⁢ A Mass ⁣Effect and Dragon ​Age veteran game ⁢designer has come​ out⁢ to⁢ critique the two franchises and suggest alternative gameplay for the latter.

Joshua⁤ Rubin, who has been a game designer ‍at BioWare since​ 2002, recently⁢ posted his thoughts on the⁢ Mass Effect and‍ Dragon Age ⁣franchises. He suggests that the original‌ Mass Effect trilogy, which many consider‍ to​ be one of the greatest ‍science fiction games ever made, has “too much ‍structure to ⁢the plot” and “tends towards linearity”, making it ‘too constrained⁢ to reach its potential’. On the other hand, the ⁤Dragon Age series, which Rubin identifies as⁣ a franchise with “an amazing depth of‌ story and lore”, has ‍developed ⁢a draining level of repetition which⁤ “obscures the‍ brilliance of the bigger ​picture”.

Rubin believes ‍that ⁣in terms‌ of game design, the original Mass ‍Effect trilogy⁢ leaned⁢ too​ heavily on providing the player with a pre-planned path ⁢towards a predictable endgame, which made the entire experience feel more ⁤like a theme park ride than a meaningful story. He instead suggests that future ​Mass Effect titles “embrace player choice ⁤in⁣ a more meaningful way”, ⁣so⁣ that gamers can choose their own adventure through a galaxy of varied outcomes ‌and ​situations.

As for Dragon Age, Rubin ‌believes that the series has⁣ suffered from an accumulation of ⁢minor gameplay elements that ⁢inhibit the overall experience. He suggests‍ that the ⁤franchise should “remove cumbersome mechanics and systems”,⁢ while⁣ also utilizing the ⁤“vast worlds” and ‌“clever writing” to create a more “engaging story-focused RPG adventure”.

Overall, ​Rubin’s insight on the two different franchises provides⁢ a unique perspective on the successes – and failures –⁢ of Mass Effect and Dragon ​Age. It will‍ be ⁢interesting to see ‍if ⁣BioWare⁣ takes on his suggestions for future games.