In Space, No One Can Hear You Rage Quit
To say that players are passionate about the Mass Effect series is a huge understatement. The rich lore, the various races, the complex and captivating crewmates, the thrilling story involving Shepard’s desperate battle against the Reapers, it all culminated in a trilogy that had us enthralled from beginning to end. However, Mass Effect 3’s original conclusion certainly rocked the boat, and unfortunately Mass Effect: Andromeda’s mixed reception really put the breaks on the franchise.
While there is every chance that the series could return following the releases of Anthem and Dragon Age 4, we still have no idea what direction it may take. Given the lukewarm response to Andromeda’s ending, it’s doubtful the likes of EA or Bioware will give the Ryder twins a second chance in the driver’s seat. That being said, we’ve listed three ways that we believe one of gaming’s sci-fi contributions can bounce back.
#3: Andromeda 2.0
This one is probably the most unlikely, but if Bioware still wants to continue things in the Andromeda galaxy, a great way to earn back the fanbase’s trust would be to go in guns blazing and deliver the game that players were promised. Give us a slew of new races, new politics, new threats and lore so deeply woven into this galaxy that it’s almost like a brand new game. Ironically, the best way to save the idea of Andromeda would be to remove the shackles left behind of the original trilogy and really go all out in ways we would never associate with the Normandy crew, rather than just a pale imitation.
#2: Playing as the Villain
While the Renegade choices certainly pushed Shepard towards the dark side, especially during the latter half of the trilogy, we never really got the sense we were a true bad guy. In which case, how about giving us a brand new character already tied to an “evil” profession? Perhaps a Drell assassin? Part of Omega’s mercenary crews? A band of galactic pirates? Basically give us the chance to play a complex character that’s the furthest thing from an Alliance soldier or explorer.
#1: Revisiting the Milky Way
Please note, we’re not saying we need to revisit the war against the Reapers. We fully respect Bioware’s choice to move onto something different. That being said, something different doesn’t have to mean moving away from the lore we’ve come to know and adore. We’d love to explore some of Mass Effect’s rich history, after all there’s no shortage of battles. The First Contact War, The Krogan Rebellions, The Rachni Wars, The Geth Rebellions, not to mention the numerous conflicts only hinted at in passing. Honestly by this point we’d love to play as a different species a la Dragon Age and explore their culture from a first-person perspective!
Be sure to check out our video below to see our picks for the Top 10 Mass Effect Missions.
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