Summary
The popular review aggregation website Metacritic has responded to the ongoing review bombing ofDragon Age: The Veilguard, which has been attacked by players upset by the game’s characters and themes. SinceDragon Age: Origins, BioWare’s franchise has always been fairly inclusive, allowing fans to engage in same-sex romances. However, the perceived “wokeness” inDragon Age: The Veilguardhas prompted some users to give the game incredibly low scores.
Dragon Age: The Veilguardwas released on October 31 and has been at the center of controversies since its first trailer was unveiled, including criticism about the game’s new art style and combat system. Despite its detractors,Dragon Age: The Veilguardcurrently has Mostly Positive reviews on Steam, with 74% of over 13,000 gamers enjoying their experience in Thedas.
Now, Metacritic has addressed the review bombing ofThe Veilguard, which currently has an average critic score of 84 on the website, but a 3.8 player score, with multiple users giving it scores of zero out of 10. According to a statement sent from Metacritic’s parent company Fandom toEurogamer, Metacritic is “a place belonging to all fans,” and the institution “takes online trust and safety very seriously across all our sites, including Metacritic.” The spokesperson also reiterated that Metacritic uses moderation tools to find and correct violations, including racism, sexism, and homophobia.
Metacritic Addresses Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s Review Bombing
We take online trust and safety very seriously across all our sites, including Metacritic.
Despite Metacritic’s efforts to curb violations found in player reviews, it’s still possible to find peoplereview bombingDragon Age: The Veilguard. The most common criticism includes complaints of “LGBT and politics in games,” as well as accusations of the series being destroyed by “forced DEI” (diversity, equity, and inclusion) and “wokeness.” Some of the negative reviews found on the site are legitimate, as certain gamers giving scores of four or five offer reasonable complaints about the newestDragon Agetitle.
Despite the review bombing, thenumber of people playingDragon Age: The Veilguardis increasing. During the game’s opening weekend,The Veilguardhit 89,418 concurrent Steam players, an increase of 27% when compared to its launch day.
Amid the controversial launch of the newDragon Age, it’s hard to tell exactly how successful the game is. Both player andcritic reviews ofDragon Age: The Veilguardare mostly positive, but not overwhelmingly so, and by using Steam as a metric, the number of people playing the game falls short of being a huge hit. In any case, time will tell if the newDragon Agegame meets EA’s sales expectations and wins over more players.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
WHERE TO PLAY
Enter the world of Thedas, a vibrant land of rugged wilderness, treacherous labyrinths, and glittering cities – steeped in conflict and secret magics. Now, a pair of corrupt ancient gods have broken free from centuries of darkness and are hellbent on destroying the world.Thedas needs someone they can count on. Rise as Rook, Dragon Age’s newest hero. Be who you want to be and play how you want to play as you fight to stop the gods from blighting the world. But you can’t do this alone – the odds are stacked against you. Lead a team of seven companions, each with their own rich story to discover and shape, and together you will become The Veilguard.
