Eurogamer: Next Mass Effect teased again in new artwork

[Rodney McKay]

I'd personally like them to reduce the stakes even more. We already had an existential threat with the Reapers. Refocusing things onto a smaller scale with localized conflicts would be nice. Natural Disasters, like the Dark Matter thread line they originally intended in ME1-3, is still a kind of existential threat against all life.

Andromeda dropped the ball for me with it's attempts at kind of maintaining super high stakes. Nothing kills a series more than the inability to lower stakes and keep things interesting. Always chasing the next big threat just diminishes everything and removes all sense of scale or severity to things. A natural disaster affecting like a single system could be work, but it might be a bit too abstract a central threat for a game centered around shooting things and talking to people.

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For sure, I'd be totally down with a less galaxy destroying holocaust plotline.

Like the dark energy stuff didn't seem like it was completely destroying things, but if it turns out using that Remnant tech is what makes it grow (like using fossil fuels causes climate change) it could be interesting in that your goal is maybe to stop the Kett, Angaran, or even Milky Way species from inadvertently causing more harm to themselves and others by greedily trying to use it.
There was actually an old Star Trek TNG episode where warp drives were causing damage to space itself, but they kinda forgot about that after that episode, haha.

But it would be cool to just not to have a stupid, "evil for the sake of being evil" badguy. Like maybe just make the story about trying to resolve conflicts with other groups, or actually have the story focus on the colonization aspects of Andromeda (which were barely there in that game). Instead of using magic vault technology to make your colonies habitable, actually make alliances with neighboring aliens or just take resources and potentially make an enemy (since ME is all about choices).

The enemies you fight regularly can just be Pirates, mercenary groups, or corporations instead of an ENTIRE species that just wants to kill everyone for some dumb reason.

 

[Sparks]

I'm down for an Andromeda reboot, it was an awesome idea and concept. Just really boringly executed, how they thought it was a good idea to make it "years later" after the first crew ect. Took away everything entertaining about visiting a brand new Galaxy...

Needs more Arrival and mystery and less JJ Abrams Action.

 

[Tornak]

What I don't really get of BioWare is how they keep teasing and formally announcing titles so far off, either with concept art or with a behind-the-scenes look (at least Dragon Age 4 got a CG teaser, I guess, but even then). It's not like they have the good will of people lately to get most of them excited, sadly.

So yeah, ME is only behind FF and MGS in terms of game series I love, but I can't even begin to get excited about this. I really hope they pull this off, even if we're going to wait for quite a few years to even see anything. I really want them to come back on top, but I honestly don't have much faith, hope they prove me wrong.

In any case, the Andromeda set-up was actually pretty nice, its problem being the execution. I don't know if BioWare themselves see that part of the universe as tainted. In any case, a sequel in the Milky Way would be what I'd like if I were to choose. The canonicity of endings I couldn't care less about, choose a middle road if you want or set this a century or so after the events so you don't have to be too specific (I guess they'd have to rule out a couple of endings depending on what they do, though).

Regarding prequels, ugh. I guess I wouldn't hate one quite before the First Contact War, but there's no way they would take humans out of the equation. I just don't want a setting in that war, as interesting as it could be.

 

[Garlador]

Stop, devs got death threats, it was harassment, and it's a rewriting of history to say it wasn't.

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One of the Bioware directors was getting into a pretty heated argument with fans on twitter yesterday. Most of it got deleted, but I think the wound is definitely still fresh for a lot of folks at Bioware.

I think, ultimately, the games and the decisions deserved criticism, but a lot of actual criticism was drowned out by people who were extremely toxic and hateful. I always did my best to be respectful and constructive - and I still love the series - but I know outright that it was an emotional drain that was compounded by a lot of people being horrible to team beyond reason. The argument I saw yesterday from some of them makes me... concerned... about the future of Mass Effect, but I sincerely hope for the best.

 

[Rover_]

What I don't really get of BioWare is how they keep teasing and formally announcing titles so far off, either with concept art or with a behind-the-scenes look (at least Dragon Age 4 got a CG teaser, I guess, but even then). It's not like they have the good will of people lately to get most of them excited, sadly.

So yeah, ME is only behind FF and MGS in terms of game series I love, but I can't even begin to get excited about this. I really hope they pull this off, even if we're going to wait for quite a few years to even see anything. I really want them to come back on top, but I honestly don't have much faith, hope they prove me wrong.

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i also don't like early announcements but i think in this case is different, it's reassuring to know the saga is alive and we will get another game and in the meantime we will have the trilogy remaster to ease the wait.

 

[Knightywing]

While I didn't hate Andromeda (it was OK, but Mass Effect can be so much better than that), I'm not all that interested in an Andromeda sequel. The premise could have been interesting, but they honestly flunked the landing.

The best course of action would be to make a game post-ME3, preferably by making the Destroy ending canon. As someone previously mentioned, I would not be surprised to see Bioware try to merge ME Trilogy and Andromeda together. Instead of the game taking place in Andromeda, perhaps the game does take place in the Milky Way, but with the Angarans and Kett present.

 

[Tornak]

i also don't like early announcements but i think in this case is different, it's reassuring to know the saga is alive and we will get another game and in the meantime we will have the trilogy remaster to ease the wait.

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Honestly? You're totally right. As jaded as I kinda am regarding BioWare's current state, I was actually positively surprised and kinda happy to see the series still being alive.

I guess it was naive considering it's their biggest franchise, but after the reception to Andromeda and the pivot to Anthem (an arguably similar setting and gameplay scheme), I didn't feel too confident about the future of the series (and it's not like EA has the best track record with keeping companies alive or doing what they want).

So yeah, I was very glad to see this, even if it's really hard to be excited as of now. Let's hope for the best!

 

[rras1994]

One of the Bioware directors was getting into a pretty heated argument with fans on twitter yesterday. Most of it got deleted, but I think the wound is definitely still fresh for a lot of folks at Bioware.

I think, ultimately, the games and the decisions deserved criticism, but a lot of actual criticism was drowned out by people who were extremely toxic and hateful. I always did my best to be respectful and constructive - and I still love the series - but I know outright that it was an emotional drain that was compounded by a lot of people being horrible to team beyond reason. The argument I saw yesterday from some of them makes me... concerned... about the future of Mass Effect, but I sincerely hope for the best.

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You mean John Epler who got death threats at the time and he didn't even work on ME3. I am not surprised that a lot of the original team didn't want to work on Mass Effect after what they endured, there's so much toxicity and exageration with terms used, that any actual criticism gets lost. And honestly? I don't even know how much of the fans are actually that angry about Mass Effect, it could be a small percentage of people being very loud. I think there's a lot of fans that think there's stuff that could be better and improve, but I think they'd still very much enjoy another Mass Effect game.

 

[KamenRiderEra]

Just give us an alternate timeline with sheppard and let us kick the reapers ass for good this time.

 

[IronicSonic]

I want to see Tuchanka breathing and in it's full glory like it's teased in 3, I want to see the quarians and geths cooperating and living in peace, I want to see the Quarians living without the suit!

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You need conflict to tell a story you know
I'm with you with a ME4 instead Andromeda 2 though. First trilogy was unique

 

[Deleted member 864]

Please don't go back to Andromeda.

 

[Arklite]

You guys are so dramatic, they can do literally anything with Andromeda setting, the last game took place in one small cluster of the galaxy. The problems with Andromeda were never the setting.

 

[ValeYard]

I wouldn't mind more Andromeda. The problem otherwise is that they -- pretty much literally -- burned the Milky Way for any more interesting narrative at the end of ME3. Andromeda or the highway, I say.

 

[Deleted member 864]

You guys are so dramatic, they can do literally anything with Andromeda setting, the last game took place in one small cluster of the galaxy. The problems with Andromeda were never the setting.

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But...that was one of my problems with the game. It was boring. What was there that was new never really caught my attention and kept it, the places we did visit were dull and didn't leave any lasting impression, and in the end I just missed the Milky Way and wanted to go back there.

If this new game goes back to Andromeda, there goes a lot of my interest.

 

[Garlador]

You guys are so dramatic, they can do literally anything with Andromeda setting, the last game took place in one small cluster of the galaxy. The problems with Andromeda were never the setting.

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I don't believe Andromeda is beyond saving, but I also know it has an uphill battle if they go that route.

The original Andromeda was supposed to be a fresh start and reignite interest in a new galaxy, divorced from the original trilogy. A new story with endless possibilities, a new crew we could get to know, new conflicts more alien and bizarre than before!... but the story really let down the potential to do even a fraction of that. Despite a whole new galaxy, there was only TWO new sapient races (and if you know the story, "two" is being generous). The Remnant technology was just taking the place of Prothean tech. Despite being a "Pathfinder", almost every world you visit has already been seen by humanity and colonized. At every step, moments to feel like a bold, new, fresh adventurer heading into the unknown was stifled by barriers that took that feeling away. Frequently, playing through Andromeda just made me wish I was back in the Milky Way instead.

Andromeda as a galaxy is still full of possibilities (the game only took place in one single star cluster), but the phrase "you only get one first impression" lingers. Can it be turned around? Sure. But they'll really need a very strong vision to pull it off.

Whether it's more Andromeda or more Milky Way, I hope they DO pull it off.

 

[HanzSnubSnub]

Bought Mass Effect Andromeda for $10 earlier this year. It definitely seemed like they left room for a sequel if they wanted to.

It's weird, there were really good parts about Mass Effect Andromeda but also really bad parts that prevented it from being anything more than serviceable.

Whatever the new game is, I just hope it takes more risks and actually tries to move the franchise forward. Some design elements are aging poorly.

 

[N.47H.4N]

If it's a sequel to Andromeda I'm just going to write off the Mass Effect franchise for the rest of time. Zero interest in returning to that setting or those losers.

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I will give them a chance, but a sequel or anything related to Andromeda is already a disappointment, I would like to pretend it never existed, but I hope for the best, maybe they delivery this time or the franchise will be dead unfortunately.

 

[julia crawford]

Please Andromeda again!!

 

[Fiery Phoenix]

I said from the beginning this looks to be shaping up to be an Andromeda sequel/spin-off. Those of you hoping for a return to form are setting yourselves up for disappointment.

 

[SarcasticRobot]

I said from the beginning this looks to be shaping up to be an Andromeda sequel/spin-off. Those of you hoping for a return to form are setting yourselves up for disappointment.

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I'll be floored if it's Andromeda 2 or even a direct spin-off in the same timeline. The reaction was so poor they didn't even complete the first game, just stopped all production on it with major arcs unfinished! The entire PR process from announcement to release would be Bioware promising it would be better than the last one but somehow make do with what that story started!

It could take place in/reference the events of Andromeda, but if it's a straight sequel or spin-off in that timeline with those characters that would absolutely blow my mind. Anything is possible, though!

 

[OneTrueJack]

A sequel to Andromeda, but set years later so it can be a fresh start. is probably the best approach for the franchise going forward.

I'm assuming the Mass Relays under construction will be to allow the rest of the Andromeda galaxy to be explored. Really blow it wide open with new species and story possibilities.

The Andromeda based spin-off still remains the best hope for more Mass Effect. The problem was execution based, not conceptual. Bioware burned their bridges with the Miley Way. It's Andromeda or nothing.

 

[Samiya]

Please no Andromeda. The foundation is rotten and they would have to fix a lot of fundamental problems with how that game basically just copy-pasted a whole bunch of storylines and nonsensical races.

 

[Lt-47]

I'm in the you can make anything in Andromeda camp, we only see a cluster of it you can make cool stuff in the rest of it and forget about the plot of Andromeda with or without a time skip. Though I understand the desire to return to a more trusted and fleshed out part of the universe (with nostalgia in spade. I think the remaster is only going to remind Bioware why they didn't want to touch anything related to ME 3 ending ever again.

Regardless where they set it's the writing that's going make or break it.

 

[Deleted member 864]

I don't believe Andromeda is beyond saving, but I also know it has an uphill battle if they go that route.

The original Andromeda was supposed to be a fresh start and reignite interest in a new galaxy, divorced from the original trilogy. A new story with endless possibilities, a new crew we could get to know, new conflicts more alien and bizarre than before!... but the story really let down the potential to do even a fraction of that. Despite a whole new galaxy, there was only TWO new sapient races (and if you know the story, "two" is being generous). The Remnant technology was just taking the place of Prothean tech. Despite being a "Pathfinder", almost every world you visit has already been seen by humanity and colonized. At every step, moments to feel like a bold, new, fresh adventurer heading into the unknown was stifled by barriers that took that feeling away. Frequently, playing through Andromeda just made me wish I was back in the Milky Way instead.

Andromeda as a galaxy is still full of possibilities (the game only took place in one single star cluster), but the phrase "you only get one first impression" lingers. Can it be turned around? Sure. But they'll really need a very strong vision to pull it off.

Whether it's more Andromeda or more Milky Way, I hope they DO pull it off.

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Well said. If this new game is set in Andromeda, Bioware is going to have to really prove themselves with it for me to be interested. Until then, I'll just keep crossing my fingers for the Milky Way.

 

[Carthago Delenda Est]

I say this in every Mass Effect thread but I'll say it again.
Give me Mass Effect 4, direct sequel to 3.
Place the sequel thousands of years into the future so you don't have to choose a canonical ending to three or just choose one!
I want to see Tuchanka breathing and in it's full glory like it's teased in 3, I want to see the quarians and geths cooperating and living in peace, I want to see the Quarians living without the suit!
I want Bioware to stop listening to the toxic community and stop being so affraid of the ending of 3! Stand by your choice! So what if not everybody like it? Just stick with it. Distancing it self from the ending got us Mass Effect: Andromeda, and it will continue to be subpar sequels unless it's a direct continuation. There's so much you can tell in that established universe, it's a shame they're trying to get away from it.

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But Tuchanka is a wasteland and the Quarians were wiped out.

Do you see why we can't go back to the Milky Way? Or at least shouldn't.

 

[Enduin]

While anything is possible and could potentially work, I still find Andromeda to be fundamentally flawed in both intention and execution. It's easily one of the prime examples of "same but different" that is inferior to the original in every way it tries to mimic it. Sure not everything in the game is bad and there's a chance it could be made into something worthwhile and interesting of actual quality, but as others have said it's a much greater uphill battle than to just continue off ME3.

I still think BioWare has a duty to a degree to revisit the Milky Way. They setup this great setting and then basically rocked it to its core in the final moments, nearly unmaking it in its entirety. It seems very odd to me to make such a powerful and dramatic choice and then just dance around it and never address it thereafter. They chose to break the galaxy, so why not explore what that does to it. Skipping out of town and jumping to a new Galaxy only to recreate much of that same setting pre-calamity in order to not address or examine those repercussions feels incredibly weak and cowardly, for lack of a better term.

It speaks to a larger issue of artistic choice/integrity that has kind of affected the series from the start. What is the point of having these massive and dramatic choices and events within your story that completely reshape your world and franchise if you're then completely unable to explore those choices and/or are going to be too afraid to actually live with that narrative decision and have to then avoid it forever more?

This is especially true given the fact that the game is back with Edmonton. Prior to release I resigned to the fact that Montreal was a new team and it wasn't necessarily right to saddle them with burdens another team created and give them the opportunity to set out with a clean slate of their own making. But now that it's back home where it all began it feels like they should not shy away from it.

 

[RedRum]

So.... more scanning and remnant monoliths?

 

[Tornak]

Will this be the time we're able to create a non-human MC? 🤔

 

[Exist 2 Inspire]

I'd take a Andromeda sequel, just make it about exploring the galaxy further with a lot of new alien races and species. Focus less on the Milky Way aliens. Gameplay was already pretty good in Andromeda so they could build on that base.

 

[Aprikurt]

Honestly a "post war" ME4 that examines the power vacuum left by the Reaper attack would be really interesting.

 

[wollywinka]

Such an underwhelming villain. Easily defeated at every encounter, and their big cartoon eyes made them even less intimidating. Even the reveal that they reproduce kinda like the Borg was anti-climactic.

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I couldn't agree more. The Kett eyes were a horrible misstep. Half-chimp, half-cow, they were not menacing in the slightest. As a villain, they were just an uninspired retread of the Reapers, a total disappointment. When I think of the Reaper races and units, they stand in stark contrast to the Kett. Give me the terror of a Banshee, the commanding presence of a Geth Prime, or the menace of a Phantom over a bunch of listless cow-chimps.

Also, I found enemy visibility very poor in Andromeda. I'm not sure if it's something to do with the Frostbite engine (Anthem has a similar problem) or whether the silhouettes of the various enemy units was not as refined as in the previous games. Oh, and if there's multiplayer, it has to be a hell of a lot better than Andromeda's. I have a sneaking suspicion that the magnificence of ME3 multiplayer was a fluke.

 

[SarcasticRobot]

But Tuchanka is a wasteland and the Quarians were wiped out.

Do you see why we can't go back to the Milky Way? Or at least shouldn't.

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This feels, to me, like a larger argument not to go back to the series at all (particularly after already making one attempt to create a separate universe elsewhere which was a failure given that they did not even finish their story for the game before cutting ties), rather than just not going back to the Milky Way galaxy.

 

[Garlador]

It speaks to a larger issue of artistic choice/integrity that has kind of affected the series from the start. What is the point of having these massive and dramatic choices and events within your story that completely reshape your world and franchise if you're then completely unable to explore those choices and/or are going to be too afraid to actually live with that narrative decision and have to then avoid it forever more?

Click to shrink...

I would be EXTREMELY surprised if Bioware ever attempts an interconnected player-driven narrative through multiple games like Mass Effect Trilogy again. I fully expect them to adopt a Dragon Age approach where a new character starts off with a fairly clean slate and a self-contained conflict, with only the faintest connections to previous storylines or some characters.

The positive, and negative, of the Mass Effect trilogy's choices is that that both often don't matter in the long run so the story can move forward, while at the same time mattering so much on a galactic scale that trying to make a follow-up to some choices takes far too many variances into consideration to adequately include or address them all.

When one of Mass Effect's endings literally reshapes all organic and synthetic lifeforms into a brand new organism entirely on a galactic scale, it's near impossible to move forward and also make it work in a scenario where the alteration of all existence never occurs.

They painted themselves into a corner. I've thought about it for years and I still can't find any path forward outside of what Andromeda attempted or just biting the bullet and picking an ending and running with it.

I guess you could always introduce a god-like cosmic entity with the power to reshape reality that pushes the "reset" button, I guess.

 

[henhowc]

Hopefully if its a continuation of Andromeda they redesign the alien race that was introduced in that game lmao

 

[Pilgrimzero]

Tried to play Andromeda twice and the story came off so bland and boring.

 

[Freezasaurus]

I just got this book in the mail today. It's a lovely retrospective up to this point. There's even a good dozen pages or so dedicated to Jade Empire.

 

[Halbrand]

Not interested in anything that continues Andromeda rather than from ME3, that would just be incredibly frustrating

 

[ConVito]

Oh my god pleeeeease continue the story from Andromeda. The game was way better than the hate machine wanted everyone to think and it set up a huge new setting with tons of possibilities.

 

[Deleted member 17184]

While anything is possible and could potentially work, I still find Andromeda to be fundamentally flawed in both intention and execution. It's easily one of the prime examples of "same but different" that is inferior to the original in every way it tries to mimic it. Sure not everything in the game is bad and there's a chance it could be made into something worthwhile and interesting of actual quality, but as others have said it's a much greater uphill battle than to just continue off ME3.

I still think BioWare has a duty to a degree to revisit the Milky Way. They setup this great setting and then basically rocked it to its core in the final moments, nearly unmaking it in its entirety. It seems very odd to me to make such a powerful and dramatic choice and then just dance around it and never address it thereafter. They chose to break the galaxy, so why not explore what that does to it. Skipping out of town and jumping to a new Galaxy only to recreate much of that same setting pre-calamity in order to not address or examine those repercussions feels incredibly weak and cowardly, for lack of a better term.

It speaks to a larger issue of artistic choice/integrity that has kind of affected the series from the start. What is the point of having these massive and dramatic choices and events within your story that completely reshape your world and franchise if you're then completely unable to explore those choices and/or are going to be too afraid to actually live with that narrative decision and have to then avoid it forever more?

This is especially true given the fact that the game is back with Edmonton. Prior to release I resigned to the fact that Montreal was a new team and it wasn't necessarily right to saddle them with burdens another team created and give them the opportunity to set out with a clean slate of their own making. But now that it's back home where it all began it feels like they should not shy away from it.

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I would be EXTREMELY surprised if Bioware ever attempts an interconnected player-driven narrative through multiple games like Mass Effect Trilogy again. I fully expect them to adopt a Dragon Age approach where a new character starts off with a fairly clean slate and a self-contained conflict, with only the faintest connections to previous storylines or some characters.

The positive, and negative, of the Mass Effect trilogy's choices is that that both often don't matter in the long run so the story can move forward, while at the same time mattering so much on a galactic scale that trying to make a follow-up to some choices takes far too many variances into consideration to adequately include or address them all.

When one of Mass Effect's endings literally reshapes all organic and synthetic lifeforms into a brand new organism entirely on a galactic scale, it's near impossible to move forward and also make it work in a scenario where the alteration of all existence never occurs.

They painted themselves into a corner. I've thought about it for years and I still can't find any path forward outside of what Andromeda attempted or just biting the bullet and picking an ending and running with it.

I guess you could always introduce a god-like cosmic entity with the power to reshape reality that pushes the "reset" button, I guess.

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Yeah, I think it was Casey Hudson who said a trilogy was such an ambitious idea that it would probably never happen again in the whole industry.

The problem is that making a AAA game is already expensive, and if that turns into a loss the studio might not even be able to develop a sequel. BioWare announced a trilogy when they didn't know if they could deliver it. It paid off, but it'd be harder this time.

 

[IMCaprica]

I'm both firmly in the "don't buy BioWare games until you're sure they're good" camp and ready to die on the "Andromeda's worlds and characters are the best of the series" hill.

 

[Enduin]

I would be EXTREMELY surprised if Bioware ever attempts an interconnected player-driven narrative through multiple games like Mass Effect Trilogy again. I fully expect them to adopt a Dragon Age approach where a new character starts off with a fairly clean slate and a self-contained conflict, with only the faintest connections to previous storylines or some characters.

The positive, and negative, of the Mass Effect trilogy's choices is that that both often don't matter in the long run so the story can move forward, while at the same time mattering so much on a galactic scale that trying to make a follow-up to some choices takes far too many variances into consideration to adequately include or address them all.

When one of Mass Effect's endings literally reshapes all organic and synthetic lifeforms into a brand new organism entirely on a galactic scale, it's near impossible to move forward and also make it work in a scenario where the alteration of all existence never occurs.

They painted themselves into a corner. I've thought about it for years and I still can't find any path forward outside of what Andromeda attempted or just biting the bullet and picking an ending and running with it.

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Yeah, I think it was Casey Hudson who said a trilogy was such an ambitious idea that it would probably never happen again in the whole industry.

The problem is that making a AAA game is already expensive, and if that turns into a loss the studio might not even be able to develop a sequel. BioWare announced a trilogy when they didn't know if they could deliver it. It paid off, but it'd be harder this time.

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ME4 can't happen in the Milkyway without picking an ending, that's nonnegotiable given the endings wide reaching and varied impacts. And choosing a "canon" ending to work off of shouldn't be an issue. No sane person would expect them to realistically be able to address all three ending options throughout the following games.

My initial point was more about why have big dramatic events happen in your story, regardless of whether the player has a choice in it, if you can't or won't live with it in the future? That notion then does feed into the player choice topic of having these dramatic options that are given to the player to decide and whether they can be realistically/adequately honored going forward. But it's not specifically the same thing.

Like regardless of which ending, R/G/B, you choose in ME3 the galaxy is completely and totally fucked up. Even with just Destroy as the simplest you still have a galaxy completely and utterly ravaged, nearly obliterated completely by the Reapers, and then the Mass Relays are all but destroyed. That's a fundamental change to the setting and an event that realistically would take decades to recover from and have profound impacts on every facet of society. What's the point of doing all that if those impacts are too dramatic and far reaching for you to then deal with them in a future title? Sure they make for an interesting dramatic experience in that moment, but they clearly weren't intending to retire the franchise. I feel like you should always be prepared to live with the narrative choices you make otherwise you should go in another direction.

Whether this new future of ME will try to continue the legacy of choice across games like ME and DA had is uncertain. I hope they do it, but do so in a smarter and more manageable way. But I still think it's important that they don't shy away from addressing these bigger events. They broke Milky Way and brought it down to its foundations practically, so lets us see how it emerges from the rubble and rebuilds.

 

[asd202]

What I don't really get of BioWare is how they keep teasing and formally announcing titles so far off, either with concept art or with a behind-the-scenes look (at least Dragon Age 4 got a CG teaser, I guess, but even then). It's not like they have the good will of people lately to get most of them excited, sadly.

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BioWare is beating SE now in that regard.

 

[Loanshark]

One of the Bioware directors was getting into a pretty heated argument with fans on twitter yesterday. Most of it got deleted, but I think the wound is definitely still fresh for a lot of folks at Bioware.

I think, ultimately, the games and the decisions deserved criticism, but a lot of actual criticism was drowned out by people who were extremely toxic and hateful. I always did my best to be respectful and constructive - and I still love the series - but I know outright that it was an emotional drain that was compounded by a lot of people being horrible to team beyond reason. The argument I saw yesterday from some of them makes me... concerned... about the future of Mass Effect, but I sincerely hope for the best.

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Oh, what about?

 

[SofNascimento]

ready to die on the "Andromeda's worlds and characters are the best of the series" hill.

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No, don't do this!

 

[Loanshark]

What I don't really get of BioWare is how they keep teasing and formally announcing titles so far off, either with concept art or with a behind-the-scenes look (at least Dragon Age 4 got a CG teaser, I guess, but even then). It's not like they have the good will of people lately to get most of them excited, sadly.

So yeah, ME is only behind FF and MGS in terms of game series I love, but I can't even begin to get excited about this. I really hope they pull this off, even if we're going to wait for quite a few years to even see anything. I really want them to come back on top, but I honestly don't have much faith, hope they prove me wrong.

In any case, the Andromeda set-up was actually pretty nice, its problem being the execution. I don't know if BioWare themselves see that part of the universe as tainted. In any case, a sequel in the Milky Way would be what I'd like if I were to choose. The canonicity of endings I couldn't care less about, choose a middle road if you want or set this a century or so after the events so you don't have to be too specific (I guess they'd have to rule out a couple of endings depending on what they do, though).

Regarding prequels, ugh. I guess I wouldn't hate one quite before the First Contact War, but there's no way they would take humans out of the equation. I just don't want a setting in that war, as interesting as it could be.

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I think the early announcements is because of how their badly their reputation has tanked among gamers and fans. Maybe they want to show people that they arent going anywhere, and that they are still working on the very beloved franchises that brought them success in the first place. I read somewhere that the intial Dragon age 4 announcement at the VGA's wasnt ok'd by EA, Bioware went ahead and and did it out of their own volition. Im not sure if it was Jason Schrier or someone else who wrote that though.

 

[Deleted member 17184]

ME4 can't happen in the Milkyway without picking an ending, that's nonnegotiable given the endings wide reaching and varied impacts. And choosing a "canon" ending to work off of shouldn't be an issue. No sane person would expect them to realistically be able to address all three ending options throughout the following games.

My initial point was more about why have big dramatic events happen in your story, regardless of whether the player has a choice in it, if you can't or won't live with it in the future? That notion then does feed into the player choice topic of having these dramatic options that are given to the player to decide and whether they can be realistically/adequately honored going forward. But it's not specifically the same thing.

Like regardless of which ending, R/G/B, you choose in ME3 the galaxy is completely and totally fucked up. Even with just Destroy as the simplest you still have a galaxy completely and utterly ravaged, nearly obliterated completely by the Reapers, and then the Mass Relays are all but destroyed. That's a fundamental change to the setting and an event that realistically would take decades to recover from and have profound impacts on every facet of society. What's the point of doing all that if those impacts are too dramatic and far reaching for you to then deal with them in a future title? Sure they make for an interesting dramatic experience in that moment, but they clearly weren't intending to retire the franchise. I feel like you should always be prepared to live with the narrative choices you make otherwise you should go in another direction.

Whether this new future of ME will try to continue the legacy of choice across games like ME and DA had is uncertain. I hope they do it, but do so in a smarter and more manageable way. But I still think it's important that they don't shy away from addressing these bigger events. They broke Milky Way and brought it down to its foundations practically, so lets us see how it emerges from the rubble and rebuilds.

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They always intended that to be the end of Shepard's story. I'm more of the opinion they should always do what they think is best for the game they're creating - unless they have a sequel already planned. There was no direct sequel to ME3, so there was no reason to hold back.

 

[IMCaprica]

No, don't do this!

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You can't stop me! Lol

For context I played the trilogy for the first time ever right before Andromeda's launch. So all 4 games were fresh for me. Obviously there were issues with Andromeda. I just found the worlds and characters more engaging. I still like the trilogy though.

 

[Enduin]

They always intended that to be the end of Shepard's story. I'm more of the opinion they should always do what they think is best for the game they're creating - unless they have a sequel already planned. There was no direct sequel to ME3, so there was no reason to hold back.

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Ending the story of Shepard is not the same as ending the franchise and setting as a whole.

I have no problem with not holding back either. My issue is their apparent inability to live with that decision going forward.

 

[BigTnaples]

People are saying they don't want Andromeda.


(This video is my religion.)

But it sounds silly. As you're literally talking about an entire galaxy. They can set it wherever and about whatever in either Galaxy. Mass Effect needs to be great once again, but the setting has nothing to do with that.

 

[Deleted member 17184]

I read somewhere that the intial Dragon age 4 announcement at the VGA's wasnt ok'd by EA, Bioware went ahead and and did it out of their own volition. Im not sure if it was Jason Schrier or someone else who wrote that though.

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That wasn't true.

Ending the story of Shepard is not the same as ending the franchise and setting as a whole.

I have no problem with not holding back either. My issue is their assistant inability to live with that decision going forward.

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I don't think it's a case of inability and more about choosing to create a new story. Andromeda didn't live up to its expectations, but the idea of going to another galaxy and creating a new story there wasn't a bad one. Mass Effect shouldn't have to be contained to a single galaxy to work. Whether new games are in the Milky Way, Andromeda, or another galaxy entirely, the most essential point is to have an engaging story with engaging characters.