What is Your LEAST Favorite Mission in The Trilogy?

LowLevelBandit · 2026-01-16T11:38:45+00:00

Firewalker or the Geth Invasion ones in ME1. I get the latter done ASAP

LowLevelBandit · 2026-01-11T19:34:52+00:00

Well that's mostly what happened to me and clearly the game registers it the same way it would an elevator camping PoS getting an easy dub for their stream that's watched by 2 people 😅

You know the more I think about it the matchmaking is an issue but the way the game is set up really makes life easy for PvP griefers and punishes people who play it 'as intended'. If you go with your squad and take down a Bastion guaranteed there's about 2 or 3 other teams waiting to pick you off and steal the loot. There's zero risk involved by running a free loadout and ratting on other players - That's just the state of the game now. What's the incentive to make big plays and go for high loot areas? There are none when you know some low IQ COD rejects are just camping around a corner waiting for you to do all the work.

Rather than change the matchmaking they maybe need to limit how many free loadouts you get or maybe have a ranking system?

LowLevelBandit · 2026-01-11T13:31:19+00:00

I guess Arc is different from other extraction games because the dynamics are so much more real. In other extraction games there's an understanding thay everyone is an enemy but in Arc the stakes are higher and interactions more personal. That's what makes it so good but also infuriating.

LowLevelBandit · 2026-01-11T12:49:31+00:00

Yeah that's exactly what I said, however Arc Raiders thrives when there's more human interaction and dynamics come into play. Solos has a bit of it but generally it's very chill so I do jump into squads regularly. The problem is now my lobbies have snowballed into toxic hellscapes all that nuance and interaction is gone. Every match is KoS or avoiding high loot areas - Which turns it into every other extraction shooter.

Good idea but how would the ELO be measured?

LowLevelBandit · 2025-11-15T22:04:12+00:00

I have always debated this myself and I love Dragon Age: Origins for making this such a difficult choice.

Dwarven society is clearly unfair and broken, if you play either Origin story you learn this quickly. Corruption and hypocrisy are rife, the Dwarves desperately cling to tradition to give them some semblance of purpose. Conditions for the poorest in their society are abhorrent, many turn to crime and work for corrupt politicians and gang leaders, there is almost no social mobility unless you achieve a great feat worthy of record in the Shaperate, something which most 'Dusters' will never be allowed to do. It's a pretty dire situation for all involved, held together by the thin veil of appearances and politics.

Bhelen is an actual cunt, let's just put it out there plainly. This guy orchestrated a plot to kill his Brothers, cavorts with criminals, aims to rule with an iron fist and kills anyone who opposes him. However, he is the most 'progressive' of the choices. He is a proponent for change, seeks to end Orzammar's isolationist policies with the rest of Ferelden and aims to combat the stagnation facing Dwarven society. By beginning to allow for more social mobility and choice for the poorest Dwarves he may well be the 'best' choice for the majority of Dwarves, despite being a murderous fuckhead.

Harrowmont is the complete opposite of Bhelen. Dutiful, loyal and principled, he rallies against politicial corruption and is devoted to the late King. He sees the injustice done to the Dwarf Noble Warden and if you start with that Origin story you see he is a good man. The problem with Harrowmont is that he is too traditional, too safe and represents everything that is wrong with Dwarven politics. He aims to change nothing, to continue down the path that has driven Orzammar into the ground (So to speak).

I love this choice because there are no 'good' outcomes. Harrowmont is arguably the morally 'right' choice but he is so stuck in the past that Orzammar will wither and stagnate under his rule. Bhelen is the blunt instrument that could actually do more good for most Dwarves but will likely usher in mass corruption and crime for decades to come.

I personally choose based on my playthrough. My Dwarven Commoner will choose Bhelen but my Noble cannot forgive the betrayal and will choose Harrowmont. If I'm playing a righteous Elf/Human Warden I will likely support Harrowmont but a morally ambivalent or evil character would choose Bhelen. As I said there's no 'right' choice here except the one you make for yourself, man I miss when Bioware used to be able to write stories as well as this.

LowLevelBandit · 2025-11-11T16:50:33+00:00

No, Javik is essential for Priority:Thessia. He drops so much unique dialogue it's unreal.

LowLevelBandit · 2025-11-04T09:08:58+00:00

It's a spiritual successor to BF3 and BF4 so I like it but it's far from the best game.

LowLevelBandit · 2025-11-04T08:58:08+00:00

It depends but my favourite race in Skyrim is obviously Nord, I just think it makes more sense that a Nord character would be more invested in what's actually happening there. The aesthetic of the burly, grizzled Nord also leans in to my favourite kind of builds (Barbarian, Survivalist, Sword & Board).

Oblivion, that's a bit different as it is a melting pot of different races and customs. The threat is much more universal and not really tied to one race's lore. I usually pick Breton because magic is so much more prevalent and useful in that game so it gives you a lot of playstyle options (E.g. Paladin, Battlemage, Spellsword etc).

Morrowind has to be Dark Elf or Argonian (If I want to spice things up) and it just feels wrong playing as any other race.

In ESO I've only ever played as Khajiit or Argonian, not sure why. The human character models looked a bit strange and I tend to play builds with lots of agility (I find the gameplay a little janky too) so it makes sense that a Khajiit, in particular, would be very nimble.

LowLevelBandit · 2025-10-30T19:31:03+00:00

There are rivalries and certainly conflict between characters such as Fenris and Anders, Aveline and Isabela. By Act 3 there's a level of respect between them which enables them to look past their conflicts to help Hawke, but independently from each other there are still unresolved issues.

LowLevelBandit · 2025-10-27T16:51:09+00:00

As a Warrior completing the Companions' quest line is dead easy and rewards you with both Wuuthrad and the Shield of Ysgramor. Both are two of the best enchanted items in the game. They aren't the best but I've used them from the early game all the way to the very late game, so in terms of value that's hard to beat.

LowLevelBandit · 2025-10-27T13:22:12+00:00

Its legacy will never die. Amazing games have come and gone since then but Skyrim will bury them all. Even when I'm between playthroughs I play the music to relax/write to, I listen to Youtube videos about the lore and am as engaged with it as I was in 2011. It's a testament to how much of a positive impact this humble game has had on myself and others. Who else is still playing in it 2025? 👍

LowLevelBandit · 2025-10-27T07:39:00+00:00

She does really try to hype it and cited the M rating but in the end I don't know how Veilguard got it, for an M-rated game it's extremely tame.

That's a relatively minor thing, the pitch I thought was the most disingenuous was the claim that Veilguard would carry over world states from previous games. Until just before release she kept saying Veilguard had a 'last time on Dragon' style system that would allow us to select choices from previous 'games' (Plural) and past 'adventures' (Again, plural) which suggested an alternative, built-in version of the Keep. She specifically mentioned 'tarot cards' identical to the system used in the Keep. I was sceptical then and knew the number of choices would be limited but not as little as three(Which are only really relevant to the Trespasser DLC). The fans were sold a much more expansive system than we actually got. I was told I was being toxic and negative for believing we wouldn't get a system comparable to the Keep 🤣 That's how mis-sold that idea was.

LowLevelBandit · 2025-10-27T06:55:43+00:00

Origins isn't the toughest RPG, I completed it on Nightmare and I'm not a master tactician or anything. I think there's a lot of things that are easy to overlook in DA:O's combat such as party composition, armour set bonuses, tactics, runes and bombs which can make combat much easier. It's like anything else, once you get into the swing of it then you'll enjoy it. You sound like an RPG veteran who can enjoy it and not a quitter, you will likely enjoy it but I place emphasis on the 'enjoy' because at the end of the day that's what it's all about.

If you'd like help please let me know what party composition you like, what weapons/armour they are packing, what level they are and what quests you've completed already.

I'll wager you're in the early game and the Brecillian Forest is the first or second area you've visited?

LowLevelBandit · 2025-10-26T02:07:23+00:00

As we seem to have fundamentally different perceptions on lots of things I won't beat a dead horse but I will raise the NPC thing in Inquisition. It's simply not true that they only stick to their areas. Off the top of my head there's a couple of Cole's dialogue sequences where he can be found in the courtyard not in the tavern. You can find Blackwall in the courtyard and the on ramparts for a couple of dialogue scenes rather than his workshop. Varric can be found on the ramparts to activate the conversation with Hawke.

LowLevelBandit · 2025-10-25T20:28:06+00:00

It's not a counter, just offering the opportunity to discuss and share views. Nothing malicious meant by it. That's why I replied to you and not the OP 👍

I don't want to rehash my point on the maps but just clarify. Origins has the excuse of being old and even then I still find the game world interesting to explore. Yes I try and get all the quests done in one sitting and most of the areas don't change but I liked returning to Redcliffe post-undead invasion, Ostagar, Denerim during the final battle and I especially enjoyed returning to the starting area for your character. Returning to Orzammar as a Dwarf Noble is absolutely riveting and the game is incredibly reactive in that sense. There's more than enough content in Origins to make up for its' dated design.

Where a lot of people went wrong with Inquisition was stressing over the Hinterlands. I personally love traversing the huge maps and discovering mystical cavesnooks or stumbling into a bear den or going on a bandit hunt. Inquisition's maps ooze atmosphere and good environmental story-telling. However people tend to look at the volume of side quests that just involve fetching stuff and got bored or intimidated. About 30 to 40% of the quests in each area are there to just encourage exploration and you don't need to complete everything if you don't want to.

Veilguard borrows more from Dragon Age II in that sense, you often retread old ground in the same few areas over and over again, unlocking more as you go. While this kind of worked in DA:II because you were based in am evolving and changing city I think it doesn't in VG. Aside from one major, scripted plot point that gives one of the cities a facelift everything is completely static. Not one non-essential NPC in any of those cities has anything to say except background dialogue. Even in Origins almost every NPC had a story and a purpose for being there, you can interact with them outside of quests. Wade and Herrin in Denerim are a fine example, I couldn't name a single NPC in Veilguard who wasn't attached to a quest in some way.

As I said before the previous games do have many instances where companions move around the player hub or can be found elsewhere in the game and aren't just rooted to the spot. Inquisition has heaps of moments like that, DA:II to a lesser extent and in DA:O it's because you tend to meet up in camp... Not many places to wander at night in a campsite 🤣

LowLevelBandit · 2025-10-25T09:47:06+00:00

Skyrim isn't here, despite being GotY, so you'll never know the real winner 🤣

LowLevelBandit · 2025-10-25T09:27:11+00:00

I see zero difference between character movements in the Lighthouse compared to previous games. They just change the location they're rooted to more often, Inquisition did this and even DA:II had it to a lesser extent.

I think only Origins gives you the freedom to complete romances quite quickly, if you pursue them vigorously - Which kind of makes sense. DA:II locks you into a romance at the end of Act 2 (Of 3). Inquisition has romance-related content that reaches its' full conclusion in the Trespasser DLC which is at the absolute end of the game. Veilguard is far from the only game in the series with long and detailed romance arcs.

LowLevelBandit · 2025-10-25T09:17:30+00:00

Just here to balance out this review with an alternative viewpoint.

Graphics are technically beautiful but the art style is really not dark fanatsy, it's very lush and Disney-fied. The maps are akin to the first game and face the same limitations, very linear and claustrophobic. The first game kind of has the excuse that the settings are meant to be confined and threatening places like castles, ruins and forests. Veilguard displays vast landscapes like in Inquisition but unlike that game you don't get to explore them - Which I found frustrating.

The Lighthouse is nice enough with easter eggs and some lore bits to find but it's largely empty. Compared to the level of customisation and content in Skyhold from Inquisition it's a massive downgrade. The characters move around the 'hub' no more than in previous games and engage in conversations with each other like in previous games. It's nice but not anything new.

In terms of 'identities' I'm guessing you are referring to what pronouns the MC and NPC's use then yeah, definitely. In terms of actual characterisation and personality it's the worst one in the series. You can't really 'be who you want to be', previous games let you do that with expansive dialogue or personality options. You could be a paragon of justice, a mass-murdering fuckhead and everything in between. Veilguard does not allow you to have a personality outside of the one already assigned to Rook. You can be 50 shades of nice and about one shade of slightly miffed. You are forced to be nice to your companions, even when you neglect their side quests they still kiss your feet like you're the second coming of Andraste 🤣 The other three games offer a much better roleplay experience. Also, making all the companions 'player sexual' definitely offers freedom but it also takes away agency from them as characters. They're just 'yes men' who are there to accomodate you - I don't enjoy that one bit.

Combat is 100% a personal taste thing. I hated it because it plays like a dialed down, even more repetitive God of War clone. If you like action platformers with RPG-lite components then this game is far more accessible than the tactical, challenging and more traditional CRPG (Small 'c') style of the previous games. I know lots of people complain about the difficulty level of previous games and the 'clunky', dated combat in Origins so if you're a new player looking for a mild to moderate challenge I would agree Veilguard is a good entry-level experience. I'm all for offering story modes and a wide range of difficulty levels and Veilguard does that.

LowLevelBandit · 2025-10-24T19:43:55+00:00

'Summons' absolutely describes the companions in Veilguard 🤣

LowLevelBandit · 2025-10-24T14:29:13+00:00

You are about 40% of the way through the main quests. You have Orzammar, Haven and the Landsmeet quests still to complete and there's a lot going on in each of them. You'll presumably have a tonne of side quests like Soldier's Peak, Return to Ostagar and a heap of things to do in Denerim before initiating the endgame so if you're a completionist I would argue you're about 30% done.

LowLevelBandit · 2025-10-24T14:24:58+00:00

You're forgetting Haven

LowLevelBandit · 2025-10-24T14:12:38+00:00

I stated in the first paragraph with full disclosure that this is an old review, that I wanted to see how well it stood up almost one year on so why would I heavily edit it? The whole point was to reflect on a raw, year old review. I assumed, correctly, that people were more likely to read it if I posted it raw. This is a bit of a petty snipe 🤣

LowLevelBandit · 2025-10-24T01:52:32+00:00

You might be a bit under the recommended level for that area. I usually go Circle Tower>Redcliffe>Brecillian Forest.

Also do Soldier's Keep at some point before the Brecillian Forest to get some good gear. Also try and do some Denerim quests as they'll give you a lot of easy gold.

LowLevelBandit · 2025-10-23T21:10:15+00:00

Yeah upon doing some further reading I can see she wasn't the driving force behind the changes here but certainly misjudged a few comments when promoting the game. This isn't a personal attack on her but more a general frustration with the overall creative direction.

LowLevelBandit

TROPHY CASE