Dragon Age: The Veilguard – When Political Messaging Goes Wrong
Dragon Age: The Veilguard's Clumsy Political Commentary: A Missed Opportunity
Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the latest entry in the beloved RPG franchise, has been largely well-received; most reviewers praise that it shows a return to form for the studio. But, one particular scene has sparked major backlash; an awkwardly executed attempt to include very modern politics which is really at odds with what made these RPGs great and its handling of inclusivity, that’s something these kinds of fantasy-focused productions were rarely capable of achieving perfectly. Why is this inclusion a bad thing? And just how has it harmed this overall amazing product?
The criticism focuses on the incredibly clumsy execution; which results in extremely preachy dialogue which serves only to alienate some viewers rather than enhancing this story; its political and social messaging feels totally out of place within a fantasy setting; its use of contemporary terminology seems incredibly jarring within a context that most viewers associate with the Dragon Age franchise and what its stories usually emphasize: complex stories about an epic war and interpersonal dynamics. The lack of subtlety is simply jarring; it isn't a problem because of a simple lack of diversity—it's because it's extremely poorly conceived; and ends up reinforcing negative viewpoints from viewers instead.
The Problem Scene: Push-Ups and Performative Apologies
The controversial scene centers around a character who misgenders another; which leads to that character doing push-ups as a penance for their "sin"—it isn't necessarily about what's discussed, the words used (in the contemporary context) is what's questionable. That “apology” continues as a lecture on correct terminology – incredibly shallow. It seems taken from some undergrad Gender Studies course from 2024. That is not okay, people.
The criticism isn't directed at that inclusion of transgender and non-binary characters themselves! This inclusion has already been shown to be quite excellent within those previous iterations; the real issue? Its incredibly poor execution. It comes off as an empty gesture that doesn’t enhance that story or those existing characters; that performative, insincere gesture fails to generate any sympathy but completely disengages many other audience members. It actually harms that very cause, which would have had greater impact through subtler methods.
Lev Grossman's The Bright Sword: A Masterclass in Subtlety
Contrast this scene with Lev Grossman’s The Bright Sword; this book includes a trans knight of the Round Table. It’s handled incredibly smoothly. Grossman avoids all modern terminology, which could otherwise appear totally inappropriate in that Arthurian setting – a world which had drastically different customs, traditions and beliefs from the very people in that context which made using this terminology not exactly natural or fitting for those readers; but not in a completely negative way – and that’s an intentional choice that should highlight just how easily these concepts can fit into older storytelling devices. The character’s tale of internal identity and struggling to become that heroic warrior makes a really strong thematic statement without those empty gestures and clumsy inclusion of terms from a much later timeframe!
BioWare's Missed Opportunity: A Missed Opportunity For Genuine Empathy
Bioware's choice was a grave mistake; an entirely unnecessary, misguided move—it highlights this serious disconnect: it seems made only for a show of superficial “progressive bonafides”– yet lacking the required deep creative exploration necessary for producing truly moving narratives. It isn’t merely "good intentions" it matters, because intentions never really help create those effective stories; what matters more are how these specific concerns around those related ideas are fully integrated within the context of the world these tales are unfolding. There is really only a few methods of including these important matters within those stories which don't necessarily create that backlash response! A much simpler way is required.
And they did themselves a disservice; missing several chances to approach this subject more meaningfully. The very context, a Qunari character within a very rigid society offers tons of chances to explore ideas of self-discovery and challenging rigid social expectations in an organic, credible, non-intrusive way; an integration rather than something appearing as an imposed imposition upon that already existing setting and narrative that could alienate fans. The original developers were aiming for this.
Conclusion: The Veilguard’s Unintentional Self-Parody
The poorly-executed scene in The Veilguard overshadows much of that otherwise well-made game! It serves to make the developers’ intentions far more obvious—yet creates precisely that kind of reaction (negative commentary and outright mockery online) the original intention tried so badly to avoid, and fails completely at that very purpose: That heavy-handed approach does far more harm; rather than the desired genuine effect (of greater empathy toward those trans individuals); what occurs is the opposite: a greater rift among the viewers and a reinforcement of existing negativity. Subtlety and thought are key in making creative narrative elements like these work; clumsy execution is not something desired.
