Interest for Bioware’s upcoming Mass Effect 4 is great. And that’s hardly surprising, considering how popular and well-made the previous Mass Effect titles were (except for the Mass Effect 3 ending, we’re still mad about that!). In any case, Mass Effect 4 is still far away, but while we have to wait, here’s all you need to know about the game, its development and its features!
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The development of Mass Effect 4 has been on-going for awhile now. The game is still far from finished, but Bioware confirmed that it’s in an advanced stage, which means it has been under development for a long time now. This time around, EA doesn’t seem to be breathing down Bioware’s neck though, so things won’t be rushed. If you’ve ever felt that Mass Effect 3 was a rushed release (while definitely not a bad game, its original ending was lacking in depth and the overall experience wasn’t an upgrade from Mass Effect 2), you shouldn’t worry about the same happening with Mass Effect 4. In fact, Bioware clearly stated that this time around, they are focusing on quality, not on development speed. This explains the lack of information released about the game so far.
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That doesn’t mean progress is lacking though. In fact, Mass Effect 4 is already in a playable state, and while it’s hard to predict just how much of the game is completed, the heads at Bioware speak highly about its current condition. It’s a new take on the series, with new areas to explore, and many of these are already functional.
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What do these aspects translate into? Well, Bioware has a large and competent team working on the project. There’s a different team working on Mass Effect 4 than the team working on Dragon Age: Inquisition. Bioware is no small studio, so they can manage multiple project at a time. With Dragon Age: Inquisition coming out this fall, we’ll be seeing more and more resources allocated towards Mass Effect 4, which should greatly increase the rate and speed of development.
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It’s unclear whether Mass Effect 4 will be a sequel to the initial trilogy, or will simply be a prequel. Bioware hasn’t given much information on when and where the story takes place, but considering it’s a fresh start within the game’s universe, we should really be expecting something new. One thing’s certain: Shepard won’t be returning, at all. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing though. It’s true that Shepard was central to the initial story-line of the trilogy, but that circle was completed, and we’re anxious to see new characters emerge, with new foes and challenges to beat. The Reapers are most likely not going to be returning either, but there’s bound to be enough creativity at Bioware to come up with an equally engaging enemy. The Mass Effect universe is as vast as the developers can imagine it to be, so there’s potential for endless tales of epic proportions. And if Bioware knows one thing, it’s how to tell a story.
Shepard’s absence has spawned speculation that players will be taking over Garrus Vakarian instead. Many people believe exploring Garrus’ past before the events of the Mass Effect trilogy would certainly be an interesting spin-off. While we wouldn’t mind seeing such a scenario, it’s unlikely Bioware will walk down this path. If anything, they’re likely to create entirely new characters and areas within the galaxy. Not everything will change though, at least not gameplay-wise. Mass Effect 4 will retain its core gameplay elements, and will remain a 3rd person tactical shooter-RPG hybrid. This is a fact, one that Bioware confirmed.
Mass Effect 4 will stay true to its roots in many regards though, and the fact that Bioware is doing extensive research on what made the past games such a hit is definitely a good omen. Keeping the good parts and improving on the weaker aspects will be crucial to Mass Effect 4’s success, and it’s comforting to know that Bioware is taking notes.
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Multiplayer is definitely a possibility in Mass Effect 4 too. Bioware has commented that Mass Effect 3’s multiplayer, while not an extremely popular and refined feature, has been a positive aspect, and they are looking into improving a great deal on that side. With the previous games, it was difficult to create a working and balanced multiplayer mode – the focus on Shepard’s story was just too important, and Shepards killing other Shepards wasn’t an appealing enough idea. With a new story-line and fresh possibilities though, we can expect a much more complex (and perhaps even competitive) multiplayer mode in Mass Effect 4.