Both franchises Mass Effect and Dragon Age are powerhouses for Bioware and have accumulated strong fan bases. Both have had their high points and low points, but it’s easy to say that overall as a series each brings a lot to the table for gamers to enjoy.
Now a discussion of which one is better has a lot to do with what you’re looking for in a game and how you enjoy playing. Do you like sticking with familiar characters or getting to know entirely new ones? Do you prefer tighter narratives with clear cut goals or sweeping tales with lots to do? Here are some examples of which series might be better and will hopefully help you decide for yourself.
10 Mass Effect: Familiar Characters
It’s easier to build an attachment to characters and companions when you interact with those individuals across multiple titles. Mass Effect has you stepping into the role of Commander Shephard who works alongside a team of individuals who for the most part continue on through the story with you.
As you complete each title you get a better sense of the characters and develop a familiarity. It’s like bonding with a character in a movie versus one in a TV show. If you enjoy connecting with characters and seeing their growth and development over time then pick Mass Effect.
9 Dragon Age: New Faces
Sometimes playing the same character over and over again can get a little boring. At times you want to try something new or experience the story with a different personality. Dragon Age puts you in the shoes of entirely new characters with each title you play enabling a change in pace depending on your wants and needs as a gamer.
Similarly, the companions and side characters also change; you see fresh faces, dig into the backstories of new people, learn the different personalities, and have a variety of characters to interact, bond, and connect with.
8 Mass Effect: Science Fiction
If you enjoy spaceships, aliens, advanced technology, robotics, and futuristic weaponry then Mass Effect is likely the better game for you. It can be a lot of fun living in a world that’s an advanced version of our own.
Exploring a glitter world of technological marvels can be a blast and you might find yourself envying the abilities and luxuries only the future can hold. It’s also a fun reminder that some of the things you’re seeing may one day be a reality in your own future, after all smartphones were once a plot device in Star Trek, who’s to say we wont have our own personal Info Drones?
7 Dragon Age: Fantasy
If you enjoy dragons, mythical races, magic, golems, and enchanted weaponry then Dragon Age is probably going to be a better series for you. Jumping into a world of magic and monsters where things operate by different rules than our own reality can be a lot of fun.
Wandering through enchanted areas, diving into ancient sites, and learning powerful spells are something we’re not likely to experience in reality. If you ever wanted to command fire or interact with magical constructs then Dragon Age is likely your series of choice.
6 Mass Effect: RPG/ Shooter
Mass Effect is an RPG combined with a third person shooter. As your character levels gives you access to helpful stats and abilities that make you more devastating on the battlefield. When you shoot something in the face you don’t have to worry about whether you’re going to miss or not, it’ll hit, your skills and abilities will determine what happens.
You can have the strongest character in the game, but if you forget to use cover or can’t aim worth beans you won’t get far. On the same token you’re not relying upon game mechanics to kill your enemies, it’s down to your skills as a gamer and levels you gain simply makes your job easier.
5 Dragon Age: RPG/Tactical
Dragon Age is a bit different in the sense that you need to be more strategic about how you build your character, what gear you use, and who accompanies you. Every improvement to your character involves strategy that can leave you with a powerful warrior or a broken mess.
It can be frustrating that your skills as a gamer are less important than your build, but knowing you beat the game because you were clever and thought ahead can be incredibly rewarding. Anyone can shoot a gun, not everyone can master the magical arts.
4 Mass Effect: Shorter
As gamers we have a constant balance to strike between the requirements of day-to-day living and game time. If we only have an hour to play each day and the game takes 100+ hours to beat then that means we’re going to spend months playing the same game, and that gets old.
It’s nice having a game that can be beaten in a reasonable 20-30 hour time frame and leave us feeling like we had a chance to see and do everything. It also tends to keep the story moving at a more interesting pace and Mass Effect wont distract you for too long with meaningless side quests.
3 Dragon Age: Longer
That being said it’s nice to have a game that can support a four-hour session on a Saturday afternoon every now and then without finishing the game too quickly. Having a game that can support hundreds of hours of gameplay is rewarding when you find yourself having a lot of time on weekends and holidays.
Dragon Age has a short main story if that’s all you focus on, but if you find yourself with extra time and want to relish the world without progressing there are lots of things you can do. Sometimes it’s nice to get lost in a world without feeling like there’s a deadline or goal you have to meet right away.
2 Mass Effect: Uncharted Universe
The lore of Mass Effect encompasses an entire universe. There are countless species of aliens to learn about, infinite worlds, and endless corners of space to explore. Even if you’ve learned about everything there is to know about in one galaxy there are others to dive into.
Mass Effect’s lore feels much more encompassing and grand because you only scratch the surface of it in the games. In this way it always feels like there’s always another adventure or planet to explore no matter how much you learn about.
1 Dragon Age: Rich World
Dragon Age has the advantage of having a rich world that you can become much more familiar with. Each game has you exploring new aspects of Thedas and unraveling the layers this world contains. Once you think you’ve learned it all there’s another layer.
The effect is a tapestry of color that grows larger and more intricate with each title. You become familiar with the sights and history of the world in a way that you couldn’t when digging into the lore of an entire galaxy. As a result the world feels more like a character of its own then a simple setting for the next mission.
NEXT: BioWare’s 10 Best Games, Ranked
