For fans mourning the loss of the fifth Mass Effect game, which is currently shelved due to the BioWare shutdown, learning more information about what could have been might be bittersweet. Still, for those interested, content creator Dantics has revealed more information on what would have been Mass Effect: Universe.
Fans learn what might have been had the new ‘Mass Effect’ game survived
Gamers learned that BioWare was shutting down last week. The studio was behind several beloved franchises, including classic RPGs like Dragon Age and Baldur’s Gate, sci-fi offerings Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and the online multiplayer Star Wars: the Old Republic, and shooter MDK2. It was also the home of the Mass Effect franchise, which spanned a total of seven games. The most recent mainline game was Mass Effect: Andromeda, which released back in 2017.
So after a wait of nearly ten years, fans were met with disappointment as they found out about the BioWare shutdown, which meant the planned Mass Effect game will likely not see the light of day. Still, the buzz surrounding the game has not let up, with a leaked trailer surfacing on Reddit last week. The video revealed a new main character alongside a returning fan favorite, along with the reported title of the scrapped game – Mass Effect: Universe.
‘Mass Effect 5’ Was Going to Be Very Different, According to New Insider Details
On his X account, @DanticsOfficial, Dantics says he was providing feedback during game development and has information on what the game was shaping up to be. The game would have been set over 600 years after the Reaper War, an event which took place in Mass Effect 3 and offers the player four crucial choices at its denouement. Instead of another war, the latest game would have seen “a galactic Cold War” against a mysterious enemy.
Dantics goes on to share that the galaxy would be divided into three separate factions, with humans allied together with alien species like the Krogan, the Batarians, and more. Along with alliances between council members, the Geth – synthetic humanoid machines – are becoming a powerful force, constructing megastructures, which serve as space stations, transit hubs, and other important structures in the Mass Effect universe.
Other important information centers around the main character who would have been introduced in this new game. According to Dantics’ information, the player would take control of an N7 agent, part of an elite military corps in the franchise. Similar to the main characters in previous Mass Effect games, the new main character would have been customizable. The character would have received an experimental implant, which would have made them unique.
As for established characters, Liara would have returned as “an incredibly powerful Asari Matriarch”. Liara was introduced in the first Mass Effect game, released in 2007, and has appeared both in the main trilogy and spin-off games, including a cameo in Andromeda, through audio logs the player can discover.
In terms of missions and combat, missions would have followed the formula of the first three games, handcrafted to present unique challenges, cutscenes, and dialogue. But this new game would have been unique in its approach, with a “Hitman-style” freedom, possibly meaning the player would have been able to choose which they do first. As for combat, the main character is described in this X post as a combination of John Wick and James Bond, which suggests both melee combat and weapons use.
The future of the Mass Effect franchise is currently up in the air, as it’s possible another studio could pick it up, and the fanbase is still very passionate about saving it. With these reported elements revealed, fans may be especially hopeful that Mass Effect will be revived somewhere else.
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