Is the Multiverse the future of Mass Effect?

It's no secret that the Mass Effect franchise is not exactly in a healthy state right now. The one-two punch of the controversial ending of ME3 and the dull mess that was Andromeda have left the fans and creators stuck trying to figure out what to do next.

But, given the very nature of the Mass Effect franchise was all about making big choices that could alter the story in dozens of different ways, might that be the way to revamp the franchise in a way that not only frees up the creators to make a new game that reminds players what they liked about Mass Effect while completely sidestepping any concerns about invalidating any of the endings of ME3?

What if the next game started a pseudo-remake of ME1 with Sheppard getting recruited into The Spectres to stop Saren, but very quickly it becomes clear that things are playing out differently and events are accelerating much faster than they did in the original game. Then the big twist is that the big bad isn't Saren at all, but a Renegade Sheppard from a dark alternate timeline in which he/she embraced his/her worst impulses and has taken control of the galaxy with the Reapers tech.

You could even have New Sheppard team up with alternate Sheppard from the previous versions of the game, in whatever gender, races or permutations they want. Include lots of time shenanigans and maybe even a time travel mechanic into the gameplay itself.

What do you think?

[QUOTE=Bored at 3:00AM;5176796]It's no secret that the Mass Effect franchise is not exactly in a healthy state right now. The one-two punch of the controversial ending of ME3 and the dull mess that was Andromeda have left the fans and creators stuck trying to figure out what to do next.

But, given the very nature of the Mass Effect franchise was all about making big choices that could alter the story in dozens of different ways, might that be the way to revamp the franchise in a way that not only frees up the creators to make a new game that reminds players what they liked about Mass Effect while completely sidestepping any concerns about invalidating any of the endings of ME3?

What if the next game started a pseudo-remake of ME1 with Sheppard getting recruited into The Spectres to stop Saren, but very quickly it becomes clear that things are playing out differently and events are accelerating much faster than they did in the original game. Then the big twist is that the big bad isn't Saren at all, but a Renegade Sheppard from a dark alternate timeline in which he/she embraced his/her worst impulses and has taken control of the galaxy with the Reapers tech.

You could even have New Sheppard team up with alternate Sheppard from the previous versions of the game, in whatever gender, races or permutations they want. Include lots of time shenanigans and maybe even a time travel mechanic into the gameplay itself.

What do you think?[/QUOTE]

While I agree that the open-ended ending to the original trilogy and Andromeda was a big mess for a multitude of reasons (too small a studio, timeframe was unrealistic, etc), re-doing it from the start probably is not the way to go.

Andromeda, for all its problems, did have potential. But it got axed shortly after release and one major update to it. So, probably best to drop that direction going forward. Instead, go back to the end of ME3, and give it a canonical ending. Personally? Paragon, but that's me. Possibly with Destroy, but without completely wiping out everything or whatever. Make what you did, especially for completetionists, matter in the end. Because the endings we got, other than not being full on Renegade, nothing else really mattered much.

From that point, [I]then[/I] I could see the Council looking to more galaxies or something of that sort.

I like ME3's ending. All of them.

Personally, I would retell the story from the end of ME2 to ME3's ending but with a new protagonist.

A pilot.

Make it a flight sim.

:)

We getting a big Mass Effect update today.

Happy N7 Day!

Remastered ME Trilogy has been confirmed, I gather.

[QUOTE=Derek Metaltron;5222420]Remastered ME Trilogy has been confirmed, I gather.[/QUOTE]

Not just that!

Mass Effect Trilogy: Legendary Edition Spring 2021
[url]https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2020/11/bioware-confirms-mass-effect-remaster-in-2021-new-mass-effect-later/[/url]

... and ...

A NEW Mass Effect game!
[IMG]https://eaassets-a.akamaihd.net/blog.bioware.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/mud-skipper-1536x772.jpg[/IMG]
[url]https://blog.bioware.com/2020/11/07/happy-n7-day-4/[/url]

So bit of old and new.

:D

I'd prefer it if they just moved forward. Do what most other RPGs do in this situation and just make certain things official. People will get over it.

Constantly having to dance around the events of the original trilogy is just going to result in these middling, unremarkable stories like Andromeda where nothing[I] too[/I] important can ever happen.

[QUOTE=Xero Kaiser;5223721][B]I'd prefer it if they just moved forward.[/B] Do what most other RPGs do in this situation and just make certain things official. People will get over it.

Constantly having to dance around the events of the original trilogy is just going to result in these middling, unremarkable stories like Andromeda where nothing[I] too[/I] important can ever happen.[/QUOTE]

Wasn't Andromeda [I]literally[/I] that though? They couldn't do anything around the ME Trilogy due to the endings so they effectively set up a group with no knowledge of stuff outside the first game and jumped them into another galaxy seven hundred years away. I mean Andromeda's failings was more the rushing and bad writing but still.

I wouldn't be surprised if they elect to do a prequel so they can have stuff from the original trilogy more.

I would not m8nd another game set in the Andromeda galaxy honestly. The main problem with that game was Bioware pulled off all the developers to go work on that dumpster fire Anthem. Jump forward a few centuries and see how things are there now after the Milky Way colonists have had a chance to really establish themselves.

[QUOTE=Derek Metaltron;5223757]Wasn't Andromeda [I]literally[/I] that though? [/QUOTE]

Move forward in the established setting that people actually care about I mean.

Mass Effect doesn't need something like that. Create a new set of characters and start from scratch. It's been a long time since I played but the universe begins and ends in cycles, right? Have a new game where a new cycle is kicking off.

[QUOTE=Xero Kaiser;5231837]Move forward in the established setting that people actually care about I mean.[/QUOTE]

The problem with that is no matter which ending they decide to make cannon the whole galaxy is greatly changed from the original games settings. They would be better off just jumping ahead 3-5 hundred years in the Andromeda galaxy. Maybe have rogue Geck who fled the Milky Way before the ending of the original trilogy start showing up.

[QUOTE=Immortal Weapon;5232540]Mass Effect doesn't need something like that. Create a new set of characters and start from scratch. It's been a long time since I played but the universe begins and ends in cycles, right? Have a new game where a new cycle is kicking off.[/QUOTE]

The problem with a new cycle, is that would mean that the previous one (Commander Shepard's time/cycle) lost, and all those sentient and space-faring races were wiped out by the Reapers. No humans, Turians, Asari, Salarians, Krogan, etc. Andromeda caught flack for NOT having the original cast (even 2 and 3 did for not having Wrex as a teammate). You really think erasing all of that will go over well with most people?

[QUOTE=Jackalope89;5233146]The problem with a new cycle, is that would mean that the previous one (Commander Shepard's time/cycle) lost, and all those sentient and space-faring races were wiped out by the Reapers. No humans, Turians, Asari, Salarians, Krogan, etc. Andromeda caught flack for NOT having the original cast (even 2 and 3 did for not having Wrex as a teammate). You really think erasing all of that will go over well with most people?[/QUOTE]

They will be enough recognizable elements there with a new cycle (reapers, the Citadel, Mass Replay network). Also, only the most dominant space-faring race will be wiped out. That was the Protheans during Shepard's cycle. A new cycle will likely have humanity completely wiped while the other races stick around.

Whatever the case, they better let you actually play as non humans this time. It's boggled me for years that Dragon Age was able to allow players to be dwarves, elves and eventually the demon folk (forget their names) but ME still didn't have that option. I want playable Turians, Asari or Salarians at least.