Mass Effectpremiered in 2007 and saw a successful trilogy of games comedy out. While the ending was divisive, the journey is what most fans appreciated. So, suffice it to say, fans were excited to see the series continue withMass Effect: Andromedain 2017. Unfortunately, it had a rough launch due to glitches, and the content, minus the bugs, didn’t exactly wow players either.
Fans have been waiting for a sequel sinceMass Effect: Andromedaflopped and in 2020, EA announced a new game was in the works via a fancy logo trailer. Nothing has been shown since. When will the nextMass Effectcome out? Who knows, but maybe BioWare and EA should look to another space RPG,Starfield, for some inspiration.
6Dogfights And Ship Building
Mass Effectallowed players to walk around in their ship, which changed in-between games in the trilogy. Players could interact with a variety of NPCs and party members to build their trust. They couldn’t customize their ship let alonebuild them from scratch likeStarfield.
Starfield’s wealth of ship customization options should haveMass Effectfans envious. Another difference between the two is that players could get into combat with their ship inStarfield. WhateverMass Effectgame comes next should implement both of these options although even one would be a big step forward.
5Planetary Exploration
The firstMass Effectgame allowed players to explore some planets although most of them were about as barren as the landscapes inStarfield. On this note the two share a lot in common. However, whatMass Effecthad over Starfield was a vehicle. That’s something Bethesda shouldtake from BioWareto implement in the nextStarfield.
What BioWare should learn from Bethesda is how materials are gathered on planets. From scanning animals to literally digging up earth,Starfieldhas more variety.Mass Effectcould raise the bar by making smaller planets with more condensed areas to navigate. Quality over quantity could be BioWare’s approach to design.
4An Improved Skill Tree
The skill trees in theMass Effectgames, includingMass Effect: Andromeda, have been pretty straightforward.Starfieldhad an interesting approach to its various skill trees that made it stand out even from other Bethesda RPGs. For example, players could get intolock-picking inStarfieldwhich also allowed them to hack into computers. To increase the levels of mastery, players had to pick a set number of locks to move on.
While not perfect, it created an engagement level in buying skills which is rare to see in an RPG. The nextMass Effectgame could try this level of detail as well or try something different. All BioWare has to do is add more variety and complexity to the skill tree.
3Shooting And Weaponry
Combat in Bethesda RPGs, fromFallout 3toThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, has always been clunky. The variety has been great like with spells inThe Elder Scrolls, or with the weapons inFallout, butStarfieldraised the bar. The powers may not be that thrilling compared to what Bethesda has done before, but theweapon variety inStarfieldremained as solid as ever.
The biggest improvement was the shooting mechanics, makingStarfieldfeel pretty close to aCall of Dutyexperience for an RPG. Combat, while not bad, could also be leveled up in the nextMass Effect. If they could tighten up the gunplay and add more variety to the weaponry, that would be great. Also, a first-person perspective could help tighten up the aiming controls for at least the battle segments.
2Factions
The dialogue choices and how they impacted the story are something that fans loved about the originalMass Effecttrilogy. From menial good or bad choices to consequential decisions like destroying a whole race, it was all important. What these games lacked are Factions though, which inStarfield, can create some cool quests and long-lasting effects.
For example, players could choose to become aFreestar Ranger inStarfield, who hunt down outlaws. It’s basically like becoming a bounty hunter akin to Samus Aran from theMetroidseries. That’s how a majority of quests are delivered in Starfield whereas the side quests inMass Effectpopped up mostly from party members. It’s two different approaches to side quest material, but it might be worth a shot for BioWare to check this method out.
1The Multiverse
This idea comes with a spoiler for those who haven’t finishedStarfieldyet. It is eventually revealed that the Artifacts in the game open up portals to other planes of existence. Two characters from different realities are both trying to get these Artifacts, which will give them more power and more ways to pass between realms. This is a novel way for Bethesda to set up a New Game+ mode as going through the portal at the end will reset things.
The multiverse is not set up akin to something likeSpider-Man: Across the Spider-VerseorEverything Everywhere All At Once. Bethesda made it a bit boring in their execution, but BioWare could make it so much more. The nextMass Effectgame could connect to other BioWare titles likeDragon Age,Anthem, or maybe evenStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. It’s a big want, but multiverses are the new hotness right now and it could genuinely get fans interested if BioWare delivers a clever use of it.
