Games like Mass Effect?

[XzarTheMad]

I'm looking for a game that my girlfriend (an already avid gamer) will enjoy. I have been researching the Dragon Age games, since she is a big fan of Mass Effect, but wanted some more 'personal' input. Specifically, she enjoys the deep characters and the way the game reacts to player decisions. It is also important for her to be allowed to play a female character. In that vein, how well does the Dragon Age games conform to the model set out by the Mass Effect games, and which would be the best to start with for someone completely new to the series?

Suggestions for other, similar games are also very welcome. She loves Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines, and the main draw for her is games with a well-told story and/or a deep, immersive world.

Thank you for your input.

 

[white_wolf]

Well as a fem player I can say I loved DA when it came to interacting with my squad. They're all really well done especially Alister I couldn't stop talking to him he was very realistic in his hopes, fears, and likes. I enjoyed the game alot more because of him as you get to know him. Consequence wise there is some but it's nothing huge its just does your npc leave or not or try to kill you or not.

I liked the Reckoning you can be a female there too but she's a silent protagonist and you're lonely I hated the fact a game so lovingly crafted had you wandering the world alone with no one at your side it just seemed like it should've had that. Beyond that you can get lost in this game finding all the side quest one I enjoyed I got scammed by a fairy who told me we would put on a tribute play for a goddess and then he tried to kill me because the woman was killed in real life another one was a met a wolf who got cursed to live as a man and he desperately wanted to get back to his normal state.

She could also do Skyrim but again a silent hero so it's all what you make of what he/she is thinking or liking, ect.

For an older game she could try Lost Odyssey its a male lead but I really like the fact it allows you to literately fight with your family the main hero and his wife don't age and so look like 20 somethings but they're actually grand father/mother and they fight alongside their grand children a very unique concept all the npc characters are very well done and really help make the story.

Really I haven't found much in the way of ME that allows me to play a strong fem lead who also has friends (and a love potential) working together.

EVE dust could be one but its still early to tell with customization options they say they'll be like EVE online yet I've found conflicting things on this other sources say its like Halo where you pick a M or F armored hero with no customization so we'll see.

 

[BrotherRool]

Knights of the old Republic 1 and 2 are obvious choices, KotoR 2 has the better party interaction of the two. But there's a good chance you've probably already done those? Jade Empire is another game built along the same lines with a great story and a whole cast of players and choices (although its a binary good/evil system)

Alpha Protocol doesn't have great combat, but it does have a really good character interaction system, but there's also no character customisation and you can't play as a female. The choice system for this game is absolutely crazy, out of 28 named characters 22 can be dead or 25 alive depending on your choices at the end. And it's not binary good/evil

Possibly Fallout: New Vegas? You don't have a party that you can talk too as much as individual companions but you can play as a female and there's tons of reacting to choices. In someways New Vegas is much better at choices because how you choose to play and where you go and what missions you do are choices in themselves.

Dragon Age is a very good choice for roleplaying and interacting with party members, but as a warning, the combat can drag and if that's happening dropping down to easy will make the game move along at a quicker pace.


The Walking Dead has great interactions with other people and one of the bets stories in gaming but you can't play as a girl.

Planescape: Torment has an incredible story and huge amount of choice but you can't play as a girl

 

[Chaud]

(...)the main draw for her is games with a well-told story and/or a deep, immersive world.

Well, as far as story goes, BrotherRool nailed it: Planescape is the best story ever told in a RPG. Ever.

If she can stand to play old games with "low visual quality" (at least by current standards), she should play the classics. Fallout 1, 2 and Arcanum are the pinnacle of "choices and consequences design" in RPGs. In no other game the world reacts to your behavior as much, so if she likes when the game reacts to player decisions, that's what she should play. Each game can be insanely different depending on how you build your character and how you deal with each NPC.

Other classics like Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 are good choices, as KOTOR and Neverwinter Nights are too. If she doesn't mind playing MODs, Neverwinter Nights series has a huge collection of them, some are even larger than the game itself. For Neverwinter 1, I would recommend Tortured Hearts 1 and 2, these are two mods with a huge amount of content, almost an entirely new game. Citadel is also another well known MOD, but I personally don't like it as much.

Deus Ex is another classic that has quests with multiple solutions, a good story. It kinda remembers Vampire:Bloodlines in a way, since it's an RPG in frist person.

 

[MercurySteam]

If you want an RPG that focuses on squadbuilding than go off and buy Dragon Age Ultimate Edition right now. If you need more convincing then:


I'm not kidding, go get it. Now.

 

[johnmasterlee]

You'll have to dig this one up, but Bioware's previous game Jade Empire is really awesome.

 

[Phoenix14]

Mars War Logs.

 

[Bat Vader]

Dragon Age Origins is a good recommendation I have seen in here and Jade Empire is another one. While not being able to play as a female I think Alpha Protocol is a pretty good RPG that kind of plays like Mass Effect. No squadmates but has an interesting conversation system and decisions do carry over into different missions.

 

[Ryan Hughes]

Suikoden > Mass Effect.

Here is an entry by game designer Krystian Majewski comparing the two games.

[http://gamedesignreviews.com/scrapbook/suikoden-effect/]

 

[beez]

Suggestions for other, similar games are also very welcome. She loves Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines, and the main draw for her is games with a well-told story and/or a deep, immersive world.

Thank you for your input.

Hey, if she doesn't mind a change of genre, Dreamfall: The Longest Journey should be right on that list, along with Beyond Good and Evil, if she doesn't mind older games / hasn't played them yet. These are a bit lighter games than DA:O and Mass Effect, but they are in my personal top games ever, along with Fallout 3 and the aforementioned games. Dreamfall would be an interesting choice tho, as it is half sci-fi, half fantasy with an awesome art style. BG&E is sci-fi with a beautiful and unique art style and deeper-than-expected story and lovable characters. These don't have RPG elements or moral choices, tho.

Have fun, if you decide to try out any of these.

P.S.: Dragon Age: Origins is a really fun game, just don't try the sequel. Or throw out any expectations if you do, because both of you will be disappointed. Since it is the first game in the series, it is the perfect introduction.

 

[Fox12]

I'm looking for a game that my girlfriend (an already avid gamer) will enjoy. I have been researching the Dragon Age games, since she is a big fan of Mass Effect, but wanted some more 'personal' input. Specifically, she enjoys the deep characters and the way the game reacts to player decisions. It is also important for her to be allowed to play a female character. In that vein, how well does the Dragon Age games conform to the model set out by the Mass Effect games, and which would be the best to start with for someone completely new to the series?

Suggestions for other, similar games are also very welcome. She loves Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines, and the main draw for her is games with a well-told story and/or a deep, immersive world.

Thank you for your input.

Well, the walking dead game has brilliant writing and character development. You won't get to play a female character (though the new game may change that) but there a numerous well rounded, likable main female characters. The game is built on the whole player decision model, and it was probably the best game of the year. Definitely a must play.

I guess I could mention Heavy Rain, since it helped pioneer the concept, but... it wasn't very good. Plot holes galore and terrible characters.

Fallout/Elder Scrolls destroy Dragon Age. Fallout 3 was fantastic. It doesn't really have a main story though, it's more about side missions and building the world.

Otherwise all I can think of are other adventure games, like the previously mentioned Longest Journey. The Walking Dead is probably your best bet though.

 

[Saladfork]

I also advocate Alpha Protocol. It's really good. Just make sure you get it on PC, I hear it's neigh unplayable on Xbox.

Besides that, you might try the elder scrolls game (personally I think Skyrim is the best one but there are a lot of opinions on that series) or the Witcher (second one is way better than the first).

 

[Joccaren]

In that vein, how well does the Dragon Age games conform to the model set out by the Mass Effect games, and which would be the best to start with for someone completely new to the series?

Better than Mass Effect, actually. Origins had a large party, and every member of your party had some backstory to them that you didn't find out about until later on. I'm not going to spoil any for you, but there are chances to "Harden" some characters once they are forced to confront their past, finding out things aren't as happy as they thought they might be afterwards. Hell, there's even an entire DLC dedicated to one of the female leads, where you play as her through her backstory, which brings more context to the main game. DA2 also has some fairly deep characters, though they seem from another genre entirely which can be annoying at times.
Choices also affect more than Mass Effect's choices did. Rather than simply "Oh hi, I saw you last game so I'm here again to say hi" choices, the choices in Dragon Age have some meaning - within their individual games anyway. We'll see if they have wider meaning in Inquisition. In Origins you are tasked with assembling an army to fight the blight. At each place you visit you are given a choice of who to help out of two sides. The side you choose will fight with you in the final battle. There are also some occasional times where you can boost the strength of some of the forces through talking to the leaders of more outcast sects, and convincing them to work with the main ones in the final fight. And unlike in ME3 where all this means is "Salarians are here, Turians are here, Asari are here, Alliance is here, Quarians are here, Geth are here. Everyone's here commander", this actually has an impact on the game. During the final battle you are able to call in the various armies you have assembled to help you fight, and in the final boss battle all the armies you assembled are there regardless, as well as any of their leaders or notable characters that you kept alive, fighting alongside you to defeat the archdemon. Anyone that you killed or didn't help won't be there, meaning the battle may be easier or harder. DA2s choices don't work in quite the same way. They are more personal, and choices that you may not have realised you were making can end up leading to characters dying, or being taken away, or running away, or turning against you. There are only a few instances of this, but they are generally done effectively. There are also the head nods to your choices in DA:O and awakening, though some of them are entirely disregarded/retconned. Mostly character deaths.

Specifically, she enjoys the deep characters and the way the game reacts to player decisions. It is also important for her to be allowed to play a female character.
Suggestions for other, similar games are also very welcome. She loves Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines, and the main draw for her is games with a well-told story and/or a deep, immersive world.

This makes things difficult. I'll run through the suggestions in the thread so far that I have played, and why this presents problems.
Skyrim Characters are not deep. Hell, characters barely exist. They do, but they have little 'character' to them, and the entire world feels lifeless. You can tell you are playing a game with generic NPCs, whereas in ME everyone at least seems to have character to them. Same generally goes for other Bethesda games. For this reason I would not recommend. There are also few choices in the game, and after that choice is made and the quest arc completed there is almost nothing changed by that choice.

Walking Dead Can't play as a female, though it does centre around a female character with the story.

Planescape Torment Can't play as a female

Deus Ex Surprise Surprise, you can't play as a female

Alpha Protocol Can't play as a female

Witcher Can't play as a female

A few notes after this:
I would highly recommend playing the Witcher 2, despite not being able to play as a female. It is an amazing game, with choices having a massive impact on the second arc in particular, and carrying through to the finale to decide the state of the world, who lives and who dies, based off your choices throughout the rest of the game. It is very well done, and you should play it.
The older Bioware titles are also good suggestions. I don't remember a ton of choice and consequence in them, but its been a while. The characters are, however, very well done, and they are fun games nonetheless.
Additionally, be careful with the Dragon Age games. Origins/Awakening are old style RPG games. Nothing is based on player skill like Mass Effect is almost entirely, its all based on the tactics you play with, and the stats and abilities of the characters you build. The second one is similar, but with more button mash combat, which is simultaneously quite broken at times, and has worse graphics than the original in addition to a more anime based art style and a story that is questionable at best.

 

[keiji_Maeda]

Suikoden > Mass Effect.

Here is an entry by game designer Krystian Majewski comparing the two games.

[http://gamedesignreviews.com/scrapbook/suikoden-effect/]

I second this, however, suikoden I is kind of dated, not by my standards, god no! But by most peoples standards.

 

[votemarvel]

I can only echo the other suggestions but I would like to add one more "Rise of the Argonauts."

Again you can't play as a female character and the graphics aren't the best but its a really fun story with well done characters and has a great conversation system.

 

[Ninjat_126]

Dark Souls. Okay, it has nothing to do with the topic, but the (few) interactions with the cast have much more impact when it's a good few hours of crawling through deserted archives between your chats with them.

Fallout New Vegas had some interesting companions, but most of their character building was done through hidden quests.

Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines and Deus Ex do the action-rpg thing with different ways to build your character and a focus on dialogue.


You know, there really needs to be more games like these.

 

[Staskala]

Fem characters is kinda hard, most deeper, character-driven games games have fairly restricted char creation, if not just a predefined main protag - who is almost never female.
Anyway, Gothic. Period. Not too many RPGs around that come even close too it, although it and especially the first game's control scheme are pretty dated.
In terms of space operas there's not too many games at all, maybe Anachronox (also predefined protag, ends on a cliffhanger with no sequel in sight, ever).
Can't think of much else that hasn't already been mentioned, will edit when I can think of more.

 

[AuronFtw]

Actually, if you're looking for the game that Mass Effect and even Dragon Age drew inspiration from for character development, it's Baldur's Gate and (to a much lesser extent) Knights of the Old Republic. They were games set in massive worlds with hundreds of NPCs to talk to, thousands of dialog options, puzzles, riddles, combat, the whole nine yards. (Incidentally, BG is one of the only series to have ever done thieves well as an RPG class. Instead of being relegated to the shittier-armor-and-also-shittier-damage-than-the-warrior class, they can go into stealth and backstab for quintuple damage at higher levels, often instakilling a key target right off the bat. They can also find and disarm traps, set a variety of traps depending on subclass, pick locks and pockets and steal from shop owners. They were really well-versed in the art of thieving, which was great.)

Anyway, one thing you'll have noticed in Mass Effect (and you'll notice it in Dragon Age as well) is that the dialog is really, really simplistic - your choices are boiled down to "the good guy," "the bad guy," and "the neutral third option for the indecisive." Those drastically limited dialog options hurt those games far more than you realize, and after even a short while playing something like BG2 (where you often have 5+ responses to any given situation, sometimes even more) you feel like you're much more in control of your character and his actions than you are in the on-rails experiences like Mass Effect. If dialog is something you're interested in, be sure to check out BG and Kotor. Same company, same mindset, just a decade earlier and made for a different audience.

That said, the combat is vastly different. ME featured shootery combat with a few bells and whistles, but nothing really changing up the formula. DA features more traditional selection of warrior rogue wizard archetypes, but given the simplicity of each class and their relative lack of class abilities, you end up playing many of them the same way alllll the way through. In BG (not so much in kotor, unfortunately) the class list is massive and you end up playing each one a little differently depending on its subclass perks and unique equipment you pick up. It comes at a cost, though; both BG and kotor run off older versions of D&D rulesets, which means you often have to be familiar with terms like THAC0 or be ready to read walls of text to figure out what specific spells do. Mass Effect and Dragon Age streamline this immensely, and each ability is much less complicated and mechanics don't require sitting down with a manual to figure out (which lets you hop right into the game without worrying about prep time).

Lastly, as it must be mentioned, while Baldur's Gate is a truly legendary game, and one of the best PC games of all time (and certainly one of the best RPGs of all time, if not the best), it's dated and "needs" some mods to work properly, or at least to not drive you totally nuts. If you're interested in BG as a whole experience, pick up the DRM-free copies from gog (or wherever) and follow this guide [http://www.gog.com/news/enhance_the_gameplay_in_your_edition_of_baldurs_gate_from_gogcom] to install a fairly all-in-one modpack that tweaks nearly every aspect of the game, adds more content, more shops, allows access to more strongholds, etc and also runs all of Baldur's Gate (1) on the BG2 engine, which vastly improves the quality of the first game! I cannot recommend them enough, though. They're old, they're dated, and they take a bit of effort to get running smoothly, but if you're interesting in an incredibly rich character driven RPG with plenty of great dialog options, BG is the game for you. It's several gens old, it isn't pretty like Mass Effect often is, but it's heads and shoulders above the recent RPG releases in terms of legendary characterization.

 

[Dragonbums]

While the character customization and choices trees are limited- Fire Emblem: Awakening made me care for their characters in a way I haven't since the Mass Effect series.
Also, if she is in to shipping people that too is basically an otp game.

That's not to say that's all the game has to offer. I can guarantee you that the story is superb.