Summary
- Mass Effect 4 may run the risk of repeating Star Wars' mistakes with reliance on classic characters and cameos.
- Mass Effect's strength lies in introducing new, compelling characters, which could be undermined by focusing on old ones.
There's no shortage of popular Sci-Fi franchises out there in the entertainment industry. Whether it's Star Trek, Stargate, or Star Wars, Sci-Fi fans have more than their fair share of great content to dive into, with the genre having existed for at least 200 years now in various forms and various mediums. While the medium of video games is still relatively new compared to novels, comic books, TV, and movies, Sci-Fi has still managed to claim a large stake in the gaming market, with franchises like Mass Effect being some of the most beloved gaming series around.
Mass Effect leans more into the military Science-Fiction sub-genre, with most of its plot beats and character arcs revolving around some kind of galactic conflict that's thrown countless worlds into chaos. Though Mass Effect isn't afraid to wear its influences on its sleeve, it's done an excellent job of carving out its own unique identity over the years, but that might not stop the upcoming Mass Effect 4 from being compared to the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
Mass Effect 4 Might Not Want to Follow in Star Wars' Footsteps
Star Wars' Sequel Trilogy Relied Too Heavily on Character Returns
It was always going to be an uphill battle for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The Force Awakens had to simultaneously be similar enough to the previous movies to keep fans happy, but also be different enough to avoid being labeled as a re-hash, and it had to introduce a whole new cast of characters and make them compelling while also needing to bring classic characters back to appease fans. It was an impossible task, and though Force Awakens definitely stumbled in a few places, it struck a pretty good balance overall.
The same can't really be said for the rest of the trilogy. Though Star Wars: The Last Jedi attempted to tell an original story and subvert expectations, it still relied heavily on Luke Skywalker to drive Rey's arc forward, and Leia to give Poe an arc of his own. Then The Rise of Skywalker dropped the ball entirely. In an attempt to appease all crowds, The Rise of Skywalker delivered more fan service than ever before, bringing the Emperor back from the dead along with Force Ghosts of Luke and Han, and cramming Lando and Wedge cameos in for no good reason.
Unfortunately, The Rise of Skywalker was only the start of this disappointing recent Star Wars trend. Though the first season of The Mandalorian was praised heavily for its originality and compelling new characters, Season 2 doubled down on cameos, delivering another familiar face every other episode.
The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, and even The Bad Batch have all continued this trend, and though many of these do focus primarily on their own set of main characters, cameos are still a staple, and often a distracting one that gets in the way.
Mass Effect 4 Should Try Not to Repeat the Same Mistake
Though it's way too early to make a final judgment, it seems as though Mass Effect 4 could be in danger of repeating the same mistake as the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Currently, the only real piece of information BioWare has given about Mass Effect 4 is that Liara T'Soni will be in the game in some capacity, with her playing a major role in the game's reveal trailer. With her species living until they're 1000 years old, it makes sense that Liara would show up again in a Mass Effect sequel, but this is shaky territory.
If Mass Effect 4 is willing to bring Liara back to the fore, then it seems possible that other past crew members could make a return. But while a big reunion of everyone's favorite surviving characters sounds good on paper, it could quickly turn sour for Mass Effect 4. So much of Mass Effect's praise in story and mechanics in the past has come from its ability to introduce compelling characters and make fans grow to love them over the course of an entry, and that shouldn't be undercut in Mass Effect 4 by simply having the same characters return once again.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition
- Released
- May 14, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
One person is all that stands between humanity and the greatest threat it’s ever faced. Relive the legend of Commander Shepard in the highly acclaimed Mass Effect trilogy with the Mass Effect Legendary Edition. Includes single-player base content and over 40 DLC from Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3 games, including promo weapons, armors and packs — remastered and optimized for 4K Ultra HD. Experience an amazingly rich and detailed universe where your decisions have profound consequences on the action and the outcome.
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Drug Reference, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- BioWare
- Publisher(s)
- Electronic Arts
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Franchise
- Mass Effect
- How Long To Beat
- 100+ Hours
- File Size Xbox Series
- 21 GB (November 2023)
- Metascore
- 87
