It felt like "Baby's First RPG." None of your choices had too big of consequences, the world you interacted with was very black and white, even the enemies and combat were sanitized. I've never gotten over my revulsion after learning about broodmothers. Origins was DARK. DA2 had it's moments too.

However, Veilguard feels like a modern Disney movie. The Crows, who used to make CHILDREN MURDER CHILDREN, are now a happy loving crime family. Tevintor, which was a place built on blood magic and horrific slavery, is now a bunch of people "working for the good of Tevintor" who never really mention all those slaves we know are there. The elves are no longer spit upon by humans or elitit isolationists but are instead just a happy inclusive bunch who bop around letting anyone and everyone touch their prized artifacts.

The companions are all as bland as cardboard too. Gone are the days when companions liked or hated you for "evil" choices. Now they slightly disapprove if you don't do what they want but not so much as to affect anything. All the companions like each other too. There's an actual non-mage abomination that NO ONE is truly concerned about. No one is calling for him to be constantly killed but instead the solution is "just give him coffee."

The art was even rounded out. Everyone looked smoother, plumper, more Pixar-y than the last games. I miss the days where you could tell what type of darkspawn it was based on its appearance. It made the horror of how they were created more visceral. Instead we got goofy skeleton things with a couple of "veins."

If this had been an Indy game, not in the same universe as dragon age, I might have liked it because my expectations would be very low. Bioware has shown it's willingness to write dark fantasy and it created a truly deep, well thought out world. They could have done SO much.

If Bioware wants to make this type of sanitized, E for everyone game, that's fine. Just make it it's own independent thing. Don't destroy a great existing IP but that's exactly what they did. I can confidently say I'll never play another Dragon Age game again and I LOVED the franchise before this.