As the calendar approaches the 12-year anniversary of the Mass Effect series on November 12, it so happens that the dearly cherished and somewhat dead franchise might have some life to it after all. When Mass Effect came out in 2007, it became an instant classic, full of a dense, interesting world, lifelike characters, and fantastic storytelling. While the story puttered out around the end of Mass Effect 3 in 2012, the series is still known for its ground-breaking story arc. After a less-than-stellar 2016 outing with Mass Effect: Andromeda, however, BioWare announced that the series was on the back burner while it figured out Anthem, its attempt at a Destiny-like game.
On N7 day, the self-proclaimed Mass Effect annual holiday, gamers take the time to reminisce on the best times for BioWare, usually by replaying the Mass Effect series. This year, BioWare released special N7 skins for Anthem. Those should appease the fan base that still plays the game, but fans are still hoping for more from Mass Effect. Luckily, it appears as if there may be something in the works.
BioWare's GM Casey Hudson recently took to Twitter to send out a tweet which describes his desire to get the Mass Effect train back on track. This tweet was also accompanied by beautiful concept art for unexplored parts of the Mass Effect universe, which hint at various new, exciting worlds to explore. Two images also feature the series' iconic ship, the Normandy, hinting at a continuation of the Mass Effect 3 story, which came to an unsatisfying end.
This news is exciting for a variety of reasons, and has implications beyond the revival of Mass Effect. In February 2019, BioWare released its newest title Anthem, which was very similar to both Destiny and The Division. The game was a universal flop, with fans and critics alike highlighting a clunky system and boring game design in their negative reviews. With that allegedly ongoing disaster and the now shuttered Mass Effect series in tow, the only major franchise BioWare still holds onto and is actively working on is the fourth Dragon Age. This is an exciting prospect for fans of the Mass Effect series because this means that BioWare may finally have some extra time and resources laying around. Why not commit those to bringing back Commander Shepard and the Normandy?
While the BioWare of old that oversaw the development of classics such as Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect, Dragon Age: Inquisition, and event the MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic are gone, the time is now to reinvent the Mass Effect series. The industry is full of shooters, MMOs, fantasy games, and even walking simulators. Now is the time to bring back some good ol' fashioned sci-fi RPG action.
Source: Casey Hudson - Twitter