While neither franchise ever completely went away,Dragon Age: DreadwolfandMass Effect 4will be the first new installment either series has had in some time. BioWare has remained relatively tight-lipped about both projects, though leaks, teasers, and plain old speculation still give fans plenty to pick apart. For example,Dragon Age: Dreadwolf’s gameplay leak in Februaryincluded the detail that its action gameplay draws heavily from 2018’sGod of War.
Unsurprisingly, most analysis of that leak has focused on its implications forDragon Age: Dreadwolfand the series as a whole. However, whileMass EffectandDragon Agehave always been very different beasts, they’re not entirely separate.Dreadwolf’s change in format might have some implications for the upcomingMass Effect 4.
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Mass Effect’s Third-Person Shooter Identity
Dragon Agehas never been a consistent franchise, as even a cursory glance over the existing games would reveal.Dragon Age: Originswas a CRPG of the kind BioWare was known for at the time, with combat heavily dependent on stats and positioning.Dragon Age 2andInquisitionnever entirely abandonedOrigins' core gameplay concepts but were much more action-oriented. So, while it’s understandable that some long-time fans might not appreciate how things are going,Dreadwolf’s action focus is the conclusion of a trend that started some time ago.
Meanwhile,Mass Effecthas always been a series of third-person shooters.Mass Effect 2,Mass Effect 3, andMass Effect: Andromedaall introduced substantial gameplay changes, of course.ME1,ME2’s DLC, andAndromedaexperimented with different vehicle mechanics, while vanillaME2andME3dropped them entirely. BioWare droppedMass Effect’s inventory management after the first game, and character stats and weapon upgrades worked differently in each installment. However, most of these mechanical alterations were about refining and innovating upon the core gameplay rather than redefining it.
The only partial exception wasMass Effect: Andromeda, which dropped the Paragon/Renegade morality system, added crafting, and overhauled the combat system. The latter included replacing the original trilogy’s Classes with swappable Skill Loadouts and removing tactical pausing.Andromeda’s combat also emphasized mobility, moving away from the preceding game’s more static cover system. Additionally, while melee combat played a small but integral role inMass Effect 3,Andromedawas the first to feature dedicated melee weapons in single-player.
Dreadwolf’s Influence on Mass Effect 4
It would be nice ifMass Effect 4featured both robust shooting mechanics and a fully developed melee combat system. However,Mass Effectgames have always been shooters, and there is no reason to believe the new game will feature the same gameplay style asDragon Age: Dreadwolf. Still, BioWare will likely consider what works and what doesn’t when designingMass Effect 4.
Dreadwolf’s focus on action combat seems to be indicative of a broader trend of BioWare emphasizing more active styles of gameplay. This was true ofMass Effect: AndromedaandAnthem, soMass Effect 4’s combatmay have more in common withAndromeda’s than the original trilogy. Also, if the leak is correct in thatDreadwolfplayers can’t control their party members,Mass Effect 4may be the same.
More than that, though,Dragon Age: Dreadwolfis also part of a broader trend in AAA gaming. While leakers compared its combat system to the modernGod of Wargames, the last twoGod of Warmay have been influenced by FromSoftware games.God of WarandDark Soulsare hardly identical IPs, and there are fundamental gameplay differences that set the franchises apart, but evenGod of War’s developers acknowledge the similarities.
If BioWare is also moving in that direction,Mass Effect 4could draw inspiration fromGunfire Games’Remnant: From the Ashes. Published by Gearbox,Remnantis a Soulslike third-person shooter from 2019. Praised for its satisfying gameplay, it sold over 1 million copies by December 2019 and tripled that by the end of 2021. WhileMass Effect 4must build its own identity, it’s conceivable that BioWare might look toRemnant: From the Asheswhen developing its next third-person shooter RPG.
Mass Effect 4andDragon Age: Dreadwolfare in development.
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