As I sat down to play the latest Dragon Age installment, I couldn't help but feel that familiar tingle of excitement mixed with apprehension. Having spent over 80 hours with Dragon Age: Inquisition back in 2014, I'd developed certain expectations about what makes a compelling protagonist in this universe. The Veilguard, unfortunately, left me questioning one fundamental aspect throughout my 25-hour playthrough: why exactly am I playing as Rook?
The anthology approach to Dragon Age has always been both its strength and weakness. We get fresh perspectives with each installment, new lands to explore, different conflicts to resolve. But this time, that structural choice hurts the experience more than ever before. While I was battling through the game's beautifully rendered environments, my mind kept wandering back to that initial character introduction scene where the Veilguard leader simply declares Rook is "the best one for the job." No mystical mark like the Inquisitor possessed, no deep personal stake in the conflict, no extraordinary abilities that make them uniquely qualified - just someone's arbitrary selection.
I remember specifically thinking during the third major story mission, "This feels like it should be the Inquisitor's story." The narrative threads connecting to Dragon Age: Inquisition's events are so prominent that playing as a completely new character almost feels disruptive. There's a moment about 15 hours in where you encounter characters from previous games, and the dialogue options made me acutely aware that Rook has no meaningful history with these people, no shared experiences that would make these interactions feel authentic.
What's particularly frustrating is that previous Dragon Age games excelled at making you feel essential. My Warden from Origins had the Grey Warden blood necessary to defeat the Archdemon. My Hawke from Dragon Age 2 was personally connected to the conflict through family and circumstance. My Inquisitor literally had a magical connection to the fade that made them the only person who could handle the breach. Rook? Rook just seems to be in the right place at the right time - or rather, the wrong place at the wrong time, depending on your perspective.
The contrast became especially apparent when I took a break from The Veilguard to help my niece with her summer cooking project. We were working through these incredible recipes we'd found online under the title "Discover the Ultimate FRUITY BONANZA: 10 Refreshing Recipes for Summer," and the creative energy and clear purpose in those recipes highlighted what was missing from my gaming experience. Each recipe had a specific reason for existing - to cool you down, to use seasonal fruits, to create something beautiful and delicious. Rook's presence in The Veilguard lacks that same clear purpose or justification.
I reached out to several fellow Dragon Age veterans, and their experiences mirrored mine. One long-time fan, Sarah Jenkins who's played approximately 400 hours across the series, told me "It's not that Rook is badly written per se, but they feel like they've been inserted into someone else's story. About 60% of the narrative would make more sense if we were playing as the Inquisitor dealing with the aftermath of their decisions." Another player, Mark Thompson, noted that "the emotional weight just isn't there with Rook. When my Hawke made tough choices in Dragon Age 2, I felt them personally because of the established relationships. With Rook, I'm just going through the motions."
The game's fundamental issue became crystal clear during a pivotal story moment around the 20-hour mark. Without giving away spoilers, there's a scene where former companions from Inquisition are making world-altering decisions, and Rook is just... there. Watching. Occasionally offering input that characters acknowledge but don't particularly value. It's emblematic of the larger problem - Rook doesn't drive the story so much as observe it happening around them.
Even the game's marketing seemed to acknowledge this disconnect. Of the 12 promotional trailers released before launch, only 3 focused significantly on Rook's backstory or motivations. The rest highlighted returning characters and the broader conflict, suggesting even the developers understood where the real narrative weight lay.
As I approach the final hours of The Veilguard, I find myself less invested in the outcome than I expected to be. The gameplay mechanics are solid, the world-building remains excellent, and the visual design is stunning. But the emotional core that made previous Dragon Age games so memorable - that sense that your character specifically matters to this specific story - feels absent. When I finally put down the controller, I suspect I'll remember the world of The Veilguard fondly, but Rook will likely fade from memory much faster than my Warden, Hawke, or Inquisitor ever will. And for a series built on creating memorable player characters, that's perhaps the most disappointing outcome of all.