BioWare’s Mass Effect series is beloved by many, and fans are eager for any news regarding the next installment of the series since no news has emerged since last November. Over the last couple of days, the fifth installment of the series made headlines, as it seemingly received a small plot synopsis within the BioWare’s store page for the teaser poster revealed a while back.
Originally, the poster’s product description included the line, “While Shepard and the survivors are left to pick up the pieces, fans are left wondering what’s next.” This led fans to assume Shepard would be back in the upcoming Mass Effect sequel, though a project director from BioWare said it was an error. Regardless, fans have mixed emotions about whether the Shepard’s return would be good or bad for the series.
Bringing back Commander Shepard would be controversial, since the final decision given to the player during Shepard’s final mission leads to their sacrifice for the sake of the galaxy. Depending on how players progress within the game, one out of the three choices can have Shepard surviving the mission, but that is only if the player meets specific criteria. BioWare seemed to want this decision to end Commander Shepard regardless of that one choice.
Fans who aren’t keen to return as Shepard hope Mass Effect 5 offers a new start. They hope the game introduces someone new to pick up the pieces Shepard and the Reapers left, or maybe a return to Ryder from Mass Effect Andromeda. This is especially true for fans who were disappointed in Mass Effect 3‘s ending.
Mass Effect 3‘s ending has long been criticized by fans for not giving Shepard or their crew proper closure. BioWare tried to fix the ending with a free DLC add-on that attempted to fill in the gaps, but the damage was already done. Some may see Shepard’s return as an attempt to right the wrongs done in Mass Effect 3, but this could backfire and create more animosity between BioWare and fans.
Some will see it as lazy and a poor attempt to get fans on board with the character’s return. If Shepard were to return, it would be challenging for BioWare to explain in the story without creating some plot holes and possibly ignoring certain endings. No fan wants the new Mass Effect to feel like a retcon or a complete series reboot, especially since so many revisited the series when Legendary Edition released last year.
Trivializing Shepard’s death would also hurt the franchise in a way that makes choices that pertain to life or death would feel meaningless. Some of the most powerful moments in Mass Effect have the player making difficult decisions that affect countless lives, but if character can return from death (multiple times in Shepard’s case), then it diminishes the consequence of Shepard’s actions.
Regardless of its issues, Mass Effect 3‘s ending was intentionally vague to leave fans wondering about what could happen next. That story has been told, and it is now time to move on to a new main character, crew, and enemies. The original Mass Effect trilogy had its flaws, but it still told a fantastic story with unforgettable characters, and retreading that old ground is likely to leave everyone unsatisfied.
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