In both cases the player can lock-on to nearby enemies, fire two core weapons (a machinegun and the equivalent of a grenade launcher), and unleash a couple of charge attacks that are as explosive as they are damaging.
Dowson's Saints switch makes him the latest Falcons playerto quit the club, following prop David Wilson and lock Geoff Parling, who will join Bath and Leicester respectively at the end of the season.
Ironically, Abbott was not the only playerto suffer a knee ligament injury in Friday's game, Bristol lock Ben Glynn having also been ruled out for six months.