Mass Effect 4: 10 Things It Must Learn From Dragon Age: Inquisition
5. Keep Improving The Romance System
Inquisitions romance system is a huge improvement over Mass Effects. It feels deeper, more natural, and less rigid. Whereas the romantic plotlines in the Mass Effect series were all about the build up to the obligatory sex scene, Inquisition continues relationships beyond that. It is more loosely structured, with some characters willing to get right into the heat of things well before the climax of the story. You can also start and stop romantic relationships at any time. If you changed your mind about being with one character you can break it off at various points and pursue another. Most impressive though is how diverse the various romantic plotlines are. Some, like Josephine, are touching, while others, such as Iron Bull, are just plain dirty and hilarious. They are all excellently written, even by Bioware standards. The Mass Effect series may have popularised and set the standard for player driven romantic plotlines, but Inquisition is a refinement and a step in the right direction. Going into Mass Effect 4, Bioware needs to take what they did in Inquisition and refine it even more. Given the improvements in Inquisition, there is no reason not to expect this. The romances continue to be one of the most popular and user requested elements of Biowares RPGs; they make players feel more personally invested in their stories. It would be foolish not to take these improvements beyond the Dragon Age series and into Mass Effect.
