• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

What do you want to see in Mass Effect 4?

Umbasaborne

Banned
A return to the milky way, fuck andromeda it was a cowardly sequel
I agree. Andromeda was a neat idea, but the milky way after the reaper war is way, waaayyy more interesting and understandably hard to do. I really wish mass effect 3 only had one ending so they could have more easily followed it up
 

Bigfroth

Member
If it's built just for this gen PS5/SeriesX and PC hope it is. I don't know where in the timeline story will be, but I'm sure Citidal will still be around(sure the Keepers are working overtime after ME3 lol). I want them to blow out the map and levels. I want to explore the Wards and would like the Presidium to be more than a few rooms and hallways.
 

Shut0wen

Member
So i love mass effect (the trilogy). Andromeda sucked, and was an insult to the series legacy and its fans. But there are good idea’s even in that game that can be siphoned. So, when mass effect 4 launches in 4 (5?) years, what improvements and features would you like to see.

1.) writing that is better than andromeda, and on par with the original trilogy:

my favorite thing about the trilogy is the writing, world building, and character work. I felt so attatched to my squad in 1, 2, and 3 that i genuinely had an emotional reaction when something bad happened to them, or when i had my final moments with my romance choice before the finale.

Don't get me wrong, there are hints of decent writing to be found in andromeda, hidden amongst the awkward poor writing, but what we need is writing that is consistent the whole time, and that makes you feel emotionally attatched to the crew around you. That is the heart of mass effect

2.) strong characters both old and new:

as mentioned before. Your crew is the heart of mass effect. How well they are written and performed plays a major role in the quality of the experience. The next mass effect game needs some familiar faces from the trilogy (liara, wrex, ect...) asWell as brand new faces who are equally as well written and who will leave a lasting impact.

We need more new characters who are like miranda, mordin, or samara were in mass effect 2, and less who are as bland as liam kosta and cora from andromeda.

But even andromeda had a handful of decent characters. Peebee, drak, and vetra all had decent moments and a lot of potential. If it fits the story, why not give them another go around?

3: reduce the scope to something smaller, and more personal:

this desire served a dual purpose. The story doesn’t need to be about the fate of an entire galaxy, your character (shepard?) doesn't need to be the chosen one. A smaller more personal story would allow the character moments that make mass effect great to truly shine. Relationships would feel more personal. And the stakes would be less about the galaxy, and more about those around you. Like mass effect 2’s suicide mission.

the other side of a smaller scope is getting rid of open worlds. In my opinion, the open worlds of andromeda added nothing to the game except for tedious trips between boring fetch quests that ultimatley got in the way of the rewarding story moments. In mass effect 1 uncharted worlds were a decent idea but the execution was middling at best.

I think the sweet spot would be something between god of war and mass effect 2. Have explorable hubs that lead into missions whose enviroments are open linear, like god of war or new tomb raider. The slightly more open enviroments would facilitate the next change.

4.) bring back andromeda’s mobility and combat, but dont forget the ability wheel and squad control:

If there was one thing that you can say was universally great about andromeda, it was the combat. No longer were you confined to waist high cover, you could dash, jump, hover, and your abilities felt stronger and more impactful than ever.

Bring that back, but add the power and weapon wheel from the trilogy. I liked being able to control when and how my squad used their abilities in the trilogy and it was sorely missed in andromeda.

5.) expand romance:

romance options are a huge part of what makes the mass effect games
Great, and they greatly enhance your emotional attachment to your crew. I think they can be so much more though. It would be neat to be able to do things like go on dates, get married, hell even have the option to have a kid if the plot could facilitate that.

As of now, its slightly dissapointing to put the work into those romance paths only to be rewarded with a sex scene. They could be much more than they are, and i hope they are in the next game.

6.) the most controversial thing i want, bring back Commander Shepard as the Main playable character:

i know, i know, how would it make sense you might wonder? He died in my ending though. Yes, i get all that, but mass effect is full of weird space magic. An interesting thing might be if commander shepard some how comes back and a lot of time has passed like the teaser implies.

You can have a whole man or woman out of time angle going on as well. It would give weary players a familiar base to ground themselves with, while also providing a satisfying conclusion to Shepard's story. There is also the interesting aspect of how that would affect your relationships if you romanced liara in the trilogy, to come back to her 600 and some odd years later

I do think there is room for a new protagonist in mass effect, but for this game, the game that bioware needs to bring back fans. Bringing that character back for one last victory lap and giving him/her a satisfying finale would go a long way in achieving that goal.
I thi k MEAs biggest problem wasnt so much the writing, yeah at times its pretty bad (i also think all side missions on DAI are also bad which was made by biowares main team) but the game had no soul, it added nothing new to the series and lore other then how colonialism works and the new main villain while at least ME 1 and 2 added alot to the series, also it tried to much to be like the first game which i think the series needs to move away from which is weird cause its my fav game in the series but i prefer the series for being a third person shooter with mild rpg elements, im all for big maps just without the mako though, i think the new series should have a whole new cast of characters, MEA did have some decent characters who were in your squad
 

Ozzie666

Member
I guess the hardest part of moving forward is the cast. Sheppard and his crew are so essential to this game and story. how do you find a reasonable way to continue it moving forward? The characters, relationships are pretty important. You can only introduce so many new characters every game without taking something away. There are certain main stays. To me, Mass Effect is Sheppard, just like Star Wars is about Luke.

I also don't know if you try to set up a new trilogy, or just make a 1 and done adventure.
 

EverydayBeast

thinks Halo Infinite is a new graphical benchmark
Create an angle to move on from Shepard is crazy to me, he’s maybe 45? Use Shepard as long as you can everything else is a distraction (ancient aliens re-emerging, desire to save humanity etc.) you could argue Shepard is bigger than BioWare or Mass Effect.
 

IDKFA

I am Become Bilbo Baggins
Billions of planets.

I want a whole galaxy to explore. Billions of planets with each one being unique, and each planet having a map the size of Skyrim's map at the very least, with the biggest one being the size of Daggerfall's map.

Huge space combat. I want to see tens of thousands of ships battling it out.

That should do it for me.
 

Umbasaborne

Banned
Create an angle to move on from Shepard is crazy to me, he’s maybe 45? Use Shepard as long as you can everything else is a distraction (ancient aliens re-emerging, desire to save humanity etc.) you could argue Shepard is bigger than BioWare or Mass Effect.
I agree. I think players shepards deserve a proper send off, given how much time weve invested into this character and their relationships over the years. Once shepard gets a satisfying ending, like settling down or retiring, then id be okay with moving on to a new character.
 

Umbasaborne

Banned
I wanna play as a reaper in an RTS format so I can assume control:

PsmNwKM.jpg
I actually think a mass effect rts, tactics, or 4x spin off would be fucking awesome
 

EverydayBeast

thinks Halo Infinite is a new graphical benchmark
I agree. I think players shepards deserve a proper send off, given how much time weve invested into this character and their relationships over the years. Once shepard gets a satisfying ending, like settling down or retiring, then id be okay with moving on to a new character.
You still have Joker, Captain Anderson and Admiral Hackett all are still heavily supported the idea of killing off Shepard is crazy. ME3 actually shows defeats and what Shepard would do at his lowest, bottom of the mountain, in a trash can than showing the ability to save an entire galaxy. Give what we’ve seen from the latest trailer Shepard is a comeback machine. The reapers are defeated, Illusive Man is dead, but I believe places like omega, citidel, alien worlds, post war Earth could really wing some stories. You don’t think they’ll be a new threat?
 

Umbasaborne

Banned
You still have Joker, Captain Anderson and Admiral Hackett all are still heavily supported the idea of killing off Shepard is crazy. ME3 actually shows defeats and what Shepard would do at his lowest, bottom of the mountain, in a trash can than showing the ability to save an entire galaxy. Give what we’ve seen from the latest trailer Shepard is a comeback machine. The reapers are defeated, Illusive Man is dead, but I believe places like omega, citidel, alien worlds, post war Earth could really wing some stories. You don’t think they’ll be a new threat?
I think the new threat should be smaller in scope, more personal, like an old enemy of shepards who is specifically targeting him and his old squad mates, not the fate of the entire galaxy again. Id like the new mass effect to focus your relationships. I love the citadel dlc in mass effect 3. The writing is top notch and everyone gets a chance to shine, the villain has personal stakes against shepard. Id like something like that, except on a slightly larger scale of course because that was just dlc (not too large though), and a little less goofy than clone shep was.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
I would love that tbh
I always prefer FP in RPGs and shooters ad even racers (hood view). I like the immersion better. And I find moving and aiming smoother. When I play games in third person, it's janky seeing the character bob around and depending on the game your character gets in the way covering part of the screen when shooting.

I also like how it makes it tougher as you cant see stuff when ducking down, which is what it should be in games. I dont get why you can hide behind a crate or around the corner and still be allowed to see everything in front of you. I remember playing Black Ops 1 and that game allowed third person view in some objectives modes. It was stupid.

On the downside first person view makes for difficult cover mechanics where a game like Gears you can slide in and out of cover pieces and know whats going on.
 
Last edited:

Umbasaborne

Banned
I always prefer FP in RPGs and shooters ad even racers (hood view). I like the immersion better. And I find moving and aiming smoother. When I play games in third person, it's janky seeing the character bob around and depending on the game your character gets in the way covering part of the screen when shooting.

It also makes it tougher as you cant see stuff when ducking down, which is what it should be in games. I dont get why you can hide behind a crate or around the corner and still be allowed to see everything in front of you.

On the downside first person view makes for difficult cover mechanics where a game like Gears you can slide in and out of cover pieces and know whats going on.
You could always do something like quantum of solace on the 360, where it was first person, but when bond went into cover it turned to third person. Gta v does the same thing. But still walking around the normandy in first person would be awesome (even better in
Vr)
 
Last edited:

EverydayBeast

thinks Halo Infinite is a new graphical benchmark
I think the new threat should be smaller in scope, more personal, like an old enemy of shepards who is specifically targeting him and his old squad mates, not the fate of the entire galaxy again. Id like the new mass effect to focus your relationships. I love the citadel dlc in mass effect 3. The writing is top notch and everyone gets a chance to shine, the villain has personal stakes against shepard. Id like something like that, except on a slightly larger scale of course because that was just dlc (not too large though), and a little less goofy than clone shep was.
Saren the rogue specter was appreciated and personal in Mass Effect 1.
 

dottme

Member
I would like better gameplay around the ship. in the first trilogy, there was a lot of things about how great the Normandy was, but I never feel it during the game.
 

Beelzebubs

Member
I would want to continue the story from the original trilogy. There would be a lot of really interesting plot details and character motivations you could mine from either an entire species being wiped out, forcibly changing people into human/tech hybrids or even 1 person in control of the biggest aresenal in the universe (The Reapers) depending on the ending you chose.
 
Extremely sexy main herione wth fully customizable body and face and ofcourse Game of thrones style sex with all companions especially Liara. Wantz option of doggy style with Liara


And maybe good story with branching story lines and actual choices and consequences, good modern gameplay and characters?
 

Unity2012

Member
Give us characters worth caring about. I don't mind how many planets I have to go to; or quest to do; fights to fight, if I feel connected to my character/s and their goals.
 

Umbasaborne

Banned
Extremely sexy main herione wth fully customizable body and face and ofcourse Game of thrones style sex with all companions especially Liara. Wantz option of doggy style with Liara


And maybe good story with branching story lines and actual choices and consequences, good modern gameplay and characters?
The liara face sitting experience will be exclusive to psvr.
 

Umbasaborne

Banned
I remember ME:1 feeling like it was actually ahead of its time, in music, tone, visuals, everything. It needs to feel like that again.. they need to push the envelope on all fronts.
I agree, i love the tone of the first gamr, its got this cool 70’s space opera vibe to it. That being said i also liked the darker tone of me 2 as well, but if they can recapture the atmosphere of thr first game and mix it with the tight pacing of the second game, that would be my dream mass effect game
 

shoegaze

Member
No first person mode, no billions of planets; leave third person over the shoulder camera with a couple of planets and space stations, make it tight and write it smart. Same galaxy but in the far future, first part of the game control Liara and bring in Shepard as the second playable character in an epic revival for the second part of the game.

They try to cater to No Man's Sky crowd again I'm not touching that shit with a barge pole.
 

Umbasaborne

Banned
No first person mode, no billions of planets; leave third person over the shoulder camera with a couple of planets and space stations, make it tight and write it smart. Same galaxy but in the far future, first part of the game control Liara and bring in Shepard as the second playable character in an epic revival for the second part of the game.

They try to cater to No Man's Sky crowd again I'm not touching that shit with a barge pole.
I didnt think about that but honestly playable liara would be awesome. Shes a great character, being able to influence her choices and decisions like you did with shepard would be an interesting twist. At the very least, i hope you can switch between squad mates like you can in da inquisition, or like what was originally planned for mass effect
 

Pallas

Member
BioWare should take a page from Kojima/MGS playbook and just clone Shepard.

On a serious note, I’d like to see them somehow bridge the trilogy and Andromeda together somehow. I think Andromeda had a really interesting enemy faction in the Kett which iirc are also visitors to Andromeda.
 

Umbasaborne

Banned
BioWare should take a page from Kojima/MGS playbook and just clone Shepard.

On a serious note, I’d like to see them somehow bridge the trilogy and Andromeda together somehow. I think Andromeda had a really interesting enemy faction in the Kett which iirc are also visitors to Andromeda.
They already did clone shepard, but they never show clone shep die so i suppose anything is possible. But i wouldnt want that, id want my shepard with the choices i made (except for the 3 ending, dont care if they retcon that)
 
I wanna see nothing from Mass Effect Andromeda or DA:I.
No giant meaningless hubs, no more space hinterlands and no fucking fetch quests across multiple star systems that each have their own loading screen. That's what broken the gMe for me. Whoever thought that was a good idea should look for a new profession.
 

MetalRain

Member
Basically I like the universe of Mass Effect, but would like more subdued story, maybe have main character be smuggler instead of this all powerful Spectre. More politics between different races, more time in space, maybe salvaging spaceships etc.
 
Top Bottom