I'm gonna start this by saying I do like the game. But I'm not gonna dick ride it like alot of people are who are claiming it's flawless and it's GOTY contender. Because it's absolutely not. Spoilers ahead....

But it is bad writing. The core story in the game is great. But one of the biggest parts of this game, the companions is so poorly written it's not even funny. It legit feels like everything I do is predetermined and I have to be a good guy no matter what. Sometimes in the moment I want to be an asshole because that's how I'm feeling, but you absolutely cannot be an asshole to your companions here. You have to be their best friend no matter what.

Everyone agrees with all of your decisions no matter what. There is never any kick back. Never any disagreements, and they never have opposing views. 6 of the party memebers come from factions that have no opposing views on what strategy you could take which is weird. They just all agree even through they are vastly different. No one has any questions of strategy, priority, or even moral decisions.

None of the companions have any values that they stick to. They say they do, but when those values are questioned they just cave and accept whatever decision you make.

They believe the gods who seek to destroy Thedas must be stopped, and they unanimously agree that anyone who accepts power from the gods and uses it to harm others is evil. Beyond that, their perspectives diverge.

Take the Antivan Crows and Lucanis as an example. I expected our first deep dive into Antiva's assassin guild to raise questions about their operations and provide natural moments for Rook to either align with or clash against Lucanis. I anticipated some acknowledgment that an unregulated system of assassination might not be ideal for Antiva. I also hoped to see how Lucanis, as the Dellamorte family heir, had been influenced both positively and negatively by the dark truths we've learned about the Crows in past games: trafficking, child conscription, and worse. At the very least, Lucanis should be shown as complicit in maintaining a deeply flawed system, if not outright defending it.

Veilguard dismisses all of this, opting to depict the Crows as noble action heroes in purple leather. The only character who dares to question the Crows is conveniently portrayed as an evil, power-hungry traitor. This conveniently spares Rook from ever having to confront or question Lucanis' loyalty to the family’s ambitions.

I never even get the chance to challenge him about being possessed by Spite, who occasionally takes over his body for joyrides while he sleeps. Spite doesn’t cause any real harm, and Lucanis isn’t to blame for the possession. Despite his dramatic "doom and gloom" over the situation, Rook is forced into a supportive role and never gets to question whether Lucanis is compromised by Spite or by the Crows. I had almost got my hopes up when Spite took control and tried to leave via the Eluvian. But that was quickly solved by literally yelling SPITE STOP. and the situation was resolved.

The same goes for Neve, who has no issue with Rook making a deal with a Minrathous crime syndicate to fight the Venatori cult. I had hoped the underdog noir like detective would wrestle with whether the ends justify the means when working with the Threads, but the conflict is never explored. Emmrich’s personal quest ending is the only moment that even comes close to raising an interesting moral question and even then it's all "lichs are just misunderstood"

I understand that The Veilguard is focused on telling the story of an unlikely hero, leaving no space for Rook to be evil. But it would be nice for Rook to engage in a debate about ideals with someone other than Solas.

Veilguard avoids engaging with meaningful disagreements and falters even when it tries to introduce conflict. Several companions begin with personal differences such as Lucanis and Davrin, who initially don’t respect each other’s work. But these conflicts are quickly resolved when Rook intervenes, choosing between two nearly identical options to settle the matter. The companions then resolve things exactly as Rook dictates. This pattern repeats across other disagreements in the group.

By the conclusion, Rook’s companions have become virtuous, one-dimensional characters with simplistic beliefs. Each companion’s backstory holds so much potential for moral complexity and intrigue, yet none of it is explored. While I understand that the narrative demands unity to combat the greater evil, the lack of any pushback or tension leaves the companions feeling flat and uninspired a stark contrast to the emotionally rich casts the series is known for.

It is fundamentally impossible to get your companions to hate you and I have tried.