NA ME4 QUESTION

New Mass Effect? Five Things We’d Love to See

Hmmmm…. “We’re in early stages of designing a completely new Mass Effect game. What would you want to see in it?”  This afternoon Mass Effect Executive producer Casey Hudson sent out a tweet that got the imaginations of Mass Effect fans working overtime.  While this is something we’ve discussed at length on our podcast Rated NA, we’re elated to hear that Bioware is hard at work on a next-gen Mass Effect title.  After a bit of stewing here is what we’d love to see.

1.  The return of old faces:  The best part of Mass Effect wasn’t the space battles, futuristic weaponry, or even the gameplay, it was the relationships that we got to forge throughout our adventures.  While I understand the appeal of allowing the player to meet a entirely new cast and crew, it would be a shame to not bring back some of the Normandy’s heroes for a bit more action.  Imagine the thrill of running into an old and crusty Joker in a slimy bar on the edge of the galaxy, or showing up on Omega generations later to find Aria still in charge… . Awesome right?  Gamers love familiarity, and we’ve grown to know the characters of Mass Effect quite well.  Plus, we all know Asari and Krogan live forever.

2. No Prequels: Too much has already happened in the Mass Effect universe to ever devote a full game to old news.  While many people here at NA think it would be a great idea to spend time on the First Contact War or even the Rachni War, I say move forward!  The worst threat in the history of all time just got its butt kicked (in one of three ways) and it’s time to see what the future holds after the defeat of the Reapers.  As much as I’d love to play through these classic galactic conflicts myself, I feel as though they’re better suited for the books and comics.

3. Space Combat:  How incredible was it when the Normandy was blown out of the sky by the Collectors and then later returned to have its revenge with super Garrus pimped laser cannons?  Now imagine getting to actually PLAY that scenario and not just watch it.  With such incredible ship detail and design, it was always a shame we never got to pilot the Normandy through the Omega relay with our own sweaty hands.  While ship combat of that caliber was not entirely possible on current gen consoles, who knows what next gen will allow the developers to create.  More explosions!

4. Cooperative Campaign: Don’t get me wrong, I love me a traditional RPG, but WOW was cooperative multiplayer in ME3 a lot fun.  How would developers create a story based RPG with various dialog options that still allowed players to drop in and out of their friend’s games without screwing up their story?  I have no idea… but damn would that be awesome.

5. The Search for Shep:  One thing all players have in common is their love for Commander Shepard.  Imagine an entire campaign based around the search for a missing, and perhaps dead, Shepard.  Millions of players around the world agree that Commander Shepard is one of the greatest video game protagonists of all time, so why not make them work (and pay $$) to try and get their beloved Shepard back.   Also, Bioware wouldn’t be caught in a lie by saying that after ME3 Shepard’s story was over.  This wouldn’t be Shepard’s story, it we be a story about the search for a lost galactic hero.  Heck, it could even have puzzles and parkour!  Okay… maybe I just want Jennifer Hale back.

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This Post Has 21 Comments

  8. Jenn

    I agree about the prequel. I would LOVE to see something to do with the First Contact War, but I don’t think it would be enough for a game. And there’s the issue with a lot of the gameplay improvements we’ve gotten used to being explained away as advances during Shepard’s “dead” time. I’d love to see a post-ME3 set of games, set decades after the Reaper War, with cameos of familiar faces, like you said. There’s so MUCH they could explore.

    1. Ash

      I really don’t see how they really go in any other direction. Onward to the future eh!?

  11. Sarah

    Love this! But as someone who’s internet connection is spotty at best I’d like to keep it to single player.

    1. Ash

      I admit, the logistics of this one are tricky. I have no idea how they could implement co-op features into the main campaign without messing with a number of the RPG elements. They couldn’t simply go the SWTOR route because that would really on work with an MMO.

  12. Benny Bedlam

    CC: BioWare

    1. Ash

      Thanks! Let’s hope the stumble upon this.

  13. Scott

    I agree with most of what you wrote, but on the first point we disagree. The appeal of the original Mass Effect was, for me at least, that it captured the wonderment of space, and how small we are in the vastness of it. There was a retro-futuristic space station in which all of these aliens gathered, and the soundtrack had an EPCOT-like quality to it. For example:

    http://youtu.be/CMhCBA1-gPE

    While I love all the games, I feel that the tone of the last two shifted away from that. Almost as if the characters stopped being amazed at the things happening around them. I think the Stargazer sort of embodies some of that original spirit. That spirit is what I’d like to see in the next Mass Effect game… that, and Mako Kart Racing.

    1. Ash

      Your obsession with EPCOT knows no bounds. I kid, it’s my favorite Disney park as well. After watching that clip you added, I agree, there was something great about the “wonder of space” in the first game that was missing from the others. In all honesty I think the stakes were just too high… very little time to gawk at the awesomeness of space when giant robots are trying to turn you into gorilla glue.

      1. Scott

        It’s more the retrofuture / sci-fi VIBE that I was making a comparison to than a theme park. The setting is as important to me in Mass Effect as the story, gameplay, or characters. Take that away, and the story could take place in any setting. It’s one of the many highlights of the franchise that differentiates it from any other shooter or western rpg, ground aliens and space aliens, alike.

        As an aside, after a few sessions with the latest multiplayer update, that aspect really seems to have come into its own. It’s cool to see it evolve since the release.

  15. Andre

    Everything you wrote is not going to happen.

    1. Ash

      I was also hoping for a mining mini game similar to peggle. 🙂

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