As the wait for Mass Effect 4 continues to drag on, audiences may be left wondering just what the future has in store for the beloved science fiction franchise. BioWare almost certainly has plans for even more Mass Effect games down the road if ME4 performs well, perhaps even queuing up a brand new trilogy similar to what CD Projekt Red is doing with The Witcher 4.
This is an exciting prospect, no doubt. A current-gen Mass Effect trilogy with modern sensibilities, graphics, and performance options certainly sounds tantalizing, but it might not be the only path forward. Indeed, big blockbuster releases rake in cash, but they are also expensive, time-consuming, and often promise more than they can deliver (see: Cyberpunk 2077 and No Man's Sky). As part of a broader and more diversified strategy, maybe it would be wise for EA and BioWare to branch out with Mass Effect in the wake of Mass Effect 4, dusting off underexplored story and gameplay concepts through spin-off games.
Mass Effect 4: The Case for a Total Franchise Reboot
Many have assumed that Mass Effect 4 will continue the story of the original trilogy, but maybe it's best for it to be a fresh start.
The Case for More Mass Effect Spin-Offs
Mass Effect's World Is Ripe for New Stories
Saving the galaxy is great, but it can't be the premise for every story. Such high stakes can get worn out over time, and if BioWare keeps making more Mass Effect games, as many hope will be the case, then what was once bombastic and exciting could become trite and contrived. Experimenting with smaller-scale storytelling could be just what the Mass Effect series needs to retain its longevity and intrigue.
A spy-noir thriller on Omega, a Gears of War inspired cover shooter on Tuchanka that follows warring Krogan clans, a Salarian lab-management sim—all of these are potentially interesting concepts for digestible spin-offs. The Milky Way is a big neighborhood, as is Andromeda, and with the stakes of previous games being almost comically apocalyptic, such spin-offs could be meaningfully impactful, but in different, more focused ways. For instance, the Omega thriller example could have the entire seedy city—a space metropolis housing nearly eight-million residents—at stake. This would perhaps be even more evocative than other Mass Effect games, as the smaller scale of the threat would allow for a more intimate, relatable story.
Many have experienced catastrophic or troubling phenomena in their home cities; far fewer have had to take the fate of all intelligent life in the galaxy into their hands.
Unique Mass Effect Stories Could Lead to Unique Gameplay Opportunities
Pulling back the curtain on Mass Effect's rich and multilayered lore would be an obvious benefit of unconventional spin-off games, but gameplay could see some nice diversification as well. BioWare, or another developer, could give the franchise's much-lauded third-person shooting a break, instead opting for a Halo Wars-esque RTS, a Frostpunk-style city-builder, or an open-ended stealth-action sandbox akin to the likes of Metal Gear Solid. By branching out into new formats, and away from the existential threats of the mainline series, Mass Effect fans could be served a host of unique and promising alternatives.
If EA were to outsource such projects, audiences could get more, higher-quality Mass Effect games at a faster rate.
There's also the potential impact that these theoretical spin-offs could have on the core Mass Effect series, whatever that winds up looking like following Mass Effect 4. Giving players a closer look at the Milky Way's various alien cultures through smaller-scale adventures may make the main games hit that much harder, as there would be a better sense of what's at stake if the galaxy gets a hard reset. This approach would be a great opportunity to take various cultures, conflicts, and settings from the theoretical realm to a more material one.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 87 /100 Critics Rec: 96%
- Released
- May 14, 2021
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Drug Reference, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- BioWare
- Publisher(s)
- Electronic Arts
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Franchise
- Mass Effect
WHERE TO PLAY
One person is all that stands between humanity and the greatest threat it’s ever faced. Relive the legend of Commander Shepard in the highly acclaimed Mass Effect trilogy with the Mass Effect Legendary Edition. Includes single-player base content and over 40 DLC from Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3 games, including promo weapons, armors and packs — remastered and optimized for 4K Ultra HD. Experience an amazingly rich and detailed universe where your decisions have profound consequences on the action and the outcome.
