Many amazing games on the horizon are sure to capture the hearts of many. One of these games that we don’t know much about is the next Mass Effect. For this article, we are going to call it Mass Effect 5. There are many opinions about this series like which game is the best. Which ending from Mass Effect 3 is cannon? And how bad was Andromeda. I decided to reach out to some friends and amazing people from the gaming community to speculate some. I asked them what they want to see in Mass Effect 5 and what they think we will see. So here are those amazing people’s thoughts.
What We Know
Unfortunately, we only have a few tidbits when it comes to Mass Effect 5. We did get a trailer that focuses mainly on Liara T’Soni. BioWare project director Michael Gamble caused a lot of excitement because he revealed there was a lot to unpack. You can hear the sound of a Reaper ring out in the opening sequence. While also seeing a silhouette of a Reaper in the background while we notice a figure. The figure turns out to be Liara and she uncovers some N7 armor. Many people speculate she could be on earth potentially in search of Shepard.
This leads many to think Mass Effect 5 will be a direct sequel to what happened in Mass Effect 3. There was also an image that had some interesting pieces in it. The crater looks like a big Geth helmet. If you look closely one of the characters looks to be wearing Krogan armor as well. N7 day is always a great time to get people hyped up with little Mass Effect tidbits.
Mass Effect 5 Common Opinions
A lot of people had some minor input when it came to Mass Effect 5. One of my close friends Trevor said:
Use some of the features that Andromeda got right like no locked in classes, just points you can distribute. I want way more romanceable crew and aliens. I also want the most customizable guns, armor, and character creator we have ever seen!
Another friend and podcaster LoreMasterJasper said, “I would like to see Commander Shepard come back in some way for Mass Effect 5.”
Community speculation wanted to see Shepard again. People would say they liked Shepard’s story more and felt like they connected with him and his crew more than Ryder’s. Seeing your decisions from the Legendary Collection carry over into Mass Effect 5 was another idea that people wanted to see happen. However, many opinions expressed that they are no longer confident in Bioware’s ability to deliver great games anymore.
Court Is In Session
Starting off the community thoughts is none other than a merger and acquisitions lawyer Richard Hoeg. He is known in many places by Hoeg Law and he had some great thoughts. Hoeg had this to say regarding Mass Effect 5:
While I’d love to see Andromeda (or a series like it) continue since my favorite aspect of science fiction is exploring the unknown (“seeking out new life and new civilizations”, if you will.) It seems apparent from the limited teaser footage we’ve seen that Bioware intends to deliver to the fans exactly what they expect: Liara and Commander Shepherd.
I expect the series to play heavily off nostalgia for the original trilogy (which itself may be good reason for the Legendary Edition to exist). While it’s speculation I wouldn’t be surprised for the story to effectively be The Search for Spock/The Force Awakens, with a combination of friends both new and old searching for the legendary lost Commander. Could be good, but Bioware has to show me something after years of output I’ve been unable to get excited about. Here’s hoping!
The Shinobi Speaks
The Shinobi in the gaming space known as Lord Cognito had some thoughts as well. Lord Cognito is one of the 4 Horseman of Gaming on the Iron Lords Podcast LLC and the CEO of LOGNET. Lord Cognito said:
So my initial Mass Effect 5 thoughts are from the business standpoint and story standpoint. After the rough launch of Mass Effect Andromeda from a technical level and the fanbase not connecting with the Ryder family…..I think Shepard returning is critical for EA/Bioware. The Mass Effect legendary Edition was a commercial success and proved how much of a connection to Shepard the base still has. Shepard is beloved and they are the victim of their own success. He must come back (and Mark Meer voice actor) in my opinion lol.
For the story, they can use the Mass Effect 3 destroy ending as canon with Shephard alive under the rubble and the reapers destroyed. The latest Mass Effect trailer showed Liara (whose race makes sense to still be alive). Somehow they need to use the Lazarus Project that Cerberus developed to extend Shephard’s life. My other requests are alien comrades that make sense like Wrex, Garrus, and maybe Tali. I would love a new Drell companion or Thane (my favorite character) son Kolyat.
The next game’s plot could be the aftermath of the reaper invasion, the cost, and the potential of a new threat in the galaxy. The Ryders can still be in it as companions, and you dont have to completely retcon Andromeda. Andromeda’s combat and planet exploring was actually solid. Just expand on it for the next game.
The True Leader Of Fun Speculation
Our next Mass Effect fan is none other than Mav, whose youtube channel is called Fun Speculation! When it comes to Mass Effect 5 Mav hopes for this:
Mass Effect is one of those franchises that stands above the rest. What Bioware created with the original trilogy is something that will stand the test of time. However after a failed attempt at a resurgance with Mass Effect Andromeda, the time has come for Bioware to get back to what they do best. Tell great stories that are full of great characters, amazing worlds, and a galaxy begging to be explored. Mass Effect was special in the way in which you formed relationships with memorable characters over the course of a trilogy.
Where you became invested not only in your story but theirs as well. The next Mass Effect game needs to focus on this at its core. Get back to basic RPG elements of decision making and truly make the time you spend in game an investment into something greater. Great graphics and gameplay are a must for a franchise such as this and that should be expected as well. Time will tell what the team at Bioware has in store for us but I do know one thing. I will be there ready to step aboard the Normandy or whatever ship they give us in Mass Effect 5 day 1.
The Golden Age Of Gaming
When you think of podcasting one person comes to mind every time and that is none other than Pong Soul. I would tell you all the podcasts he is on but by the time I finish, Mass Effect 5 will be out already. He is a podcast machine. When it came to his thoughts on Mass Effect 5 Pong Soul said this:
Mass Effect 5 represents a unique opportunity, for the current day BioWare, to recapture the glory and prestige found in the BioWare of old. Forget the perceived missteps and concerns the magic may be gone. Today’s BioWare is still flush with talent. I want to see the current group of creatives, reach back in time and lean heavily into the legendary lore that the original Mass Effect trilogy lovingly gave to the gaming community. The rich universe has a vast amount of more stories to give us, and bringing back Shepard, maybe along with some other fan favorites, would be a incredible start to a new beginning.
The teaser trailer, which was shown at the VGA’s in 2020, blatantly hinted that Mass Effect 5 would be a direct sequel. Which would be occurring sometime after the end of the 3rd game, which released in 2012. Fans of the series flocked to the internet with excitement, as a mysterious figure, in the trailer, appeared to be the beloved Liara T’Soni discovering the remnants of the fated Normandy. A subsequent piece of artwork, posted by the official Mass Effect Twitter account in November of 2021, showed a ship parked on the outskirts of a large impact crater, in a rocky and barren landscape.
Pong continued with more detail
Almost indiscernible figures walk towards the center of the cavity, that looks like something you’d see on our own moon. The art was created from a top-down perspective, which not-so-subtly produced the clear image of a vaunted Geth head. Doned with the words “Mass Effect Will Continue” across the bottom. These two brief looks the developer gave to the public, heavily suggest an understanding and appreciation for the history of the franchise. Along with a clear idea to carry the story forward for a whole new video game generation. The original Mass Effect Trilogy is one of my all-time favorite franchises in video game history.
It is representative of peak sci-fi storytelling, rarely seen to this day in the medium. Even the much-maligned Electronic Arts recently showed the series respect with the incredible re-master, Mass Effect Legendary Edition. The new versions presented upgraded and gorgeous visuals, along with updated control schemes to old fans, and more importantly, new fans alike.
Now, with the Xbox Series and Playstation 5 consoles in the wild, the brilliant team at BioWare can capitalize on this “Golden Age of Gaming”, not just to revive Mass Effect, but take us all deeper into space. Go further than what was first imagined 20 years ago, on an even more thrilling adventure. Maybe, just maybe, we will get to take the journey with some of our memorable friends and battle some of our past enemies in Mass Effect 5. I, for one, am hoping so.
DPS Podcast Arrives
Here, we have SloMo BackSlap, who is a co-host of the DPS Podcast and a panel member of Scumcast, among some others. SloMo is a big-time Mass Effect fan and someone who I love talking gaming with especially when it involves Mass Effect. SloMo had this to say:
I think they will have the Normandy crew find Shepard and deal with some new threat that was previously unheard of. I would like the player to take control of a new character who is helping Liara find Commander Shepard. The first game of a new trilogy will be settling storylines, closing story arcs from the first trilogy, and explaining away the Andromeda storyline.
I believe it’ll end with Shepard passing the torch to a new character who’ll command the Normandy, with Liara as like a mentor….much like Dreyah to the Exile in KOTOR 2. I’d also say I’d love for them to incorporate some of the technology introduced from Andromeda’s story as tech that can now be used by the alliance and allows the player to enjoy about the only thing good about Andromeda, it’s combat.
The Author Enters The Realm
Next to speak on Mass Effect 5 is Ramón Terrell. Ramón is an author and an actor. He’s written several fantasy-style books with a couple being Darkness of Day, Running from the Night, Unleashed, and many more. He’s been in shows/movies such as Supernatural, Arrow, Minority Report, and many others as well. Ramón appears on podcasts and has some great thoughts about the gaming world. As of this writing, he is completing his first playthrough of Mass Effect 3 and he said this about the next Mass Effect:
An intergalactic threat such as the Reapers is a tough act to follow in terms of high stakes. How they can up the ante from that, I don’t know. This is under the assumption the Reapers were all destroyed. Even if they weren’t, bringing them back again could be considered over-use. Whatever this new threat is, it will have to be something with incredibly high stakes. With these new consoles and their capabilities, we now have the ability to visit and traverse multiple planets of a size and scale unseen until now. Just as Starfield is said to have multiple planets larger than all of Skyrim, this could be accomplished with the Mass Effect 5.
We could further explore the cultures of the various species in game, when we aren’t engaging in various missions in each civilization on each planet. There may be core missions, but you can explore and do other things to your heart’s content until ready to return to the story. I expect to visit the Earth, Rannock, Turian, Asari, and Salarian worlds. I also want to explore different cities and civilizations. Perhaps even witness the Quarians rebuild on their homeworld with the Geth.
When I saw the CGI trailer a year or two back, I had no background in Mass Effect. Now, I’m assuming that Asari woman who found the dog tags is Liara T’soni. This leads me to believe Shepherd survived the final battle. I hope to see as many of the cast from the original trilogy as possible. All were likeable. I don’t know how long they’ve been working on this, but they’ve got big shoes to fill. I hope they’re up to the task.
Seasoned Gaming Arrives
Many people have opinions on which Mass Effect game is the best. Ainsley Bowden also known as Porshapwr from Seasoned Gaming and host of Bitcast is one of the staunch believers that the original is the best. He and a decent group of people held a Mass Effect round table to have a deep discussion on that topic. Now when it comes to Mass Effect 5, Ains went into great depth:
There are few series as beloved as the sci-fi epic that took players on a wondrous journey across the galaxy throughout the original trilogy. Shepherd, and the incredible cast of personalities you engaged with throughout, long hold a special place in my, and many others’, hearts. However, since the release of the trilogy’s epic conclusion over a decade ago (ending debates aside), the franchise has been languishing. Andromeda largely missed the mark, and BioWare has long since been a premiere name in the industry. However there is hope.
The Legendary Edition released to critical acclaim and was an excellent reminder, as well as an introduction to some, of why the series is so special. So how does BioWare recapture that magic with the next Mass Effect which looks to be a continuation of the series post-Mass Effect 3? For me, they need to focus on what made Mass Effect special to begin with. First and foremost, you must have engaging, well-written characters. I believe an integration with prior characters could work here as it’s a continuation. But I think they have to walk the line of not being a direct sequel. They need to introduce a new, intriguing protagonist and be sure that players feel a sense of investment in not only their journey, but a responsibility for all characters involved.
Ainsley Also Brings Up Script
From there it’s about scope and narrative. Quite frankly, Mass Effect never broke gameplay boundaries. Mass Effect 1, despite being the best of the trilogy (come on I had to), had very generic combat. And while that was improved upon in 2 and further in 3, it was never the focus. The focus should be about exploration and a narrative that supports that exploration to be meaningful. Just like with your crew, there should be a sense of responsibility that what you’re doing as the player is important. That it matters. If BioWare can do that, and combine it with memorable relationships, they’ll have delivered another epic. Fingers crossed.
My Takes on Mass Effect 5 Speculations
Finally time for my thoughts on the topic of Mass Effect 5. I have played through the series a couple of times and my favorite game was the original. When it comes to the next one, though, I think a few things will happen. I believe after seeing the teaser trailer, Liara is indeed looking for Commander Shepard. Undoubtedly, he will be found and he will join the council or its equivalent. If he doesn’t join the council, he will assume a mentor role for the new protagonist. I believe that some characters such as Liara and Garrus will be there to help out the new hero. Mass Effect 3’s destroy ending becomes canon.
On a personal level, I want Shepard back in Mass Effect 5. I want the relationship that I had with Liara to factor into the next game. As well as the other decisions I made in the other games. In terms of character creation, I believe Bioware should let us pick any race for our character. Shepard could still provide guidance on how to save the galaxy to any race not just humans. I wouldn’t mind playing Shepard again, but I don’t see that happening. We also need improvements from Andromeda. Especially when it comes to refining combat mechanics. I also want to see a more defined Renegade and Paragon system. The next game should avoid ambiguous dialogue choices from Andromeda. Some people want to be mean in their stories, while others opt for the opposite. Let players choose! I still believe Bioware can return to its former glory!
Mass Effect 5 Speculation Wrap-up
Many great people from the gaming community came together to provide their awesome thoughts for the next game. I recommend checking each of them out. No doubt, every person I interviewed loves Mass Effect and we want Bioware firing on all cylinders again. Many people who worked on the original trilogy are gone including Casey Hudson. This doesn’t mean all hope is lost for the series. A great in-depth story, with well-written characters, and a vast world to explore that makes sense could accomplish this. Many people believe in Bioware and many people don’t but they have this chance to right the ship and improve while taking advantage of the new PS5 and Xbox hardware.
