In Medias Res to the extreme

Like many people, I’m playing Veilguard for the first time. I’m decently far into the game now and am noticing a recurring story problem that is driving me crazy — so much so that I’m hoping other people have an explanation for why it’s happening or what I’m missing.

Every single story beat feels like it’s missing the set up. There is no beginning to anything. The start of the game happens like two hours of hypothetical gameplay after what’s reasonable for a coherent story. Each new companion introduction quest begins with just finding them entirely too casually. Why is there no time to ease into anything?

I get that those companion quests are structured that way because the devs decided to force you to only bring one previous companion… but it’s just weird every time. I mean, take Bellara. At the start of that mission it feels like you’re gonna spend the whole thing finding her. And then she just walks up to you? It’s so unsatisfying. Or like Neve. Why is she so deeply involved in this job? It feels like she’s a casual aid at best upon her first mention but then she’s immediately invested. The only companion that feels like they join the team in a satisfying way is Lucanis — and that’s just barely.

Anyway, I really do like the game and I know there were lots of issues during development that probably forced these issues as a compromise. But I’m getting whiplash from all the things that just… are already happening. Like, god, the first big choice at the end of Act 1. I know it was supposed to be a surprise but there’s not even a little foreshadowing — and then it ends abruptly too!

Ok, I need to stop for my health. Tomorrow I will return to a state of electric bliss as I obliterate Dark Spawn and cultists, but feel free to talk me down in the meantime.