Great works of art have a peculiar characteristic of making consumers feel immersed, be it books, movies or games. Mass Effect trilogy and its remastered version, Mass Effect Legendary Edition, are such works of art. Fans around the world have fallen in love with the universe and characters created by Bioware.
The catch is that when the adventure is over and Reapers are defeated, Mass Effect leaves a vaguely Shepard-like hole in fans’ lives, aching to be filled with a new adventure. Let’s check out the titles you can dive into to soothe that itch!
Other Bioware Games
Of course, the easiest answer to “what can I play after I’m done with Mass Effect” is other games from the developer of the trilogy. Bioware is well-known for their RPGs, especially the work and care that has been put into various characters – and romances.
Mass Effect Andromeda
If you are not quite ready to give up on Mass Effect, you can always don the mantle of the Pathfinder in Andromeda galaxy. However, I’d recommend waiting for some time after your playthrough of the trilogy before jumping into Andromeda. If what you want most is Mass Effect 4 with Shepard heroically overcoming challenges, the lighter tone of Andromeda and its younger, less professional cast to that of Shepard’s crew can leave you unsatisfied.
In a desperate attempt to escape the Reapers and save the galactic community in the face of imminent destruction, the high and mighty of the Milky Way have launched the Andromeda Initiative. The plan aims to send hundreds of thousands of colonists to an entirely new galaxy.
Play as the Pathfinder – a leader of a squad of military-trained explorers. As you unfold the mysteries of the Andromeda Galaxy and the hope for humanity lies on your shoulders – You must ask yourself… How far will you go?
Dragon Age Series
Journey into the world of Thedas in Dragon Age, Bioware’s other famous RPG series. Discover new adventures full of striking characters, powerful magic, and rich storytelling. Meet an incredible number of Humans, Elves, Dwarves, and Qunari in a realm where every decision you make echoes across history.
In the trying times of Thedas, your characters would need backup. A cast of people from various backgrounds will come to your aid and will be fighting by your side on the battlefield… as long as you can keep them from leaving your party.
Unlike the Mass Effect trilogy, each Dragon Age title features a new protagonist. However, your decisions can still be imported and their consequences experienced.
Jade Empire
This award-winning action RPG from Bioware puts players into the role of an aspiring martial-arts master and follows the path of the open palm or the closed fist. Your choices and actions will determine the fate of the entire Jade Empire – and your companions/love interests. Will you prevent the destruction of this beautiful land, or will you crush it beneath your heel? Are you a warrior who uses his strength and fighting mastery to bring peace, or will you instead use your power to bring pain and ruin?
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Series
SW: KotOR & SW: KotOR 2 tell the stories of Revan and the Jedi Exile respectively in an era roughly four thousand years before the rise of the Galactic Empire. The choices you make influence the lives of those around you, and when faced with the ultimate decision, will you bring hope to the Jedi and the Republic or will you condemn the galaxy to centuries of rule under the Sith?
Other Games
Greedfall
The most Bioware-like out of non-Bioware games, Spiders’ Greedfall takes players to a fantasy 17-th century world, filled with magic, dangers, mystery and a cast of amazing characters to befriend or challenge.
Play as De Sardet, legate of the Congregation of Merchants. Explore uncharted new lands as you set foot on a remote island seeping with magic, and filled with riches, lost secrets, and fantastic creatures. Delve into a mysterious world of magic – begin a grand journey and uncover ancient secrets protected by supernatural beings, manifestations of the island’s earthly magic. Forge this new world’s destiny, as you befriend or betray companions and entire factions. With diplomacy, deception and force, become part of a living, evolving world – influence its course and shape your story.
The Outer Worlds
The Outer Worlds is an award-winning single-player first-person sci-fi RPG from Obsidian Entertainment and Private Division.
Lost in transit while on a colonist ship bound for the furthest edge of the galaxy, you awake decades later only to find yourself in the midst of a deep conspiracy threatening to destroy the Halcyon colony. As you explore the furthest reaches of space and encounter various factions, all vying for power, the character you decide to become will determine how this player-driven story unfolds. In the corporate equation for the colony, you are the unplanned variable.
Dead Space
A massive deep-space mining ship goes dark after unearthing a strange artifact on a distant planet. Engineer Isaac Clarke embarks on the repair mission, only to uncover a nightmarish blood bath – the ship’s crew horribly slaughtered and infected by alien scourge. Now Isaac is cut off, trapped, and engaged in a desperate fight for survival.
During EA Play Live 2021, it was revealed that Motive Studios is recreating Dead Space from scratch using the Frostbite engine. Are you ready to dismember your worst nightmare limb by limb?
BioShock
BioShock is a shooter unlike any you’ve ever played, loaded with weapons and tactics never seen. You’ll have a complete arsenal at your disposal from simple revolvers to grenade launchers and chemical throwers, but you’ll also be forced to genetically modify your DNA to create an even more deadly weapon: you.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
A galaxy-spanning adventure awaits in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, a new third-person action-adventure title from Respawn Entertainment. This narratively driven, single-player game puts you in the role of a Jedi Padawan who narrowly escaped the purge of Order 66 following the events of Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith. On a quest to rebuild the Jedi Order, you must pick up the pieces of your shattered past to complete your training, develop new powerful Force abilities and master the art of the iconic lightsaber – all while staying one step ahead of the Empire and its deadly Inquisitors.
cRPGs
The last decade has been kind to the fans of classic isometric cRPGs with plenty of amazing releases such as Divinity: Original Sin, Tyranny, Pillars of Eternity, Pathfinder: Kingmaker, and more titles arriving in the near future. These games feature deep, player-driven stories and a cast of amazing characters that can be befriended, challenged, slain, or romanced.
The only reason they aren’t placed higher in this list is how different their gameplay is from the Mass Effect series. Check out our articles dedicated to the games every cRPG fan should try and the list of 20+ PC games featuring romances.
Chances are if a title is giving players a shot at romances, it also has amazing companions and involved character arcs. Note: some of the games from the list, including the Mass Effect & Dragon Age trilogies, are featured in this article.
Upcoming Games:
Dragon Age 4
During The Game Awards 2018, Bioware had officially revealed the next installment in the Dragon Age franchise. There are currently next to no details on the title, including its potential release date, but there are some things worth speculating about!
“In the next Dragon Age, we’ll get an opportunity to see new things, new places, and interact with people who lived and grew up in these spaces as well”.
“For the game we’re working on now, we wanted to tell the story of what happens when you don’t have the power. What happens when the people in charge aren’t willing to address the issues?”
“The things that you’re going to expect in the next installment are going to be stories that focus on the people around you and the friends and family you make along the way.”
Mass Effect Next
During TGA 2020, the team from Bioware has been on hand to share the official teaser for The Next Mass Effect, featuring everyone’s favorite prothean expert.
“We’ve got a lot more in store for the Mass Effect universe and while we’ve got a long runway ahead of us before we’ll be ready to show you more, we hope the teaser set the tone for where we’re headed next. The teaser is full of hints about what we are planning, and we hope you have fun finding them all!”
Starfield
Starfield is the new space epic currently in development by Bethesda Game Studios. Starfield is the first new franchise in twenty-five years from the acclaimed developers of The Elder Scrolls and Fallout series.
In this next-generation role-playing game set amongst the stars, create any character you want and explore with unparalleled freedom as you embark on an epic journey to answer humanity’s greatest mystery.
Launching November 11, 2022 exclusively on Xbox Series X/S and PC.
The Outer Worlds 2
Shown during the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase of E3 2021, The Outer Worlds 2 cinematic trailer features the same tongue-in-cheek humor as the original.
blueturtle
Great article.
I second Jade Empire and Greedfall.
One a classic (Jade Empire) and the other (Greedfall) a really solid RPG that wholeheartedly tries to mimic what Bioware used to do.
Scott Jeslis
Great article CD! I’ll keep this list handy, especially for when my Steam Deck arrives 🙂