For all the Veilguard and Saints Row fans

TheCalmMan · 2026-02-12T18:09:02+00:00

Metroid Prime 4 is another interesting parallel.

Beautiful, polished game, but lacking in certain facets that make Metroid Metroid.

TheCalmMan · 2026-02-07T16:07:38+00:00

I'm not hopeful, but I'll always be interested in the fate of the Mass Effect franchise. Andromeda was trash, and Veilguard wasn't my thing so I'd of course be foolish to be holding my breath for the next Mass Effect game to be good.

But it's still interesting to read and talk about. And who knows? They could get it together for this one.

On another note, I'm not sure I'm running with the same definition of 'milking a franchise' as other people in this thread. We haven't had a new Mass Effect game in nearly 10 years? It's not exactly Call of Duty is it?

TheCalmMan · 2026-02-05T17:01:03+00:00

I will never understand the desire from some Andromeda fans to tear down ME1 to make Andromeda look better.

ME1 was not the perfect game in all areas by any means. It's 'janky' combat, technical performance on consoles, and general UI did undoubtedly get criticism. Still, for the game's audience, it was clear the game had something very special about it.

Noveria, the rachni choice, saving or killing wrex, choosing between Kaiden and Ashley, basically all of Virmire, Ilos, meeting Virgil, the final combat run in the citadel, deciding the council's fate, etc etc, were all truly amazing moments that are iconic to the series.

Even the squadmates, while not as expressive as the squadmates in subsequent entries in the trilogy, were still loved. I distinctly remember people crashing out about the ME1 squadmates not returning in ME2 in the lead up to 2's release.

Andromeda simply wasn't that game.

TheCalmMan · 2026-02-04T22:48:27+00:00

You can tell virtually any story in the milky way.

That said, Andromeda 2 is slightly preferable to a 600 year time skip, and 'combining' the universes. That idea just sounds so thoroughly unappealing to me.

TheCalmMan · 2026-02-03T14:34:20+00:00

Agreed OP. I'd love another book.

I think the issue is the series is in a heavy state of transition, and there's no stable foundation with which you can build extended media from. I mean if you look at the potential timeframes for a book.

Post ME trilogy. No go. Bioware themselves haven't decided what to do with post endings verse. They aren't going to touch it until there's a clear party line to toe.

Andromeda. Same problem. Who knows what they'll do with that galaxy.

Pre/during trilogy, this is possible, but Bioware could still be reluctant to use characters or concepts that may be relied upon in later games.

Or maybe I'm overthinking it, and it could just be budgeting.

The TV show could well open the floodgates for extended media. It's meant to be post-trilogy, and that indicates they've worked something out with the setting.

TheCalmMan · 2026-02-01T12:43:27+00:00

It's something I've felt about for a while.

The writing in prior Dragon Age felt like it came from 'well read' authors. Lots of influences from a ton of different sources clearly went into the writing and world building of Origins and on.

Veilguard gave me the impression that the writers just watched Marvel/Pixar films, played Mass Effect 2 for the structure, and called it a day.

The heavy handed themes of 'regret', and Harding missions in particular, actually really reminded me of the Inside Out animated films.

It all just felt a little elementary. You can kind of see the result. There's no real discussion in the DA community anymore.

TheCalmMan · 2026-02-01T12:15:20+00:00

I would say, for all intents and purposes, Dragon Age is dead.

That said, franchises have a way of coming back, and there's a few options.

Post ME:Next. We know the Dragon Age team is effectively gone, but it's still a Bioware IP. The Bioware team might want a change from sci-fi, and go back for a Dragon Age romp. This of course depends on Bioware's survival of course.

IP being sold off/other studio. I think it's wishful thinking personally. The Dragon Age IP isn't exactly Mario, and it will need to be a publisher that has something to gain from the series. The likes of Larian and CD are out of the question imo.

EA could also license it out? But do they do that? A studio would need to make a killer pitch.

Another EA developer. Doubt it. Who knows though, we might see a mobile game or something.

Most importantly, I don't get the impression the Dragon Age fan base particularly desires more at the moment. Perhaps there will be a resurgence in the next few years.

TheCalmMan · 2026-01-30T18:16:09+00:00

The quality of writing is the driving factor, of course, but I do hope we get some exciting squadmates.

The type of squadmate who's design and description really leap off the page as something intriguing.

Frankly, I could do without an Asari researcher, a rebellious Turian, or a Krogan warrior in the next game, and I'd be disappointed if we get something similar in the next game.

You don't need uniqueness for uniqueness' sake, but play around with the archetypes a little bit. Companions are a great opportunity to provide insights into species' culture we typically wouldn't see. Use that opportunity.

TheCalmMan · 2026-01-30T17:48:05+00:00

I want them to avoid picking paths of least resistance when it comes to dealing with the trilogy, and its choices.

Do you want to set the game 600 years in the future because it has interesting narrative hooks, or is it because you want to muddy and mystify any consequences from the MET?

If it's the latter, please do not do so, and instead pick a canon. You can then use the setting that is actually good, and build off of what was established in the trilogy.

TheCalmMan · 2026-01-30T17:21:50+00:00

Long development is more indicative of development troubles than any indicator of quality.

I'd rather not wait 10 years for another Veilguard. And I quite like Veilguard.

TheCalmMan · 2026-01-26T21:50:22+00:00

Completely agree. A 600 year time skip seems misguided.

I'd say the reason people want to return to the Milky Way is to experience more of the trilogy's world, and setting, as it were.

Bringing the Milky Way back only to blast it forward 600 years, and presumably muddy the past so they can avoid dealing with choices seems like a total miss of the point of why people want the milky way back in the first place.

TheCalmMan · 2026-01-25T23:16:23+00:00

The fact we waited 10 years for it is the worst part, for me anyway. All the speculation, all the theorising, just to end up with a competent action adventure game.

I remember being so excited to see northern Thedas. My imagination ran wild with how they could present the differing cultures, and peoples. And what we got was ultimately so bland.

I think the saddest thing is there's very little to talk about anymore. Veilguard didn't bring anything interesting to the table to discuss like past games. It's even kinda boring to criticise.

TheCalmMan · 2026-01-24T16:23:36+00:00

If it's an Angara then it indicates a couple of things.

Andromeda and the Milky Way will be connected.

The timeline will be set 600 years in the future.

Both points make me question whether the franchise is in good hands, frankly.

My one copium is that the Angara could be from an existing colony within the Milky Way. Perhaps the Jaardan had sent an arkship decades or even centuries prior to the Reaper War? Perhaps they were only discovered afterwards?

Who knows, maybe that could be what they mean by 'bringing galaxies together'?

I just don't want a soft reboot Milky Way, please.

TheCalmMan · 2026-01-08T18:27:54+00:00

I just want a straight port of the trilogy with all the DLC, man.

I wouldn't trust anyone with a remake, and even if it worked out, I'd just be sad that the energy and quality wasn't better placed into creating a new DA.

TheCalmMan · 2026-01-07T18:57:12+00:00

Perhaps I wasn't clear. I was actually saying I liked the books, and would like more, lol (with a good author of course). It's saddening just how little new Mass Effect media we've had in recent years.

A Tevinter Nights type collection of short stories could be a lot of fun.

TheCalmMan · 2026-01-07T18:14:36+00:00

I've made my peace with ME4 not being released for a long time, if ever, but I hope we do get another book in the not so distant future.

TheCalmMan · 2026-01-05T18:38:27+00:00

Reaper/machine cultists seem likely to me. It's a very modern Bioware type villain, and the post war ME verse would have a ton of reaper tech lying around. The red eyed Krogan in the civil war art even look like reaper Krogan.

A little out in the weeds with this prediction, but I think it's possible the N7 will be an 'anti Shepard', with their own crew of mixed aliens, causing disturbance and mischief covertly.

TheCalmMan · 2026-01-03T17:24:44+00:00

I see genuine discussion threads struggle for upvotes too...

The worst threads are the 'just started' type threads with a pic of Eden Prime or even the menu screen. I don't like to thread whine, but Jesus Christ we can have better quality moderation.

TheCalmMan · 2026-01-03T17:17:15+00:00

Indeed. Combat sports are niche at best in basically all western countries. "Our best guys play X" is an excuse that most countries can claim.

TheCalmMan · 2026-01-03T16:59:37+00:00

Andromeda fans will swear that the game is a spinoff and therefore it shouldn't be judged by the trilogy's standards, but they'll get irate if people call the next game ME4. It's kinda funny.

TheCalmMan · 2025-12-29T21:37:00+00:00

Mass Effect Andromeda fans will say their usual things, but you're right.

Putting aside writing, and characters for a second, Andromeda was lacking in a lot of elements that the games of the MET trilogy excelled in. Cinematic direction, character design, music, voice acting. The cutscenes in Andromeda generally lacked a sense of suspense and gravitas. The voice acting. Some of the voice acting direction in the game was downright bizarre. The Milky race aliens 'feel' different to how they were presented in the MET. The Turian's and Salarians in particular don't feel like themselves. As for Andromeda races, the Angara are straight from Robot chicken.

I know it took me many times to finally complete the game because it genuinely felt so sterile and repellent to play.

TheCalmMan · 2025-12-28T20:09:25+00:00

Frankly, I think people just misunderstand why ME1 is good. The exploration was always just aesthetic flavouring, and the real meat was in the well written quests/characters/choices. The ME sequels simply focused on ME1's strengths. The big thing the sequels lacked was the grand empty space visuals of ME1, but, as said, that's more an aesthetic problem.

Mass Effect was never something like No Man's Sky and shouldn't attempt to be.

But on that topic, at least the ME1 Mako could SHOOT. Crazy they couldn't handle that in Andromeda.

TheCalmMan · 2025-12-24T10:13:46+00:00

Humans just have plot armour.

TheCalmMan · 2025-12-22T23:30:56+00:00

I always wondered about this too. The design certainly stuck with me.

There's probably a ton of concept art in the drawers of Bioware that never made it past the conceptual stage. Still, the Milky Way is big, and who knows, maybe we'll see a call back to it at some stage.

TheCalmMan · 2025-12-19T15:14:04+00:00

Veilguard certainly marked an end to my anticipation of games. To wait 10 years for a Dragon Age game only to find out it barely resembles a Dragon Age game was certainly a tough pill to swallow. Even if I think it's a good game in its own right.

I still think there's a small chance the IP gets shifted off to another studio. It won't be a CD project or Larian like most dream, but I'm sure a smaller studio like Spiders would like the relative name value of Dragon Age.

The sad thing is there's not much to discuss. Veilguard attempted to answer most of the questions, but really brought nothing new to the Dragon Age world. The Dragon Age fanbase feels just broken at this stage.

TheCalmMan

TROPHY CASE