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What's Next for Mass Effect? Mac Walters Opens Up About Mass Effect 4

Gameranx: "Mass Effect 4 will be completely unrelated to Shepard and friends, says series writer Mac Walters."

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gameranx.com
ArchangelMike4605d ago

I'll miss Commander Shepherd though. Bioware have a tough job to do to create a character that is as inspiring as Commander Shepherd. One of the few great gaming icons of this generation.

Godmars2904605d ago (Edited 4605d ago )

The thing about ME is that it could probably - certainly - work with no over-arching, galaxy threatening plot. There were dozens of stories and plots involving one world, culture or section on the galaxy which were largely glossed over in ME2.

And the name of the main character, past being comfortably action oriented, is meaningless. The role itself would be ten fold better if, besides the wedge who never really developed a personality which was Commander Shepard, they were given opportunity to become develop. Have personal issues they have to overcome.

Mythicninja4605d ago

Forget mac walters. Terribly average writer.

aLucidMind4605d ago

He's better as a character writer (he was the one who wrote Garrus' lines in ME1 and ME2). Why they thought he'd be a competent main story writer is beyond me, though.

linkenski4605d ago

If you can put nostalgia aside, Garrus and Wrex (both written by walters) were terrible and in-your-face in ME1. Also, Miranda who was also written by Walters in ME2 had a very cut-n-dry backstory and it was pretty melodramatic IMO.

Even as a character writer he's only average. He applies everyday-language to all characters. He even screwed up Anderson's characterization in ME3 by making him your stereotypic American Jesus-christ-religious-referen cing man's-man kind of character which is far from how polite, formal and straight-to-the-point'y he was in both ME1 and ME2.

aLucidMind4604d ago

It isn't nostalgia, it's a fact. Wrex was well written in ME1, and Garrus was as well in ME2; he wrote both of them. One cut-and-dry character does not negate that, especially when you actually see that Miranda also was well-written and had some good character development throughout ME2.

He sucked when he took over other peoples' characters and as a story writer. I'm not saying he is the best, I'm merely saying he is capable of being a good writer but that story writing may not be for him. And I didn't find Anderson any different in ME3 in comparison to how he was in ME1 and ME2. It was mostly the crappy narrative that destroyed just about every character, and that's what makes every character seem to act out of character when they aren't.

ifritAlkhemyst4605d ago

Hey Walters, try and come up with your own story this time. If I find even one reference to another game/book/film/comic I'm going to be very mad while playing through your otherwise fantastic game.

Saints944605d ago

Find a COMPLETELY original story in this day and age? Got it boss.

ifritAlkhemyst4605d ago

Finding a completely original story is not the issue here.

The Mass Effect games are a grab bag of not just themes but entire plots stolen from other sources. Rachnii = Buggers. Right down to it being the last Queen and admitting a misunderstanding that provoked the war.

The overarching plot was ripped straight from Descent: Freespace.

I would have to play through it again, jotting down all the stuff they straight ripped from other sources to compile everything since it's been so long. Tarantino can steal because he makes things his own. Mass Effect just lifts other material's plots and drops them into its own.

linkenski4605d ago

Apparently, Walters was reduced to "Lead Cinematic Director" for this time around though. I heard BW were looking for a new Lead Writer for this particular game.

Saints944605d ago

The story was going to be way more until it got leaked into the interwebs.

skydragoonity4605d ago

We really need to be able to choose other alien races..

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110°

Mass Effect 4's Dialogue Could Take a Page Out of Baldur's Gate 3's Book

Mass Effect 4 has the perfect chance to reintroduce dialogue skills, and Baldur's Gate 3 might be the blueprint BioWare needs.

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gamerant.com
Michiel1989371d ago

I'm not so sure they can, most talent that made the old games as good as they were, has left Bioware.

RaidenBlack371d ago

They can always recruit old fellas,
And also, new devs can always learn and also new indie devs are very passionate evident from the amazing indie games heavy with these gameplay features.

Michiel1989371d ago

I don't think anyone would wanna come back after the stories that were told from Anthem development. I just don't see it happening. It's a bit similar to blizz, some of the talent has come back there, but there has been a shift in the studio's culture and also what the higher ups expect/demand of them

371d ago
matt139371d ago

After andromeda and veilguard i think it’s assured that the bioware we once knew has gone, I have little hope for me4. Hopefully i’m wrong.

anast371d ago

The can't. But they wouldn't even if they could.

goken371d ago

Yeah… also if pigs decided evolve wings, they could fly…

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210°

Next Mass Effect Will Maintain the Mature Tone of the Original Trilogy

Many fans of the Mass Effect series have been wondering whether the next installment will keep the tone we’re used to or will change like Dragon Age did.

pwnmaster3000574d ago

God I hope so.

Mass effect trilogy is my top 3 trilogy for me.
Remember playing it on the 360. Blew my mind.

just_looken574d ago

The fact you can alter/remove entire quest lines do too what you did on me1 in me3 or all those endings was one thing but then you remember that one team made mass effect 1-3 dragon age 1-3 in one console generation is just a insane feat that they did.

Great games but looking at mass effect 4 anthem current dragon age reviews/gameplay and who is left at bioware i have very little expectation on the new mass effect games.

Also last year that teaser trailer the look to me was not mass effect like why are we wearing a trench coat in space and at the same time trying to give off destiny vibe/look.

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

Just looked liked a starfield player made a n7 clothing mod yes it looks really good but to me a mass effect player just not a in the mass effect world vibe if you get me. Like the end part what is that player now trying to be in a western? so much going on that again to me not mass effect.

Like look at this 57 second teaser for mass effect 3 to me this sets the tone way better and shepard looks like he belongs in space no bike helmet/trench coat deal and the weapons/look feels mass effect

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

SO yeah i think the new mass effect is gong to be bad low expectations over here.

Heck one more 2005 teaser for mass effect one 20 year old footage give or take it was made in 2004 again shows the animations characters in light and looks like a sifi game

https://youtu.be/SkfB7-KwRn...

RaidenBlack574d ago

If you want to enjoy the same Mass Effect vibes, better keep an eye on the Exodus.
Being made by OG ex-Bioware devs at Archetype Entertainment, its a spiritual successor to ME-trilogy.

TheNamelessOne573d ago (Edited 573d ago )

Yeah. One of the bigger gripes DA series fans are having with Veilguard is that virtually no choices from the original game carried over to Veilguard and that there's very little choice/agency in the game, itself.

I'm not trying to be a pessimist. I loved Bioware, going all the way back to Baldur's Gate, but there's nothing in front of me right now that has me actually believing in what a new Mass Effect might be. I'm expecting basically a linear shooter with some romance options.

VenomUK573d ago

I speak on behalf of everyone on N4G when I say I hope that Bioware build on the DEI success of Dragon Age: Veilguard and allows every player character to have the option of becoming trans.

just_looken573d ago

@RaidenBlack

Great point yeah that so far looks be a good game fingers crossed.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 573d ago
IAMRealHooman573d ago

If the new DA doesn't sell well, we will probably never get it, what's to stop EA from axing Bioware after another failed to meet sales quota, they've killed teams for much less

just_looken573d ago (Edited 573d ago )

Well bioware as a whole last game that made cash was 2013 dragon age 3 so you never know they might get another pass again.

P_Bomb574d ago

Love that trilogy! Beat them on Xbox, PS3 and again on PS4 lol! One of my all timers.

Valkyrye574d ago

Now that Bioware is making bangers again hope has returned.

Obscure_Observer573d ago

Indeed.

And their next game will also focus on photorealism so it´s gonna be a banger of a masterpiece!

MrDead573d ago

DA:V is getting fantastic reviews so there's hope for the future. The last mass effect was such a disappointment story wise, let's hope they can learn from the new Dragon Age.

Kaze88573d ago

DA used to be very dark and bleak, now it's just jolly good time with guardians of the galaxy. Choices don't matter, you cant actually be evil or mean, you cant lose anyone. There is not much hope for a good Mass Effect.

Abriael573d ago (Edited 573d ago )

Let's hope not. The new Dragon Age: The Veilguard is exactly the reason for this comment, because it threw away the mature tone of the original.

RaidenBlack573d ago

Agree ... the moment I read the comment the ME main menu theme came to my mind.
Dont effing downgrade ME.
I am looking forward to Exodus for my ME fix in the meantime anyways.

Show all comments (28)
100°

Mass Effect 4 and The Challenges of Canonicity in Choice-Based Games

Game Rant Writes "Canonicity can be a tricky nut to crack in franchises with continuing narratives, and that's something Mass Effect 4 will need to contend with."

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gamerant.com
just_looken1135d ago (Edited 1135d ago )

wow gamerant forgot mass effect 4 came out years ago number 6 and 7 were cancelled.

The new mass effect which can be called number 5 will not have any of your choices why you might ask?

Well dragon age keep were your choices from number one can been seen in number 3 got unplugged from number one and number 2 is finicky.

Dragon age on pc requires a mod to get past the server login and non of your choices get uploaded to the keep even the dlc no longer works sense it needs a server check.

On xbox i teseted this only though local saves i was able to transfer choices from one to too but 0 of one dlc would work.

So if the more popular dragon age series is in this state why would they care about your mass effect choices?

Oh and that remaster that was tossed out still has day one issues and number 3 is still hard to play on pc do to lighting issues and ram limits imposed from 2014.

My expectations for the next bioware 2.0 titles is very low.

phoenixwing1135d ago

They should redo the main trilogy

just_looken1135d ago (Edited 1135d ago )

They should redo the dragon age trilogy for sure on pc DA1 the ui is messed up sense it was for 4080p/720i days back in 2005. Getting to run is also very hard

The only way to play dragon age one is via xbox one backwards compatable state.

The ps3 version of dragon age one is pre throphy/ in game xmb so it has the freezing/crashing issues or just will not run.

just_looken1135d ago

Well i am not American so please enlighten me on usa education before your country invades mine and forces us into your society

GhostScholar1135d ago (Edited 1135d ago )

@ just_looken

Did I mention education? Never said America did have negative points. I know for all you “enlightened” people you think everything is either all good or all bad, but in reality that’s not how life works. We have a government that traded a known terrorist for a basketball player who moonlights as a drug dealer. We aren’t perfect by a long shot. If you want to go political though how about your leader leaving his own country when the truck driver strike happened?

porkChop1135d ago

Dragon Age is not more popular than Mass Effect.

shinoff21831135d ago

Yea I read that and was like I've heard way more people talk mass effect compared to dragon age. Personally I'm more into mass effect. It's got the whole dope ass sci fi thing going on while dragon age has the same old medieval thing

gold_drake1135d ago

andromeda is a spin off tjo and not considerd a numvered title. as it has to 99% nothing to do with the trilogy.

i think they need to make the destroy perfect ending canon.
we need more of shepard. haha.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 1135d ago