I’m very delighted to reveal my first Mass Effect Next community-led video spotlighting many of your opinions and ideas on the next Mass Effect. I’ve compiled a list of forty of the community's ideas to explore, with that said, we’ve got no time to waste, let’s get straight into this.
1. AuraWolf - Social Moments
A pretty small thing but... I'd like the next Mass Effect to have more social moments, so things like hanging out with companions in a bar/club or let's say going to a shooting range for a date. Just small things like that to increase world-building & atmosphere.
2. MarshallM09 - Shepard’s Consequences
I feel like my answer to this question was conveyed in the Mass Effect Landsmeet (everyone should watch that) but what I really want is to feel the consequences of Shepard’s actions from the previous games and for Shepard to be probably put to rest. I don’t want them to come back. Their story is over, but I want to feel like I left a long-lasting impact on the galaxy as we go through this new adventure with a new protagonist.
3. ApolloDraconis - Andromeda Sequel
I want a full sequel to Mass Effect: Andromeda with Ryder coming back as the protagonist. I want to see what comes next after establishing settlements on each of the planets and making them more habitable worlds to live in. I also want to see the Nexus’ construction being completed.
A main quest early in the game finding and rescuing the Quarian Ark, finding out more about the Jardaan and their enemies that unleashes the Scourge (and maybe those enemies becoming an actual threat to the Initiative), going beyond the Heleus Cluster, getting more expansion of the Kett, and establishing contact with the Milky Way. Liara being the one that answers the signal from the Initiative.
4. Sasha May - Playable Other Races
One of the requests I would like is the ability to play as one of the other races rather than the default humans.
5. Docktor Rocktapus - More ‘Alien’ Aliens
More 'alien' aliens, quadrupeds tripeds quintapeds, creatures with faces in the chest area, strange anatomy. Something that might be more unsettling and less humanoid. That's something that I'd really like to see!
6. Kyle Holiman - Two Gameplay Loops
I gotta say, one of my biggest things I wanna see is blending the two gameplay loops. I wanna see Open worlds 2.0 but also those tight story missions. Maybe not everything has to be open world. Like two open worlds filled with amazing storylines and a whole bunch of interesting content, combined with plenty of smaller play spaces with tight stories and what not. I just love the idea of having this huge play space to explore, it makes so much sense given the size of the universe.
7. Drakorn - Dark Matter Plot
I would love for them to pick up the Dark Matter plot again. We got a nice tease of it in Tali's ME2 quest and it was supposedly going to be a big part of ME3 and even connect to the true reason the Reapers do what they do. I think the next Mass Effect has the potential to really dive into that plot. It would also be a worthy follow-up threat after the Reapers. And I like that this could be a threat that can't be beaten by strength of arms, that's what the Reapers were for, but through science and exploration. A big part of the game could be trying to find various solutions to deal with the Dark Matter, which would be a perfect way to really reinvent the exploration aspect of Mass Effect.
8. M C - AI-Centric Story
I would love to see SAM again! And also more about the Jaardan, who probably were/are also an AI-centric society!
9. Beaverius - Andromeda Relevant
You hit my biggest one in particular: don't toss away Andromeda.
10. Xsari - Liara Advisor
I hope Liara will play more of an advisor role instead of a squadmate, like Anderson or Leliana in DAI. I actually hope we don’t have an asari squadmate at all and we get more diverse female members, like a krogan, drell or batarian.
11. Ariana - Bring Back Ryder
I don't care how unpopular this opinion is: bring back Ryder. Don't let ME:A's story be abandoned for the sake of nostalgia.
12. ChloesDragons - Discovery/Exploration
I really hope the next game is a about general discovery and exploration and thus will allow for different races and origin stories. Like why did you join the 'big organisation' from your different origin. This would then allow for the different people. Would love to play as an asari or angara..
13. GamerPete - Racing
Racing! Seriously the Nomad was actually fun to drive compared to previous vehicles, lean into that with a racing mini game.
14. ZeeNasty - Jump Packs
I hope we keep the jump packs and have another low gravity planet like we did in Andromeda. Speeding around and getting a ton of air on that low-grav planet was extremely fun.
15. Suka - Flying Mudskipper?
Considering the flying mechanic; the mudskipper doesn't look like it has a vehicle bay soooo, possible?
16. Psyche_Paz - Salarian Romance
ALL I NEED IS A SALARIAN ROMANCE OPTION!!
17. CL. Freitas - Good Character System/Flight Mechanics
I want a good character creator and the fly mechanics of anthem
18. Alex Fergestad - Shepard Return
Shepard to return
19. Zehn Waters - Angara/Kett
To be fair, I don't want more Angara or Kett in the new game. I thought they were bland and derivative, respectively. I will say, the thing I liked most about Andromeda was building a civilization from scratch. Having my actions have an influence on who was put into what position. But it just doesn't feel like Mass Effect.
20. Matt - Origin Stories
As you said, I’d like them to do character creation in the same vein as DA: O, where you choose and play through a unique origin. I have no idea why other games have not done this, it really got me invested in both story and character. I did like how in ME 1 your backstory came back into play but I don’t think it was as effective as when BioWare did it in Origins. This choice makes even more sense if they’re letting you play as other races (which they should for sure do). I’d probably pre-order on this alone if they did it this way.
21. Michał L - RPG Elements
I've always considered ME1 to be the best because of how well it combined rpg elements with action sequences. Skill checks are a key part of an rpg game, I think, and I'd love to see description, electronics, and maybe even charisma thrown in the mix. Mass Effect games aren't all about action and shooting, so let us invest in some non-combat skills to spice up the gameplay, and allow alternate ways to tackle problems, pretty please.
22. Hunter Fehnel - Wild West
I remember you talking about andromeda being Wild West themed, I would have loved that! Let’s get it for the new mass effect this time! And let’s get some inspiration from RDR2!
23. zainab abdul jalil - Resurrected Shepard
Imagine if they did dig up Shepard's body and resurrect them again. Having to deal with the trauma of dying twice would be interesting but I'd understand if they don't go down that dark route. Either way I just want Shepard to be happy and in peace with the rest of the crew members and their Love Interest 😭
24. Vincent Harding - World Building
One aspect of the Mass Effect series that really defined it for me was the world building of cultures and technologies. I thought that was pretty lacking in Andromeda; on a side note I also disliked how many factions had such unimaginative names, like "Remnant" because they're all that remained of some ancient civilization, or "Exiles" because they're people who've been exiled. The narrated Codex was also one of my favourite things in the games and I hated how that was gone in Andromeda. I hope things like that make a return to the series.
25. {Ofek} Zev specially-massaged me - Cross-Class Skill Tress
I'd love to see the cross-class skill trees MEA introduced, it made combat much more diversifiable.
26. xMik3x - Travel between both galaxies
A connection between both the Milky Way and Andromeda would be wild for the next game, maybe reveal some sort of mystery on who built such a connection to travel between galaxies and have a journey based on that. Would not mind playing as Ryder again truth be told, would be interesting some sort of discovery where you find out humans and perhaps even the other species really came from Andromeda, running away from the scourge. I don't know, just talking out loud here, but I would definitely love it if they kept Ryder and the Andromeda storyline alive in the next game.
27. J P - No Open World
No more open world. Please no. The best example I could think of where we saw a return to the previous formula was in DAI’s final DLC Trespasser. There was exploration, there was story, there were interesting settings, and the stakes were high. More of that please.
28. Haven - Ryder Mention
I want there to be ties to Andromeda. I loved Ryder and the progress they made as a Pathfinder is so important. I feel like that has to be mentioned in some capacity in the nex game. I'd even love to see my Ryder if possible.
29. Haley Reeves - Andromeda Combat
Loooove Andromeda’s combat. Would love the next game to have similar combat. Would love to see all these things and oh yeah… want the polished Asari back. MEA’s Asari all have the same potato face. Not cool.
30. Lisa Sarina - Shepard Companion Closure
I want closure for Shepards companions! I'd love to know what exactly happened with them after the events of ME3 and how they move on with their lives. (How about that "Shepards last moments" DLC we talked about in the landsmeet huh?) And I'd like to see more of Ryder's story. I felt like there were a few loose ends there.
31. ApolloDraconis - Plot Urgency
I think one thing that makes MEA feel different from the trilogy is the lack of urgency. All three games have the feeling of urgency, while MEA doesn’t really have that except for the last main mission and maybe the mission with the Salarian Ark. I also think it could just be the change in the game engine. Frostbite just seems sort of more cartoonish and saturated than the Unreal Engine. Don’t get me wrong, I love how things looks in MEA, but I think if it had been in Unreal with a similar look to the trilogy it would have felt sort of darker and smoother maybe and have had more of that trilogy aesthetic.
32. KAYTRIOX - Playable Races
You've already mentioned it. I'd love play as an ASARI Sentinel then replay as SALARIAN Engineer and KROGAN SOLDIER. And have different stories, dialogue and cutscenes for each.
33. Allison - Ryder Closure
Personally, I would like closure with Ryder as a protagonist for personal reasons-I grew up with a distant workaholic dad and a working full time but still busted ass for me and my brother mom much like Ryder (though fortunately both of my parents are alive and in good health) so the idea that we may never get closure with the Ryders bc some people didn't like Andromeda just... Yeah, kinda hurts like how I assume some people might feel if there were big unanswered questions with Hawke.
So obviously I want to know if Ellen Ryder was ever cured and reunited with the twins-but I also want to know about plots like who the Benefactor was and about the creation of the Angara, what happens with the Kett, etc. There's too much potential for them to trash ALL of it surely?!
34. Lyle Plato - Andromeda Graphics, Trilogy Score
I'd love the following - The visuals/graphics similar to how Andromeda looks 👍 take as much of the combat from Andromeda too. But the score and character development from the original trilogy 🤞
35. Sarutobifreak - Milky Way Focussed
I don’t think we should go to Andromeda during the main game. There should be plenty of connections and at least some clues as to what was really going on with the Initiative, but I want the main story to focus on the Milky Way. Earth still seems to be a wreck whenever this story takes place, so I assume most of the rest of the galaxy isn’t much better. I think it would be cool if Liara was a Nick Fury/Zordon-esque character assembling a team to put the galaxy back together
36. Driznick - More choices, consequences and replay value
I feel like they should ditch most if not all side content (not including companion missions and such) and instead put that work and space into adding MORE choices, more consequences, and just more replay-ability In general.
37. J B - Prologue/Ending
I think the next game story will be taking place at the same time as Andromeda, and the ending would probably be the Milky Way making contact with the Initiative.
38. ZeeNasty - Romance
For me, I'm just crossing my fingers for a Batarian squadmate and a male Quarian romance. 😊
39. Happydrunkgamer - Dual Protagonist
OK crazy Idea, it does appear that this game is going to be a sequel to both ME3 and MEA as well as linking both Galaxies, if that is the case I'd love it if you could play as BOTH the milky way protagonist AND Ryder! Maybe the game will start with 2 separate missions, Team Ryder and Team Liara before eventually converging. They could do it in the same way as Halo 2, you play as the new protagonist in the MW until you reach a key story mission then you flip over to Andromeda and you then get caught up with Ryder and the team (say maybe 12-18 months post MEA) in the year 2820 (making Liara 743 years old!) see the story unfold from their perspective to a certain point and then merge. Imagine a GTA V style character swap system, moving back and forth between characters, allowing you to play story missions and side quests as you want!
40. Aaron Medley - Brand-New Species
Oh I think it would be cool if you played as a new species one that had no contact with the mass effect universe till the events of the game that way you are getting the first contact experience and the feeling of discovering the mass effect universe for the first time again.
And that’s a wrap on 40 of your unique, very broad ideas on the next Mass Effect, comment down below if your ideas were spotlighted.