BioWare’s new approach to the franchise could be interesting, but the original origin stories will be missed. As has been said many times, Mass Effect’s evolution has cut down on the RPG elements quite a bit in exchange for appealing to a much wider market, while Dragon Age represents the opposite side of that equation — the desire to create a classic PC RPG in the vein of Baldur’s Gate.
With the announcement of Dragon Age II though, the two games now have a bit more in common. In the character of “Hawke,” Dragon Age is basically picking up its own Commander Sheppard, and maybe sacrificing a bit of its identity in the process.
That’s not to say that I don’t like Commander Shepard. As I’ve played through the first two Mass Effects, I’ve steadily grown to like the hardnosed renegade that has been my stand-in for the past two games. It’s jarring to see any other Shepard simply because I’ve come to think of my commander as the only one. Continue reading »
