What To Know About the Mass Effect Board Game

First off, it’s an Eric Lang design. Eric Lang is known for such hit games as Blood Rage, Rising Sun, and Ankh. But that’s not it that he’s done. He’s worked on story and scenario focused games like Cthulhu: Death May Die as well and other games like the Bloodborne Board Game, Marvel United, and well, the list goes on and on. There is probably an Eric Lang game out there that you like.

The other big name is Calvin Wong Tze Loon. The big credit for him is not a board game. But instead that he has written on some big projects outside of board games. Crazy Rich Asians for one. The board game space is not a new space for him, though. One game that I enjoy a lot, Lands of Galzyr, he helped write for.

But what we know is the pedigree working on the game. And I think that is important to note. Because, right now we know that the Mass Effect Board Game is going to be a cooperative story driven game. That describes a lot of the big games that I pay attention to. So what is this one doing differently to intrigue me?

My Concerns

But I want to call out that this isn’t all roses. And when you look at comments or conversations and discord there are some immediate concerns brought up. For that reason, though, I thought it important to highlight the people working on it.

Modiphius has a hit and miss track record in the board game space. Let’s look at the Skyrim game that came out. It was met with middling praise. I need to play my copy still, but generally people thought fun, not great, from what I can tell. They create games, but none of them are that high.

Eric Lang and Calvin Wong Tze Loon, though, give me hope for the project. No offense to the previous designers, but Eric Lang is pedigree when it comes to the board game space. I believe that he is going to make a good game when I see his name attached to a game. It might not be a game for me, but I believe he’ll make a good one.

That said, there is still concern, will Modiphius let their talent really make a great game? Or is Modiphius a game company who is fine putting out mediocre games? I like the theory I’ve heard, you want games that some people love and some people hate because if someone loves your game, they will tell other people about it. Basically, you can’t please everyone. And Modiphius, I’m not accusing them of trying to make a game for everyone, but it feels like a concern.

What I’m Hoping For?

Well, first I want good game play. And I want a system that feels like a space adventure game. Right now, I know of three space big box games that I really like. One isn’t even that big a box. But Rogue Angels, ISS Vanguard, and Stars of Akarios. So it needs to go up against those, and it needs to do something different.

Rogue Angels is probably the closest to the plot feel. Emil Larson even describes the story as somewhat Mass Effect like. But that is a game with easy to follow rules. It has an interesting and well written story. And Rogue Angels lets the player decide on a lot of things, it is linear but linear with choices.

So I want to make choices that matter in a Mass Effect Board Game. I want the story to remember what I’ve already done. And the game play, I want that to be easy to pick-up with a good rule book. Basically, I want a quick to the table game with good story, good choices, and something that feels big. And finally, the story should not feel generic, it should feel like Mass Effect.

Final Thoughts on Mass Effect

When a game that is story driven and cooperative comes out, I’m generally interested. I like a good cooperative board game. And the Mass Effect Board Game is no different when it comes to that. I hear story drive and cooperative, I am there.

But, as you see, I am not without my concerns about the game. Mainly, can Modiphius make a game that stands out. Mass Effect is not a game that should just be middling. A lot of companies want that intellectual property. I guarantee it. So Modiphius needs to hit a homerun.

I think of other games, Nemesis for example, it’s the best Alien/Aliens game out there. It isn’t a licensed game. But people consider it the best one out there. I know that I love Rogue Angels. I got to play the prototype, and I want to play the completed game still. That sounds weird, I love the game. So, Modiphius needs to pay attention. Make a great Mass Effect game, otherwise, your game might be overshadowed by other space games.

It’d be funny, not for them, if they brought people into the hobby. People love Mass Effect, it’ll bring them in. But then, other games became the Mass Effect game for people to play. And just with the track record, it is a concern that I have.

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Games from Miniature Market

Bonfire

This is a game about gnomes building a bonfire, well, maybe that’s some of it. But it’s a Pegasus Spiele game, like the next one. And Miniature Market had a sale on them. Pegasus Spiele got on my radar because they put out First Rat, a game I wasn’t sure I’d like, but then I really did. Bonfire looks more complex, so I was interested in trying it.

Raccoon Robbers

This one I bought because it looked like a fun, more simple game from Pegasus Spiele. So I wanted to give it a go and see if it would work for me. Plus it’s about raccoons, a fun theme and comes with 3D (ish) houses that they climb up on, so fun components.

Via Magica

This is a light game that I wanted to try because I thought when I heard about it on the Dice Tower a while ago, Camilla is a fan of it there, it sounded fun. You can read my whole review here.

Mesozooic: Jurassic Mini Expansion and Triassic Mini Expansion

I’ve written a review on some of the games. Mesozooic I actually bought the base game a while ago. The two expansions were unlikely to be around much longer, on closeout, so I bought them. You can read my review on Mesozooic here.

Abyss: Kraken Expansion

This is an expansion, I own both, for a game that I need to play. It is probably not the smartest plan, but I have them now, so I need to get Abyss to the table soon. Abyss looks like a massive epic game, one you’d expect a lot of minis for. Well, it’s a much smaller simpler game than that type of game. More of an engine building from what I know. So I hope it’s one I really enjoying.

Escape the Dark Castle

This is one that just came back into stock recently. It and Escape the Dark Sector or games with fun dark looking artwork and, well, a dark theme. I want to play them and see how they stack up against something like Spire’s End. I know both can be played solo, so I’ll be getting to this one soon to really know.

18 Holes: Course Architect

18 Holes: Course Artchitect actually needs to get a review written about it. Same with the next one though that one I need to play more. But 18 Holes is about building out a golf course in a roll and write game and seeing how well that you can do. It’s a bit rules heavy for how simple the game is, but the more I play, the easier it is to pick up each time and faster games go. So it’s one that might just stick around as a solo game for me.

Bargain Basement Bathysphere

Bargain Basement Bathysphere is a solo game. And you can watch me play it on Malts and Meeples. It’s a roll and write game that is a campaign. So I want to see how it is over the long run before I write a review. It’s definitely very loosely a campaign. But the two games I played of it were a lot of fun, with really simple mechanics.

Clank! Catacombs

Clank! Catacombs I knew was a game I would buy. I waited until after Christmas, and then when I was told about Bargain Basement Bathysphere, I used Catacombs to get it to a level where I could get free shipping. It’s just another version of Clank! but one with a modular board which is build every time. Clank! In! Space! has a modular board, but that one is set to start the game. This could come out differently every time.

Three Sisters

A roll and write game from the people who did Fleet and now Motor City. I am curious about this one. I like Fleet, but it is a lot of mechanics, especially solo. Though I wonder if I will feel the same with Three Sisters. But it is one that I want to get to solo.

Star Realms Deck Building Game

Star Realms is the space version of Hero Realms, kind of. They are different games and Star Realms came first. But it’s a two player deck building game. I wanted to try it and see which one I like better. I think I’ll enjoy both, but will both stay in my collection?

Thornwatch: The Dark of the Wood Expansion

Thornwatch is a game that I picked up on a sale, probably hasn’t been in a Point of Order yet. I got it around Black Friday from the publisher. It looks like an adventure dungeon crawl sort of gaming experience. And it has some work done on it from Penny Arcade guys who I like their stuff. So I am curious about it and if it’ll be a dungeon crawler for me.

Planet Unknown

This one got an order all by itself. And I still need to play it. But Planet Unknown is a game about terraforming a planet. Yes, I own two games like that already. But it uses polyominoes and a lazy Susan. Though mine doesn’t come with it. But as you select pieces for your planet, you rotate a this central piece. And where I decide to stop rotating it, that determines what you get. So there is a bit of a puzzle where I might take a slightly worse for me piece to stop you from getting the perfect piece.

Star Trek: Super-Skill Pinball

I own two, no three, versions of Super-Skill Pinball. It is a roll and write game that I really enjoy and one I should play more. It is playing pinball and this one has a, you guessed it, Star Trek theme. There is a Christmas one as well with Christmas movies that I’m less interested in. But I do like Star Trek so I wanted to play this one.

Featherlight

Featherlight, another one that I played on Malts and Meeples with Bargain Basement Bathysphere. So you can find that in the video above. I like it as a way to optimize how you are scoring. It’s kind of a puzzle with some randomness. And I think that works really well for the length and weight of the game. It is very light, but offers you good choices as you play.

Unmatched: Marvel – Redemption Row & Hell’s Kitchen

I hadn’t planned on getting into Unmatched. But Marvel is what drew me in. And I have made a promise to myself that I won’t buy other sets, unless they are Marvel. So I am trying to get my hands on Deadpool, just waiting for someone from a Discord to ship it. But their lives are busy, so I understand. And there are upcoming Marvel sets, but I will talk about those later.

The Librarians

This is one that I got to try in 2020 when I did the digital GenCon. But it is a game around the Librarians TV show. The game is good, and I didn’t back it because I was backing too many things. So when it hit retail and hit a sale, I wanted to get it into my collection. It is a cooperative game and a fun theme that I want to play.

Ascension X: War of Shadows

Ascension, I’ve talked about it, this is my favorite introductory deck building game. I have two expansions, this one and a nature themed one, that I need to play still. But more is good because they are standalone or can be all mixed together. Well, maybe not all, but somewhat mixed together.

18 Holes: Second Edition & Expansion

You saw the roll and write, this is the tabletop version. It is still building a golf course. But you do that as a group. And then you play that course to see how well you do. I’m excited to try it. Sports games often aren’t the right match for board games. But I think that a golf theme works better than a faster spaced sport like Soccer or Football.

Starship Captains

Starship Captains is one that I played at GenCon in 2022. And I enjoyed it, but it is one that I want to spend more time with. It is a fast game, and I think that end snuck up on me in my one play. Is it one for me, or will it always feel too short? We will have to see, but I want to give it more of a try.

Relics of Rajavihara & Expansion

I just wrote a review on Relics of Rajavihara and you can read that here. But it is a fun puzzle game and I hope that this week or in the next two, I can fully wrap up the game. It’s fast and fun and a great puzzle.

Solomon Kane Expansions

Mythic Games is getting rid of their extra stock as they try and raise funds to complete and ship out other games. I could explain it more, but basically the pandemic hit them harder than a lot of companies. So this is a chance to grab the last of the stuff I don’t have. I think I own basically all of it now.

Enchanters

Another Mythic Games, another one that they sold the rights to. So it is discounted as they move their stock. A deck building game, but one I wasn’t super interested in. But when it is on sale and I can get the all in Kickstarter, or near that, it is worth buying and trying.

D&D Books

Just some more setting books and different books for more D&D content. I am there for that, and I want to mix it into my game.

Kokoro: Avenue of the Kodama

This is one that Zee mentioned in his Top 100 Games. It is a rework of an existing game, with a theme that Indie Boards & Cards has used before. So I want to try it with that theme. The rest of the Kodama games are less interesting for me. But this one because it’s an existing theme is interesting.

Exit: Lord of the Rings

It’s an Exit escape room board game. And this one my wife wants to try because of the theme. And in all fairness I’m excited for the theme as well. Exit games are not my favorite of the escape room style games because they are destructive. So it’s a one time use thing. But the theme in this case pulled me in.

Skyrim: The Adventure Game

Another one where the theme pulled me in. I avoided backing it on Gamefound. The game play looked fun, but I can only back so many games so often. Then as more came out about the game, the more interesting it became to me. And I hope that it’s a pretty narrative driven game that feels like Skyrim.

Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood of Venice

And to wrap it up, another video game one. And one that I wouldn’t have looked at too much. But it turned into one that I was very interested in because it has that big campaign feel to it, and cooperative play. And we know that is what I like in games.

Pre-orders

Plus there are a few pre-orders to talk about.

Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition – Discovery & Crisis Expansions

This one I should have added to my other set of pre-orders, but both of these are expansions to a game I really like a lot. Ares Expedition. One gives you ways to upgrade your action selection which will make you different and unique in the long run. The other one is going to offer a cooperative or solo play opportunity. So two things that I’m very interested in. There is a third one as well, but when it was on Kickstarter, it just didn’t interest me as much.

Earth

Another one coming from Kickstarter that I am picking up now. It’s an engine building game that looks like it should be pretty on the table. I find that I really like engine building games. And this one looks like it is in that framework of being light, but not too light. I’m hoping, mainly, that the rules are in a place where it is easy to teach and get to the table.

The Lord of the Rings: Adventure to Mount Doom

See what I said about Lord of the Rings before. This one is going to be an adventure book style game where you play through different scenes. Besides it being Lord of the Rings and based off of the same or similar system to the one used in the Princess Bride game I don’t know a ton more. But I’m more excited for this one than the escape room game.

Final Thoughts

Some of this has just been catching up on games that I’ve had an eye on and have been on my wishlist. The Librarians, Skyrim, and Assassin’s Creed were all on that list. And you can see a number of expansions as well.

But if it were you, which of these games would you play first? Of course, I’ve played some already, but I tried to call those out.

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I bring this up now because I am getting near the point, in a few weeks, where Lands of Galzyr will come off the table. It’s a great gaming, sandbox, type of story driven game. Not a campaign, but campaign adjacent. So on my shelf, which game do I play next?

ISS Vanguard

ISS Vanguard is an epic space game. But different than some where it’s flying about and blowing things up. So for example, different than Stars of Akarios (also an option to revisit). That is tactical space combat. In ISS Vanguard, humanity has uncovered a string in our DNA that leads to coordinates in space. Those coordinates, well, we don’t know what we are going to find out there, but, with humanity coming together, we find a way to make it out there.

The game is basically split into two parts. The first generally is planetary exploration. You go down to a planet, interact with things, complete tests, try and research, whatever the objectives on the planet might be. You take down crew and explore with them. The other part is back on the ISS Vanguard where you are maintaining and improving your ship. You also deal with issues that arise. A fun spin on things.

Oathsworn

Another option is going to be Oathsworn. Like ISS Vanguard it is going to have two parts in what you are doing. The first part is an investigative phase as you spend time around town or some location interacting with story and characters on a map. Trying to figure out things that will help you out in the next phase.

The second phase is doing to be boss combat. Characters are taken into combat with an interesting card mechanic that you play with. Each card has a cooldown on it, and they don’t cycle down until you play other cards that push them down on the cooldown track. And another thing that I like, you pick if you want to roll die or draw cards to see if you succeed.

Middara

Middara is a game that has been on my shelf for a while. Part of me is waiting until the next two parts come in as well. But Middara is going to be a dungeon crawl style game set on an alien planet that has an almost anime feel to it. So big crazy monsters and adventure as you go and a ton of story. It’s kind of from the peak of dungeon crawlers on Kickstarter where everything is huge.

My concern about streaming this one is that the map changes or grows over time. So like Chronicles of Drunagor, a game that I enjoyed playing, it is not going to be the best for streaming. But it’s an option and there is a lot of content for it just in Act 1, and I have Acts 2 & 3 coming eventually as well.

SHEOL

SHEOL is an interesting game, darkness has taken over the lands. And now as humanity you are pushing back against the darkness and monsters with the little Lux, light, that you have. Can you complete your missions and survive through the darkness?

I think that this one is easier to see on the table than to really explain. But it’s one that I didn’t back on Kickstarter and then I needed to track down after seeing Meet Me At the Table play it. It’s definitely one that is harder to find.

Skyrim

One of the newer ones to come out is Skyrim. Skyrim is a campaign game, like the video game. But how much time you spend in a game on a main quest or when you stop, I think is a little bit more up to you. And this is less of a dudes on a map sort of minis and dungeon crawl game. There is a ton of adventure to it, versus just trying to kick down a door and fight the next thing. So in some ways a little bit like Lands of Galzyr, though, there is still combat, or more combat in Skyrim.

Etherfields

Etherfields is an Awaken Realms that I backed and did single wave shipping, so for me it took a long time to come in. Now, I am still interested in the game, just a little bit less than I originally was. Etherfields is a world of dreams where you are exploring different dreams or nightmares and completing objectives. I believe it is a game that has progression and story to it, but it’s less of a campaign game than some.

Aeon’s End: Legacy of Gravehold

I’ve already played regular Aeon’s End Legacy. Legacy of Gravehold is the newer bigger box and I won’t lie, it is tempting me. I love Aeon’s End solo. And to play a giant box, I want to know what legacy content is in there. There is something fun about a campaign where you are opening up and exploring new things.

On the flip side, I already have showcased Aeon’s End Legacy and I think played Aeon’s End: War Eternal before on Malts and Meeples. So that makes it a bit lower on the list for me. But I also know already that I really like the game. So that is what keeps it on the list.

Relics of Rajavihara

This one very well might end up being a Monday streaming game. It’s a pretty simple, from what I’ve seen, experience that is meant to be played quickly. It is basically puzzles that you are trying to complete to get the treasure and it’s done on different levels. It reminds me of, I think it was called, Chip’s Challenge. A game about sliding around blocks to open up areas and, well, complete challenges. So a smaller game, but one I want to try.

Yggdrasil Chronicles

A friend taught me this game recently and I loved it. Yggdrasil Chronicles is a tough game of trying to stop various Norse gods, like Loki or Hel from messing with the world tree Yggdrasil. You play as one of the good Norse gods, but you are trying to do so much to make it work. And the more the frost giants, or other things get out of control, the harder it is to win the game. So it’s about remediating, but seeing if you actually can make it through.

I’m not sure what the campaign element brings. It does have some story to it. And I think it could be one that is fun to play, though trickier to film. Mainly because you are playing on a 3D tree that rotates. I would likely need to film it from the side to make it work.

Hoplomachus Victorum

Finally, and I do have more, Hoplomachus Victorum. This one actually isn’t quite here yet. But it is on the way and should be here soon. From Chip Theory Games, Hoplomachus Victorum is a solo and campaign version of an earlier game of theirs, Hoplomachus.

In this game you take your hero, build up troops, and fight in contests to become a hero. So that you can be standing tall as you go through the different areas and face off against different bosses. The story is light on this game, it is more a campaign of just gaining things and making your own story, versus a narrative adventure. But it’s also one that might work well on a Monday, though, that depends on how much setup there is.

Which Game to Play?

Let me know which one you think I should get to the table. I think that I am probably the most excited to play ISS Vanguard. But ISS Vanguard is one that I might want to play with a bigger group. So that would put it lower to the list.

SHEOL is probably the most different theme, in my opinion. The rest feel like themes you see in more board games. Maybe Middara is different, but it is more of a dungeon crawl with a lot of familiar things, just a less familiar setting.

And of course, this doesn’t include more Pathfinder Adventure Card Game or Arkham Horror The Card Game. And I can see games like Shadowrun Crossfire, Solomon Kane, Folklore: The Affliction and more that would certainly be options to play as well. Let me know which game you think I should stream after Lands of Galzyr.

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Now, I only write a back or brick about something if I am interested in it. So I was interested in my Mythwind, but I wasn’t sure that it was for me. I like games that have a pretty solid objective to them. Mythwind just growing your town wasn’t as interesting. But as it was ending, it was still on my mind. And it, along with two other games, were fighting for my back. Those games were the Skyrim Board Game and Lords of Ragnarok. And I even had backed Lords of Ragnarok but then dropped it.

Why I Dropped Lords of Ragnarok

The last article I wrote before taking a week off, needed a break and some health things came up, was about new editions of board games. You can read that article here. And I was leaning towards yes at that point in time. But I had to ask myself, what does it do different, anf for that matter, what does the Skyrim board game do different?

Lords of Ragnarok is an area control style game, I have games like Lords of Hellas, Blood Rage, and Small World all that do area control in different ways. Skyrim is an adventure game, but I have stuff like Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon and The Witcher eventually coming that are like that. Plus, I can likely get Lords of Ragnarok on the second hand market. There are a lot of backers for it, and Skyrim is coming to retail.

But Mythwind

Why did i picked Mythwind, it wasn’t a game that I was sure about but now I’ve backed it? Well, because it is so different. Mythwind is a game that you don’t win, you just play more of. You explore the world, build up your town and you have characters that play in different ways.

How the characters play reminds me of Merchants Cove a game that I really love. But Merchants Cove is a one off game, you play it, win lose, done. Mythwind gives you all those characters that play differently and that you can just keep on playing with them. There is no win condition. I don’t think there is a lose condition, as I doubt your character can die. Instead you just expand your town, see the world around it and just enjoy what the game has to offer.

Do I Think I’ll Love Mythwind?

That’s the question that I’m still not sure about. I think that I’d have liked the other games for sure, but would they come off my shelf over other games? Mytwhwind is a gaming experience that I don’t know when there will be something else like it that shows on on Kickstarter or Gamefound. It’s a unique concept that looks well thought out. Not only well thought out, but basically done.

If Mythwind looked like it was a general concept I’d have stayed a long ways away from the game. It is a concept for a game that without it being mainly done already, I’d suspect would fail. It’s different enough and someone would think it’s a great idea without realizing how much they need to do in the game. But Mythwind is a polished looking product so I’m confident that I’ll get something good.

I also think that if Mythwind isn’t a game for me, there’ll be a secondary market. Normally I just sell my games to my FLGS for store credit. But for Mythwind, I probably would sell it online myself, see what I could get for it. I didn’t get everything for the game, but it’s going to be one that my guess is will be harder to track down, at least for a little while. That said, I am hoping that I like Mythwind. The concept of the game really intrigues me, so what’s why I switched my tune and backed it.

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DA:O was released by BioWare all the way back in 2009, but that was midway through college for me, and I had neither the time nor the means to give it anything other than a passing thought. But at long last, I’ve found myself in simultaneous possession of an Xbox 360 and enough random blocks of free time to actually play some video games for once. And since Peder recently played through the game again, further inspiring me to start it once he was done, conditions were perfect to finally find out what the fuss was about. So far, DA:O has not disappointed–in fact, it’s often exceeded my hyped-up expectations.

For those who aren’t familiar with the game, DA:O is set in a high-concept fantasy land called Ferelden (one of countless examples of really great names within the game). You play as a hero who must leave their home (the reason varies depending on the type of character you choose) and join the Grey Wardens. The Grey Wardens are special forces whose job it is to protect the world from Darkspawn, demonic beings who threaten to overrun Ferelden. Early on, you find that you will one day be tasked with facing and defeating the Archdemon, leader of the oncoming Darkspawn horde causing an event known as the Blight. But first, you’ll have to travel Ferelden with a motley band of fellow heroes, rallying support for your cause and slaying monsters of all kinds along the way (in between seemingly hundreds of side quests, of course).

You have the option to play as a male or female character who is either a mage or rogue. You can play as a human, a dwarf, or as one of two sorts of elves–a city-dweller or a nomadic Dalish. The character I created is a female Dalish elf rogue, and as the story begins, she is tainted by Darkspawn sickness and must become a Grey Warden both to save herself and to protect her people and her realm from the Blight.

So far, I’m absolutely loving both the story and the general feel of the gameplay. In essence, it has all the stuff I loved from my brief foray into the world of Skyrim, and none of the stuff I didn’t. A highlight for me is the character interactions–in particular, I find the “approval” mechanic to be a lot of fun. DA:O allows you the option to get to know your fellow characters both through idle conversations between quests and during discussions that happen at key moments in the plot. In general it’s a good idea to chat with your fellow party members whenever there’s a lull–if you don’t, you might miss out on some really interesting dialogue.

Through these conversations, your party members’ “approval” meter in relation to your character will go up or down depending on the dialogue options you choose. You can even romance a fellow character–to do so, each time you interact with the party member you wish to form such a relationship with, you’ll need to choose the dialogue options that you think they will respond best to. After their approval of you reaches a certain point, you then have the option to initiate a romance with them. I highly recommend it, as it adds another layer of depth to the story that you wouldn’t get otherwise.

Another main component of the game is your ability as a player to influence the direction of the story based on the choices you make, from creating your character to speaking with your party members to the way you interact with key characters who are introduced along the way. Much like similar choice-based games, like the Mass Effect series, you can play your character in such a way that they are more virtuous and heroic or more villainous and chaotic, depending on your preference. I’m one of those people who feels terrible whenever I make my character do something mean, so I go pretty aggressively toward the virtuous side of things (why yes, I do know I’m a goody-two-shoes, thank you very much), but no matter what, the way you play your character has a big impact on the story at large. In my opinion, this makes the game highly replayable. Being both indecisive and a completionist, I have to admit that I find the choice-making element to be stressful at times, and I’ve already made a number of choices that I immediately regretted. Overall, though, I really like the choice aspect of the game, and I wouldn’t have it any other way, neuroses notwithstanding.

Like other fantasy RPGs, DA:O is rife with side quest opportunities. Here’s where my completionist side gets the better of me again…I find myself helping townspeople and hunting for rare items until I’ve all but forgotten what I was supposed to be doing in the first place. This is one of the reasons I quit playing Skyrim; however, unlike Skyrim, finishing all (or most) of the side quests in DA:O and still playing through the game in a reasonable amount of time is actually an attainable goal, so while this side of it trips me up a little from time to time, it’s not really a problem. In general, it makes the story feel richer rather than making the gameplay feel burdensome.

Another of my favorite aspects of this game is how rich the world of the game is. The visual aspect is stunning, and the graphics hold up surprisingly well for a game that’s nearly 10 years old. The characters feel as well-rounded as any fictional characters I could hope to meet, and they’re voiced by a host of talented voice actors. Throughout the game, there is a TON of dialogue, as well as a wealth of cut scenes both short and long. Some players may find this annoying if they’re ready to get into the action, but for my part, I really enjoy it.

Beyond that, I love how well-developed the history and the political climate of DA:O are. And though you can really dive into those elements if they interest you, it’s not forced upon you, so it doesn’t feel overwhelming or overwrought the way it so easily could. From the stories the characters tell you to the contextual codices you pick up throughout your adventures, it’s easy to see that the game creators put a lot of thought into developing a rich, realistic world.

As far as the combat aspect of the game is concerned, I can’t speak to it with much authority–I set the game on super-duper easy mode, since I care a lot more about the story of the game than I do about defeating monsters (not that that isn’t fun too). If combat’s your thing, just raising the difficulty level will give you the chance to focus on it more and work on honing your skills and strategically leveling up your characters. Thus far, the combat mechanic feels a little muddy to me, though I’m not sure whether this is due more to the way it’s set up or because I’m fervently button-mashing my way through each and every battle. Regardless of the reason, I’d say that the story side of the game is stronger than the combat side overall, but I think there’s plenty of room to lean in to either (or both), depending on your gaming style.

In short, this game is everything I’ve been looking for but not finding in other RPG-style video games I’ve played up until now, and it makes for an immensely satisfying gaming experience. I can’t wait to keep playing through this game and eventually move on to the next installments in the series, Dragon Age II and Dragon Age: Inquisition!

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