As the wait forMass Effect 4continues 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 foreven moreMass Effectgames down the roadifME4performs well, perhaps even queuing up a brand new trilogy similar to what CD Projekt Red is doing withThe Witcher 4.
This is an exciting prospect, no doubt. A current-genMass Effecttrilogy 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 2077andNo Man’s Sky). As part of a broader and more diversified strategy, maybe it would be wise for EA and BioWare to branch out withMass Effectin the wake ofMass Effect 4, dusting off underexplored story and gameplay concepts through spin-off games.
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 ifBioWare keeps making moreMass Effectgames, 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 theMass Effectseries needs to retain its longevity and intrigue.
A spy-noir thriller on Omega, aGears of Warinspired 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 evenmore evocative than otherMass Effectgames, 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.
Pulling back the curtain onMass 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 aHalo Wars-esque RTS, aFrostpunk-style city-builder, or an open-ended stealth-action sandbox akin to the likes ofMetal Gear Solid. By branching out into new formats, and away from the existential threats of the mainline series,Mass Effectfans could be served a host of uniqueand promising alternatives.
If EA were to outsource such projects, audiences could get more,higher-qualityMass Effectgamesat a faster rate.
There’s also the potential impact that these theoretical spin-offs could have on the coreMass Effectseries, whatever that winds up looking like followingMass Effect 4. Giving players a closer look at theMilky Way’s various alien culturesthrough 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.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition
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.
