Almost 17 years have passed since then Mass effect first hit store shelves and is still one of the most beloved sci-fi franchises in gaming. But with Mass Effect: Andromeda leaving the series on a bad note, fans are desperate for another entry and redemption of the franchise. Mass Effect 4 was officially announced back in December 2020, and little to nothing has been revealed about the game since then.
Although it was announced two years later, Dragon Age: The Veilguard is beating Mass Effect 4 to impact, with a drop in just a few weeks. This probably means that Mass Effect 4 a little more. But there is another kind Mass effect game on the horizon that could fill the void, and should appeal to fans of both the series and tabletop RPGs.
Fans of Mass Effect and board games should keep an eye out for Mass Effect – Priority: Hagalaz
Mass Effect – Priority: Hagalaz explained
Developed by Eric M. Lang and Calvin Wong Tse Lun and produced by Modiphius, Mass Effect: The Board Game – Priority: Hagalaz is a cooperative story board game for 1-4 players. This board game aims to replicate the action-RPG formula found in Mass effect trilogy, in which players once again take on the role of Commander Shepard, this time investigating the wrecked Cerberus ship on the stormy planet Hagalaz.
As Shepard, players can recruit a squad of iconic characters such as Garrus, Rex, Liara, and Tali, each with their own minifigures in the main game set. Defeating enemies and completing objectives will reward the player and their teammates with new abilities, allowing players to gradually build their desired Shepard outfit, fitting into the series' archetypes such as Sentinel, Soldier, Vanguard, and Adept. Players can even go on additional loyalty missions for their companions.
Mass Effect: The Board Game – Priority: Hagalaz also shows the branching narrative it tries to imitate Mass effect story based on the choice of the trilogy. Players will be able to make certain decisions that affect the story both immediately and further down the line, including Paragon and Renegade decisions that affect in-game stats called War Readiness.
Mass Effect: The Board Game – Priority: Hagalaz currently scheduled for release in October. The basic game set includes several rulebooks and stories, a campaign map board, six miniatures, a variety of dice and tokens, and several enemy tokens. This basic set should cost $50, and if players are interested, they can pick up a number of additional miniatures that represent the enemies of the board game.
Mass Effect – Priority: Hagalaz looks like a tight board game
While the concept behind Mass Effect: The Board Game – Priority: Hagalaz great, the game itself seems like it might be a bit difficult, especially for those new to story based co-op tabletop rpgs. On top of a thick set of rules, Priority: Khagalaz also comes with a chunky storybook and a separate mission book. All of this is accompanied by some very detailed and dense character sheets for teammates. While early reviews for Mass Effect – Priority: Hagalaz were generally quite positive, with many outlets citing the game's multiplayer and shorter campaign lengths as big strengths in the tabletop scene.
