Here’s what we know, or think we know, about the next Mass Effect game so far.
Liara T’Soni will be in it (probably). N7 armor will be in it (probably). And the Reapers will be back (probably). We hope it will be set in the Milky Way, but it also might take place in Andromeda. It appears to be a sequel, and we’d strongly prefer that to a prequel. It may pick up right where the trilogy left off… but it also might take place after Mass Effect: Andromeda.
The truth is, we don’t know a whole lot, and we won’t know much more than that for a long time to come. But for this N7 Day (this weekend, y’all), I wanted to take a moment to dream with you all about what made us fall in love with this series in the first place—and what will hopefully help us fall all over again for the next one.
The Next ‘Mass Effect’: What to Keep, and What to Recalibrate
Yes, I did that. I made a calibration joke. I am that person. Moving on…
Below is a list of things that have been present in the Mass Effect games all along, whether continuously or only in special instances, that I hope the development team chooses to keep—and perhaps even upgrade—in the next Mass Effect.
Difficult Choices and Dire Consequences
Okay, not every decision has to be life-or-death. But many of the most meaningful moments in the franchise were the ones that put players in the hot seat, forcing them to make impossible choices and live with the consequences—which significantly affected the experience of the game. The obvious example would be the choice between Kaidan and Ashley in the first game, but there were many others throughout the trilogy.
It’s a special kind of emotional masochism that players like me absolutely thrive on, and I am eager to see choices and consequences brought back in spades for the next installment.
A More Nuanced Morality System
One thing I adored about Andromeda was the psych profiling feature. It was unobtrusive enough that players who don’t care for that sort of thing wouldn’t get hit over the head with it, but easy enough to track for people like me who are a little too into personality tests and character development. However, I was never sure how much my Ryder’s profile actually impacted the story, or her character.
In the next game, I want to see a happy medium between this more nuanced approach and the more overt expression of morality we saw in the original trilogy. (Not so much the scarring, although that was fun–more the way your Shepard’s personality impacted various interactions and reactions.)
Complex and Varied Relationships
Not every character will appeal to every player. This is the magic of a diverse cast and multiple romance options—and in the original trilogy, we were spoiled for sexy intelligent, intricately developed love interests to choose from. Every relationship felt different, and every character felt worth caring about (at least to some degree), even if you weren’t romantically interested in them.
For the next Mass Effect, I hope the spotlight will once again shine brightest on the characters and their relationships. More than that, I hope the developers continue to explore how to make the player’s relationship with these characters feel both natural and real.
Compelling Mission Progression
While I’m often a sucker for open-world games, Mass Effect owes much of its popularity (and notoriety, let’s be honest) to its story-forward approach. I think one of Andromeda’s weaknesses was that it sacrificed story for the sake of freedom of movement, and bringing back the more linear progression—and more compelling quest design—of the trilogy would be a better choice for the next game.
In particular, it would be amazing to see the return of loyalty missions on par with those seen in Mass Effect 2, which were both thrilling in the moment and significantly impacted events and relationships later in the game as well. Not every mission can be an Archangel mission, of course—but just imagine if they could be…
Crystal-Clear Dialogue Options
Part of the fun (and terror) of a video game with choices and consequences is that you never know what unintended consequences your decisions might result in. That particular element of mystery should definitely be preserved in the next installment. One thing I’d like to see the dev team pay special attention to, however, is ensuring that players are always aware of the choice they’re making.
Tone can be hard to convey in just a few words on a dialogue wheel. This is why games like Andromeda turn to visual hints to help players understand whether a dialogue choice is meant to be romantic or just playful, serious or sarcastic. I think this is a much better system than one in which it can be all too easy to accidentally wind up flirting with a character you were just trying to show a little kindness to.
Familiar, But Prettier, Faces
We’ve already seen Liara T’Soni in the teasers for the next game, so she darn well better be in it. But beyond that, it only makes sense that, in a franchise built on character relationships, we should not only expect but demand the return of at least a few familiar faces. Maybe not everybody—certainly not anyone whom it would be nonsensical to bring back—but especially in a direct sequel, I’m guessing at least half the cast (or more) will be people we already know and are hopefully fond of. (Garrus, my love… meet me at the bar!)
That being said, today’s graphics are worlds beyond anything the previous games could ever have hoped to accomplish. I am so excited to see how characters will look and move in the new game—how they will emote, in particular. Expressions are so critical to bringing character to life, and I hope the developers have the time and resources they need to take full advantage of what today’s technology has to offer in this regard.
Silky Smooth Gameplay
One thing Andromeda got right was combat. Hopefully the devs can take this lesson and run with it in the next game. Player movement in general just felt nicer—how lovely to finally be able to jump!—and finding cover finally stopped feeling clunky.
For the next game, I have a request: let’s make sure to bring back auto-leveling and introduce auto-equipping. Some players are very into stats and crafting, but I am not that player. Being able to just grab a gun and go if you want to would vastly improve the ME experience for the more casual gamers among us.
New Things to Introduce with the Next ‘Mass Effect’ Game
In contrast to the above, the following section of my wishlist refers to things that we haven’t seen yet in previous games, but that would make excellent additions to the franchise.
One (or More) New Species
I don’t think we need a whole slew of new species to get to know, especially if (as many of us suspect) the next game will be taking place in either the Milky Way, Andromeda, or both. But the depth and intricacy with which previous species’ cultures were developed makes me hungry for more of that, and maybe one or two new species might be a welcome twist to help keep things fresh in a familiar setting.
Only, however, if they serve a purpose. I would rather see an existing species expanded upon (hello, Hanar!) and allowed to play a more active role than get an exciting new species that serves little more purpose than window dressing.
Terra Incognita
While I don’t expect new worlds to just appear out of the blue, there are plenty of places we’ve been teased with but have never had the opportunity to explore. In particular, I would love the opportunity to more thoroughly explore the homeworlds of some of our favorite characters. We only glimpsed Thessia in one ME3 mission, and we’ve never actually been to Palaven, only its moon.
If the next Mass Effect game is the direct sequel we’re all expecting (and certainly hoping for), a post-war galaxy provides the perfect setup for finally exploring these worlds. I’d love to see some kind of loyalty mission setup where players can complete missions that will help these worlds heal and rebuild in the wake of the destruction caused by the Reapers.
Meaningful Non-Squad Relationships
Yes, there have been non-squad relationship options in the past. Some romances occurred on-ship, such as the Kelly romance in ME2, while others occurred off-ship, such as the Reyes relationship in Andromeda. But these feel a little lackluster when compared with the depth and complexity of more central romances like Shepard/Liara or Shepard/Garrus, and it would be such a lovely step forward if we could do away with “side” romances and give all relationships an equal amount of attention and care—or at least a bit more than they’ve received thus far.
In particular, I think it would be interesting to see the consequences play out if romancing “side characters” pushed those characters into more central roles, maybe even allowing them to become squadmates as a result of the relationship. It would certainly set the stage for some truly interesting, and difficult, choices—and potentially delightful or devastating consequences.
A Female Krogan (or Salarian) Squadmate
We all know you can’t have a team in ME without a Krogan. But can we please finally have a female Krogan? It was such a treat to get to know characters like Eve and Kesh, but it would be absolutely fascinating to get a female Krogan perspective on missions and player choices.
I’d be equally excited to see a Salarian on the field again—especially a female one. And yeah, okay, I miss Mordin, all right?! But if we can’t have him back (and no, we absolutely cannot), then I’d love to see a female scientist, or maybe even another member of the Special Tasks Group (STG).
Nonbinary Characters and New Genders
ME has long felt like a safe space in which to explore all types of relationships, even interspecies ones. But in a galaxy so big, it seems somewhat strange that all of the aliens we’ve encountered thus far still used our traditional male/female pronouns—even in the case of the Asari, who are monogendered. It’s time the ME universe expanded beyond these by incorporating currently accepted nonbinary gender identities and perhaps creating new ones unique to certain species. Trans characters would also be a welcome addition to the crew in a story that so often touches on issues of inclusivity, accessibility, and community.
What Makes ‘Mass Effect’ Effective
This is a long wishlist. Some of it is probably too much to ask for. That’s okay. That’s exactly what dreams are for.
But if there’s one thing I hope they get right with the next Mass Effect game, it’s the heart of it all. I hope they understand what made Commander Shepard’s story so special, and what keeps us dreaming about it long after we log out for the last time.
It’s not gameplay mechanics or plot devices. It’s not special effects or fancy graphics. It’s not the soundtrack, catchy though it is, or clever dialogue options.
It’s the people. The ones we learn to get along with, even to love—and the ones we must learn, one way or another, to let go. The people we fight with, and alongside. The people we choose to spend time with, and the people we choose to become.
Just as there is no Shepard without Vakarian, there is no Mass Effect without a team worth fighting for. Here’s to the squadmates we’ve lost, the ones we haven’t met yet, and the ones we’re looking forward to seeing again someday.
Have a happy N7 Day, everyone!
Kim Berkley is an author and narrative designer, and the creator behind interactive fiction games such as The Harbinger’s Head, The Dragon’s Last Flight, and chiaroscuro.
