Last year, at The Game Awards 2020, BioWare treated its fanbase to an announcement that they most likely were not expecting for some time. Mass Effect was returning and not only that, but based on the teaser that was shown, it looks like the next project is going to continue after the Reaper War of the original trilogy. While this is no doubt the more popular decision based on the reception that Mass Effect: Andromeda received, it is potentially the more volatile given the arguably worse reaction that the original trilogy’s endings faced.
Can BioWare catch lightning once again? Perhaps. Answering these burning questions could be a great start.
10 Which Ending Is Canon?
The most pressing question that would need to be addressed immediately is which of Mass Effect 3‘s endings will be treated as the reality for the next game. While one of the big critiques of the endings from fans was that each one felt too similar to the other, it is difficult to make that same assertion when discussing a game that will take place in their aftermaths. For example, in two out of the three endings, the Reapers still exist. While the possibility of Shepard being alive, only persists in one of the endings. Regardless of how dejected fans may have felt, the endings of Destroy, Control, and Synthesis do lead to different states of the galaxy afterward.
9 How Long Has It Been?
Another important question is how long after the Reaper War will the new setting take place? The epilogue of Mass Effect 3 shows us a galaxy in the midst of rebuilding. Mass Relays are destroyed, cutting off contact with other parts of the cosmos and it would probably take several years, if not decades, to rebuild all of them.
So would the setting take place in this time of rebuilding? Or sometime after, when the galaxy has been reconnected? It was clever having just Liara appear as the only familiar face in the trailer, as Asari are known to live to be a millennia-old and Liara is only 109 by the events of Mass Effect 3.
8 What Is The Conflict?
Along with when this new game takes place, fans will want to know what exactly their overall goal will be in this galaxy that just survived the greatest, collective fight for survival in its history. One would hope that after every sentient species came together to tackle a common threat, peace would actually be a real possibility? But where there is calm, there is always a storm that will eventually strike. Perhaps players are newly inducted peacekeepers trying to stave off malicious pirates or maybe they will take an Andromeda route and focus on a player character’s goal of resettling the galaxy. Whatever the case, fans will be excited to see what it turns out to be.
7 Is Andromeda Still Canon?
Another parcel of information that would be provocative to learn is whether or not the arks of the Andromeda Initiative were actually launched or not, if they even existed at all. While Mass Effect: Andromeda has not been collectively lauded as the “greatest” Mass Effect game, it is not without its fans.
People would be genuinely interested to know if their Pathfinders did leave for our neighboring galaxy, as from a story point of view, the idea of having the Andromeda Initiative as a backup plan makes complete sense. Having the possibility of two simultaneous Mass Effect storylines would certainly be an investment by BioWare, but if done well, could give the series major staying power.
6 Will Decisions Carry Over?
If there is anything BioWare games are known for, it is their decision making systems and how they affect the stories of their games. Most avid players of the company’s catalog would understandably assume that this new game would allow decisions to carry over. Perhaps fans will see the implementation of a tool like Dragon Age Keep of the Dragon Age series. An online browser tool that lets players create saves with certain decisions made during major events of the series.
5 Old Guard Or New Blood?
The Mass Effect series has some of Bioware’s most beloved side characters and companions. Garrus Vakarian, Liara T’soni, Mordin Solus, the list could go on and on. Whether or not these characters return would depend on multiple factors. Did they survive any of the previous games? How much time has passed between Mass Effect 3 and this new game? Is their involvement important at all for the new story BioWare wants to tell? There is a very fine line the developer needs to walk in order to balance fan service and telling a well-written story that does not lean too heavily on the legacy it is branching off from.
4 Who Is In Charge?
In a post-Reaper War Milky Way, who serves as the central authority in the immediate aftermath since the Mass Relays have been destroyed? The most obvious answer would be the Citadel Council, but as stated, they have no way of communicating with the other sections of the galaxy that have been effectively cut off. If they even survived the Reaper War.
It is more likely that the galaxy, at least initially, will have various different leaderships in sections where Mass Relays are being repaired. This could lead to interesting story beats. Perhaps players will be tasked with dealing with power-hungry warlords or corrupted officials who decided to take advantage of decentralized galactic authority.
3 What Would Synthesis Entail?
One of the more fascinating possibilities for a world state in the next Mass Effect game is the implication of the synthesis ending. For those unaware or in need of a memory refresh, basically, all life in the Milky Way is now both partially organic and synthetic at the same time. The implications that this ending could have on the next game’s story are nearly limitless, as there are so many unknowns to explore. How different is everyday life? How is civilization affected? What is the galaxy’s new relationship with the Reapers?
2 New Species?
A new story beat that BioWare could also pursue would be the addition of a new species or species (plural) to the galaxy. The art above is a concept for a possible alien race that could have appeared in Andromeda. Perhaps a new group could arise who were hiding from the Reapers for several cycles, like the Prothean, Javik, in the From Ashes DLC. Or maybe they could be an extra-galactic species looking for a new home or fleeing from a yet unknown threat.
1 Is Shepard Alive?
Arguably the most important question on this list. Mass Effect 3, for the most part, shoots for a case where Shepard does not survive the last moments of the Reaper War. The only possible ending with the implication that Shepard does survive is if the Destroy ending is chosen with a high level of war assets in the Galaxy at War metagame. If Shepard is the protagonist of this next game, then that almost certainly means that the Destroy ending is the canon choice for a default Shepard. Or perhaps not? BioWare has a reputation as a master of storytelling and Shepard has survived death once before.
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