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Monster Hunter Wildsis the latest entry in a long-runningRPGseries.
It’s the most approachable entry in the franchise yet.
Where have I heard this one before?
Dragon Age: The Veilguardis the latest entry in a long-running RPG series.
It’s the most approachable entry in the franchise yet.
And yet, The Veilguard and Wilds have experienced vastly different fortunes.
Larian’s RPG feels like it was designed for longevity in a way the latest Dragon Age wasn’t.
And that muscular performance is in spite ofrough PC performance that saddled the game with Mixed reviews on Steam.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard, meanwhile,only managed to shift 1.5 million units in its firstquarter.
If you’re wondering how Veilguard’s launch compares to Inquisitions, well, it’s hard to know.
Inquisitionreportedly sold 12 million copies, according to Mark Darrah, who left BioWare in 2020.
So why did the strategy work so well for Monster Hunter and so poorly for Dragon Age?
Monster Hunter Wilds still delivered on much of what the series is known for.
The game also retains much of the series' complexity.
You still have a ton of weapon types that each take practice to master.
There are multiple currencies you should probably collect, crafting to engage with, and thoughtful combat to learn.
The Veilguard’s problem was that Dragon Age was never as tough to understand as Monster Hunter.
Veilguard was streamlined in every way.
The dialogue choices were superficial, allowing for little real roleplay.
But Monster Hunter is basically the only game of its kind in town.
Making a game more approachable isn’t a one-size fits all tactic.
It worked for Monster Hunter because it had enough depth and market share to afford the streamlining.
Dragon Age didn’t, and cutting too close to the bone may have killed the series.
Capcom’s iconic series strives on the lack of showing an enemy’s remaining health.
