TheMass Effectlicense brings plenty of expectations. It’s a franchise filled with shocking revelations, engaging political turmoil, and a handful of characters that are easily some of the best on the video game medium. The trilogy is littered with memorable moments, from Shepard’s meeting with journalist Khalisah al-Jilani to thetense suicide mission atMass Effect 2’s conclusionthat has pressure placed on the player unlike anything the series had offered up to that point.Mass Effect 4has a lot to live up to, and after the resolution of the Reaper conflict in the last mainline entry met a mixed reception andMass Effect: Andromedadidn’t reach expectations, the future BioWare project is starting on the back foot.
Being at an immediate disadvantage has made previous companies more inclined to take big risks, andMass Effect 4needs to be calculated in the way it brings players back into the ecosystem. The Reapers were more than sufficient in ensuring the stakes were always high, but bringing them back wouldn’t put enough distance between the fourth game and the three before it. Commander Shepard can fall and rise again without it feeling too outlandish. However, Shepard’s presence inMass Effect 4would be unwise as a change is certainly needed, but it would be more plausible than the Reapers suddenly making a reappearance.
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Old Characters are a Slippery Slope for Mass Effect
The fundamental game design ofMass Effectlends itself beautifully to character-driven storytelling, as returning to the Normandy to rendezvous with the crew makes for some of the best scenes in the trilogy. The formula is arguably more important toMass Effectthan the threat of the Reapers, as the all-encompassing enemy is interesting in premise, but ultimately replaceable as they never truly offered anything revolutionary. They were so large and scale that it was hard to relate to them, unlike villains like Saren and The Illusive Man, and as such their narrative potential ends at the close ofMass Effect 3.
Reintroducing old enemies in sci-fi franchises can be done well, but it’s easy for the decision to feel forced.Emperor Palpatine inStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalkerwas an odd choice, and it felt ham-fisted in approach, appealing to fan nostalgia rather than being the best choice for the story at hand. Conversely,Star Trek: Into Darknesswonderfully recreates Khan to provide a compelling antagonist for the film, and felt like a natural progression for the rebooted franchise. Both of these films were directed by JJ Abrams, yet they’re radically different in execution. In terms ofMass Effect,though, the Reapers simply don’t have enough character and personality for BioWare to take that risk inMass Effect 4.
Commander Shepard has Risen Before
The opening ofMass Effect 2was both a huge payoff for existing fans and a smart way to bring new people in. Killing Shepard, only to have him revived by thehuman-prioritizing Cerberusset the tone ofMass Effect 2’s tale, as the uneasy alliance made meandering around the Normandy feel less safe and more mysterious.Mass Effect 3gave Shepard a somewhat conclusive ending, save for a cryptic, throw-away scene that only a few players saw. Bringing Shepard back would surely be a mistake, as the series could go in so many interesting directions with its protagonist, but the secondMass Effectgame showed that Shepard’s death and revival can be used for narrative gain in a pinch.
Mass Effect 4is likely still a while away, but whenever it arrives, the impact of the trilogy will still be felt among gamers everywhere. It’s a series that wears its story and characters firmly on its sleeve;the magic of BioWare’sMass Effectis in the conversations and the way the tale unfolds. The Reapers work wonders as a menacing threat to the entire galaxy, but there isn’t enough justification to use them again, given their lack of depth as well as the notorious difficulty of bringing back famous characters whose stories have ended.
Mass Effect 4is in development.
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