Why Mass Effect 4 Should Lean Into Cosmic Horror

A follow-up to the legendary Mass Effect trilogy is still a long way off, but with the teasers BioWare has drip-fed fans over the years, many have been wondering what it will be like. With the little there is to go off of, Mass Effect 4 could go in many directions, but there is one it could potentially lean into to make the narrative's stakes feel dire and create a villain that ranks among Mass Effect's best.

Cosmic horror has been included in Mass Effect in a few different ways, but these are often reserved more for individual missions or moments. While foes like the Collectors and Reapers are presented as a sort of horror, the trilogy also makes sure they remain somewhat of a tangible threat players can overcome with enough firepower and solid planning, meaning the series hasn't yet had a villain who fits into being an incomprehensible threat.

RELATED: Mass Effect 4's Antagonist Has a Tough Act to Follow

Mass Effect 4's Narrative Should Lean Into Cosmic Horror

Although one of the trilogy's best traits is how lived-in the Milky Way Galaxy feels, there are a surprising number of obscure species in Mass Effect. For instance, the Leviathans in the third game have been in hiding for eons despite their enormous size. While they are presented rather positively, an entire species that size being dormant opens a door toward more malevolent being in a similar position.

The Reapers in Mass Effect began something like this, as they were an unknown threat whose only representation in the first game was through Sovereign, but their threat only became more tangible as the trilogy progressed. By the time the story ended, players learned almost everything they would have needed to know about the Reapers, including that the Leviathans created them. These facts were interesting, but they took away from their overall mystique and subsequently made them a little less compelling.

For Mass Effect 4's story to feel like a cosmic horror experience, explanations might have to be less clear or delivered in methods that only add to the sense of dread that accompanies whatever the new antagonist is. This method can draw upon classic cosmic horror stories where civilizations might have known about the entity for a long time but could never find the language to describe what it exactly is due to lacking any capabilities of understanding it.

Instead of a military background like Shepard, the new protagonist could be in an investigative role, giving cause to delve further into the narrative's mystery as the stakes only become more dire. This would also tie it more into classical cosmic horror stories where the leads are often detectives or investigators. The story could even shift into one where survival is the main focus as whatever part of the galaxy the game is set in only becomes more distressed.

Mass Effect has always placed a lot of importance on player choice, and a more horror-infused concept brings a lot of potential for tough decisions whose outcomes could feel like blind guesses. If the game decides to go with a body-snatcher route or involves an infection of some sort, it can even tie into party dynamics, since the wrong choices can lead to members either becoming infected or replaced by someone who is not quite them.

While Mass Effect 4 does not need to embrace a sci-fi horror identity, that would be a natural way to set it apart from the original trilogy and make the plot feel dire. BioWare will likely not show Mass Effect 4 at this point in the year, but since world-building is one of the studio's strongest traits, it would be interesting seeing it go in a direction where it can't explain the enemy. Anything regarding Mass Effect 4 will be up to speculation until the game does get formally announced.

Mass Effect 4 is in development.

MORE: Mass Effect: 10 Best Planets You Visit In The Series