Not much has been revealed aboutMass Effect 4since its announcement, but what little has been shown has massive implications for both the future of the franchise and the story told so far. The trailer for the next chapter in the iconic RPG series heavily implies the game will make certain decisions from the original trilogy canon in order to launch a new story from a solid foundation.
BioWare has a huge decision to make with regards to canon inMass Effect 4, and the choice the studio makes will almost certainly radically alter the path of the franchise. Here’s a breakdown of the decision facing BioWare, why it’s so important, and some of the evidence as to which way the studio may be swinging.
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The Original Trilogy Canon
Mass Effect 4’s trailer and other marketing materials suggest at least one major decision from the original trilogy will be made canon. The trailer showsLiarawalking over the metallic, snow-covered corpse of a Reaper, while a picture released on BioWare’s Twitter account shows a Mass Relay being rebuilt in the architectural style of the Systems Alliance.
The only ending to the original trilogy that saw the destruction of the Reapers and the Mass Relays wasthe Destroy Ending, in which Shepard chooses to use the Crucible to destroy Synthetic life across the Milky Way. It’s also the only ending which can hint at Shepard’s survival given the player has a high enough Effective Military Strength, with theMass Effect 4trailer also hinting that Shepard may be alive when Liara finds a piece of N7 armor in the snow.
This makes a lot of sense as the foundation for continuing the story. The Synthesis and Control endings would create a universe where the Milky Way is either watched over by Shepard as some form of post-human AI, or where all organic and synthetic life has been merged. Even forMass Effectthese potential futures might seem too alien to tell relatable stories. The Destroy Ending allows BioWare to depict a galaxy recovering fromthe Reaper Invasionwhile still leaving the door open for future conflicts.
By deciding on a canonicalending toMass Effect 3, BioWare also avoids having to account for the radically different implications of each of the original trilogy’s endings. However, making one player choice from the original trilogy canon raises a huge question for the studio.
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BioWare’s Big Decision
The more choices from the original trilogy that BioWare makes canon, the easier it will be to launchMass Effect 4’s story without having to worry about branching possibilities left over from previous games. It seems likely, for example, thatthe Krogan genophagewill be cured regardless of the decision players made inMass Effect 3.
The big decision facing BioWare now is whether it allows players to import any decisions from the original trilogy at all. Fortunately for BioWare, the vastmajority ofMass Effectplayers chose Paragon, which means that for a lot of players there are some clear world states that make sense to canonize. Non-moral choices like romances, however, pose a far greater problem if Shepard returns. If Shepard does return as the protagonist, many players would likely be disappointed if one of Shepard’s possible romantic interests from the original trilogy was established as canon.
If BioWare doesn’t choose which character Shepard romanced, however, it’s faced with the expectation that the player’s original trilogy romance will return, which would requireBioWareto bring back many characters from the original trilogy. That might sound like good news to some players, but dealing with those possible variations could hugely restrictMass Effect 4’s ability to launch a new story without being held back by the past.
This could be avoided if Shepard isn’t the new protagonist, with the new player character seeing the effects of Shepard’s actions in the original trilogy without the game having to address the specifics. However, the evidence so far seems to point to Shepard’s return. To reveal a part ofShepard’s N7 armoronly to establish that they really did die at the end ofMass Effect 3, even in the Destroy Ending, would likely disappoint many players as well.
Mass Effect’s Past Versus Its Future
Mass Effect 4will likely have to account for decisions made inAndromedaas well. WhileMass Effect: Andromedaavoided the outcome of the original trilogy by taking place centuries later in another galaxy, BioWare project director Michael Gamble has stated the shot of bothAndromeda and the Milky Way in theMass Effect 4trailerwas “intentional.” Synthesizing the different potential outcomes of the original trilogy with some of the choices made inAndromedacould be a huge task, even if the Destroy Ending is made canon to lay a foundation for the franchise’s future.
BioWare will have to strike a fine balance between acknowledging the past and preventing it from holding back the series' ability to tell new stories.Shepard’s returnin particular could complicate things. On the other hand, bringing back Shepard and choosing to ignore too much of the original trilogy could frustrate some fans who were hoping to be reunited with romances and see the consequences of their choices.
BioWare’s big decision could affect how the franchise moves forward in the long-term as well. Establishing canonical events from the original trilogy could set a precedent where each containedMass Effectstory allows the player to make choices, but each new storyline establishes a clear canon as its own foundation. Whether BioWare will be able to strike the right balance to satisfy fans remains a mystery. However, it’s clear that while a return to locations and characters from theoriginalMass Effecttrilogymay seen like a safe bet for the studio, it also forces it to face down one of the toughest storytelling decisions so far.
