In a recent glimpse of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, excitement bubbled as the trailer unfolded, showcasing the game’s potential. However, the enthusiasm took an unexpected turn at the end, where the familiar prompt to "Pre-order now! Receive the Blood Dragon cosmetic armor" emerged, conjuring memories of a design that has long been a topic of debate among fans.
The Blood Dragon Armor: A Nostalgic Dilemma
The Blood Dragon Armor, a relic from the past, evokes a sense of nostalgia akin to the infamous Horse Armor from Oblivion. This peculiar armor set has made appearances in four different games during BioWare’s heyday, yet it has always felt somewhat out of place, whether in the rustic charm of a medieval village or the advanced landscapes of an Asari utopia. One might expect a design that has traversed two iconic franchises to be cherished, but the reality is quite the opposite.
Originally, the Blood Dragon Armor was a repurposed dwarven heavy armor model, one that resembled the bulky "Massive" plate mail sets from Dragon Age: Origins. This design choice led to a rather unflattering comparison, likening the warriors clad in it to "rejected Gears of War potato men." The armor’s distinctive pearlescent white finish, adorned with a neon red dragon, and its glowing red eye slits created a visual that was more reminiscent of a poorly executed gamer rig than a formidable piece of battle gear.
In the Mass Effect universe, the armor received a sleeker makeover, yet the color palette remained a point of contention. It felt as if Commander Shepard were donning an advertisement rather than armor fit for intergalactic adventures. One could argue that even a space commando outfit emblazoned with a DraftKings logo would have been more dignified.
Fortunately, the trailer’s reference to "cosmetic armor" suggests that this new iteration of the Blood Dragon set may avoid one of its predecessors’ significant pitfalls. In Dragon Age: Origins, players could acquire this powerful armor early on, disrupting the game’s balance. Its absence in Inquisition was a welcome relief for many fans.
Despite the initial frustration, a sense of warmth and nostalgia has begun to wash over me. Time has softened my disdain for the monetization strategies employed by EA in BioWare titles. The once-controversial practices now seem almost quaint when viewed through the lens of today’s permanent live service economy. The Blood Dragon Armor, in 2024, feels like a relic of a bygone era, akin to a comic book villain reduced to a shadow of its former self.
While the armor still retains its questionable aesthetic in The Veilguard, the memories it evokes are tinged with a bittersweet charm. Even if I were to pre-order the game, the thought of donning that armor is less than appealing. Yet, in a world where nostalgia reigns, perhaps it’s the memories of the past that will linger longer than the armor itself.