1. Mass Effect 4: 10 Things That Will
Kill The Franchise
http://www.gamebasin.com/news/mass-effect-4-10-things-that-will-kill-
the-franchise
The Mass Effect franchise has fast become one of the most popular action‐RPG franchises of all
time, and a legendary sci‐fi series in its own right. The first two games were critical (and commercial)
darlings, while Mass Effect 3 was still a worthy entry despite not quite meeting the high
expectations. Bioware’s creative universe, inhabited by bizarre creatures and filled with incredible
locations, has resonated with fans worldwide. Thanks to the series’ cult‐like following, Mass Effect
4 is by far and away one of the most hotly awaited sequels of all time. While the game has been
officially announced, EA and Bioware have been extremely tight‐lipped with regards to the project,
with only a few titbits of information being shared here and there. For example, they’ve made it
clear that Shepard’s story has ended, and the fourth entry won’t be a direct continuation of the
original trilogy. Of course, we also don’t know whether that means it’ll be taking place a few years
after Mass Effect 3, just with new characters, or if it will be set hundreds of years later. Either way,
Bioware need to take some lessons from the more questionable aspects of Mass Effect 3, if they
want the franchise to live on beyond the fourth game. In this list, we’ve put together a list of 10
things that would totally kill the franchise if they were included in Mass Effect 4.
10. Action Over RPG

2. Mass Effect 2 had a far greater focus on the action elements than the original game, and it worked
well for the most part. Mass Effect 3 went on to emphasise the action even more, and it began to
tread dangerously close to watering down the gameplay too much. The Mass Effect series has
never been a straight‐up third‐person shooter. Biotic abilities, squad management and tactical
planning will always be extremely important aspects of the combat in a good Mass Effect title. In
fact, the combat itself has only been about half of what has made the Mass Effect games great.
Above everything else, Mass Effect is an RPG series. While this might not be quite as marketable
as an all‐out action title, to focus on the action at the expense of the RPG elements would be to rip
out the heart of the beloved franchise.
9. DLC, DLC, DLC
The Mass Effect games’ downloadable content has ranged from incredible to underwhelming. A
fantastic example of DLC is Mass Effect 2′s Lair of the Shadow Broker, which provided an

3. entertaining story, fascinating lore, and unique gameplay elements. However, too much DLC can
often prove be a drain on the investment in the game, as well as your wallet. Sometimes, it’s nice
to be able to purchase a game, play through a lengthy, inclusive story, and be done with it. When
DLC is being thrust into the player’s face at every turn (even worse if it’s immediately after release),
then it can feel like an incomplete product. Gaming audiences are beginning to grow tired of the
ever‐increasing monetisation of downloadable content, and Mass Effect 4 might just outstay its
welcome if it proves to be guilty of this. Of course, we’d be more than happy to pay up for a couple
of larger DLC packs that feature their own self‐contained stories, similar to Bioware’s sizeable
expansion packs of old.
8. Rushing To Release
There’s been a bit of controversy surrounding EA releases in recent years, regarding their habit of
releasing games before they’re 100% ready. In particular, Battlefield 4 is still riddled with bugs that
continue to plague the online multiplayer. With a game as huge as a Mass Effect title, fans should
be more than understanding that it needs a long time to develop properly. Branching storylines,
well‐written characters and (hopefully) beautiful graphics just aren’t things that can be rushed.
While releasing a not‐quite‐finished game earlier to fit into a specific release date in the year might
mean bigger bucks in the short‐term, Battlefield has shown that it could have a devastating impact
on the franchise.
7. Linearity

4. One of the most thrilling parts of the Mass Effect games so far, has been exploring the galaxy in the
Normandy ship. Deciding on what missions to do when, or just where you want to mine for
precious minerals, really helps to put across the feeling that the Mass Effect universe is a real, living
one. The missions themselves have also been somewhat open‐ended, with multiple choices that
can impact how they turn out. Additionally, players are generally presented with a variety of
gameplay decisions, such as the option between resolving conflicts with force or diplomacy. Mass
Effect 3 managed to continue this facet of gameplay, although at times it felt like the most linear
of the trilogy. Thanks to the urgency of the Reaper threat, it was harder to justify dawdling around
random planets, and it constantly felt like you were being pushed forwards to the game’s ending.
While this focused narrative wasn’t a bad thing in itself, we’d like to see more of the episodic nature
of the first two games in Mass Effect 4.
6. Making It Too Alien

5. Mass Effect 4 has been confirmed by Bioware to be a separate entity from the original trilogy,
possibly taking place hundreds or thousands of years later. We’re more than happy with that, and
the franchise could certainly use a bit of a shake up. We’ll be perfectly fine with unfamiliar new
locations, along with brand new characters and races that weren’t seen in the original games.
However, it can go too far either way, and Bioware would be making a mistake if Mass Effect 4
becomes too alien compared to the games that preceded it. By that, we mean too few elements
that connect the game with the trilogy that fans have played through for hundreds of hours. Sure,
if Mass Effect 4 ends up taking place a hundred years or more after the third game, it’s unlikely
we’ll see many of our favourite characters. In the unlikely event that we don’t have a range of Asaris,
Turians and Salarians to join us on our journey though, then Bioware might as well create a brand
new IP.
5. A Rehash Of What Came Before
5. A Rehash Of What Came Before

6. Don’t get us wrong, we love the Mass Effect trilogy. The format of travelling the galaxy, picking up
a multitude of side‐quests and recruiting new characters is addictive fun. However, it’s high time
that the series switches up the formula a little. We don’t need Mass Effect 4 to reinvent the wheel,
but we won’t be too excited if the game winds up being mechanically identical to the previous
games, just with a new setting and story. A total rehash of what’s already been proven to work
might seem like the safe option for the developers to take, but it would likely hurt the longevity of
the title. Bioware could take a leaf out of Deus Ex’s book, by introducing a greater range of
gameplay options when dealing with certain scenarios. For example, stealth elements have been
briefly flirted with, but never expanded upon properly. If Mass Effect 4 can effectively rework the
series’ staples rather than just superfluously adjusting minor aspects, then it may well surpass all
expectations.
4. Too Big A Focus On Multiplayer

7. We won’t deny that we ended up having a lot of fun with Mass Effect 3′s online multiplayer coop
mode. That said, the single‐player has always been the main event, and we’d be saddened if
development focus was placed on multiplayer at the campaign’s expense. Despite being
surprisingly decent, Mass Effect 3′s wave‐based coop was little more than a comparatively shallow
distraction compared to the intricately woven experience offered by the campaign. It could also be
a deceptively deep money pit, thanks to the paid‐for weapon caches. In Mass Effect 4, it’s a near
certainty that there’ll be some sort of multiplayer component. We can only hope that this won’t
impact too heavily on the single‐player development (although, if we’re honest, we wouldn’t be
too adverse to a co‐op campaign).
3. No Impact From Previous Games
Despite Bioware confirming that Mass Effect 4 won’t be a direct continuation of the original trilogy,
they’d be crazy to not include references to the choices players made in previous games. After all,
look at the furore over Mass Effect 3′s restrictive ending. We don’t need the choices to have overly
deep consequences, but Shepard defeating the Reapers and saving the universe just isn’t
something that can be skirted around. All we’re asking for is some recognition of our earlier game
heroics. There doesn’t even need to be a problem with importing data between different platforms
or generations of console. As proven by the Playstation 3 version of Mass Effect 3, it’s possible to
handle all that stuff by a short 10‐minute interactive animation, in which players can dictate the
events that lead up to the current game.
2. Excessive Fan Service

8. While Mass Effect 4 will need to be linked to the narrative of the original trilogy in some way, we
also don’t want it to be completely tied down by repeated references. While a little fan service in
this respect is a good thing, too much can be a game killer. It’d be cool to walk past an intergalactic
academy that’s teaching about the genophage that took place centuries before, possibly name
dropping Mordin Solus’ role in ending it. However, we’re not sure that we could handle having a
distant relative of Garrus fighting by our side, or Joker’s great‐great‐grandson flying the ship.
Although it’ll have some ties to earlier games, Mass Effect 4 needs to forge a path of its own.
Constant references, no matter how fan‐pleasing they might be, will make for an ultimately
shallower game.
1. Meaningless Player Choices
The biggest criticism that Mass Effect 3 faced was its ending, which boiled three games’ worth of
stressful choices down to three dry‐and‐cut options that left fans bitter. It’s testament to how much

9. players value the choice aspect of the Mass Effect series, when the entire third game, which was
otherwise pretty incredible, got completely tainted in their minds by its poor ending. Smoke and
mirrors only go so far in disguising choices as anything but meaningless and superfluous, and
players have become adept at recognising when their decisions are actually having any impact on
the game at large. In particular, many of Mass Effect 1′s choices were rendered ultimately pointless
by the third game. For example, one of the more memorable decisions is whether to save or kill
the Rachni Queen. In Mass Effect 3, if you chose to save her then she’s taken by the Reapers to
indoctrinate her young. If you killed her, then they’ll just create an artificial queen that fulfils the
exact same role. What was a key moral choice in the first game ultimately led to a purely superficial
conclusion. As one of the key things that drew players to the series in the first place, Mass Effect 4
will need to see Bioware step their game up when it comes to meaningful player choices. They’ve
got a lot to prove after Mass Effect 3′s disastrous finale, but we’re confident that the Bioware team
has the potential to prove themselves as the kings of AAA RPG releases once again.
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