EDIT after game completion 100+hours and 100% achievements:


I finished the game few minutes ago.

Loved every bit of it.
Easily my Game of The Year and contender for my favourite Dragon Age game ( with Dragon Age 2).
Feels like a true spiritual successor to DA2 with its story, only bigger and not contained into 1 city. Also, better executed than DAI which was dragged to long with its open world and awful side quests (couldn't stand shards).
Already at 100% achievements.

I loved the companions (except for Lucanis, didn't care for him). I loved my Rook, favourite DA heroine so far.
I loved Bellara at the end (blighted) and all of those epic moments. I chose Harding due to romancing her, and having to sacrifice Davrin and Assan just devasted me!

Also, the game is so insanely beautiful!
11/10.

3 Things I had an issue with:
a) my background music kept getting cut and just randomly popping up here and there. Can't really say much about the soundtrack as I only heard little of it due to that (I play on PC/ Steam edition).

b) No build templates - with how easy it is to just respec all abilities and play with the other specialisations it should have been made into templates for quick swapping, like in ME Andromeda. Missed opportunity.
c) Epilogues were way too short and should have been way longer!!!!

--------------------------Previous review during my playthrough
This game is totally Mass Effect 2 of the series. It is a direct sequel to Inquisition, but more concise and better organised.
The whole game is about stopping a threat from within the veil and getting heroes / armies to rally behind the cause which means the usual Bioware style going to new places of those companions and swaying them to your side by stopping whatever havoc the threat from within the veil has caused.

The game is a bit darker than Inquisition was in its overall narrative and the focus is on companions in similar way that DA2 did. Rook, the main hero of this tale, is, however, much more customisable than Hawke ever was with the inclusion of Backgrounds. They do change a lot how the world and certain characters react to you as well as how much lore and explanation you get for different events depending on your faction.

This game is such a blast. Don't listen to the voice of the haters and just do yourself a favour and play it.

I prefer not to write reviews before I fully finish a title, but this one deserves a review earlier in light of all of this politically driven hate aimed against it.

If you were a fan of Bioware storytelling and games throughout Mass Effects and Dragon Age series then you are in for a treat.
The game picks up where Dragon Age Inquisition left and drives the narration from there. Some familiar faces return, but, as usual, you are mainly greated with new companions.

The game is a mix of Dragon age 2 and Dragon age Inquisition in terms of aestetic and story - it is smaller than DAI in size of the world, but offers insane graphics of and distinct locations because of that, and narrative is of the same style and tone as DAI - it is lighter than DaO and DA2, but identical to DAI.
Companions are the games best part -as always is the case with Bioware games - they are very distinct, insanely interesting, driven by their own stories you are a part of. I had assumed which ones would I like before I started playing the games but fell in love with the ones I thought I wouldn't like!
The combat is the best in the series - its much more action oriented, similar to how Mass Effect 2 combat took what was good in ME1 and just made it insanely better and one of the best in the genre - Veilguard does the same thing. I am playing a mage right now and I am having a blast - this is the DA mage, the combo system from DAI is back.
Music is also fantastic. I started the game on tv speakers and regret it immensely now that I switched to headphones. Hank Zimmer made a hell of a soundtrack to this one!

All in all, if you are fan of the universe of Dragon Age and actually played the titles they released as part of this series, the storytelling and quality of the game woud neithe surprise you, nor disappoint you.

So far I strongly recommend it!

EDIT after game completion 100+hours and 100% achievements: I finished the game few minutes ago. Loved every bit of it. Easily my Game of The Year and contender for my favourite Dragon Age game ( with Dragon Age 2). Feels like a true spiritual successor to DA2 with its story, only bigger and not contained into 1 city. Also, better executed than DAI which was dragged to long with its open world and awful side quests (couldn't stand shards). Already at 100% achievements. I loved the companions (except for Lucanis, didn't care for him). I loved my Rook, favourite DA heroine so far. I loved Bellara at the end (blighted) and all of those epic moments. I chose Harding due to romancing her, and having to sacrifice Davrin and Assan just devasted me! Also, the game is so insanely beautiful! 11/10. 3 Things I had an issue with: a) my background music kept getting cut and just randomly popping up here and there. Can't really say much about the soundtrack as I only heard little of it due to that (I play on PC/ Steam edition). b) No build templates - with how easy it is to just respec all abilities and play with the other specialisations it should have been made into templates for quick swapping, like in ME Andromeda. Missed opportunity. c) Epilogues were way too short and should have been way longer!!!! --------------------------Previous review during my playthrough This game is totally Mass Effect 2 of the series. It is a direct sequel to Inquisition, but more concise and better organised. The whole game is about stopping a threat from within the veil and getting heroes / armies to rally behind the cause which means the usual Bioware style going to new places of those companions and swaying them to your side by stopping whatever havoc the threat from within the veil has caused. The game is a bit darker than Inquisition was in its overall narrative and the focus is on companions in similar way that DA2 did. Rook, the main hero of this tale, is, however, much more customisable than Hawke ever was with the inclusion of Backgrounds. They do change a lot how the world and certain characters react to you as well as how much lore and explanation you get for different events depending on your faction. This game is such a blast. Don't listen to the voice of the haters and just do yourself a favour and play it. I prefer not to write reviews before I fully finish a title, but this one deserves a review earlier in light of all of this politically driven hate aimed against it. If you were a fan of Bioware storytelling and games throughout Mass Effects and Dragon Age series then you are in for a treat. The game picks up where Dragon Age Inquisition left and drives the narration from there. Some familiar faces return, but, as usual, you are mainly greated with new companions. The game is a mix of Dragon age 2 and Dragon age Inquisition in terms of aestetic and story - it is smaller than DAI in size of the world, but offers insane graphics of and distinct locations because of that, and narrative is of the same style and tone as DAI - it is lighter than DaO and DA2, but identical to DAI. Companions are the games best part -as always is the case with Bioware games - they are very distinct, insanely interesting, driven by their own stories you are a part of. I had assumed which ones would I like before I started playing the games but fell in love with the ones I thought I wouldn't like! The combat is the best in the series - its much more action oriented, similar to how Mass Effect 2 combat took what was good in ME1 and just made it insanely better and one of the best in the genre - Veilguard does the same thing. I am playing a mage right now and I am having a blast - this is the DA mage, the combo system from DAI is back. Music is also fantastic. I started the game on tv speakers and regret it immensely now that I switched to headphones. Hank Zimmer made a hell of a soundtrack to this one! All in all, if you are fan of the universe of Dragon Age and actually played the titles they released as part of this series, the storytelling and quality of the game woud neithe surprise you, nor disappoint you. So far I strongly recommend it!