Mass EffectandDragon Ageare arguably the two most recognisable series that developer BioWare has worked on, potentially even overshadowing their work onBaldur’s Gateand most definitely eclipsing their work on the likes of titles such asAnthem(apologies in advance to all fourAnthemfanboys out there).
This naturally prompted them to ask a question that many others have attempted to answer before: are “Mass EffectandDragon Agein the same universe?”
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As many commenters were quick to note, this example is only one of many different references the games have made to one another since the release of the originalMass Effectback in 2007.
And just in case any of you reading this happened to have played the firstMass Effectwhen it originally released and fancied joining me in feeling super old, anyone born in 2007 will be of legal drinking age next year. Excuse me for a moment while I look into procuring a brochure for a Stannah stairlift.
One commenterin the post made a list of several differentMass Effectreferences and easter eggs in theDragon Agegames, such as Cullen’s comment about “calibrating” trebuchets (a reference to Garrus' quote about perpetually “being in the middle of some calibrations”) and Cole’s remark about a cow who steals people’s gold (a reference to theShifty Looking Cowwho attempts to steal Commander Shepard’s credits in the firstMass Effect).
TheMass Effectgames have also been known to return the favour multiple times as well, like the statue of one ofDragon Age’sogres that can be found duringKasumi’s loyalty missioninMass Effect 2and the inclusion of the absolute sickest, coolest looking piece ofDA-inspired armourthat’s present in bothMass Effect 2and 3.
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Of course, these are most likely just fun little easter eggs. They’re not really proof that the two series are legitimately connected in any way, as much as it is fun to theorise about it.
That didn’t stop Kotaku’s former Editor-in-Chief Stephen Totilo fromasking BioWare co-foundersRay Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk about the link between the two universes way back back 2012 though.
Muzyka and Zeschuk naturally chose to be a little cheeky with their response, with Zeschuk stating that theDragon Agegames are part of “the greatest franchise ever” inMass Effectand that Commander Shepard regularly played the latest titles in the series on the TV situated in their living quarters on the Normandy.
So, as of now, the answer is inconclusive - but veering in the direction of unlikely. But who knows?Dragon Age: The Veilguardis set to release sometime in 2024, so maybe the latest game will feature some kind of mind-blowing link between the two series that will serve as irrefutable proof that their worlds truly are linked.
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At the very least it would be nice if they explained why Thedas' moon is justcasually chillingnext to the planet Klendagon. Was that a reference, or just a cheeky attempt at reusing assets?
Topics:Mass Effect,Dragon Age,EA,Bioware
