Mass Effect Remastered coming soon and new Mass Effect Game in the Works

[Morty]

Also, I'm a little worried for the Legendary Edition these days, anyways. Taking the camera off Miranda's rear is fine by me (I always found that little quirk of the game to be stupid - heck, I always felt she and Jack were oversexualized to the point they weren't attractive at all, but at least for Jack that seemed to be intentional), but it also opens the door to all kinds of shenanigans from well meaning people who put their sensibilities before the integrity of what they're trying to restore. Once you start making changes, where do you draw the line? Will they remove the "All Humans Are Racist!" turian from ME1? The bachelor party from ME2 where men of multiple species are a little creeped out to discover that all species are attracted to asari equally? I would much rather have a "Warts and All" remaster than a butchered one. I mean, I don't even want them to fix the things I actively hate.

We know they won't, so this slippery slope argument can be nipped in the bud. Here is a convenient document compiling all the information.

[Calemyr]

We know they won't, so this slippery slope argument can be nipped in the bud. Here is a convenient document compiling all the information.

I am hopeful this will be the case. But I was also told a lengthy list of whoppers, up to the very day of release, by a company that used to brag they left greed to other companies. The proof will be in the pudding, as they say. If they hold this camera edit as the only "censorship" they're doing, I definitely plan on buying the game. It's a reasonable enough change. But it is enough to convince me not to preorder it. Unlike a certain "perfect woman", my rear end has enough tooth marks from where faith has bitten me that no camera would wish to linger.

[Morty]

I am hopeful this will be the case. But I was also told a lengthy list of whoppers, up to the very day of release, by a company that used to brag they left greed to other companies. The proof will be in the pudding, as they say. If they hold this camera edit as the only "censorship" they're doing, I definitely plan on buying the game. It's a reasonable enough change. But it is enough to convince me not to preorder it. Unlike a certain "perfect woman", my rear end has enough tooth marks from where faith has bitten me that no camera would wish to linger.

In an ideal world, they would fix Samara's outfit, bring back the planned-but-cut non-heterosexual romances, tone down the general juvenile "sexy and mature" tone ME2 has and undo Ashley's bizarre change in appearance from ME3. But I see no reason to believe any of it will happen. If you're going to insist they're hiding planned changes for... some reason... I guess I can't argue with that.

[Calemyr]

In an ideal world, they would fix Samara's outfit, bring back the planned-but-cut non-heterosexual romances, tone down the general juvenile "sexy and mature" tone ME2 has and undo Ashley's bizarre change in appearance from ME3. But I see no reason to believe any of it will happen. If you're going to insist they're hiding planned changes for... some reason... I guess I can't argue with that.

Can't exactly argue with Samara. Why video games are so insistent on putting willfully celibate women in provocative clothing is beyond me. (Ivy from Soul Calibur being the other example that comes to mind.) Granted, actual ablative armor isn't particularly required in the Mass Effect setting where shields and barriers do the job just as well or better, but a professional one-woman army like Samara seems like she would be more comfortable wearing something that protects her when her barriers aren't enough. But then, she is supposed to be part of a strictly asari tradition, and the asari are never shown to be fond of modest clothing fashions (Liara being something of an exception). That's why it's never bothered me too bad. (Granted, that's a Watsonian perspective. I know the Doylist explanation is simply "We want to market to hormonal teenage boys" and little more. I'm a Watsonian kind of guy. Doylists suck the fun out of everything.)

Edit: As for Ashley, I expect her ME1/ME2 appearance to be updated to ME3's standards rather than the other way around. Probably more of a stern, military aesthetic than ME3's second Spectre, but still.

[Psyren]

Once you start making changes, where do you draw the line?

As it is their IP, the practical answer to your question is "wherever the heck they feel like drawing the line." Your choice meanwhile remains the same, buy it or don't.

But I'm with Morty, this kind of slippery-slope-concern-posting doesn't add much to the conversation when they've given no indication that they plan on removing the Turian, the bachelor party, etc. Nor do I think "warts-and-all integrity" should remain sacrosanct in any property, much less one from a developer who openly admitted to regretting their position on several of their narrative choices in the original two games. The devs being more thoughtful about unconscious biases like a male-gaze camera deserves accolades, not hand-wringing.

[Zevox]

Same boat for me. I will put whatever game I have on hold when Strikers comes out, but I'm not expecting the game to have significant legs. I don't think it's supposed to be Persona-level long and it's quite linear with minimal social element, so I will enjoy the hell out of hanging with my buds again, but it won't fill the months until May.

Oh, I'm not expecting Strikers to fill that entire time by any means either. But I've got another couple of new games coming soon as well (Kena: Bridge of Spirits and Guilty Gear Strive), plus other games in my backlog, and some others I've been considering replaying to fill the time. It's just a matter of resisting the urge to play ME2 now, because boy does it sound quite good to do so.

Also, I'm not the sort who can just put a story-centric game like Mass Effect on hold for a few weeks and then come back to it. If I try to do something like that, I just end up feeling like I need to start over from the beginning next time I play it. Just how I am with those kind of games. Which is currently also keeping me from substituting a Dragon Age game to scratch that Bioware itch instead, since I doubt I'd finish any of those before Strikers drops either.

[Calemyr]

As it is their IP, the practical answer to your question is "wherever the hell they feel like drawing the line." Your choice meanwhile remains the same, buy it or don't.

But I'm with Morty, this kind of slippery-slope-concern-posting doesn't add much to the conversation when they've given no indication that they plan on removing the Turian, the bachelor party, etc. Nor do I think "warts-and-all integrity" should remain sacrosanct in any property, much less one from a developer who openly admitted to regretting their position on several of their narrative choices in the original two games. The devs being more thoughtful about unconscious biases like a male-gaze camera deserves accolades, not hand-wringing.

I can respect that perspective. I absolutely have no obligation to come back to the games at all, much less be limited to a remastered version. This isn't like Warcraft 3, where the remaster actively supplanted the original version due to the live-service framework regardless of a player's preference. My old copy of ME3 is perfectly serviceable and, if I find the Origin launcher too distasteful, I am perfectly able to buy the classic version on Steam. I lose nothing regardless of what they decide to do, and a fair bit to gain if they do their job well. As you say, pursuing this line of conversation further isn't productive. I am merely cautious, and I attempted to explain why. I hope my perspective, while not necessarily shared, was conveyed clearly enough that it is not misinterpreted. Convincing anyone was never my mission, it was simply being heard.

As for the topic I am far more eager to discuss: what's everyone's favorite way to play through the trilogy? Male or female? Renegade or Paragon? Most enjoyable classes? Favored party combinations? Preferred love interests? Scenes or decisions you enjoyed that still stand out in your mind after all these years? Ignore the warts for a moment, what are the really good bits?

[Morty]

I have fond memories of my original male Renegade Sentinel, but I've soured on the Paragon/Renegade split so I don't know if I'd repeat it.

[Dienekes]

Out of curiosity, what’s the problem with the Salarian Bachelor Party?

Personally, kinda thought the implication that the Asari were subtly mind controlling the other races to be attracted to them was one of the few steps that made them interesting as opposed to Space Elves as designed by a horny Captain Kirk.

The other was the Salarian trying to make certain his Asari family remembered him after he died. Which opened some interesting points about their longevity. But neither was really explored all that much, unfortunately.

[Calemyr]

I have fond memories of my original male Renegade Sentinel, but I've soured on the Paragon/Renegade split so I don't know if I'd repeat it.

Heh heh heh. I'm predominantly paragon, and ME1/ME2 tended to penalize you for a mixed behavior, but there are some renegade lines I just can't pass up. As a rule, I tended to play a well meaning (Paragon) Shep who had no patience for fools and would go Renegade to set people straight if they were being stupid (and the ME trilogy has no shortage of stupid).

My two favorite characters to play have always been an Infiltrator when playing MaleShep and Vanguard when playing FemShep. This is primarily because Jennifer Hale also voiced Samus Aran in the Metroid Prime series and Biotic Charge reminds me a lot of the Shinespark maneuver from Super Metroid. Infiltrator just because stealthy sniper is kinda my jam and Mark Meer doesn't influence my playstyle the way Hale does. I think Hale does a slightly better job as VA, but FemShep only nailed an iconic look in ME3, while MaleShep's iconic look works in all three games (better than most custom appearances in my book).

For the LI characters, my preferences are for Ashley, Liara, and Tali. Garrus, too, after a fashion. Not personally attracted to him, but he is just too good of a companion in the first place and ups his game from there as a romantic interest. I'm a sucker for good chemistry, I suppose, and I just didn't see it in any of the newer options.

For good companions, I'm spoiled for choice. There are a lot of good characters in the series. Guess my favorites are Mordin, Wrex, Grunt, Javik, Garrus, Tali, and Liara, all of whom tend to add immensely to pretty much any scene they're in. Legion is comedic gold in certain situations, but otherwise not really a compelling companion.

Probably my favorite scene in the trilogy is from the ending of ME1. Taking an elevator to the presidium for the final conflict, the elevator stops dead. Not deterred, Shep shoots out the window of the elevator, magnetizes their boots, and then does a trench run up the side of the Citadel. Rather than admit defeat, they just redefined the theatre of the war as simply as redefining what 'up' meant. That was the moment I just had to sit back and admit "Okay, that is just damn epic.".

One thing I kinda wish they'd add: a cooling mechanic for ME2/ME3. If you go long enough without firing, the clip on your weapon refills. Thermal clips make sense for sustained fire, but introducing an dependency on ammunition to the weapons is a horrible idea for off-world engagements. It's one reason I always keep the Prothean Particle Rifle handy in ME3.

[Psyren]

One other thing I wouldn't mind seeing in the remaster is more female NPCs from the other races. Female Turians, Salarians and Krogan in the background in major hubs like the Citadel, Omega or Ilium would be fantastic. They have the models now thanks to Andromeda, bringing some over shouldn't be too heavy a lift.

As for the topic I am far more eager to discuss: what's everyone's favorite way to play through the trilogy? Male or female? Renegade or Paragon? Most enjoyable classes? Favored party combinations? Preferred love interests? Scenes or decisions you enjoyed that still stand out in your mind after all these years? Ignore the warts for a moment, what are the really good bits?

Paragon, definitely. For me Shepard is most interesting as a character that is extremely capable of violence but always sees force as a last resort, someone who has lines they're not willing to cross just to get the job done but finds a way to get it done regardless. Someone who embodies the ideals of humanity moreso than its baser nature as a renegade does. Remember, humanity already has a reputation of being bullies and hasty to the rest of the galaxy before ME1 even begins, and a Renegade approach does not care one bit about that stigma.

With that said, Renegade does get some of the most iconic lines (especially as delivered by Hale.)

Out of curiosity, what’s the problem with the Salarian Bachelor Party?

Personally, kinda thought the implication that the Asari were subtly mind controlling the other races to be attracted to them was one of the few steps that made them interesting as opposed to Space Elves as designed by a horny Captain Kirk.

The other was the Salarian trying to make certain his Asari family remembered him after he died. Which opened some interesting points about their longevity. But neither was really explored all that much, unfortunately.

I always viewed the bachelor party scene as less confirmation of mind control and more Blind Men and the Elephant parable - Asari being attractive to many races because each race focuses on traits that they find appealing.

Asari longevity and relationships got expressed in many interesting ways - from the Turian shopping for a goldfish with his honey, to Shepard and Liara themselves, and culminating in my personal favorite, Blue Rose of Ilium.

[Morty]

My first Shepard was a Renegade. I was enticed by the possibility of playing a "do what it takes" type. And I prefer to pick the less typical and "default" choice, which a goody two-shoes Paragon is. Sadly, over the years I grew very disillusioned with it. I don't particularly like it when a game gives me two choices and then persistently shames me for picking one of them. The fact that Shepard's choices so overwhelmingly revolve around this Blue/Red binary for sure doesn't help.

[Calemyr]

One other thing I wouldn't mind seeing in the remaster is more female NPCs from the other races. Female Turians, Salarians and Krogan in the background in major hubs like the Citadel, Omega or Ilium would be fantastic. They have the models now thanks to Andromeda, bringing some over shouldn't be too heavy a lift.

It wouldn't be a heavy lift, but it would be stretching canon a bit. Granted, the female krogan and salarians were only made to be isolated and inaccessible because Bioware hadn't worked out what they should be before ME3, but the canon is set that adding them in would be difficult. I suppose a few barren krogan women would certainly work, but the female salarians are simply too good to be seen on non-salarian worlds.

The turians, however, 100% agree with ya. They were well established as having equivalent rank and distribution as the males, but you didn't start seeing them until the ME3 DLCs. It would require some extra voice acting, I'm sure, but having a few quibbling over prices at a weapon shop or negotiating for some proper turian liquor (or any other place you'd see turians in the universe) would certainly be welcome on a wish list.

Paragon, definitely. For me Shepard is most interesting as a character that is extremely capable of violence but always sees force as a last resort, someone who has lines they're not willing to cross just to get the job done but finds a way to get it done regardless. Someone who embodies the ideals of humanity moreso than its baser nature as a renegade does. Remember, humanity already has a reputation of being bullies and hasty to the rest of the galaxy before ME1 even begins, and a Renegade approach does not care one bit about that stigma.

With that said, Renegade does get some of the most iconic lines (especially as delivered by Hale.)

Agreed. Outside of a few priceless scenes, it is far more interesting watching someone with the force of will to do what needs to be done AND do it right than it is to watch someone willing to forego all ideals for the sake of a mission. Reminds me of the Paragon solution for dealing with the intelligence officer at the end of the Citadel DLC quest. "No. I'm pleading for your life." Shep has no qualms killing someone, but not before peaceful solutions have failed.

I always viewed the bachelor party scene as less confirmation of mind control and more Blind Men and the Elephant parable - Asari being attractive to many races because each race focuses on traits that they find appealing.

Asari longevity and relationships got expressed in many interesting ways - from the Turian shopping for a goldfish with his honey, to Shepard and Liara themselves, and culminating in my personal favorite, Blue Rose of Ilium.

Both conclusions are engaging to me. I like the mind-control read because it makes the asari less like technocolor humans with rubber wigs and more like something alien and scary in its own right. Not like they're actively trying to deceive people, but its innate and embarrassing and they're honestly kinda glad most other species are too busy ogling them to compare notes. The elephant read is more mundane, but it nicely demonstrates how different races might put different priorities on different traits, and it's kinda nice to think that they're just people without any dark agenda behind them.

And, yeah, Blue Rose of Ilium. Dang, but that still hits hard just to read those simple words. They did a good job with that.

[Dienekes]

l

I always viewed the bachelor party scene as less confirmation of mind control and more Blind Men and the Elephant parable - Asari being attractive to many races because each race focuses on traits that they find appealing.

That is part of why the scene works well. First the people are clearly not any great intellects to be analyzing this, so we are prone to taking their revelation with a grain of salt. Then they all do legitimately point out parts of the Asari that are vaguely like their species to give plausible deniability. But then it also points out that the sexual response is happening in a species that shouldn’t have one. And when the man gets just close to hint toward some messed up business with the whole situation it is dropped. Personally, saw it as a great nesting doll of implication that could be taken a few ways.

Which is part of why I like the scene. For those of in the audience who think Asari are pretty juvenile of a species it gives us something to grasp onto. For those that like Asari just as they are, they can wave it away as the ramblings of randy drunks. Top notch writing there.

Which is why I’m surprised to see it continuously brought up as something bad that needs to be cut. Is there something I’m forgetting, or some unfortunate implication I failed to pick up on?

Asari longevity and relationships got expressed in many interesting ways - from the Turian shopping for a goldfish with his honey, to Shepard and Liara themselves, and culminating in my personal favorite, Blue Rose of Ilium.

Legitimately don’t remember the Turian. Never romanced Liara. And while the Blue Rose does mention that dating Krogan is ughhh like a real commitment. It was only a sentence and didn’t really have much emotion behind it.

Now don’t get me wrong the Blue Rose is a great little story but I see it far more as giving depth to Krogan than giving it to Asari. Though I will concede it does both.

Though I think of that story the part that really adds character to the Asari was that horrid ***** *** ****** **** ************ that asked if her husband would know which enemies to shoot.

[Zevox]

As for the topic I am far more eager to discuss: what's everyone's favorite way to play through the trilogy? Male or female? Renegade or Paragon? Most enjoyable classes? Favored party combinations? Preferred love interests? Scenes or decisions you enjoyed that still stand out in your mind after all these years? Ignore the warts for a moment, what are the really good bits?

I'll come back to male/female and love interests, since I think that'll be a longer and interrelated answer. For Paragon v Renegade, definitely Paragon. Renegade feels way too a-holish a lot of the time, and especially in ME1 where your major Renegade choices often involving letting people die that you could have saved (or actively killing things you don't need to kill). I do make an exception for certain Renegade interrupts in ME2/3 though - especially punching that Quarian Admiral in ME3. Because he deserves it.

Favorite classes: I like being a caster, so Adept and Sentinel, and to a slightly lesser degree Engineer. The less shooting I need to do, the happier I generally am. Though I do also like Vanguard a lot in ME2 and 3, because Biotic Charge + shotgunning actually creates a very fun gameplay dynamic. Never played Soldier, and Infiltrator was okay at best.

Party combinations: usually this is just me picking favorite party members who feel appropriate for the mission. Mordin, Jack, and Legion top the list for ME2, though most of the companions there are at least on the list. I think Jacob and Zaeed are the only two I pretty much ignore except when they're required. Well, and Morinth, but I only even have her when I'm going full dumb Renengade. For ME1, I tended to use everybody but Kaiden, though I think nowadays I'd gravitate heavily towards Garrus, Liara, and Tali. For ME3, Garrus, Liara, and Tali plus Javik are probably my most-used, while EDI and Ashley/Kaiden see less use, and Vega almost none.

Scenes that stand out? Everything to do with Mordin. Legion's loyalty mission. Jack's loyalty mission. Most of the loyalty missions, really, those three just stand out even above the others. Everything with Tuchanka and Rannoch in ME3. The Suicide Mission. Lair of the Shadowbroker. And of course, the Citadel DLC.

Okay, back to the sex and love interest part. Funny thing there is that for games that give me an option for whether the lead is male or female, I pretty much always go female first and prefer going female, since so few games without that option have female leads, so it feels like evening the playing field in a way to do so. But with Mass Effect, that sadly kind of leaves you without much in the way of good love interests. Liara's okay, and as the only one who's present in all three games (even if only for Lair of the Shadowbroker in 2) feels like she's arguably FemShep's best overall romance, but I like her better as a character than a love interest when all's said and done, I think. For ME1 that leaves Kaiden, who is among the most boring companions in the series.

For ME2 you've got Jacob, who gives Kaiden a run for his money (and then dumps you in ME3, further giving me no reason to ever pick him); Thane, who has numerous reasons you might not want to romance him, starting with the whole "terminal illness" thing; and then Garrus, who is definitely the favorite of the lot as a character, but personally I find it hard to get past just how inhuman Turians look. Aside from the non-bipedal races like Elcor or Hannar, they're probably among the most alien looking of ME's aliens, which makes the whole human/Turian romance thing start to weird me out in some regards. Oh, and then you've got Kelly Chambers, who is okay, but not a party member and MIA in ME3, so, that leaves her feeling like a weak choice too.

And finally you get to ME3, where you can only continue romances from the prior games, or start one with Samantha Traynor. Who, honestly, might be my favorite romance for FemShep (despite the awkward way you start that romance), but the fact that she's a non-party-member who is only in game 3 makes it much weaker than it would be if she'd been in prior games and/or a party member.

Male Shep, meanwhile, gets Ashley in ME1, who while still on the weaker side on the whole I prefer to Kaiden. In ME2 he gets pretty much all of the best choices: Jack's my personal favorite, though I really wish she were a companion or at least had a larger role in ME3. Miranda's also good, though I again wish she had more of a role in ME3. And Tali is probably one of the best romances in the game in most regards, though personally I can't entirely get past the "little sister" relationship vibes it feels like she has in ME1 - or the health concerns involved with ever interacting with her outside of her suit. Still, having seen that romance, I do like it a lot despite those things. In ME3 you just add Steve Cortez to the mix, but I don't think I ever did that one, and I remember so little of the character that I can't really say what I'd likely think if I had.

Kind of sad to compare Mass Effect to Dragon Age in this department, really. I like all of the romances in Dragon Age: Origins, and most of them in 2 (not a big fan of Fenris; and Sebastian falls into the Kaiden/Jacob category, but who even counts Sebastian?). Admittedly harder to say on Inquisition though, I only actually got through that game once. But I certainly feel like I can pick either sex in at least the first two Dragon Ages and still have my pick of multiple romances I'd enjoy, which I sadly can't say so much in Mass Effect.

[Calemyr]

That is part of why the scene works well. First the people are clearly not any great intellects to be analyzing this, so we are prone to taking their revelation with a grain of salt. Then they all do legitimately point out parts of the Asari that are vaguely like their species to give plausible deniability. But then it also points out that the sexual response is happening in a species that shouldn’t have one. And when the man gets just close to hint toward some messed up business with the whole situation it is dropped. Personally, saw it as a great nesting doll of implication that could be taken a few ways.

Which is part of why I like the scene. For those of in the audience who think Asari are pretty juvenile of a species it gives us something to grasp onto. For those that like Asari just as they are, they can wave it away as the ramblings of randy drunks. Top notch writing there.

Which is why I’m surprised to see it continuously brought up as something bad that needs to be cut. Is there something I’m forgetting, or some unfortunate implication I failed to pick up on?

I didn't mean there was anything actually bad about it. I'm crap at predicting what people will flip out over these days, but I could easily see someone trying to portray that conversation as sexist and objectification.

Legitimately don’t remember the Turian. Never romanced Liara. And while the Blue Rose does mention that dating Krogan is ughhh like a real commitment. It was only a sentence and didn’t really have much emotion behind it.

Now don’t get me wrong the Blue Rose is a great little story but I see it far more as giving depth to Krogan than giving it to Asari. Though I will concede it does both.

Though I think of that story the part that really adds character to the Asari was that horrid ***** *** ****** **** ************ that asked if her husband would know which enemies to shoot.

I liked the Blue Rose story because it showed different angles of both the asari and krogan. The asari do have this little racist slant where everyone around them may as well be mayflies for all the long term relationship they can provide, so they've kinda evolved culturally to see even "Death do us part" as akin to a one-night stand, and how a krogan's far more significant lifespan makes it a commitment they're no longer used to since purebloods aren't considered ideal anymore. She also has a very legitimate concern in wondering if her beau actually understands that any offspring they have would be 100% asari, just with the rough and tumble demeanor of a krogan. Most krogan are obsessed with the preservation of the krogan race, not with how much they adore their lover. The fact that this poetry spouting softie couldn't care less if the baby was blue or orange as long as it was theirs took time to settle into her mind. Meanwhile, we've got a soft-spoken, big hearted krogan who wants nothing but to be with his beloved and mourns the fact that this war means he might die in some rachni infested meteor rather than beside her is an angle on the krogan we don't see anywhere else. We see brutal genius and ancient wisdom, but nothing like this.

[Beleriphon]

You know what I want from a new Mass Effect game? A game where I can play a damn Krogan.

[LibraryOgre]

You know what I want from a new Mass Effect game? A game where I can play a damn Krogan.

Mass Effect 3 multiplayer is the closest.

[Zevox]

You know what I want from a new Mass Effect game? A game where I can play a damn Krogan.

I wholeheartedly support the idea of a Mass Effect where you can play as aliens instead of just a human. Though personally I'd probably go with a Salarian or Asaari first.

Still kind of surprised they didn't do that with Andromeda, honestly.

[Dienekes]

I wholeheartedly support the idea of a Mass Effect where you can play as aliens instead of just a human. Though personally I'd probably go with a Salarian or Asaari first.

Still kind of surprised they didn't do that with Andromeda, honestly.

Bah. If we are allowed to play other races, we all know that there is only one correct choice on who to play: Elcor.

[Forum Explorer]

Bah. If we are allowed to play other races, we all know that there is only one correct choice on who to play: Elcor.

That's a very vertebraenormative answer of you. Hanar all the way. Liberate your mind from the tyranny of an endoskeleton.

[MinimanMidget]

That's a very vertebraenormative answer of you. Hanar all the way. Liberate your mind from the tyranny of an endoskeleton.

Who needs Mass Effect 4 when we could be playing Blasto 1, right?

[Forum Explorer]

Who needs Mass Effect 4 when we could be playing Blasto 1, right?

Exactly. Duel wielding jellyfish all the way.

[Artanis]

Exactly. Duel wielding jellyfish all the way.

Great, now I have a mental image of a Turian beating people with two jellyfish.

[Dienekes]

That's a very vertebraenormative answer of you. Hanar all the way. Liberate your mind from the tyranny of an endoskeleton.

Sincere remorse: That is a good point and I am now ashamed of my initial biased statement.

[Rodin]

As a serious answer, I would love to get some Mass Effect games focusing on the "minor" races. Hanar, Elcor, Volus, Drell. We've explored the Quarians, the Geth, the Asari, and the Krogans enough that they should be set to one side for a game or two. The Turians and the Salarians have this problem to a lesser extent but we haven't gone quite as deep into their societies as the others.

It's a similar issue to Star Trek - even without all the undiscovered life there is a whole galaxy of cool cultures to explore. Instead, we keep returning to the well of the Klingons, Romulans, and Vulcans.

[LibraryOgre]

As a serious answer, I would love to get some Mass Effect games focusing on the "minor" races. Hanar, Elcor, Volus, Drell.

Shameless self-promotion.

[Psyren]

Well, Anthem is dead, so hopefully ME4 makes good use of the resources.

In any event, nothing for me to do now but support the Legendary Edition before they decide to scuttle Bioware completely. (Or maybe they emancipate themselves, Bungie-style?)

You know what I want from a new Mass Effect game? A game where I can play a damn Krogan.

I'd love to play a Drack prequel; as he's even older than Wrex, he would be a solid POV/emotional core for some of the biggest historical events in the Milky Way - the aftermath of the Rachni wars, the Rebellions, the Genophage, even a bit of the First Contact War, all the way up until ME2-ish when the Initiative launched. And of course, he was there for the Nexus Uprising in Andromeda, so you could take it all the way up to that point too.

[warty goblin]

Well, Anthem is dead, so hopefully ME4 makes good use of the resources.

Honestly seems like the right call. About the only good thing in Anthem was the flying, which OK fine jetpacks are cool and videogames have known this since approximately forever, but building a game around jetpacks is hard. And Anthem didn't really do that. Flying through the world didn't require any skill or have cool flight challenges or anything, and flying in combat was basically just hovering around getting shot at by boring dudes. In order to hit, say, the heady highs of just about OKness of Division 1, they'd have to rip out pretty much everything else, from the character progression and loot mechanics, to the mission, enemy and encounter design, and drastically rework the entire narrative structure to not be a miserable exercise in iterated loading screens and watching dead-eyed NPCs yammer at the camera, like the world's most boring talking heads documentary about fake nonsense. The entire thing was an embarrassingly incompetent mess, and tossing more money at it was going to, at best, result in something kinda acceptable-ish.

[factotum]

Well, Anthem is dead, so hopefully ME4 makes good use of the resources.

Assuming EA doesn't just do what EA does best and shut the studio down thanks to Anthem's failure, of course...