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After 105 hours, I’m convinced I was lit up by the nudity button in Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

Umito November 9, 2024

I don’t know what nudity is for Dragon Age: The Veilkeeper do. I mean, I know what he’s saying – allows nudity during sex scenes – but I’ve been through two full-length romances so far and those sex scenes rationed exactly one shirtless man each and a very PG-13 fade to black. So why did I set this switch to “on”?

The Dragon Age games have long been known not only for their companion characters, but specifically for the romances with those characters that ultimately lead to hot, horizontal situations. It’s such a beloved mainstay of the series that other RPGs have incorporated a very similar style of romance between party members. The Veilguard continues this tradition… or that’s what he says. BioWare certainly I played very shy before launch, about that nudity toggle in the settings menu and how much my companions would end up showing off. The answer is, basically, nothing.

THE Veilguard Romance Options It all starts off quite promising. Throughout the first few hours of the game, I get to meet all of my new comrades in the Arms of God and I get to flirt a little with each of them. We go on outings together – coffee with Lucanis, an excursion with Davrin – where I can watch them and generate a little interest in return. But I had to be very patient for more than that.

It wasn’t until act three, easily 30 hours later, that I was able to officially express my interest in Lucanis and then, finally, a moment loaded with some sexual tension and an almost kiss that he flees. But then I didn’t have another moment alone with Lucanis for several hours. After fully completing his personal quest, which I was shamelessly pursuing in search of that romance juice, Lucanis says in a rather sensual manner “I have other plans for tonight” as he and Rook plan to return together at the lighthouse. Okay, I thought, NOW we go places.

His plans were to drink a cup of coffee alone in the kitchen. Oh, and I can tell him that I’m glad he’s not running away home to his faction, the Antivan Crows, until this destructive thing is sorted out. Did I miss something? Did I mess up?

Lucanis flirts with Rook in his room

(Image credit: BioWare, Electronic Arts)

As Act Three of the game progressed, the names of my save files became more and more desperate:

Commit to Lucanis (42h33m)
Is it Lucanis time (44h39m)
Lucanis brother, come on now (55h47m)

That coveted sex scene finally happens on Rook’s last night in the lighthouse before the big fight. Lucanis soothes Rook emotionally, looks at them longingly, finally kisses them, then falls fully clothed onto the uncomfortable-looking flagship couch and wakes up shirtless. I can’t lie: I was pretty disappointed. I suppose if I had chosen a different underwear option when creating the character, Rook might have been shirtless too. I didn’t realize I was choosing the nevernude route.

So I went back and finished Davrin’s romance. Then I watched a video of Neve, Harding, and Emmrich’s romance, and found that they all basically followed the same pattern: an almost kiss, a conversation about commitment, and one last night together at the lighthouse where everyone wears their pajamas afterwards. Taash at least gets naked at one point.

I don’t want to make this a pissing contest with the immensely horny and full-frontal nudity sensation that Baldur’s Gate 3 was last year. But even when I measure The Veilguard against its own predecessors, I’m baffled. Did Dorian really go out of his way in Skyhold so all those Veilguard heroes could chicken out?

Davrin and Rook shirtless, sharing an intimate moment at the lighthouse

(Image credit: BioWare, Electronic Arts)

Nudity aside, the classic storyline of these romances really robs them of the passion that Dragon Age 2 and Inquisition both managed to capture. Dragon Age 2’s romances, especially the rival romances where you could always be with someone who disapproved of your actions, were full of tension. I’ll never forget blushing at Fenris yelling at you and immediately kissing Hawke or Isabella, tossing her daggers aside as she knocked you into the bed.

The romances of Inquisition were incredibly varied: from wooing Cassandra with love poems to falling into bed with The Iron Bull at every opportunity to Cullen’s tortured lust. There was little more nudity than The Veilguard offers – Taash’s back shot essentially equates to Dorian’s – but they communicated each character’s personality far more effectively than The Veilguard’s assembly-line relationships .

The history of the series, this nudity setting, and everything BioWare said before launch really led me to expect something naughtier than what The Veilguard served up. Not everything has to be hot. I’m just not sure what I was actually opting for.

Apre-salomemanzo

Apre-salomemanzo

After 105 hours, I’m convinced I was lit up by the nudity button in Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

Umito

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After 105 hours, I’m convinced I was lit up by the nudity button in Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

Umito

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