When a gamer thinks of BioWare, they think of the dialogue wheels and games filled with the choices. Sure, sometimes it's only the illusion of choice, but at least it feels like there is an option. Their two flagship games, Mass Effect and Dragon Age are loaded with choices, from who to romance to how to approach a quest.
Despite their similarities, the games play and feel widely different from one another. The question is, which of them is the best franchise BioWare has to offer and most feels like the ultimate expression of the kind of company BioWare strives to be.
10 Mass Effect: Doesn't Go Overboard With Fetch Quests
If there's one thing that always drags down Dragon Age, it's the surplus of fetch quests that are always jam-packed into them. Sure, Mass Effect has its fair share of similar style quests, but they are spread out enough that it's not bothersome.
With Dragon Age, particularly Inquisition, players have to do them in abundance to be able to get enough power to progress through the rest of the game. It's sadly always an irksome point with fantasy games in general, and having a sci-fi setting seemed to give BioWare the excuse to avoid that trope with Mass Effect.
9 Dragon Age: The Choices When Creating A Character Have A Greater Impact
Both games allow you to lay out your character's backstory, giving them a bit of flavor before heading into the main story. For Mass Effect, that usually helps change how a few characters react to you and gives you a basis to build your character off of.
Dragon Age: Origins took that a step further, giving you a prologue to fully explore the options you selected. It's a decision that helps make the game be as beloved as it is, showing how much care went into the story.
8 Mass Effect: Feels Like A Giant Space Opera
There have been plenty of sci-fi games, but none of them give the feel of a true space opera as Mass Effect. It feels like a truly epic tale that pulls from parts of the most popular franchises of the genre, giving you the camaraderie of a crew that'd be right at home in Star Trek combined the more fantastical abilities of Star Wars.
It's a game that feels so vast and deep that it could make seasons upon season of television if that's a route they ever wanted to go (and many feel that they should).
7 Dragon Age: The Fantasy Elements Give It A Tabletop RPG Feel
While Mass Effect hits the right notes of a sci-fi epic, Dragon Age is more at home with old-school tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons or Runequest. While there isn't any dice to roll, it has the same feeling of a group of party members coming together to help put a stop to the big bad.
The depth of the companions in the game helps this immensely, as all of them almost seem as if they were created and played by someone else rather than feeling like NPCs.
6 Mass Effect: The Story Has A Better Flow From Game To Game
There's no doubt that Dragon Age has an equally good story, specifically in Origins, but Mass Effect had far better flow between their games. Since they were all tied together in a trilogy, everything slowly began building atop each other.
Everything led to the moment when the reapers would arrive, and when they did, it led to some great character moments during Mass Effect 3. All of the side characters felt like they had a purpose in the overarching story, particularly the Illusive man.
5 Dragon Age: Has The Best Final Battle Scene
Mass Effect had some epic moments in it, such as the opening to Mass Effect 2 that goes down as one of the best game openings ever, but nothing in that series comes close to the epic-ness that was Dragon Age: Origin's Battle of Denerim.
To be fair, nothing else in the rest of the Dragon Age series itself comes close either. Everything about the final mission oozes tension and character. The game makes sure the weight of the mission weighs heavy, making sure you know not all your companions are going to be coming back.
4 Mass Effect: Has A Wider Cast Of Characters Due To The Many Species Represented
One thing Mass Effect has over Dragon Age is the wide variety of species within its game. It wasn't just window dressing either, as is often the case in the Star Wars movies. All of the races shown had prominent moments in the story and had an immense amount of lore attached to them.
It helped make the companions feel even more varied as it wasn't just an endless supply of humanoid-looking creatures. The Quarian and Krogan were two species that stood out the most in their design.
3 Dragon Age: Has the Better Representation Of LGBTQ Characters
Normally, LGBTQ characters in BioWare games are boiled down to bisexual characters in order to help open up more options for romances. It's not an awful decision since options and representation are always good, but it never feels like a well-developed part of the characters.
Inquisition took it a step further by introducing Dorian, a man whose sexuality actually played a key role in his story. It was a bold move, and one that paid off as the character is one of the better ones in the game. He felt real, letting everyone empathize with his struggle.
2 Mass Effect: Has Better & More Fluid Combat
One of the biggest complaints about Dragon Age by those new to the series is the combat system. It's less of an issue in the newest title, Inquisition, but Origins can be a pain to try to break into due to its clunky battle system.
Mass Effect doesn't have any issues with that. The shooting and mix of abilities in the game have always blended seamlessly together and even got improved upon in the second game. In general, Mass Effect 2 hit the sweet spot between RPG and fast-paced shooter.
1 Dragon Age: All Of The Games Feel Different From One Another
One thing Dragon Age can't be blamed for is being too stagnant. Unlike Mass Effect, where other than a shift towards a more action-heavy style, stayed mostly the same, Dragon Age always tried new things.
All three of the games play and feel far different from one another. If you want a story-heavy RPG, then Origins is your bag. If you want an open-world adventure, Inquisition is the way to go. If you're looking for a more contained story, you may end up liking Dragon Age 2. There is something for every type of player, and it just makes for a more interesting series to play through as every adventure feels completely different from the last.