Mass Effect: 8 Ways Developers Could Produce A New Entry Worthy Of The Fanbase
After Andromeda, a new Mass Effect game is likely a pipe-dream, but what a dream it could be.
There was a time when the Mass Effect series was on top of the world. The space opera kept gamers hooked with its excellent writing, choice-heavy gameplay and gripping story. It was an original IP that could go up against Star Wars in the gaming sphere and come out smiling.
Unfortunately, this lasted until the point in 2012 that fans had completed the third game in the original trilogy’s campaign. The ending to Mass Effect 3 was universally panned, mainly due to the decisions the player made over three games having no impact on how the story wrapped up. Three near-identical ending paths were available and any of them could be chosen, regardless of the decisions Shepherd had made before.
Then came Andromeda- the less said about it, the better. It was a broken cash-grab that EA and Bioware had crapped out in hopes of making a quick buck from a beloved property.
Fans worldwide have since longed for a true continuation of the saga; great writing, an excellent story and an engine that actually works. The last true Mass Effect games were released on previous-gen consoles. It’s time we look at how a current-gen game could relive the previous successes of this epic series.
8. Set It WAY After The Original Trilogy
A new Mass Effect instalment would benefit greatly from taking place a long time after the events of the original trilogy. Stories of Shepard, The Illusive Man and The Reapers should have long become myths and legends. This would allow the writers to continue the story without having to rely too heavily on past games.
Doing this would also mean that perceptions of Shepard could change, dependent on who you’re speaking to. Was Shepard a man or a woman? A paragon or a renegade? What exactly was their involvement in the Genophage? Nobody knows for certain; they’ve just heard the stories. The only thing everyone in the galaxy can agree on is that Shepard was the human who gave their life to end the Reaper threat.
The idea of an unknown Shepard would remove the constraints of player choices made in the original games.
Jumping forward in time would be a solid way to create a delicate balance between a brand new storyline, whilst still staying faithful to the source material. Nostalgia and throwbacks should indeed be included, but a new game needs a new direction, a new threat and a new band of characters to fall in love with.