresh, independent story rather than proceed directly from Skyrim, thus maintaining the series’ tradition of playability in any order.

On the other hand, Dragon Age: The Veilguard inherently ties to its predecessors, especially in narrative matters. As a direct continuation from Dragon Age: Inquisition, set a decade afterward, it is technically standalone; however, having prior knowledge certainly enriches the experience. Without an in-game glossary like Avowed or a completely self-contained story as seen in the Elder Scrolls, new players found themselves somewhat alienated by the narrative depth of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. This lack of accessibility likely contributed to its less-than-stellar success.

In this epic world of Thedas, brimming with stark wilderness, perilous mazes, and magnificent cities wrapped in secrecy and magical conflict, players rise as Rook, the latest champion. Charged with battling two ancient gods bent on global destruction, players are urged to forge their path and assemble a team of seven companions, each with their unique backstory, ultimately embodying The Veilguard to avert disaster. Released by Electronic Arts on October 31, 2024, Dragon Age: The Veilguard invites mature audiences to navigate its complex storytelling, rich settings, and intense gameplay.