Mass Effect has one of the biggest, most interesting science-fiction settings in all of gaming. It’s also one that players have only ever really seen through the eyes of humans, either as the new kids on the galactic block in the original trilogy or leaders of a pioneering plan in Andromeda. While it may have made sense to cast humans as the protagonists in the beginning, as a means of introducing players to Bioware’s bold new galaxy, those days have long since passed.
Mass Effect is a household name in gaming, as iconic a brand as Halo or Assassin’s Creed. With players now more aware of its setting, the next game in the series should take advantage of that familiarity and let them play as one of its many alien races.
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One of the best things about RPGs is the freedom they offer. Not only are players given choices to make throughout each game, but they can create characters and build play styles that are right for them. Games like Dragon Age and Baldur’s Gate 3 do a fantastic job of this, giving players a wide range of different races and classes to play as. Mass Effect may succeed at the latter, but it has always struggled with the former.
As indicated earlier, there were good reasons to begin with human protagonists. The original trilogy was very much a story about humanity finding a place in the galaxy, and its struggle to prove its worth. This made player character, Commander Shepard, the idea hero, as they represented the best, if not necessarily noblest, aspects of humanity. However, as of Mass Effect 3, their story has concluded.
With Shepard’s tale fully told, the series should have been free to explore new ideas and provide players with more interesting choices. Mass Effect: Andromeda seemed to tease this very notion, advertising itself as a new beginning for the series, yet still revolved strongly around humans. Since popular consensus is that Ryder didn’t exactly make Shepard’s lightning strike twice, perhaps the next Mass Effect would be better off not trying a third time. This isn’t to say that humans shouldn’t be playable at all, just that they should be one choice among many.
A recurring theme of the Mass Effect franchise is that people are at their best when they stand alongside other races, learning from their experiences while challenging exclusionary ideals. This cooperation is so critical to the series that, by the time of Mass Effect 3, it was the defining factor in whether or not the player could get the best ending. A Mass Effect game where humanity is just one of many heroic races would perfectly conclude that story, showing how they have become so integrated into society that their presence is as normal as breathing.
This design decision would also be a fantastic way of letting players build a hero that best reflects their play style. While humanity’s feats throughout the series are certainly impressive, the other races have plenty going for them, too. It’s been stated for years that the Asari’s biotic might is unmatched, and few things can withstand a charging Krogan’s destructive power. Factor in later additions, like the stealthy Drell and the adaptive Vorcha, and it becomes increasingly clear that these races have a lot of potential for diverse and interesting gameplay.
To the series’ credit, Mass Effect 3‘s multiplayer mode has touched upon this. It had a variety of different race and class combinations, all of which showed off what the galaxy’s inhabitants could do in a war zone. However, combat is only part of the Mass Effect experience. Opportunities to role-play as anything other than a human are sadly limited, and that remains one of the series’ biggest missed opportunities.
Mass Effect lore is full of descriptions about how different races like the Turians and Salarians behave, about what they believe in and why they organize the way they do. While fans have met many representatives of these races, they have yet to really be anything other than an outsider looking in. Letting them choose to play as one, and having their decision inform what choices they can make throughout the story, could be an excellent to better personalize each experience, and provide replay value by encouraging players to explore new possibilities.
A Mass Effect project like this would certainly involve a lot of work, especially if the story grew big enough for sequels. But, it would also be an incredibly unique and important part of the franchise. There are so few truly excellent space-faring RPGs that give players the chance to see the cosmos through alien eyes. Mass Effect leading the charge on that front would truly make for a mission to remember.
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