Although currently all that has been seen of Mass Effect 4 is one trailer, many fans of the series are already speculating on how it aims to continue the story of the trilogy. Following the disappointment that surrounded Mass Effect: Andromeda, players are hoping to see a return to familiar locations and characters, as well as answers to the many questions left unresolved by the ending of Mass Effect 3.
The original ending of Mass Effect 3 was poorly received by a large number of players, who felt that it was an inconclusive and meaningless ending to a trilogy that had previously placed significant emphasis on story choices. The fate of many characters was left vague in a way that wasn't satisfying to those who had grown invested in them over the course of the series. The release of the Extended Cut ending helped to fix some of this, smoothing over many gaping plot holes by providing more context and cutscenes to ME3's ending.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition replaces the default ending of ME3 with the Extended Cut version of events, allowing both new players and returning fans to experience a more comprehensive conclusion to the trilogy while they wait for further news regarding the development of Mass Effect 4. However, while the Extended Cut does significantly flesh out the ending of Mass Effect 3, there are still several questions left without answers.
The Fate Of The Normandy Crew After Mass Effect 3
Although most of the endings of Mass Effect 3 do show the Normandy crew surviving the ship's initial crash following Shepard's choice on the Crucible, little is known regarding their actions after the conclusion of the war. Mass Effect 4's trailer features Liara making a return, but other than that fans can only speculate regarding the fate of the Normandy's other crew members.
One especially noteworthy question involves the survival of EDI. According to the Catalyst, the Destroy ending of Mass Effect 3 results in her destruction. However, the Normandy is essentially EDI's body. Although the ship is shown flying again, it's not confirmed whether or not EDI was repaired. The impact each ending has on the crew is left vague, but Mass Effect 4 will hopefully feature the return of several of the Normandy's crew in some capacity - or, at the very least, let players know where they ended up.
Shepard's Survival After Mass Effect 3
When the Extended Cut edition of Mass Effect 3's conclusion was released, one of the more significant changes involved the Destroy ending. Players who had a high preparation level by the end of the game received a different ending than those with a low war readiness rating. Most notably, a high enough war readiness meant that Shepard was shown to have possibly survived the detonation of the Crucible. While it still didn't provide concrete confirmation one way or another - Shepard was simply shown stirring in the rubble of the Citadel - it was the only ending to present this option.
ME4, whether Shepard is featured directly or not, will need to address this possibility. While little is known about the story of the game currently, it seems likely that Mass Effect 4 could answer the question of which ending is canon - and whether or not Shepard officially survived to see the end of the war.