TheMass Effectfranchise is more or less in limbo at the moment. BioWare has confirmed that it is working onMass Effect 4, but when this game is set to release, and what it will look like, are both complete mysteries. Despite this lack of concrete information about the future of the franchise,Mass Effect 4is an existential project for BioWare, as it will define the studio’s future in the wake ofDragon Age: The Veilguard’s underwhelming sales.
Aside from the important role thatMass Effect 4will play in BioWare’s portfolio, the project is of the utmost significance to theMass Effectfanbase. SinceMass Effect 3, the series has lacked the magic that came to define it as one of the premier science-fiction gaming franchises, withAndromedafailing to live up to the IP’s lofty reputation. Whether it’s fair or not,Mass Effect 4has essentially been tasked with redeeming the franchise and bringing it into the modern age, which is no small feat. But perhaps, by borrowing a strategy from theHaloseries, theMass EffectIP can diversify and spread in unique, multifaceted ways, going beyond a single, all-encompassing release.
Mass Effect Could Benefit From Halo-Esque Spin-Off Games
Mass Effect’s Universe Has Room for Non-Mainline Entries
Mass Effect 4’s numbered title, coupled with the appearance of Liara in its reveal trailer, suggest that it will be a continuation of the original trilogy—something that can’t be said aboutMass Effect Andromeda. But whileAndromedamay loosely fit the definition of a spin-off, being untethered from the narrative of the original games, it is so far removed from that story (it literally takes place in another galaxy) that it winds up feeling like another IP entirely, at least at times.
Looking forward, perhapsMass Effectcould takeinspiration from a game likeHalo 3: ODST, putting players in the shoes of a lower-ranking soldier during a canon event, like the attack on the Citadel duringMass Effect 1. This sort of game could serve to show a different, more intimate side of theMass Effectconflict, since Shepard and their team are mostly removed from such matters. Or maybe a prequel game, aHalo: Reachequivalent, could follow the Prothean’s first encounter with the Reapers, or the Krogan’s war with the Turians. These games would flesh outMass Effect’s world, but they would also offer a diverse range of experiences for players. Plus, if marketed correctly, they could be received with more conservative expectations, similar to how theResident Evilfanbase views the smallerRevelationsgames.
With these hypothetical games being positioned as spin-offs, EA could outsource development to other teams, freeing up BioWare to work on the flagship entries.
Mass Effect Spin-Offs Could Be More Experimental
Halo Warsis a series that has long endured the test of timedespite featuring gameplay that is remarkably different from the mainlineHalofranchise. It’s an RTS game, one that uses the narrative language of the broaderHaloseries to uphold its structure and gameplay fundamentals. Something like this could conceivably work very well forMass Effect, which features similarly advanced technology and large-scale warfare that could be leveraged for satisfying strategy scenarios.Mass Effectcould just as easily lean into other genres as well, like visual novel or city-builder. It could even revive the top-down shooter mechanics ofMass Effect Galaxy, a long-forgotten mobile game.
The point of such radical departures would be to let playersengage with the world ofMass Effectthrough distinct, refreshing mechanics; third-person tactical shooting isn’t the only way to interface with the series' rich lore. Put plainly, such an approach would give audiences more, and more unique,Mass Effectexperiences, while taking some of the pressure off the flagship entries to solely carry the IP forward.
