The Dragon Age series shares many similarities with the Mass Effect trilogy, and all three games include Easter Eggs and references to BioWare's epic sci-fi RPG. Fans have long theorized that Dragon Age's Thedas could conceivably be a planet in the Mass Effect universe, though there has been no official confirmation from BioWare. Thanks to the release of Mass Effect Legendary Edition and a few teasers about the upcoming Dragon Age 4, interest has picked up for both games, prompting players and fans to discuss the similarities between the two.
As Dragon Age: Origins came out a few years following the first Mass Effect game, there are far more references to Mass Effect in Dragon Age than the other way around. Many of the Mass Effect Easter Eggs in Dragon Age are easy to spot, like the ubiquitous mounted krogan heads on the walls of various estates across Orlais, or some of Cole's famous, cryptic references in Dragon Age: Inquisition. Others are more subtle, like specific codex entries or party banter that only triggers when the Inquisitor has certain characters with them. For players who enjoy both series and want to catch all the references, here's every Mass Effect Easter Egg in Dragon Age and how to find them.
There are some Mass Effect Easter Eggs in every Dragon Age game, though the majority appear in Dragon Age: Inquisition. Dragon Age tends to include references to popular fantasy media, so science fiction nods are a little easier for fans to spot because they feel more out of place. While there are no specific quests or rewards associated with finding them, players can keep an eye out for these nods from the developers to their fans.
Famous Lines
There are many famous Mass Effect lines that appear in Dragon Age. Some examples appear below:
- Cullen comments in the War Room in Dragon Age: Inquisition that he needs to leave to calibrate the trebuchets, and Leliana and Josephine will imply he is always doing that. This is a nod to Garrus' infamously repetitive calibration line.
- If Varric and Sera are in the party in Dragon Age: Inquisition, Varric may talk about he and Bianca's "reach and flexibility," a nod to Garrus' line when romancing Shepard in Mass Effect 2.
- During Dragon Age 2: Mark of the Assassin, after slaying the wyvern, Duke Prosper will say hunting wyvern is a "terrible risk, but the prize." This is a reference to a line from Jacob Taylor to a romanced Shepard in Mass Effect 2.
Codex Entries
Multiple Codex entries in Dragon Age reference events and characters from Mass Effect, including one that begins, "Mass will have an effect." There is also a letter from a healer in the Hinterlands at the Redcliffe Crossroads written in the same speaking style used by Mordin Solus.
Cryptic Cole
In Dragon Age: Inquisition and the Trespasser DLC, some of Cole's banter directly references events from Mass Effect, including:
- "An old name burns inside armor that shouldn't fit, lit by faces of children he couldn't save": May reference the child in Shepard's dreams in Mass Effect 3
- "He died in the darkness so a blue rose could bloom": References Charr, the krogan romancing the asari he called the "Blue Rose of Illium"
- "It always had a soul. The question is the answer": References Legion's question to Tali in Mass Effect 3.
- "The cow sometimes takes your gold": References the Shifty-Looking Cow in Mass Effect 1
- "It was the same boy. His mother on the ship. His father in their homeland. He grew up lonely, or didn't": References the quarian child Jona from Mass Effect 3.
Krogan Decor
In both Dragon Age 2 and Dragon Age: Inquisition, the wealthy of Orlais have mounted krogan heads around their estates as though they were hunted for sport. These are especially apparent during Mark of the Assassin's infiltration mission and Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts.
Conrad Verner
In Dragon Age 2, Hawke takes on the optional side quest How To Frame a Templar, available from Mistress Selby if he saved Kieran's position with the Templars. During the quest, he will meet a Ser Conrad Vernhart, a reference to Mass Effect's infamous Conrad Verner.
Tallis' Dagger
In Dragon Age 2: Mark of the Assassin, the Qunari assassin Tallis has a dagger named Thane. Actress Felicia Day who played and helped design Tallis named the dagger after drell assassin Thane Krios, her chosen romance in Mass Effect 2.
Futuristic Throne
In Dragon Age: Inquisition, the Enchanter's Seat unlockable throne for the Main Hall at Skyhold resembles a Mass Relay from Mass Effect. Players can get this seat by completing Vivienne's companion quest, Bring Me the Heart of Snow White.
Elevators
If the Inquisitor brings Dorian Pavus along for the first part of the Descent DLC in Dragon Age: Inquisition, he will comment upon the abnormally long elevator ride into the Deep Roads. He will also suggest that the elevator needs music, referencing the elevator muzak playing on the Citadel in Mass Effect 1.
Klendagon
Thedas has two moons, and one of them, visible at Ostagar in Dragon Age: Origins will be familiar to Mass Effect fans. The moon resembles the planet Klendagon in Mass Effect 1. It has since been revealed that Klendagon's surface was created by using a mirror image of Mars, which was likely also done to create Thedas' moon.
Geth
This Easter Egg is more speculative, but helped cement fans' theories that Dragon Age and Mass Effect take place in the same universe. The Shade demons, which particularly feature in Dragon Age 2 and Dragon Age: Inquisition, bear a striking resemblance to Mass Effect's Geth. Both have a single, bright "eye," both have a sloping head, and both creatures share similar physiques.
The Dawn Will Come
During the iconic scene on the mountain in Dragon Age: Inquisition where the people of Haven sing "The Dawn Will Come," a line from the song may catch the attention of Mass Effect fans. It is possible that the verse, "The shepherd's lost / and his home is far / keep to the stars / the dawn will come" is a reference to Commander Shepard remaining in space away from Earth on Anderson's orders to bring an end to the Reapers in Mass Effect 3.
Dragon Age: Inquisition is available for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
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