Since the release of the Mass Effect 4 trailer, many have theorized on how the new game could work the events and characters of Mass Effect: Andromeda into BioWare's original trilogy. For the sake of new players and the series' story, however, it might best to keep them separate and leave Mass Effect: Andromeda in the past.

The Mass Effect 4 teaser trailer was one of the most surprising showings at The Game Awards 2020. It seemed to imply the continuation of the original trilogy's story, with appearances from Liara T'soni, the Milky Way galaxy, and what seems to be evidence of the defeated Reapers. This came as welcome news to fans worried the future of the franchise would remain in limbo following the highly criticized Mass Effect: Andromeda.

Related: Mass Effect: All Planets With Reaper History

Released in 2017, Andromeda functioned as a not-quite-sequel to the original trilogy, taking place in another galaxy entirely and featuring a brand new cast of characters. Although certain events, locations, and characters were mentioned throughout the course of the game, Shepard and their crew had little bearing on Mass Effect: Andromeda's story. Couple this with the game's many glitches at release, and Andromeda was largely viewed as a disappointment.

Why Mass Effect 4 Shouldn't Continue Andromeda's Story

Should Mass Effect 4 Ignore Andromeda

There are still some Mass Effect fans who enjoyed Andromeda, and the community has become more polarized about the game than overwhelmingly negative. The new characters and locations it introduced are generally well-regarded, as are its gameplay and dialogue, although all these of aspects are relatively limited in scope compared to what was expected of a Mass Effect follow-up. The ending of Mass Effect: Andromeda also left several questions unanswered, and integrating the game into Mass Effect 4 in some way could help resolve some of these plot elements. On the other hand, the threats faced in the Andromeda galaxy are far removed from the Reaper War fought in the original trilogy, so it might be discordant to attempt to bring them together - and doing so could diminish the importance of the original trilogy's in-universe history.

The release of Mass Effect Legendary Edition, which remastered the original three games, has helped bring new players into the franchise. Seeing as Andromeda was excluded from this release, it seems unlikely that many new fans would have given the game a try, particularly after its initial bad publicity. Because of this, including Ryder or other Mass Effect: Andromeda plot elements could be a hinderance to Mass Effect 4. Requiring players to engage with its unapproachable storylines and characters would likely hurt Mass Effect 4 more than it would help, particularly as BioWare is trying to get back on its feet following Anthem - another disappointing release.

Next: Mass Effect Legendary Edition Is Worse Without Multiplayer