Tussle Association: Bioware Off!
With Bioware and EA co-operating they hit the ground -hard- with two franchises that took the world by storm! Mass Effect, the famous Space Opera that had us follow in the footsteps of Commander Shepard as he goes about trying to prevent the Reapers, a bio-robot race from destroying the galaxy. With three main games, and the sequel series, Andromeda that is still going, the game features a great universe, great characters, memorable moments, and an amazingly intriguing mesh of science fiction with a few elements of "magic" in the form of biotics.
Its contender? Dragon Age is the fantasy equivalent to Mass Effect. With an epic saga stretching through three semi-independent stories, the story has concluded (for now) with Dragon Age Inquisition. In the fantastical world of Thedas, you have an interesting mythos, great class and character design, a mixed array of characters, some memorable others not, and with a good dose of humor, the game has a great theme, interesting politics and memorable moments.
But only one of them will survive the TUSSLE RING! The contestants will be judged based on:
A) Memorable Side Characters
B) World Building
C) Class Mechanics/feel
D) Story
Dragon Age Series
Dragon Age is a game who's story is essentially the political turmoil in Thedas. Starting with the hell brought loose in Ferelden with the surface of a new blight in Dragon Age Origins, to the templar-mage issue that surfaced in Kirkwall along the Qunari threat, and all of that wraps up in the events of Dragon Age Inquisition and....in all honesty, a bit too expansive. But let us see if Hawke, The Inquisitor and the Grey Warden have what it takes to take on the Mass Effect flotillas!
A) Memorable Side Characters: 7/10. Lelliana, Zevran, Varric, Alistair, Sten are but a few of the memorable characters in the Dragon Age universe. Why not a 10/10 though? Well here is the thing, with so many side characters to suit all shapes and sizes, some of those characters instead become less three dimensional personalities and more "cut and dry" stereotypes of characters.
B) World Building: 10/10. This is done to a flaw if I am completely honest. The universe of Thedas is -so- expansive, -so- well build and -so- many things are going on, it actually becomes too much. Between the Darkspawn, Mages VS Templars, Elven issues, Qunari Threat, Political Rivalries, Tevinter's Expansionism, The Demon Threat etc, it becomes almost overwhelming. Though this might be an issue when it comes to the story, as far the World Building is concerned? 10/10.
C) Class Mechanics/ Feel: 5/10. This was a hard one to put. Hear me out, I love the classes. I feel like the magic system and the classes are amazing in their entirety and truly unique. HOWEVER with every single game having entirely different gameplay, I will have to put a 5 there. I am sorry but when every game of them require a completely different form of gameplay, I would much rather go play something else.
D) Story: 7/10. The story on each story is entirely different and follows very specific world events. Despite that offering some great characters and good story telling, the fact that there are so many things going on and each time every game is trying to one up its predecessor in "epicness", it sort of drops flat. After a while, you just, roll your eyes, stop caring about how "WORLD CHANGING" the events are, and just move on to romance the next hot piece of ass and unlock your next skill.
Mass Effect Series
A Space Opera that has become as famous in the circle of nerds as Star Wars itself, Mass Effect has a completed Trilogy, like Dragon Age, and a new trilogy on the makes, called Andromeda. With an interesting world based on science fiction, with a proper spin of the "supernatural" with their "biotic" powers, the world is expansive, interesting and offers a -great- soundtrack. But will Commander Shepard and his group match might and magic as they clash with Dragon Age? Lets find out!
A) Memorable Side Characters: 10/10. The Mass Effect has offered us the best memorable side characters in video game history, and the best bromance in the history of Games -ever-, this is a no brainer. For anyone doubting that, one word: Garrus.
B) World Building: 9/10. To be honest this is where the game lacks. Sure, it has a lot of interesting bits of lore here and there, but the focus is on the main story more and less so on the intricacies of Galactic Politics, races etc. So although we do get a lot of insight on the world, it is not as expansive as Dragon Age.
C) Class Mechanics / Feel: 10/10. There is not much to say about this. The series handed this better than Dragon Age, hands down. Being a cover-based shooter, the changes made in gameplay enhanced and build upon the working mechanics and have only made the game better with each installment.
D) Story: 8/10. The game follows the adventures of Commander Shepard trying to thwart the threat of the Reapers. Despite it being rather simple in its premise, it is focused, emotional and scales properly with each game. Despite its controversial ending, it was an ending that managed to wrap up the saga quite well.
And The Winner Is!
Mass Effect Series
With a more focused story, more well rounded characters and more robust mechanics, the Mass Effect Series is easier to follow, draws you into its story and delivers an experience akin to that of a good Sci-Fi movie. With its simple and unique classes, the interesting way it meshes the single player to the multiplayer versions of the game, and with more well rounded and lovable characters, the Mass Effect series is more story and less fantasy dating simulator.
To those of little faith, the entire Tussle would have been won by Garrus himself, a character that, although is a romance option in one game for the female characters, stands out as the most well rounded, interestingly developed and best virtual "bro" a main character could ever want. So, pack up your weapons, prepare your biotics and hop on a space ship because it is time to save the Galaxy.
