Next Mass Effect won't star a 'Shepard 2'

The mysterious next Mass Effect game, whatever it may be, won't be a character who's essentially a "Shepard 2," BioWare has said. No, whoever takes those next steps in the franchise will be a different type of character in a different context, not another mere space-soldier. Beyond that small nugget of information, though, there's still everything to speculate and pontificate upon.

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The mysterious next Mass Effect game, whatever it may be, won't be a character who's essentially a "Shepard 2," BioWare has said. No, whoever takes those next steps in the franchise will be a different type of character in a different context, not another mere space-soldier. Beyond that small nugget of information, though, there's still everything to speculate and pontificate upon.

"There is one thing we are absolutely sure of--there will be no more Shepard, and the trilogy is over," BioWare Montreal producer Fabrice Condominas told VG247. "This is really our starting point. Now the Mass Effect universe is vast, and very, very rich. So at this point in time, we don't even know what kind of time frame we're going to be in. All we're doing is more gathering ideas from the teams, gathering feedback to see several things."

Expect a long wait before you hear anything from the next big Mass Effect game, then. Given how wide a universe it's set in, it could theoretically be any genre. But not starring a space-soldier.

"We don't want to make 'Shepard 2', or Mass Effect 4 with like, 'oh there's no more Shepard but you're a soldier in the universe'. So this will be a very, very different context for sure, and nothing has been decided on the rest."

From The Chatty
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    October 19, 2012 12:00 PM

    Alice O'Connor posted a new article, Next Mass Effect won't star a 'Shepard 2'.

    The mysterious next Mass Effect game, whatever it may be, won't be a character who's essentially a "Shepard 2," BioWare has said. No, whoever takes those next steps in the franchise will be a different type of character in a different context, not another mere space-soldier. Beyond that small nugget of information, though, there's still everything to speculate and pontificate upon.

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      October 19, 2012 12:03 PM

      Please please please http://goo.gl/i9ZGK

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      October 19, 2012 12:04 PM

      I imagine given the widely different implications of the endings and the choices made for the universe, any game with not be based after ME3 due to the work . Which is kind of a shame.

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        October 19, 2012 12:16 PM

        Before the Extended Cut retcons, it wasn't really even possible to have a game after ME3.

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          October 19, 2012 8:19 PM

          Well you still could. It could be a bit like Firefly. They still have FTL travel. All the aliens from the first trilogy will settle near by systems and start small colonies with the left over wreckage from the battle.

          I shouldn't even bother thinking about it Mass Effect is Dead to me after 3.

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      October 19, 2012 12:05 PM

      Mass Effect 4, Manchester United 7.

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      October 19, 2012 12:15 PM

      cue angsty dark edgy anti-hero

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      October 19, 2012 12:17 PM

      it will star James Vega

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      October 19, 2012 12:18 PM

      I'd still like to be a turian or another race next time around

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        October 19, 2012 12:39 PM

        A quarian on their pilgrimage would be fun and different.

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          October 19, 2012 12:44 PM

          it should be open world like skyrim imho

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            October 19, 2012 1:18 PM

            I'm not sure how you'd do that and still keep it a space-faring epic. I mean, Skyrim is a huge game, and that's meant to be a single province on a single planet. You'd have to go really sparse when it comes to actually fleshing out each area in order to actually make a number of different interesting planets.

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          October 19, 2012 2:19 PM

          wow that's a great idea

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        October 22, 2012 10:29 AM

        [deleted]

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      October 19, 2012 12:42 PM

      The best way to make a Mass Effect 4 that takes place after 3?

      Ignore the endings. I'm serious.

      Just say 'We beat the Reapers.' and say nothing more about it. You'll have fewer hooks dragging you down. Besides, the endings were craptacular, why would you want anything to do with them?

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        October 19, 2012 6:59 PM

        From what i gather of the ME3 ending (othe woman on some earth like planet talking to her son/daughter about the "hero"]o) and all that.. ME4 could theoretically be about what ever the fuck they want it to be about. As far as we know.. everything that existed in the ME universe no longer exist.

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      October 19, 2012 12:45 PM

      [deleted]

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      October 19, 2012 12:51 PM

      Co-op based shooter like ME3 multiplayer where you can choose various races and classes for your character. That's how they should tackle the series going forward.

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      October 19, 2012 1:12 PM

      The sequel should be done like Fallout New Vegas - a spinoff taking place in the same setting with virtually 100% new themes, characters and locations. Not like Fallout 3 which was 100% rehash of vault survivors, FEV, enclave, etc.

      Don't rehash the Reapers, Protheans, or forced into the role of an Alliance officer again. Also don't force us to be human. They should run with the concepts they tested for ME3 Multiplayer, varied alien races with specialized sub classes, and weapons.

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      October 19, 2012 2:04 PM

      Ahh Mass Effect, videogame industry's equivalent of a cheesy tv show.

    • Zek legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
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      October 19, 2012 2:24 PM

      spoiler: it's shepard

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      October 19, 2012 2:25 PM

      Well as long as they have DLC planned and announced before they announce anything or even make a game - I'm sold!

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      October 19, 2012 2:27 PM

      I hope they make it a Sidescrolling/City-management game like Actraiser; or it will suck.

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      October 19, 2012 4:08 PM

      In the cutscene for the space fleet arriving at earth, there was an shot with a fighter pilot wearing a completely face obscuring helmet that had dialog that felt out-of-place. I have a feeling that you'll be this guy.

      It's around 2:17 in this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdXXK_rWrhc.

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      October 20, 2012 2:21 AM

      ahh, bioware killing another of their franchises. no wonder the heads left

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      October 20, 2012 6:28 AM

      If there is No Shepard then they cannot call it Mass Effect 4, you gotta have a new title EG: RedFaction: Guerrilla. Its not Mass Effect its a new story with new players, regardless of who may comeback so it needs its own title and story arch. And this time don't screw it up for the fans. No one has ever done the "everyone is screwed, but there is hope" right.

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      October 20, 2012 7:45 AM

      I think 4 should have a completely different race this time around. or make it so you can choose from a handful of them when creating your character.

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      October 20, 2012 11:10 AM

      I'm hoping for a crew of mercs or space pirates ala cowboy bebop or firefly

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      October 20, 2012 12:13 PM

      I was hoping they'd continue the series during the Prothean era, but I doubt they would ever make a game that didn't have a human protagonist. Too many people like making avatars that look like themselves.

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