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What do you want from mass effect 5?
- Thread starter Secretofmateria
- Start date
I don't know how an ME sequel can meaningfully address Andromeda beyond saying some people skipped town at one point before the war. Andromeda is specifically set like 600+ years later. They'd still be in early transit at that point, unless they specifically jumped ahead like 1000 years, at which point the Milkyway would and humanity would be nigh unrecognizable.
Anything but more shepard.
Low stakes, personal story that spans multiple planets and races
Focus on relationships between races, instead of all that being treated as side questions.
Improve galaxy building. Whatever you do, affects specific races and planets.
Trading mechanic so you can do side emission arcs to improve specific places through resource management.
Less planets, more exploration of each planet.
Low stakes, personal story that spans multiple planets and races
Focus on relationships between races, instead of all that being treated as side questions.
Improve galaxy building. Whatever you do, affects specific races and planets.
Trading mechanic so you can do side emission arcs to improve specific places through resource management.
Less planets, more exploration of each planet.
- Milky Way
- Not 200+ years into the future from 2183 (ME was relatively grounded, not far-flung space-schlock)
- A cowboy turian henchman who's inspired by earth's 20th century "vids"
- A dialogue wheel with THREE TONES. (Goodie shoes, neutral, brutal)
- Exploration but condense areas and not Ubisoft Crapbox style
- ONLY side-quests that inform the conflicts and themes of the narrative. Not "go fetch me 20 eggs" quests.
- Pick a style and stick with it. Do not give me 3 forms of interactive conversations. Either it's all ambient, player-centered with dialogue wheels, either it's semi-framed (like Fallen Order) with player walking, or it's ALL cinematic. Haul ass on the dialogue design already, it's been crap since ME3.
- Be inspired by Disco Elysium and Outer Worlds, NOT The Last of Us 2 or Breath of the Wild or whatever else. Keep Mass Effect an RPG that happens to have action too.
- Don't create a plot by looking at fan-favorite trilogy moments and copying them.
- Just ignore the endings and don't bring up:
- Organics vs Synthetics
- The Genophage
- Humans are special
- Be creative.
This is a great take. I still liked the characters in Andromeda and the story was okay, but the original trilogy was just much better at that. I actually liked the bigger areas in Andromeda and the combat was fantastic though.
An expanded remake of Mass Effect 1 and then proper sequels to it. ME2 and 3 had some great characters, but the story and lore were complete garbage.
That's an excellent question.
Andromeda was quite literally the perfect opportunity. A completely new game set in the same universe just shifted forward in time to a new galaxy. It was the perfect premise that they ultimately failed to execute on. It wasn't all bad, the combat is superb as is the progression system and fluid classes but the writing, dialogue, characters and story fell flat (especially on my 2nd play-through). The animation issues as well as all the other bugs and glitches certainly didn't help.
Honestly at this point I don't really care what direction Mass Effect goes, after Andromeda and Anthem I just don't want to see BioWare destroy themselves in the process of making another game. Schreier's reporting on all of the issues surrounding the development of those two games does not paint a flattering picture of the studio.
From what I understand they have DA4 coming sometime in the (near'ish) future as well as some kind of 'overhaul' of Anthem so I can't imagine the next Mass Effect is getting much attention. It's likely 3-4 years away at this point if not further so I don't know.
Andromeda was quite literally the perfect opportunity. A completely new game set in the same universe just shifted forward in time to a new galaxy. It was the perfect premise that they ultimately failed to execute on. It wasn't all bad, the combat is superb as is the progression system and fluid classes but the writing, dialogue, characters and story fell flat (especially on my 2nd play-through). The animation issues as well as all the other bugs and glitches certainly didn't help.
Honestly at this point I don't really care what direction Mass Effect goes, after Andromeda and Anthem I just don't want to see BioWare destroy themselves in the process of making another game. Schreier's reporting on all of the issues surrounding the development of those two games does not paint a flattering picture of the studio.
From what I understand they have DA4 coming sometime in the (near'ish) future as well as some kind of 'overhaul' of Anthem so I can't imagine the next Mass Effect is getting much attention. It's likely 3-4 years away at this point if not further so I don't know.
I don't know why gamers think releasing a new game messes up all the old games, we're going to see new games from Bioware regardless, maybe the next Mass Effect will have a fresh new villain.
This. Andromeda's premise was fine. The game itself wasn't, and now its premise is poisoned. Whoops!
I think BioWare's only choices now are a full reboot, or an in-canon sequel set in the Milky Way post-ME3. They'd have to canonize the Destroy ending in order to continue with a Milky Way that's at all recognizable, that's the way it is and people who picked another ending will just have to deal with it.
So I think we're eventually going to get the continuing adventures of Wrex and Liara, probably with a brand new protagonist, 100 years post ME3 or something like that. I don't exactly envy trying to make that setup work, but they made their bed with ME3's ending and then screwing up their out with Andromeda, so now they've gotta sleep in it.
Same. While I personally enjoyed 2 and 3, I feel that the series is more controversy and missed marks than success nowadays. Just let it go.
A complete reboot. I don't care about the lore at this point anymore all the stuff done since ME3 has just been an active turnoff to the franchise for me. I mean sure if they pull a god of war and think they have the chops to make me care about it at this point be my guest I'm not inflexible if it turns out good but it's going to be an extra hill to climb.
The entire game to be designed around and in service of good characters and good story, similar in tone to the original trilogy. But with romances that aren't of the "buy gifts for them until they decide to fuck you" variety that was present in the original trilogy
One way they could make a sequel series work is by reaching into the one Star Trek thing they didn't really do in the original trilogy - alternate universes.
Just have a mission in the game that alludes to the other endings being canon in an alternate dimension, maybe even have the crew visit them to find out that in the Control ending universe Wrex is evil and has a goatee.
Hell go all Spider-Verse on it and have the entire premise of the game be about stopping an interdimensional threat. That's one way to up the stakes from Reapers.
OP
OP
they could always go with the synthesis ending, I liked that one the best
No more universe ending stories. Don't destroy an interesting universe, instead allow for mostly disconnected space opera/adventure games. Just have space cop be a space cop without having to worry about the destruction of all life.
Stop pulling the ancient civilization deus ex machina. Also, get rid of the friendship is magic cliche. It's fun in the trilogy but I really don't want to run around solving everyone's sad conflicts so that the galaxy can be saved. Even Shepard himself/herself complained about it.
I just thought about this but a DA: Origins thing would be pretty cool: acompanying alien races from birth to adulthood where the narrative joing up. The strict life of a Turian joining the military, the constant fighting of the Krogan... could be interesting.
If not give me a game where you play one of the alien races throughout.
If not give me a game where you play one of the alien races throughout.
I'd rather have a more focused story with linear levels that can be played in a somewhat varied order (like in ME2/3) than another open world clusterfuck like 1/Andromeda.
Co-op PvE is also something they've done really well I think, although I'd much rather play ME3MP than Andromeda mostly because support for it didn't die in a few months and it just plays and feels better. So yeah, would love to see another take on that.
Co-op PvE is also something they've done really well I think, although I'd much rather play ME3MP than Andromeda mostly because support for it didn't die in a few months and it just plays and feels better. So yeah, would love to see another take on that.
OP
OP
that would be cool as well, id love to play as an asari or quarian
No it really wasn't. It's a pity the suits at BioWare practically killed their employees trying to wring every last drop of "BioWare magic" out of them.
And the management disaster that was BioWare 2012-17 helps explain why andromeda is flawed. However it's not a consumers job to handwave a shit product because those making it had a tough time. Andromeda is a bad game
It isn't though. It's at worst "adequate", but the internet mob made it out to be the worst thing since unsliced bread.
Each to their own I guess. Personally I think it's a 4/10 game. The RPG/Crafting systems are good. The lack of classes is dumb as is having to rely on bad party AI. Writing is poor and companions are the type of party members that you'd like to throw out the airlock
I don't want a Mass Effect 5. 3 poisoned the well, and Andromeda was a trash fire. It's okay to let things end, some times- the ME trilogy doesn't need to keep getting dragged out. If you have to do something in the universe, give me a small scale C-Sec private detective game fully set on the Citadel. But I'd rather see a new RPG IP, or if it must be a sequel, go with something more unique like another Jade Empire.
Vanguard (I think ?) build in Andromeda offered great melee opportunities. They could indeed improve on this great dynamic gameplay. Charge + bionic punch + shotgun felt soooo good. But a tad underwelming against big dudes
I honestly wouldn't mind if they rebooted the series and did a reimagining of ME1.
Ignoring that, I'd like to see a sequel stay in the Milky Way and have Mass Effect 1/KotOR-style Hubs.
Ignoring that, I'd like to see a sequel stay in the Milky Way and have Mass Effect 1/KotOR-style Hubs.
Milky-way, meaningful hubs, crazy good interesting cast, focus on the "underworld" side of the galaxy, low and personal stakes in the main quest and fluid and snappy gameplay with emphasis on rpg stuff like progression, branching quests and exploration heavy (more dense less quantity)
Basically ME2-2 with modern design.
Basically ME2-2 with modern design.
Bioware painted themselves into such a corner, it's frustrating.
I think the biggest thing is that "Mass Effect" could have and should have been bigger than Shepard's journey, yet Shepard's choices at the end of ME3 so radically change the galaxy that it makes any future games near-impossible to follow-up without either picking a default ending or radically retconning what occurs.
Andromeda had the right idea flash-forwarding hundreds of years into a totally new galaxy... but the execution was so bad and the potential so squandered (and Andromeda itself is widely regarded as a meme of bugs and unpolished design, fair or not) that even that future, while still the most limitless, is tainted in the public's view.
There are at least 6 options I could consider, all depending on execution.
1. Direct Sequel - if you're going to do a Mass Effect sequel then I'd bite the bullet and just pick a canon ending. Dragon Age has countless endings that have major story characters possibly die, but Bioware still made sure there was a "canon" path forward. Even if Leliana died in my playthrough, she's going to be in Inquisition, etc. While "Destroy" is the only option that permits Shepard to live, it still does so at the expense of the Geth and EDI (something something bad Starchild logic, etc.). I honestly would create a "fourth-path" pick-up option that cherry-picks from all three endings to spring from. Some things would remain consistent (the Mass Relays needing to be rebuilt, the Reapers either destroyed or returned to Dark Space) while others just probably shouldn't go forward (Synthesis remains not just a psychological and physiological nightmare scenario, but it's pretty high up there in terms of body horror for me too, and I doubt anyone would want a sequel where everyone was a glowing green flesh-borg hive mind collective....). "Control" might actually be the ending that does the "least harm" to the Mass Effect status quo, even if it's not the ending I would ever pick. But, granted, no Shepard if that happens.
2. Andromeda 2 - Yes, Andromeda was a disappointment (and I played it long after the patches). It has so many annoying flaws, bad writing, unpolished missions and cutscenes, and it definitely wastes its initial pitch to such an embarrassing degree it's frustrating. But... that potential was so limitless that I would still like them to try again. They kind of screwed up a lot of big moments (first contact is embarrassing, the lack of new aliens is shocking, the main villains are bland, etc.), but Andromeda is a big galaxy and you could technically argue that we only explored less than 1% of it. There could be hundreds of other alien species out there, more exotic planets, more interesting alien races and cultures... a second change to do what Andromeda promised us and really nail it. But it would have an uphill battle after the last one was so poorly received. It has the most potential, but the least public support, I think.
3. Mass Effect prequel - The First-Contact Turian War was a major event in human history that was full of conflict, misunderstanding, and generational bitterness that lasted several decades that was barely explored in the main games. It's a good setting for a Mass Effect game, one that avoids the pitfalls of ME3's ending, but one that is also limited by knowing that the status quo of ME1 must be in place by its conclusion. Still, the nuances of how the war started versus how it concluded could vary widely in the hands of a good story crafter, but it also runs the risk of undermining the alien-human relationships that Shepard's journey focused on mending.
4. Mass Effect Reboot - the setting and lore is all there, and if you were to just "start over" at a blank slate around the ME1 era and just ignore the Reaper threat, you could have a Star Trek-esque universe full of fascinating stories to tell that aren't marching towards the dead-end of ME3's ending. You could tell any story of any heroes or any villains, all against the backdrop of Turians, Salarians, Asari, Omega bars, Prothean ruins, Hanar brothels, Citadel hubs, and much more. However, it would have to entirely ignore everything in the ME trilogy and be, in effect, a full reboot - a new universe that only carries on the names and branding of the original Mass Effect universe, but not one hobbled by prior story limitations.
5. Mass Effect Trilogy Remaster - Just... do this. It's the one thing that would probably work best. There's a lot of rough patches in the original games that could be smoothed out and a lot of cut and bugged content that could be restored to make a re-release worth it.
6. Mass Effect Trilogy Remake - I would argue that it wouldn't be feasible to remake the whole trilogy from the ground up, the one thing a "remake" could theoretically do is keep 99% of the original games... but alter the endings to allow for future games. That's the sticking point to all of this, really, isn't it? How do you handle those endings? You either ignore them (Andromeda/reboot), predate them (prequel), settle on one (sequel), or keep them (remaster). But if you kept the journey the same and just... did a better ending... I honestly think it would open the whole franchise back up. Now, they ALREADY gave us the Extended Cut, but that wasn't a new ending, just longer ones that were more character-driven and emotionally resolute. But if they had the options to re-do it, with the goal of opening the door to future Mass Effect titles, then giving us the trilogy again but with a new ending (with maybe the original endings selectable as an option), would go a long way.
I think the biggest thing is that "Mass Effect" could have and should have been bigger than Shepard's journey, yet Shepard's choices at the end of ME3 so radically change the galaxy that it makes any future games near-impossible to follow-up without either picking a default ending or radically retconning what occurs.
Andromeda had the right idea flash-forwarding hundreds of years into a totally new galaxy... but the execution was so bad and the potential so squandered (and Andromeda itself is widely regarded as a meme of bugs and unpolished design, fair or not) that even that future, while still the most limitless, is tainted in the public's view.
There are at least 6 options I could consider, all depending on execution.
1. Direct Sequel - if you're going to do a Mass Effect sequel then I'd bite the bullet and just pick a canon ending. Dragon Age has countless endings that have major story characters possibly die, but Bioware still made sure there was a "canon" path forward. Even if Leliana died in my playthrough, she's going to be in Inquisition, etc. While "Destroy" is the only option that permits Shepard to live, it still does so at the expense of the Geth and EDI (something something bad Starchild logic, etc.). I honestly would create a "fourth-path" pick-up option that cherry-picks from all three endings to spring from. Some things would remain consistent (the Mass Relays needing to be rebuilt, the Reapers either destroyed or returned to Dark Space) while others just probably shouldn't go forward (Synthesis remains not just a psychological and physiological nightmare scenario, but it's pretty high up there in terms of body horror for me too, and I doubt anyone would want a sequel where everyone was a glowing green flesh-borg hive mind collective....). "Control" might actually be the ending that does the "least harm" to the Mass Effect status quo, even if it's not the ending I would ever pick. But, granted, no Shepard if that happens.
2. Andromeda 2 - Yes, Andromeda was a disappointment (and I played it long after the patches). It has so many annoying flaws, bad writing, unpolished missions and cutscenes, and it definitely wastes its initial pitch to such an embarrassing degree it's frustrating. But... that potential was so limitless that I would still like them to try again. They kind of screwed up a lot of big moments (first contact is embarrassing, the lack of new aliens is shocking, the main villains are bland, etc.), but Andromeda is a big galaxy and you could technically argue that we only explored less than 1% of it. There could be hundreds of other alien species out there, more exotic planets, more interesting alien races and cultures... a second change to do what Andromeda promised us and really nail it. But it would have an uphill battle after the last one was so poorly received. It has the most potential, but the least public support, I think.
3. Mass Effect prequel - The First-Contact Turian War was a major event in human history that was full of conflict, misunderstanding, and generational bitterness that lasted several decades that was barely explored in the main games. It's a good setting for a Mass Effect game, one that avoids the pitfalls of ME3's ending, but one that is also limited by knowing that the status quo of ME1 must be in place by its conclusion. Still, the nuances of how the war started versus how it concluded could vary widely in the hands of a good story crafter, but it also runs the risk of undermining the alien-human relationships that Shepard's journey focused on mending.
4. Mass Effect Reboot - the setting and lore is all there, and if you were to just "start over" at a blank slate around the ME1 era and just ignore the Reaper threat, you could have a Star Trek-esque universe full of fascinating stories to tell that aren't marching towards the dead-end of ME3's ending. You could tell any story of any heroes or any villains, all against the backdrop of Turians, Salarians, Asari, Omega bars, Prothean ruins, Hanar brothels, Citadel hubs, and much more. However, it would have to entirely ignore everything in the ME trilogy and be, in effect, a full reboot - a new universe that only carries on the names and branding of the original Mass Effect universe, but not one hobbled by prior story limitations.
5. Mass Effect Trilogy Remaster - Just... do this. It's the one thing that would probably work best. There's a lot of rough patches in the original games that could be smoothed out and a lot of cut and bugged content that could be restored to make a re-release worth it.
6. Mass Effect Trilogy Remake - I would argue that it wouldn't be feasible to remake the whole trilogy from the ground up, the one thing a "remake" could theoretically do is keep 99% of the original games... but alter the endings to allow for future games. That's the sticking point to all of this, really, isn't it? How do you handle those endings? You either ignore them (Andromeda/reboot), predate them (prequel), settle on one (sequel), or keep them (remaster). But if you kept the journey the same and just... did a better ending... I honestly think it would open the whole franchise back up. Now, they ALREADY gave us the Extended Cut, but that wasn't a new ending, just longer ones that were more character-driven and emotionally resolute. But if they had the options to re-do it, with the goal of opening the door to future Mass Effect titles, then giving us the trilogy again but with a new ending (with maybe the original endings selectable as an option), would go a long way.
Right, but ive always been a sucker for unarmed combat in third person shooters, or least having some varied melee animations. I think Mass Effect 3 was decent in this regard having a 3 hit combo as well as a strong attack, with every class having a different animation. Ideally id like to see a entirely new system for melee, even if its a simple one, and not just a one animation attack that can be made OP by some very specific build. I still remember the initial pitch of "Jack Bauer in space" for the original Mass Effect, so consequently, I always hoped you could maybe rough people up in a more up close and personal way. I guess that aspect never really came into fruition, and maybe Mass Effect has gone too far in another direction to make this kind of thing happen. Ideally for me would be something akin to what you see in MGS 5, where being close to enemies opens up new possibilities, while maintaining the TPS aspects.
Soul, a strong creative vision, and lots of love care and attention. It doesn't need to be the biggest game ever, it doesn't need to have every modern AAA gameplay mechanic under the sun somehow shoe-horned in to it. If it can nail the atmosphere of Mass Effect 2 then that would be something.