Baldur's Gate 3 vs Dragon Age: The Veilguard
One rewards flexible tactical depth with 97% Steam approval; the other courts action fans but holds a 68% score.
Updated 24d ago
Larian called Patch 8 the final one, then quietly shipped eight more — including the work that eased Act 3's framerate. Still $59.99, still worth every cent.
Better than its 40 player score, weaker than its 80 from critics — the combat nails it, but no companion ever disagrees with you.
By the numbers
Prices checked Sep 11; they move faster than we refresh, so confirm on the store page.
Recent-review figures are Steam's own last-30-days window, read Sep 11.
| Measure | Baldur's Gate 3 | Dragon Age: The Veilguard |
|---|---|---|
| Value Dragon Age: The Veilguard wins on value | ||
| Price now | $59.99 GOG | $20.99 −65% · EA Store |
| All-time low | $41.99 | $17.99 |
| Cost / hour | $0.82/hr $59.99 · 73 h main story | $0.74/hr $20.99 · 28 h main story |
| Off its low | +43% low was Jul 2026 | +17% low was Jun 2026 |
| Main story | 73 h | 28 h |
| Health Baldur's Gate 3 wins on player health | ||
| Steam reviews | 97% 857k reviews | 68% 45k reviews |
| Recent reviews | 95% 4k votes · vs 97% lifetime | 60% 222 votes · vs 68% lifetime · souring |
| Peak players | 83,011 Aug 2026 · ↑ 6% MoM | 1,017 Aug 2026 · ↓ 18% MoM |
| Launch peak | 9% of Aug 2023 launch peak · as of Aug 2026 | — |
| All-time peak | 875,343 Aug 2023 | 60,656 Nov 2024 · now at 2% |
| Support | ||
| Last patch | 6 months ago | 20 months ago |
| Patch cadence | 0 in last 90 days | 0 in last 90 days |
| Steam Deck | Gold | Gold |
Shared scale — same months across the bottom, same player-count axis up the side, so the two lines are directly comparable. A shorter line means a younger game.
What players say
Patterns from long-haul reviewers, taken from each game's verdict. Not live sentiment — each side is dated below.
Baldur's Gate 3
Still being surprised years in. Players a thousand hours deep report scenes and outcomes they had never triggered before.
Act 3. The complaint is strikingly consistent among people who loved the first two acts — that the city is disjointed and tedious by comparison.
from our July 2026 verdict
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Players who stuck with it credit the prime-and-detonate combat and the romances, and several say they enjoyed it far more than they expected to.
Series veterans say the writing lost its moral weight and that Thedas here feels generic next to Origins.
from our July 2026 verdict
Key differences
Which one is for you?
Pick Baldur's Gate 3 if
- You enjoy turn-based tactics like XCOM and want deep build variety.
- You're looking for a game that rewards multiple playthroughs with divergent choices.
- You can dedicate over 100 hours to a single RPG without losing interest.
Pick Dragon Age: The Veilguard if
- You prefer fast-paced action combat with parries and real-time positioning.
- You want a complete RPG experience in under 30 hours.
- You are new to the Dragon Age series and value a standalone story with simple choices.
Bottom line
Choose Baldur's Gate 3 if you crave a reactive, lengthy tactical RPG; pick The Veilguard for a shorter, action-oriented fantasy adventure.