BioWare already has experience with MMOs thanks to games like Star Wars: The Old Republic showing the studio is more than capable of creating a compelling online world. With a range of different species to play as, a variety of roles to pursue, and unique ships to traverse the galaxy in, it’s easy to see how Star Wars: The Old Republic lays the foundation for what a Mass Effect MMORPG could look like.
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Opening Up The Mass Effect World
The Mass Effect universe already has many ingredients that would make a top-class MMO. With numerous races that each have their own histories and cultural quirks, warring factions with opposed ideals, planets to explore, and a variety of roles to play, there is a lot for players to do and learn. While the games in the original trilogy let players visit a number of worlds, there is much across the Milky Way that they have yet to see. The Andromeda Galaxy is also practically a blank slate, with Mass Effect: Andromeda focusing solely on the Heleus Cluster. It makes more sense for a Mass Effect MMO to take place in the established systems within the Milky Way, but that doesn’t mean Andromeda won’t offer some interesting possibilities as well.
Hub worlds like the Citadel would be an ideal central point, with players able to come together and meet in a peaceful and bustling environment before venturing out to wilder worlds beyond. If a Mass Effect MMO was set after the Reaper threat was neutralized, or before it became a pressing issue, players would be free to explore the Milky Way and investigate all its myriad of challenges and mysteries, as well as experience the dynamic Mass Effect world in more detail. Its thriving universe opens opportunities for great multiplayer moments, as well as role-playing aspects as gamers get the chance to live in the Mass Effect world outside of Shepard’s all-encompassing mission.
In addition to setting up a base in the Citadel, the Mass Effect universe offers locations like the chaotic Omega or homeworlds like Thessia. Players might also want to strike out on their own and establish new settlements in less inhabited areas of the galaxy. Needless to say, there are lots of options for exploration, both of different cultures and established cities, as well as fringe locations that might present more of a challenge.
Crafting a Unique Mass Effect Character
While Commander Shepard remains a legendary and beloved character, their presence did limit the story of the original trilogy given how much the narrative focused on them. Gamers may have been able to customize their appearance, pick their class, and have a hand in choosing their backstory, but the character was already established in all the ways that mattered. Mass Effect: Andromeda’s attempts to move away from Shepard had mixed results, but that doesn’t mean a Mass Effect game needs the same hero to succeed.
An MMO would give players the chance to craft their own character - and even choose to play as an alien for the first time. There are a number of intriguing species within the Mass Effect universe, each with their own unique advantages and disadvantages. Experiencing the world through the eyes of a non-human would be an interesting departure for the franchise and could present some compelling story arcs. Players could be an asari assassin, a nomadic quarian, or even a volus space pirate if the mood struck them.
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A Multitude of Histories To Uncover
Through Shepard and Ryder, players previously experienced the world of Mass Effect with a focus on the human race. Humanity is a fairly controversial newcomer to the galactic community, and there are some interesting dynamics at play as they attempt to establish their own foothold. While this serves the narrative of previous games well, it would be fun to experience a pre-human interplanetary community before the First Contact War. With humanity out of the equation, this would give player a whole new societal landscape to navigate in a Mass Effect MMO.
BioWare wouldn’t necessarily need to take out humans to shake things up. There are already a lot of races, factions, and mysterious groups that an MMO could feature more prominently to explore the Mass Effect universe and provide players with opportunities to shape their unique story. Players could become a member of the salarian Special Tasks Group, build up their own krogan clan, or even become a Prothean-worshipping hanar on the ocean world of Kah’je.
The Mass Effect games have presented a thriving and diverse universe, but players have still seen relatively little of it. They’ve seen total war, but never had the chance to just exist within the galaxy. The societies visited across games have many levels, and would give players plenty of choices when it came to what sort of life they wanted to pursue. There could be conflicts to engage in, planets to explore, factions to join or fight against, careers to build, and individual stories to craft - all elements that make up a great MMORPG.
Mass Effect 4 is in development.
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