The next few years are set to be busy for BioWare, with confirmation of a newDragon Agetitle and a rumored remastered edition of the originalMass Effect Trilogy. With this in mind, the newMass Effect 5title is probably not BioWare’s biggest concern at the moment, but that can work to its advantage.
Mass Effect: Andromeda, ambitious as it was, fell flat for many die-hard fans. Due to its receiption, the developer put the franchise “on ice” and the team in BioWare Montreal was merged into Motive Studios. It’s been three years since the release ofAndromeda, so hopefullyBioWare has been taking noteson what did and didn’t work in the fourth installment of theMass Effectseries. It’s worth mentioning thatAndromedarecently saw a resurgence on Steam and waves of good user reviews, perhaps giving many hope for the future of the franchise.
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Taking notes doesn’t mean giving in to every gamer’s demands, though. And looking at what it got right, and perhaps more at what it got wrong, can help BioWare focus on howMass Effect 5can take the foundation laid byAndromedaand make it better.
Lack of Memorable Characters
One of the key highlights and selling points of theMass Effectfranchise are the characters players get to interact with. Garrus Vakarian the Turian, Tali’Zorah the Quarian, and Urdnot Wrex the Krogan were fan favorites because of their personalities and potential romance stories. Putting in new characters that are the same alien race as beloved characters is not enough to make players fall in love with them, and whileAndromedahad some stand out characters and romances, none are nearly as memorable asthe companions in the originalMass Effecttrilogy.
Introducing a new alien species inAndromedawas one of the smartest things BioWare could’ve done. Jaal Ama Darav was a bright spot in the array of companions, and the Angara provided rich history to theAndromedauniverse.Mass Effect 5can expand on the lore of the Angara and give players even more new alien species to get to know, which couldinclude a reveal of the Jardaan, their “Opposition,” and possible alliances with the Kett.
Lackluster, Awkward Dialogue
InAndromeda’s defense, cringy moments and dialogue aren’t new in theMass Effectuniverse. However, in previousMass Effectgames, it was easy to see these moments as endearing and hilarious rather than just awkward. Commander Shepard’s dancing was hilariously bad, but that was the point. It’s okay to have dialogue that’s meant to make players roll their eyes or remark “wow, that was bad.”
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Where the line gets crossed is having genuine dialogue evoke the same reaction, asAndromeda’s infamous “my face is tired” line is still lauded as one of the worst lines in the franchise.The best thing that can be done forMass Effect 5are little quality of improvements like these that make the game feel natural.
Heavy-handed Plot
It’s typicalMass Effecttradition to set the stakes early on in the game.Andromedadidn’t have the same build upas the original trilogy though, and gameplay suffered for it. Not long after starting the game, Ryder’s father is killed and their sibling is in a coma. Players have no connection to either character, so what should be emotional and sad just ends up being lackluster.
Couple this heavy-handed exposition with decisions that should have had a large impact on the game’s plot but didn’t, and it’s no wonder fans were so disappointed withAndromeda. It’s too late to change its predecessor, butMass Effect 5can almost immediately improve these elements. Players should be able to build more suspense and tension before throwing them into more life-or-death situations, with an emphasis on the same system that tracked players’ decisions betweentheMass Effect Trilogyto verify that the decisions that were emphasized inAndromedaactually have an impact on the overall outcome of the game.
Intergalactic Errand Runner
The originalMass Effecttitle had an emphasis on exploration, but later delved deeper into the Reaper plotline by the sequels. Players had a sense that each mission brought them closer to saving the galaxy. With a few exceptions, most of the timeAndromedafelt like an intergalactic chore listinstead of an engaging game. Lots of missions focused on retrieving and delivering items without any fulfilling rewards afterwards.
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Much like the originalMass Effecthoned in on plotline in the following games,Mass Effect 5can follow suit. There was lots of exploration andfamiliarization ofAndromedathroughout the game, so now there should be emphasis on a new, well thought out plotline with less explorative elements. It’ll give players an overarching goal to look forward to conquering rather than a checklist to tediously check off.
Buggy Animation at Launch
This criticism was saved for last because it was by farAndromeda’s biggest downfall and critique. No one, whether a returning or new player, likes playing a bug-ridden game at launch, especially one that was sohighly anticipated likeMass Effect: Andromeda. There’s a line of acceptable as game development isn’t so simple, but it crossed the line here once more. The weird, glitchy animations that came with the initial launch ofAndromedashould have been ironed out well before release rather than in subsequent patches.
The solution to this problem is excruciatingly simple—Mass Effect 5shouldn’t be rushed. No game launch can be perfect, but making sure the game runs properly without characters moonwalking where they should be running regularly will already set the sequel well aboveAndromeda. In a way, it’s possibleAndromedacould never live up to the hypeMass Effectfans gave it becausetheMass Effect Trilogywas so beloved and iconic. It’s hard for games to thrive under such harsh comparisons, even if they’re compared with the best intentions of the series at heart, but as long as BioWare listens to fans and delivers a polished game come release time, there may be hope forMass Effect 5yet.
Mass Effect 5is in development.
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