Dragon Age: The Veilguard vs The Outer Worlds 2

BioWare's polished action RPG versus Obsidian's satire-laced shooter — choose between 28 hours of combat-driven heroics and 18 hours of sharp-tongued companions.

Updated 24d ago

Dragon Age: The Veilguard cover
Dragon Age: The Veilguard 8.0/10 Strong

Better than its 40 player score, weaker than its 80 from critics — the combat nails it, but no companion ever disagrees with you.

The Outer Worlds 2 cover
The Outer Worlds 2 8.3/10 Strong

Obsidian writing is back at full peak — Outer Worlds 2 sharpens what the first game whispered, with companions and corporate satire that finally feel essential.

By the numbers

Prices checked Sep 8; 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 8.

Measure Dragon Age: The Veilguard The Outer Worlds 2
Value Dragon Age: The Veilguard wins on value
Price now $20.99 −65% · EA Store $69.99 Steam
All-time low $17.99 $34.99
Cost / hour $0.74/hr $20.99 · 28 h main story $3.78/hr $69.99 · 18 h main story
Off its low +17% low was Jun 2026 +100% low was Jun 2026
Main story 28 h 18 h
Health The Outer Worlds 2 wins on player health
Steam reviews 68% 45k reviews 74% 9k reviews
Recent reviews 60% 222 votes · vs 68% lifetime · souring 72% 89 votes · vs 74% lifetime
Peak players 1,017 Aug 2026 · ↓ 18% MoM 651 Aug 2026 · ↓ 49% MoM
All-time peak 60,656 Nov 2024 · now at 2% 18,187 Nov 2025 · now at 4%
Support
Last patch 20 months ago 2 months ago
Patch cadence 0 in last 90 days 2 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.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Nov 2024 – Aug 2026
The Outer Worlds 2
Nov 2025 – Aug 2026

What players say

Patterns from long-haul reviewers, taken from each game's verdict. Not live sentiment — each side is dated below.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Love

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.

Struggle with

Series veterans say the writing lost its moral weight and that Thedas here feels generic next to Origins.

from our July 2026 verdict

The Outer Worlds 2

Love

The witty satire, memorable characters, and goofy tone keep players engaged for hundreds of hours.

Struggle with

Frequent fatal crashes and unstable saves after patches plague long-term playthroughs.

from our May 2026 verdict

Key differences

Combat focus
Veilguard's parry-and-detonate combat is the star, trading tactical pause for fluid action.
Outer Worlds 2's gunplay is serviceable but takes a backseat to its writing and roleplay.
Companion depth
Veilguard companions never push back — no disapproval system means your choices face no friction.
Outer Worlds 2 makes companions essential through banter, quest reactivity, and romance.
Story length
Veilguard's 28-hour main story gives you more time in the world than TOW2's 18-hour sprint.
Outer Worlds 2's 18-hour campaign is tighter, focusing on satire and character over world-spanning lore.

Which one is for you?

Pick Dragon Age: The Veilguard if

  • You crave action combat with parries and detonations, not tactical menus
  • You're new to Dragon Age and want a self-contained 28-hour fantasy story
  • You can accept companions who agree with you rather than challenge your choices

Pick The Outer Worlds 2 if

  • Fallout New Vegas' choice-and-consequence writing is your bar for RPGs
  • You want companions that bicker, romance, and react to your decisions
  • A shorter, satire-heavy campaign of 18 hours fits your schedule better

Bottom line

Pick Veilguard for its polished combat and longer campaign, but if you prioritize companion friction and Obsidian's writing, Outer Worlds 2 wins despite its shorter runtime and 74% reviews.

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