Mass Effect 5 will not feature stylized visuals similar to Dragon Age: The Veilguard, director confirms

by Danny Craig  · 
Mass Effect 5 will not feature stylized visuals similar to Dragon Age: The Veilguard, director confirms
Electronic Arts

Mass Effect 5 project director Michael Gamble has confirmed that the game will not feature stylized visuals like those controversially used in BioWare's Dragon Age: The Veilguard, instead opting for a photorealistic look.

The details:

  • Speaking on X about concerns about the tone and style of the next Mass Effect title, Gamble clarified that, while both Mass Effect and Dragon Age are BioWare franchises, creating a sci-fi title is "different" from other genres. He added that the fifth installment would keep the "mature tone" of the original trilogy, with "serious characters put in some humorous situations."

  • In response to a fan's concern that Mass Effect would drastically change its visuals like The Veilguard, Gamble stated that this will not be the case. “I'm not sure I agree with the Pixar thing, but Mass Effect is photorealistic and will be as long as I'm running it,” he wrote.

  • The franchise's most recent entry, Andromeda, received mixed reviews from fans and critics due to a number of technical issues, as well as its decision to take a more lighthearted approach than the original trilogy. However, the upcoming fifth game will be more in line with the trilogy, taking place in the Milky Way centuries after the events of Mass Effect 3.

  • Dragon Age: The Veilguard will be released on October 31, ten years after Inquisition. Although fans have yet to play the game, its visual style has sparked widespread criticism for its emphasis on smoother textures and more exaggerated, cartoonish models. While some reviewers, such as Eurogamer's Robert Purchese, argue that it enhances the fantasy setting, many others believe that it looks "cheap," drawing comparisons to mobile games and titles like Fortnite.

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