Romance is a key feature of both the Mass Effect and Dragon Age series, allowing players to explore new plot lines with some of their favorite companions from the games. Oftentimes, however, the conclusions of BioWare's romantic storylines are left either unresolved or ambiguous. While this may fit in with the goal of player freedom across these RPGs, it's not always satisfying - but Mass Effect 4 and Dragon Age 4 have the opportunity to change that.
Both ME4 and DA4 are currently in development by BioWare, though neither one has been given a release date as of yet. Earlier this month it was revealed that there are no plans to show Mass Effect or Dragon Age at EA Play Live, meaning it's unclear exactly when fans can expect more news regarding either franchise. At the moment, only teaser trailers have been released for each title, so there's little concrete information regarding what they'll look like in terms of story or gameplay.
It seems safe enough to assume that both Mass Effect 4 and Dragon Age 4 will include romance options once again. The gameplay element has appeared in most BioWare RPGs, including its older titles such as Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic or Jade Empire. Because of that, BioWare fans are already starting to speculate how the feature could change or be improved in ME4 and DA4; and it's even theoretically possible that marriages might make a return.
What Marriage Could Look Like In ME4 And DA4
Marriage has occasionally played a role in some of the BioWare romances of the past. Dragon Age: Origins, for example, allowed female player characters to marry Alistair under a few different circumstances. This element admittedly wasn't a large focus of the romance and was primarily only important offscreen - future games brought up the marriage between the two characters, but it wasn't included as a significant ending within Origins itself. Romance in Dragon Age: Inquisition took the mechanic a step further with the release of the Trespasser DLC, allowing players to have on-screen marriages to either Cullen or Sera if they were engaged in a romance with either character, though the other romance options were excluded.
Dragon Age 4 and Mass Effect 4 can re-introduce the feature, setting aside the relatively ambiguous endings that BioWare romances often go with in favor of more concrete conclusion. This would be more likely if the protagonist of either game was a stand-alone character rather than the Inquisitor or the iconic Commander Shepard. Relationships of this kind are easier to pull off when stories can be introduced and wrapped up within the scope of a single game. This would allow the titles to still remain connected to the other games of these franchises while allowing for a conclusion to some interpersonal relationships that feel more satisfying. Marriage, or similar romantic conclusions, would greatly help flesh out the stories of the next Mass Effect and Dragon Age releases.