Mass Effect 4: Mass Effect Developers Want YOUR Input!
Hey guys – so according to Examiner.com, Casey Hudson (exec producer of the ME franchise) wants fan feedback on what we want from the next Mass Effect game! In particular, he wants to know if it should take place before or after the main game’s events.
Casey Hudson also mentioned the possibility of game spin-offs, like a game featuring Garrus Vakarian. While he is one of my favorite characters, I feel like the whole point of Mass Effect is the level of personalization and actually feeling that you ARE Commander Shepard. Having spent so much time getting to know Garrus already, I feel like it would be difficult to play as yourself and not him.
Anyway, here’s what I want from Mass Effect 4:
1. Timeline after the events of Mass Effect 3
Yes, I know ME4 won’t feature Shepard 2.0 nor would I want it to, but I want to see the ripple effect of my Shep’s existence on the new main character’s environment. It would be interesting if the events took place several hundred/thousand years after ME3, just so you can start to see the repercussions of Shepard’s actions. I want to have the choices Shepard made in the first three games (like Destroy/Synthesis/Control, curing the Genophage, saving the Rachni, etc.) have an impact on the environment in the fourth game. At the same time, I want the ME4 characters and plot to be completely new and independent of the old characters and plot. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I want ME1-3 to have impact on ME4 at a macro level but ME4 to be completely different on a micro level.
2. Character option to play as an alien
Maybe I’m weird but I prefer to play video games as a human – in games like Skyrim, WoW, etc. I am always the boring human. But, I would like people to have the option of playing as an alien … it just seems right given how much time you spent in ME1-ME3 cultivating human-alien relations.
3. Explore new worlds and revisit old ones
This one is probably pretty obvious. Of course I want to see new planets and systems. But, I want some cameos from places we’ve grown to know and love in ME1-ME3. The evolution of those familiar places after the events of ME3 would be interesting to see. Has Thessia been rebuilt? Is Tuchanka overpopulated with generations of Wrex and Bakara’s progeny? Has Omega become a thriving center for legitimate business dealings? Have the Quarians finally ditched those suits on Rannoch? Will my new character quip, “I’ve had enough of this place” after visiting Horizon?
4. New allies and new enemies
This is also fairly obvious. While I love the asari, turians, etc., I want to see a less sexy species take a greater role in ME4. I mean, how about the first Volus Spectre? I also want to see some brand-new species that we haven’t even heard of yet. Maybe like asari, but all hunky purple males instead of voluptuous blue females (am I right ladeeeez). No, but really, let’s get some new alien action going on.
5. Easter Eggs everywhere
I love the Mass Effect team because they listened to their fans’ demands and released multiple DLCs that paid homage to the things we care about (Citadel DLC, anyone?). I’d like to see that fanservice continue into ME4.
And just for kicks, this is my personal fanservice dream: I want to see the Citadel rebuilt with a Shepard war memorial right next to the statue of the Krogan. Depending on how ME3 ended, I want a brief epilogue for Shep – if I got the best ending where I chose Destroy and my Shep took a breath at the end of the game, I want it confirmed that s/he lived and was reunited with the Normandy crew. Yes, I want my happily ever after, is that so wrong?
Anyway, that’s what I want. I want a new storyline with new characters that still build upon the universe my Shepard explored and the decisions my Shepard made in the first three games. I think the amazing, beautiful thing about the Mass Effect series is the impact your choices had on your whole game experience. Something I chose to do in 2007 affected what happened to my Shepard five years later – that’s pretty powerful. It’s like life, only better ‘cuz there are aliens.
Tweet him @CaseyDHudson and let him know how you feel. You can link this blog post if you agree with what I wrote and add your own opinions in comments: http://wp.me/p2EnkE-d6
What do you want out of Mass Effect 4? Let me know in comments!
Yes! I want all that and a bag of chips! It would be cool for a prequel taking place during Prothean times too. I want to see all the Asari/turian/human primitives. But then I guess the choices from me1-3 won’t matter …
I liked your points, m’am. And I so want to see other alien races as allies and playable, hence Volus, Hanar, and Elcor. Heck, I’d even like to see Batarian and Vorcha allies.
If Shep had a/any breath in anyone’s game, that is the beginning of the next storyline. Continuity for choice ramifications drives the unique ME experience. The next generation console’s design restrictions are the only real hurdles for continuity. I am new to gaming and have got to say your site has really made the experience enjoyable.
Continuity would be hard since the endings are so diverse, but I feel like if Mass Effect 4 doesn’t build on the continuity, it will make the game much less satisfying. What kind of next-gen console design restrictions are you talking about? Like the XBox One limitations?
Tp be honest, the main thing I would LOVE to see is cross platform multiplayer. I can understand to a degree why certain games dont have it and I know it would probably be a logistical nightmare, but playing with my Xbox buddies that I had to leave when I swapped to PC version would be heaven.
As for the actual game content, I would love to play the events that lead up to Mass Effect. The First Contact War, Krogan Rebellions, Rachni War, etc. I think it would be so cool to see the things you learned about first-hand. Playing as another race is always a plus (Khajiit!)
Id prefer they not continue in the future of the current Trilogy simply because theres no defining canon for every player. Take KoToR for example, in KoToR2 Atton mentions Revan was a woman (mine was male). With a little dialogue you can explain it away or agree and that always bothered me. Revan was a pivotal figure in that universe and it just seemed like a way to get around technological hurdles for that time. Also look at destroying or keeping the Collector Base in ME2. It literally made ZERO difference to the story while Saving or Killing the council did. And if those can cause enough problems, lets not even go to ME3 where there are at least 4 different endings -_-
I loved the RPG elements of ME1, the roster and mission variety of ME2 and the speed of ME3. Combine those and Im there in a heartbeat :)
Yeah, I think if they take the future route it will be more difficult but also more satisfying. Maybe if they went so far into the future as to blend all the endings together like in Deus Ex: Invisible War, it would be possible to do a game set in the future for everyone. It would be even better if there were flashbacks to the events before ME1-3 that were playable … then it would be the best of both worlds!
I think they should put james in there and make him do what he told garres in the normandy he had to beat 2 ravingers all by his own hands and then he did but they left a agg for him and he ceeps it as a pet.that the only thing I wont.
Ha! That would be awesome. I’d play that game ;)
I agree with most of what you want, but Id really like to see Liara in it, as Asari are supposed to live like 1000 years or something. Maybe 500 years after ME3, with everyone dead apart from Liara and you can see how she deals with it. I want a sequel for sure, rather than a prequel, although that is the more difficult one.
Maybe even seeing Liara in the future as a VI like if you get the bad ending in ME3 …
Just some random thoughts:
1) I am on the fence about a Pre or Post Sheppard timeline. If you want to include humans in your story line, then a Post-Sheppard timeline is best. However, if you want to play as an alien, a pre-Sheppard timeline has lot’s of potential, an ethically murky political drama about how the Council was formed or using the Krogan in the Raccni wars both spring to mind.
2) IMHO ME2 was the best of the series b/c you had to work with an unsavory ally to accomplish something for the greater good, but those decisions were a little too stark. I would like to see more nuanced, consequential, and meaningful moral, ethical, and political uncertainty in the available character choices to pursue. I always played the Paragon b/c the Renegade options made you feel like such an a**hole. The distinction between what the “best” or “most” moral ethical and politically favorable choice should be less distinct, more uncertain, and more agonizing. Who is to die Ashley vs Kaiden, which one is the best choice right now vs the long term, perhaps neither choice is best.
3) Old worlds vs new worlds, ME4 must be about moving forward, and while it needs to pay homage to the past, the focus should be on new worlds and new experiences.
4) ME3 was great b/c we had more in depth side character development. For me the Citadel DLC was one of the best DLC’s released, no I did not particularly care for the main story line, what I loved was learning about my favorite side character’s and seeing them in a non-combat situation.
5) More multiplayer! More multiplayer! More multiplayer! With team based C0-Op PvP, and Co-Op PvE. Also I liked having my multi-player activities have an impact on my solo game play, don’t lose that aspect.
6) Despite what I say in item 2 above, a non-ambiguous ending for the protagonist is a must for me. I, like most people disliked ME3’s ending; after investing so much time and effort into my Sheppard only to have an unclear ending really disappointed me. I want the choice to know if my Sheppard got married, had lots of blue babies with Liara, and lived happily ever after on Eden Prime.
I agree, the more difficult and polarizing the choices, the better. I love the “grey area” choices that ME forces you to make. And the side character development was key – when I played Citadel, I felt like I was reuniting with old friends. Love that aspect.
Multiplayer was a huge part of my ME3 experience and it was great!!! There had better be another multiplayer for ME4, and we’d better be able to carry over some of our stuff from ME3 multiplayer since I invested so much time and effort into it! I know a lot of people hated that multiplayer affected your EMS rating but I’m with you – I thought it was a great mechanic to really get you more invested in the game.
I think it would be a cool thing to have something like a trading system, get rid of my junky Phalanx that I never use for something close to equal value from a friend. Though I see a TON of glitches coming out of that idea