Mass Effect 4: Andromeda - 10 Lessons It Must Learn From The Witcher 3

9. Tougher, Less Certain Dialogue Choices

Gamers owe a lot to Mass Effect for the improvements its made to meaningful dialogue choices in RPGs. Players had to choose their words carefully, make knee-jerk decisions under pressure, and never make throwaway comments, because it could all have implications later in the game. Despite that, The Witcher 3 has come along and in some ways (though not all) bested the ME dialogue system. Many decisions in Mass Effect 3 felt dualistic, with important decisions entailing a response that was either 'Paragon' or 'Renegade' - good or evil, essentially. These options would also be colour blue or red respectively, so it was always very clear what to say to align yourself one way or the other. The things you say, and the responses you get, shouldn't be as planned or predictable. There were plenty of times in The Witcher 3 where the thing I said didn't have the desired effect, resulting in a failed quest or me having to cleave someone's torso in two (they left me no choice). Such an element of unpredictability is no bad thing, making you choose your words more wisely rather than have the game point you towards things to say. Mass Effect Andromeda needs to add an element of The Witcher 3's volatility to its dialogue system, as it'll give extra gravitas to players' decision-making that just isn't there with ME 3's user-friendly, colour-coded system (pictured).