I'm a Shepard fan 100%and if Shepard isn't in the next game I won't purchase it I'm 64 years old and a gamer and Mass effect is one of my all time favs and that is because of Shepard
While I can agree that the series can move on without Shepard, I still feel like there needs to be one more game for the character at least, akin to something like how Uncharted 4 ended Nate's story after the third game was supposed to be the last. "One more story" for Shepard, a last simple adventure before the character retires off someplace with their love interest.
I think Bioware & Mass Effect can let Shepard go as we saw that with Andromeda... But I think the fanbase needs to let Shepard go... We shouldn't forget Shepard, but we should move on towards the future with someone new for the sake of the franchise and to not possibly/eventually ruin or oversaturate Shepards character, like we've seen happen with numerous franchises that couldn't move on from their protagonist when their story naturally concluded in the narrative.
Like the way the Star Wars franchise is at the moment, every single f***ing character gets their own show, and the whole franchise is stagnating because of it. There's no new ground being broken.
Halo destroyed itself by giving in to it’s obsession with Master Chief. He’s my favorite video game character, but either his story should’ve ended with 3, or he should’ve been relegated to a legendary side character once he was found again
What if the last thing liara did in mass 3 was create a kid with say your femshep so mass 5 begins with asari Shepard the daughter of liara and Shepard?
You are 100% right Kala, Shepard coming back would be the easiest way to have a successful launch. I feel if they are going to do a new protag, they HAVE to give closure to Shepard and their team. Low key I hope Shep and the OG team come back but I know its also a long stretch to hope for but this is coming from a Perfect Destroy Ender. I genuinely enjoyed Andromeda but it made me miss my Shep and Garrus so much. So I really really hope they give us some closure or bring Shep back, I'm not ready to let Shep go as petty as it may be. 😔
I think how is the wrong question and should is better when it comes to ME as a series even playing the first two games for the first time I have to say the series is a bit weak compared to the hype it gets and the only options they have is bring back the og cast and people jump at it but get sick of it or create a new cast and the people don't jump at it and it flops
I think Shepard need to return for 3 games and then move on. 1 To prove they can make good game and show they can write. 2 to build up the 3 game and lore. 3 To give respectful ending to Shepard story. I fully expecting shit.
Mass Effect without Shepard is like Halo without Master Chief. Any of the games that didn't have neither respective heroes failed. Shepard needs to be cloneable. Liara's last meld in Mass Effect 3 at the forward tactical base was different than previous melds. Maybe Liara backed Shepard up in her mind. Or maybe Javik did in the shard. Or both. This way clone Shepard won't be like the angry counterfeit Shepard from the Shore Leave mission. He/she will have the backed up memories.
Shepard, and Mass Effect as a whole sit in this weird gray area that was a lot more common for games way back in the day. "Do we make the series about the universe or the characters?" Because they successfully built an IP that did both wonderfully, but you can really only push forward with one at a time. Do you develop the story far removed from the one that defines the entire IP? Or do we develop the characters with a new story branching off of the one we just finished. They tried the first route with Andromeda, but failed miserably. In part due to a terrible final product built with a less than equipped team on an engine not built for what they wanted. So it was never going to be looked at fondly, but removing anything people could relate too or feel nostalgic for put the last nail in the coffin. Frankly, I think they'd be better off doing another Shepard story again, reuniting with characters we've missed for over a decade at this point. Shepard isn't just this nebulous character to act as a Stand in for the player, he's like Revan from KoToR. He shouldn't be ignored and left to die.
I think it will be almost impossible for BioWare to hit the same gold they struck with Shepard, and it’ll be difficult but entirely possible to bring back Shepard in a satisfying why and pick a canon ending that everyone is happy with, but honestly I don’t think most ppl myself included would really care as long as Shepard was back
ODST and Halo: Reach have their fans, and Halo 4 and 5 are, well, not as good. They should have opened up the Haloverse to other stories and characters, yet instead they diminished the brand.
Its hard to pass a torch to another character because Shep is such an icon, but we never know ... I just really hope we won't have the same thing happen to Joel from The Last of Us ...
I've had numerous discussions over the years about Shepard coming back and not surprisingly it's always been very mixed. For me, I selfishly want Shepard to return, but I also realise that I need to move on from her story. Andromeda had a very youthful and different energy to it. I warmed to the characters really quickly and though I recognise the problems with the game I still came away wanting more. For now, I'm just counting down the days till N7 day...
I’ve recently found your channel and enjoying the content so far so thanks for that. I recently went back and replayed all 3 games and something stuck with me after the ending with the star child “tell me more about the Shepard” when the older man says “ok one last story” that makes me think Shepard will return
@@lumina1104 it only clicked after I went back through the trilogy maxing out the trophies and playing it on max difficulty. Once I rewatched the star child scene I realised they had already given us a tease that Shepard was returning
When that was released, the devs were adamant that Shepard wasn't returning and that they were gone, so it'll be interesting to see how that plays out now that we have this sequel!
@@kalaelizabeth hopefully we can get another trailer on N7 day to ease the speculations, I personally would love to see Shepard return as I feel he didn’t get an ending that he deserved. Plus considering after doing the destroy ending and seeing the single breath of shepherd afterwards leaves a lot of unanswered questions. If the catalyst was telling the truth. (Which i highly doubt) then it wouldn’t have been possible for shepherd to take that final breath at the end.
I'm going to share with Bioware one of the best pieces of advice I got from my dad as a young teen... "Son, I can't give you the secret to success because I don't know it, but what I can give you is the perfect formula for failure and that's to try to please everyone. It's a fool's errand that human nature itself does not allow" I hope they do whatever it is they're going to do and do it great. Those who love it will be there for it, and those who don't, won't. It's that simple.
I'm afraid not. I enjoy watching playthroughs that are new to gaming. They are kind of shocked such a game exists. It is all because of Shepard. If you look at all the attempted reboots, why do you think they all failed?
Not only can Mass Effect let Shepard go, they HAVE to let Shepard go. If they want the series to continue, as hard as it is, it's the only way to go. I love Shepard as much as the next person and I'm conflicted because part of me thinks that after everything, Shepard deserves a happy ending; lying on a beach drinking beers with Garrus, Joker and the rest of the Normandy crew. On the other hand, Shepard is the ultimate soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice and died the ultimate soldier's death. It's kind of bittersweet, but it makes sense. I can understand people feeling a bit cheated. Personally, looking back on it, the endings keep growing on me, but then I only got into the Mass Effect series from Legendary Edition. I can't imagine what it would be like for people who played the original games. I think Mass Effect needs to be careful not to go in the direction of Star Wars. Currently the entire Star Wars franchise is just re-telling the same moments or telling stories about the same characters. It's only a matter of time until we get "The Untold Story of Baze and Chirrut", but I digress. Imagine if the Assassin's Creed franchise had stuck with Ezio as the protagonist all these years. I know he's a popular character and a favourite of many people. It just wouldn't be the same after fourteen games or whatever it is though, now. So, Mass Effect needs to move on from Shepard, take some risks, and instead of trying to cash in on nostalgia, it needs to create more moments for us to be nostalgic for, so that in another 11 years we're all saying "Wow, remember that amazing moment from ME 5?" Also, just on the Mass Effect live action TV Show, I personally would love to see the first season set during the First Contact War. I think it would make sense from a studio perspective, as it would give them a chance to test the waters and see how well the show is received. It would allow them to introduce characters like Anderson, Hackett, Saren, Jack Harper, etc. without having to rely on the Normandy crew to carry the story. Also, the lore around the First Contact War is pretty loose, so there are lots of stories they could tell. I think logically, from a studio perspective, that would make the most sense.
This exactly how I feel. You are correct, however, if the Shepard Trilogy ended properly then this comment hold true. The Issue is that mass effect ending put an emotional scar on players which I find fascinating because no video game has ever impacted me emotionally before. If you watch Jules Gill from whatsculture “moment mass effect broke forever”, it summarize how the whole mass effect community feels and why it is divided on what they want from the next game. Personally, I wanted Shepard to make the ultimate sacrifice to save the galaxy in a blazing glory, not forced 3 color ending and all of them leaving us feeling bitter. Shepard death was handled similar to Joel from TLOU 2.
The worst thing that can happen (I really hope it doesn't but unfortunately it can) is that they decide to make a TV show from ME franchise. Just no, God no, please no.
@@Stforv I hate to break it to you, but a ME TV show is almost certainly going to happen. Amazon acquired the rights in 2021. Nothing has been greenlit yet, or started pre-production, but it's only a matter of time.
@@JokeCubed A Mass Effect TV show is a good idea to sort of revive the dead franchies but it needs to be done properly and NOT use Shepard (role-play character). Like you mentioned about the first contact war, that would be a good spin-off series. But first, Bioware needs to do good with DA Dreadwolf, because there reputation and company success depends on that game so it will give momentum and faith toward the next mass effect and so forth.
For me, Shep and Mass effect are intrinsically linked. Andromeda didn't really work for me, just for the fact of being an unfinished game. I like it though, because despite its flaws, Andromeda looks good, has a nice storyline and some good gameplay. But, again, the game falls short because the storylines are cut off because unfinished. I feel that the next ME installment should again have Shep as main character because she (I play with a FemShep) IS mass effect. No matter the vastness of the ME universe and the possibilities there-in, Shep needs to come back. For that to happen and be good, ME needs some very good writing. Here's to hope...
I think shep should comeback but for only 1 game as a playable character, cause I want to see my shep in the aftermath of it all and to do a proper passing of the torch. That would be the only way I think that ME could move on from shep, one last story while grooming the new protagonist and then, if the plan is more game I guess each player could decide at the end if they prefer to send shep to retirement or if they chose to move him in the role of anderson or hackett for the following games which would give the player the choice in the how they want to ''move on'' from shep
Damm , i like that idea, admiral Shepard , Hero of the citadel, Conqueror of the collectors, Savior of the Galaxy , former captain of the Normandy SR2 . That would be badass.
Personally if I was writing ME5, I would lean into this exact problem in the narrative itself and make it a bit of a meta-commentary. Have the new crew struggle to unite a shattered galactic society using Shepard's image and legacy, and eventually discover for themselves that the best way forward is not to chase the ghosts of the past, but to let Shepard rest and blaze their own path.
@@Megatron_95 An idea of mine if have the game be about Shepard's adopted kid navigating the galaxy to get home after an incident separated them. The journey can broaden the kid to the galaxy, allowing the player to retread familiar planets, while also being a history lesson for new players.
There’s so many possibilities of a new game to lock themselves into such a narrow view by bringing back shepherd would be such a misstep. I personally don’t want them to come back because I can’t see myself playing as Shepard without Garrus. Liara and Wrex being the only two characters that could realistically return makes bringing them back tough as well. The orillia trilogy was amazing because of the relationships we made across those three games and not being able to follow up on them would be tough. The mass effect universe is massive, let us play as one of the alien races or let us choose what race to play. There’s so much they can do and i know that they have wish a mountain to get over in terms of addressing the ending of the original trilogy but I feel brining back shepherd will only make that problem worse
If they brought Shep back and had great writing and brought the series back for another 3 games it would be a win-win for everyone. It all depends on if they want to put in the work or not. Or are allowed to put in the work. It's very simple answer to any question we have. The company has a choice. They can bring Shep back and make a great game or not. I don't think it would be good to move the series on without Shep. If I was in charge I would tell the ME5 Director "tell your team to make the game great. Take all the time you need." The fans would be happy and the company makes a ton of money. I do not understand why it would be any other way.
100% Shepard coming back should be enough to get a win or a good enough win. It would be incredibly risky to gamble on not having Shep. I certainly won't pre order it if Shepard isn't in it and will wait to see for myself if I want to pick it up. I trusted in MEA and ... yeah not going to fall for that again.
it can. i know it can, but… i don’t want it to? i want a proper sendoff-closure? and a part of me doesn’t want Liara without Shepard? realistically, i know they can’t make everyone happy, and with three separate endings and only (one) having Shepard survive, well, idk. i just really, really love Shep and idk how i feel about moving on from them after not really vibing with the original endings. but great video!
All they need todo is make the destroy ending cannon with shep surviving, anyone who didn’t choose that ending can get fucked… and in the next game or this one pass the torch to a new main character.
Aw you both, don't think like that. I lost both my parents in their 50s, but both my grandmothers are still alive. You never know. You can, still, live to see a lot of things! @@quintyss1290
I'm sorry and that is genuinely depressing. On a related note, I strongly support Universal healthcare and Science/Medical Science today so that we may possibly have lifespans of ~140sh years, like the people in the Mass Effect universe.
They kinda have to choose a canon ending. Not doing so would essentially require them to make 3 separate games with how vastly different each universe would look. That would be insanely cool, but not something reasonable to expect.
I've always used the destroy option my shepard is alive, out there, somewhere. So hell yeah i want my shepard back. Also, '' You can fight like a krogan run like a leopard but you'll never be better than Commander Shepard. '' xD /watch?v=HiRDJLcYua0
I agree, the next ME game will COMPLETELY live or die based on the writing 100%. It will have to be compelling no matter what the base plot/characters are. Strong character development and connections. Half assed writing will be the downfall of ME in all ways. Personally I loved Andromeda and wanted more, but way too many people hated it for me to even think that is going to be possible. So the new ME5 is going to have to be very strong in it's story and characters to save the franchise.
I think the more important question is, SHOULD Mass Effect let Shepard go? They tried a different MC with andromeda but because of their rehashed and lazy character writing, it didn't end well for them. If another MC is introduced and they fumble the ball again, it might just end the franchise in it's entirety.
I think the whole Shepard thing. We're looking at it wrong as players. We are Shepard. Voices by the actors. We made the character, that's why we love our sheps. EA needs to back off and let Bioware do what they do best of making quality single player games
Fan base shouldn't let Shepard go we played three games as him and the vary end was probably the biggest FU to fans also players didn't hate Ryder because he wasn't Shepard he was a poorly written character and the rest of the cast besides the krogen. Many players didn't even want to leave the milkyway galaxy
I believe in Mary DeMarle, but I don't believe in EA. That said, yes to another trilogy, and I'll re-state what I've always wanted to see for the next ME Universe. Shepherd lived and decided to teach at the N7 academy, then was asked to replace the retired Hackett as Admiral when trouble began to escalate in the Galaxy. Top of your class in the academy, Shepherd recommends you be the one to handle things. Those fans who chose to kill Shepherd would be left with his or her memorial as closure... or Liara's VI log, leaving an aged Admiral Hackett to carry on with advisory direction.
I think the fans of Mass Effect and especially Shepard, are just like any other fans of their favorite characters, we all want to see the perfect fantasy of our heroes persevering through all the challenges that comes to them and by the end of everything, finally achieving their peace and relaxing away from everything afterwards. That's the real fantasy, and sadly not many of our favorite characters in any media we consume gets that treatment. But Shepard needs to have that rare treatment now, where they are found, rescued or however we come across them, and finally gets to relax and be finished. Gets to relax with their friends and love interest, is awarded for all they've done, and chill in their residence of choice until they are old. Because Shepard is an easy character to roleplay, many players now envision themselves as Shepard, and would be insulted if after everything they've been through, they don't get a proper reward. At the same time we know the Mass Effect series needs to move on from Shepard if the makers want to to see continued success. We need to have a story where it's possible to be a new hero to play as that also gets the blessing of Shepard to carry the torch as the new face of the series. That's the key in whatever story Bioware makes in order to proceed.
I am pretty sure if Shepard is not coming back BioWare will close that story line. I am not fixed on Shepard and I think that Ryder was not the problem of Andromeda but rather the lackluster enemy.
Bingo! They failed by not having faith in the project and not releasing the planned DLC to introduce characters and events. Yes, some can't seem to live without Shepard, but the rest of us wanted more from the Mass Effect universe, not a singular character. They should have realized that building an audience takes time (since we all know how anxious execs get when ridiculous profit margins aren't instantaneous).
I sort of hope they do something similar to Dragon Age Origins, specifically to allow players to choose a different species as the PC. I was profoundly disappointed that the "Go to a whole new galaxy" game forced you to be just another human, particularly because the role of pathfinder was entirely new and not specific to humanity (Unlike the N7 ranking, which is intrinsically tied to the Systems Alliance.) For myself, ME:A had very little to offer in regard to interactions between the cultures, both those previously established and those new to the game. Like, outside helping the Angara (which in itself didn't really change much about the faction), nothing Ryder accomplished seemed to result in interesting consequences. Like, imagine if the game had allowed you to play a krogan instead, or a Salarian, or a Batarian, ect. One of the chief conflicts was dealing with disillusioned or dissident members of Council races who sought to change who they were and get a new start, but ME:A pushes hard for the status quo of 600 years prior. As for Shepard, they can be exchanged for any protagonist. While masterfully crafted, the person of Shepard was a means to understand the setting around them, to experience different cultures, the conflicts and politics of a new world, and to capitalize or fail based on the understanding obtained through exploring. For a sequel to work, at least for me, the protagonist has to be someone with effective agency within the story. I understand the desire not to make the ME series into Dragon Age, but a single game set in the aftermath of the Reaper War, where you're just trying to put the pieces back together would be fascinating, and could be used as a springboard to make a new trilogy. ME:A wanted to do that, it felt, but was so focused on "hey, there's more to come" that it never actually tied off any of the story threads it made. (A bit more than a bit of a rant, I apologize. Have a wonderful day!)
@@BigFlOz Were I in charge, my first new Mass Effect series would be a "prequel", before humanity found the Mass Effect Relays. The Rachni Wars then the Krogan Wars. Off the top of the dome, I'd think that means you could be a Salarian or Krogan for the first game, then in the second game a Salarian or Turian. Maybe also Krogan, if you can be on the losing side? That would require a lot more work, it'd be like 2 games in 1... but that'd be awesome. The potential to import your Salarian from TRW game, so you fight against the Rachni then against the Krogan; to import your Krogan so you fight against the Rachni then against the Salarians and Turians; or create a new character, a Turian. I think all those options might be optimal, but realistically, locking you into one choice would allow much more freedom *within the game* for a unique story, I'd think, since you could spend so much development time on different branching paths within one specific main story, as opposed to having 2 different - in the case of TKW, two *vastly* different - main stories. Maybe you have to be a Krogan in TRW, then have to be a Turian for TKW?
I think they set up Ryder really well. Ryder's character development is a very similar trial by fire evolution as Shepard in Mass Effect 1. In my mind Shepard is gone (or not gone), the story is told. Andromeda is a testament to the reluctance of BioWare to deal with a post-ME3 Milky-Way Galaxy. They gave players ownership of the game story. It's debatable if leaving that much of an IP's canon up to 'player choice' was a healthy idea or not. But, I'm glad that they did, there are few franchises similar to ME.
Great vid, Kala. Personally, I'd like to see Shepard return for one more story. However, if they do decide to move on with a new protagonist I'll eventually be okay with that too. I'll just need a little time to mourn before the next game releases. I do believe with BioWare needing a huge win, it will be Shepard.
I enjoy your passion for the subject matter. You bring up a lot of great points. Personally, I want Shepard back. Shepard, however, is more than just a "player character" - Shepard is no one without a team of amazing sidekicks like Garrus, Grunt, Wrex - so an and so forth. BioWare should NEVER have left the rich lore of the Milky Way behind, and they should not have left the fanbase with ME3's ending(s). In order to move forwards BioWare needs a solid win - and Shepard and team could be that win. There are so many more places I want to see with Shepard, so many quests, and so much to explore. BioWare needs to get back that bottled lightning - the blueprint for this is in the first two Mass Effect games.
Too early to be worrying about this. If Dragon Age 4 fails, another Mass Effect might not happen at all. BioWare is on thin ice from being axed by EA altogether IMO. As for this subject, the fandom is responsible for not allowing the series to move beyond Shepard. We had three entire games and DLC"s to develop relationships with the cast and crews. Which is why I believe it unfair to compare Ryder to Shepard. Ryder and Andromeda never got even ONE DLC, let alone multiple games to form attachments. And there was plenty to explore there with Mom being in cryo, plenty of galaxy left to explore and settle, an entire empire of enemies out there somewhere, the eventual arrival of the Quarian ark.
It’s not moving beyond Shepard that concerns me, it’s moving beyond reapers. How do you create a compelling enemy that isn’t jumping the shark or just more of the same.
Two possible routes to have Sheppard while allowing to pass a torch. A Cyberpunk style engram like Silverhand. Or a Batman Beyond old timer Sheppard guiding a new character.
too say it simple you are right, most don`t have a feeling of closure. most played troo get the best ending but the best is no best it just ends in a bad way. the best ending for mass effect 3 would have been the citadel dlc. i play it at last before the attack on the cerberus base and then is have closure till the next game, i just can`t play that bad ending anymore.
they have hundreds of years to play with, they could even go back 150k like 3 reaper invasions back, to play a losing defense against the reapers, usinf an unknown race
With things in the world so awful why not be able to escape to the comfort of the wonderful Shepard and team and have more amazing stories together.......... I certainly had the best time of my life in ME legendary, lots of action, love and laughter. These are brilliant characters I really think have more stories to tell. Not forgetting Aria of course 😊 I did enjoy Andromeda too but nothing like Shepard and co.....
It seems to me that no matter what the new main character is, he will always be in Shepard's shadow. The Normandy crew has become an iconic symbol of Mass Effect. If Bioware tries to create a new protagonist with a new team, they will suffer the same fate as Andromeda. The Mass Effect franchise is stuck with this problem and I have no idea how to solve it. Unfortunately, the end of the trilogy does not provide a sense of completion, but only raises new questions. To start a new story without risking repeating the fate of Andromeda, they need to finish the story of the trilogy with dignity and clarity.
We are well past the days when these decisions are made by creators/artists. As you say sadly these are now strictly financial decisions and I’m sure the Perfect Destroy ending will be canonized (even though it’s clear Synth was the writers preferred ending) and Shepard will return. BioWare is in such a bad state they can’t make another mistake.
I rememember that people got upset when they found that John Marston it was not going to be the playable character in Rdr 2. At the end, Arthur Morgand ended up beign not only a better protagonist also one of the best that a videogame can offer. People loved him more than Marston. I think that Mass effect community need to be less conservative, open their minds and embrace new characters.
As i see it that uber shep fans never let shepard go thous uber fans must get it trough their skulls that shepard died a hero and its time to move on sure i liked my own shep just like any mass effect enjoyer but i learend to move on.
@@benjamintennyson4638 I didnt state it as absolute but pointed out obvious, time to let go if shep since future games always will live in shepards shadow like up coming mass effect 5, 6, 7 and etc.
@@benjamintennyson4638 Depends who you ask as i see it new protaconist is needed and mass effect 4s (andromeda) didnt work Bringig shep back is derrible idea any way since time line cant move on and if time line gets moved on it leaves shep ded witch uber sheps fans dont like so yeagh bioware has 2 choices damned move on or dmned if dont move on plus old guard is cone so bioware is stuck for me i am not hyped either way best way to avoid disapoint ment.
I fully expect them to bring Shepard back. But I'm in the "no more Shepard" camp, personally. I'd like Shep to be retired or dead. But you're right about having Liara: there's no Liara without Shepard.
I think Bioware created the "problem" of our attachment to Shepard so it's their job to fix it if they want to continue with Mass Effect. Andromeda was a failed attempt - pretty obvious since they abandoned it and no DLC. They should have never made it a trilogy with an ending like that - they should have made it open-ended like Drago Age. They didn't, so now they're stuck with a large audience wanting more Shepard. They should probably deliver. We'll give them money if they do. The fanbase is not obligated to do anything, it's Bioware's job to figure this one out.
I believe franchises have to let their respective main characters go at some point . I think of how the council said “ specters are the right hand of the council “ Yet we’ve only seen 2. Saren and Shepard . I think it would be amazing to use another main character from a different species in another solar sustem . There’s so much that can be done with this universe .
To me, the most important question for the sequel is if BW will go back to the trilogy structure. Yes, Shepard was a good protagonist, but it’s also the only RPG protagonist to come back for 3 games, other than Geralt of Rivia, who wasn’t a player-created character. Give us the time to get attached to Shepard’s successor and Mass Effect will be fine.
While Shepard is iconic to Mass Effect, Mass Effect doesn't need Shepard. I think the best way to move away from Shepard without as much comparison is to open up character creation choice to alien species, this would help mitigate the comparison. People will always compare the two. Ryder I believe suffered from this greatly. Andromeda aside, how many people compare Shepard and Ryder? How many times did they compare the 2? If Ryder was an alien, would people have made as many comparisons? People still would've compared but it quickly would feel like a new character. Asari have commandos, lets play a commando and see unique armor of theirs like the iconic N7. Or Salarians, they have the STG. There will always be similarities but this would make it, its own. I don't believe they'll do this, because Shepard will without a doubt bring in more money. However, I do believe it would be the best way to get out Shepard's shadow or to have an indestructible Shepard.
I probably compared the two but I really enjoyed playing Ryder because you could play more a youngish comedian role. Ryder was much younger than Shepard and no one had any preconceived expectations while Shepard started out with a reputation.
I've mentioned this on other ME channels. Bring Shepard back in Hackett's role. The Krogan and Quarians get a seat on the counsel ( Wrex & Tali ). Liara is still the Shadow Broker. Ashley / Kaiden in Anderson's role. Garrus on the counsel or the Primarch...work the original characters into the story but have a new Protagonist. If they are going to make it a trilogy you could slowly reduce the roles of the original characters while we build up and get attached to the new characters. The only thing we need from Andromeda is the combat system ( maybe the Nomad if they do right ). They are going to have to realize that they are going to piss off the fanbase no matter how they deal with the ME3 ending.
I don't think Wrex would become Councillor. He'd positively hate it. Also, he's sorely needed on Tuchanka to keep the krogan in line, especially when the reaper threat is gone and everyone is licking their wounds.
honestly, I feel like at some point bioware needs to retire shepard permanently jennifer hale is 51 and mark meer is 52 they are not young and I think mass effect ones especially those who are attached to shepard would rather bioware move on from shepard then see new voice actors for shepard. Ryder was not bad the writing for them were not that good I think if the writing is good for a new main character will be on board
Even if the majority would chose human in character creators with vsrious races, I would love mass effect adopt chosing a new race for the single player, but I don't think the bioware that is now can achieve that
No Shepard was a big factor in my dislike for Andromeda. Shepard wasn’t Shepard… Shepard was ME as in I (shaped through background selection in ME1 as well as my choices throughout the series). As much as I wanted to make Ryder ME, Ryder was always Ryder; Ryder already had a background and any choices were rather mellow as you couldn’t really express anger or any other shocking emotions. I mean, come on… Ryders sibling was in a bad medical way and their father just died horribly. And all we get is the emotional equivalent of “oh well, I hope I’m good enough, I don’t really have confidence in myself”. If not Shepard, I’d want the broad array of emotions available in the choice dialogue and a player character that I could mold from clay (so to speak) so it felt like I was playing as myself and not just a cookie cutter Ryder type of player character.
Might be a hot take but the next game should have Shephard. The next game must give closure to the crew, commander, and his romantic interest. This is only possible if Shephard survives. Basically the game would be a transition from the past me to the new ones. Setting the galaxy's conditions and how people are affected by the choices of Shephard. After that, they can make a completely different story with mentions of the commander's legacy and the occasional appearance of og crew mate that can live hundreds of years
if he comes back then it negates his sacrifice he gave for the galaxy, move on from him. the game will be amazing and i do think that it would be awesome for all my choices being a baseline for the new game but lets leave Shephard sacrifice stand as a testament to humanity. don't water that down.
i never finished andromeda I think, or the ending was so meeeh I forgot about it....I remember i did several character saves, I did the weird worlds with the towers and the car, building bases and such, but I do not remember if I finished it.....yes, ME need Shepard and my Shepard breathed in the end of ME3
I mean... what does "a carbon copy" mean? Isn't Shepard whomever the player made him/her? Shouldn't any new Mass Effect RPG be, like... an RPG? And let you craft the main character into whomever you want him/her to be?
@SchulzEricT Shepard was a natural leader, confident and pretty much perfect in every regard. Andromeda would be a good example of what the next protagonist should be like Ryder was just a person thrown into a situation they weren't ready for and would have failed/died a dozen times without SAM. Mind you Ryder had the personality of a cardboard box but otherwise was a good protagonist.
I'd be totally willing to let go off shepard if the "conclusion" of his/her story arc wasn't so god awful and poorly written. I played ME since 2010, the wound has not fully healed yet. I don't need to play as him, maybe a soft reboot, but my choices should be adressed, just as there should be closure and Sheps decisions should be felt. Also it wouldn't sit right with my to hang with Liara, Grunt Wrex or whatever and Shep doesn't play a role at all.
my biggest fear is EA putting financial gains above everything ME represents for its fans one more time. bioware needs to bounce back but relying into fans' nostalgia towards Shepard for a quick buck is going to hurt them in the long run. Its hard to predict which path bioware will take from here... they need a good game to keep going but the last games do not inspire any trust. Seeing Liara at the trailer released a few years ago made me happy but it also concerned me that they will try to bring Shepard back no matter what. From my perspective it would be the best if they move on from Shep, Me has a rich universe waiting to be explored can't revolve around Shepard and the normandy crew. ofc if they want to bring some memories of the normandy crew and everything they did it would be awesome if integrated correctly into the new story. (sorry about my confused rant. ME is my favorite game and the last news from bioware... well I'm frustrated at everything that has been going on bioware lately)
I think that most people want to see what happened with Shepard, not necessarily play as him/her. I belive that Mass Effect should let him/her go, maybe even make us play as non human character, to make it harder to compare him to Shepard.
You can't label the game "Mass Effect" and expect people not to compare to original) Andromeda would be recepted better if it was just "Andromeda" and not "Mass Effect Andromeda".
The problem is like or not Shepherd is the main character of Mass Effect, trying to replace them is like trying to replace Lara Croft or Nathan Drake. So if the next game is going to be a success they need to bring them back and to do that they also need to canonise one of the endings to 3 if they ever want to move beyond the trilogy. Personal I would go with the “destroy” ending as the other two don’t leave much room for future conflicts, not to mention that is the only ending in which Shepherd could survive.
I would rather them not make another ME game than decanonize all the endings except one, but Bioware has got around very determinant endings before, though that was more of the DA crew than the ME one
@@channel45853 I suppose they could write around the other two endings and still have tension in the story, the main problem is that the Reapers undermine any new potential threat and if they try to introduce a bigger threat then you get the issue of power creep. In short they need to write the Reapers out of the story.
Shepard is not the same as Lara Croft and Nathan Drake. For the most part, those series don't have in depth worldbuilding or lore. They are set in a version of the real world (with some supernatural elements), but the core of the story is about the main characters, not the world. The idea of a Tomb Raider or Uncharted game with brand new characters doesn't really make sense, the closest thing that makes sense is something like Lost Legacy that promotes an existing side character to the leading role. A Tomb Raider or Uncharted game with entirely new characters may as well be a completely different series, there is no connection to the series without the characters. Mass Effect, on the other hand, is an incredibly well-developed world with deep lore and worldbuilding. Any number of stories can be told with that world featuring any kinds of characters and it would still be easily identified as Mass Effect. The alien races, the technology, and the locations are all iconic elements of Mass Effect. Mass Effect is more than just Shepard.
@@Il_Exile_lI doesn’t change the fact they’re the main character and when people think of mass effect they think of shepherd, they’re too iconic to the franchise to continue without them.
@@Andrew-Bastin The point is that it doesn't have to be that way. There are so many elements of Mass Effect that recognizable and iconic besides Shepard. A good game with new characters would have no trouble being accepted and loved by fans. Just because people mainly associate Mass Effect with Shepard now doesn't mean that can't change. Also, I don't think it is a universal truth even now that the majority of people only associate Mass Effect with Shepard. Plenty of fans just love the Mass Effect world.
It is hard to think of a sequel without Shepard. We haven't had a worthy ending, for the trilogy, and I think BW will bring Shepard back. I don't think just for money, but just to give a continuation to the ending that unfortunately we didn't have. I may be selfish, but it is hard to imagine another Mass Effect without Shepard. I am also very conflicted, because it is right to let Shepard go, but in the meantime I would like her back. Maybe I'm not ready to let her go and I'm doing it wrong, I don't know. I just hope they do a good job and don't ruin a masterpiece. Ps: will the TV series actually be produced? I hope not.
Even though I love Shepard too, I think his story is over and it's time to let him go. To me, the ME has always been so much more than just Shepard. A whole universe, with its own orders, patterns and races. I think there's room for a new protagonist here. Yes, it's barely possible for him to become as iconic as Shepard (just like Ryder didn't), but personally that's not a big problem for me. In this case, the universe overrides the character for me. But if we reason from a purely economic point of view, Shepard's return is likely to be a bigger success, here I completely agree. It's probably possible to find a compromise in this situation and please everyone, but honestly I have no idea how.
I love Sheppard, but they need to let him go, I don't want another game with Sheppard but I want a good mass effect game with a Sheppard like quality character
Didn't the Normandy sr1 crash on a snowy planet, I'm aware that you have to wear a helmet on the recovery mission. I'm still convinced that maybe it's liara recovering it in me2 ?
I think that we want Shepard back because, with Ryder and a lot of other characters in metamodern media as the evidence, we lack trust that they can make a new character fit for purpose. If they can provide a sensible, adult character I think you won't see anyone who loves Shepard complaining. They have to choose their audience with this main character.
I really like your presentations and your delivery. There is a lot to unpack. Shepard is such a great character surrounded by amazing allies that became friends and family. The relationships felt deep and meaningful, there was loyalty long before loyalty missions were a gameplay mechanic. Nobody wants to see them die, but sometimes sacrifices can have meaning. Retcons and resurrections can suck if done poorly. It's true that Andromeda was a spin-off rather than a sequel but the criticisms were valid. Yes it was a cluster and not a galaxy but it felt so bland with so few new elements. The gameplay, aside from some facial animations, looked terrific. But it was a bland and repetitive area to explore. Filled with bland characters and repetitive gameplay. It was rushed and felt without passion. There is also a difference in having a long production cycle when you have a small team laying a solid foundation before the programming begins vs a large team that are constantly fighting fires and fixing what they have built. A well-written character could take the lead, but I also think that they should be Shepard's legacy. Not needing to be a descendent of Shepard but a spiritual and metaphoric successor. I know I put this on another discussion, I would almost like fore Shepard to have an advisory role. A VI or AI created by Liara that has to be constructed piece by piece to parallel the restructuring of the galactic network.
Thank you James! I see you would like Shepard in an advisory role, would you still want that if Shepard isn't controllable? Would you make you feel less connected to them (it would to me which is why I ask)
I feel like they could have made andromeda work in a sequel and too be honest i was kind of of bummed they didn't. MEA wasn't HORRIBLE, but it also wasn't great. I more or less enjoyed my run-through with it feeling grindy at times. that being said i could never bring myself to play it again. I evenn tried to do a second run through. It also was silly to not play a shepherd replacement, or his kid in the a new Mass effect, ESPICALLY with how they ended ME3. If ME3 a developed ending MEA would have probably be more digestible.
I almost guarantee it won't be a great game anyway. They just don't make games like that anymore nowadays. Certainly not without Drew Karpyshyn writing, and he doesn't seem to be working with Bioware.
I think bringing back Shepard would be a mistake. They put an end a threat that had lasted billions of years and that had genocided countless species. Where do you go after that? How do create any new stakes with such a character? It would only cheapen their legacy. As for MEA, for all it's intrinsic problems, it was also totally hamstrung by it's callbacks to Shepard and the OG trilogy. Whether it's N7 armour, an ersatz Citadel being the hub, or previously resolved plots being regurgitated (ie: Genophage), it prevented the game from truly carving it's own furrow, even if all the other issues hadn't been present. The ME universe is rich and vibrant enough to tell so many other stories. Developing sci-fi settings is hard and time consuming. ME's is the only one that truly rivals Star Wars or Star Trek. Making the franchise all about Shepard narrows the scope in the same way the Star Wars sequel trilogy did, and ignores the lesson of TNG or DS9. Though as foe any TV series, I will have to disagree. It *should* definitely be a retelling of the OG story. The audience necessary to justify the show would not be majority gamers. That proven story could find a new audience. And as it would be an adaptation, it doesn't matter if it sticks to all the beats and makes definitive choices.
Another thing that I think is worth pointing out, that I haven't heard anyone say, is that Shepard's story has kind of come to its natural conclusion. It has reached its climax. Where can Shepard go from here? If the next game had us playing as Shepard, it would feel a bit weird, coming off ME 3 where Shepard kills 3 Reapers and literally saves the entire fucking galaxy. What are they supposed to do next? Go back to killing Cerberus grunts and rogue Geth?
I'd be fine with a "form" of Shepard returning - maybe some kind of clone with genetic memory, or an AI in a synthetic body. They should set the story hundreds of years after ME3 and hand-wave away the idea of canon endings through exposition by Liara ("the catalyst effects were only temporary, things eventually returned to how they were before"). The writers would probably also have to add all new squadmates (or some other nonsense like Garrus was conveniently in cryo stasis), but could still refer to the original characters. Of course, any of these possibilities would piss off some subsection of fans, and let's be honest - that's going to happen no matter what narrative paths the developers take, because virtually any details will deviate from some people's choices made in the trilogy. But as long as the new game has the general vibe of the originals (not you, Andromeda), I'll be happy...
I don't think Shepard could be brought back in a way that makes sense. Even in the "secret" perfect ending, where Shepard seemingly lives, considering the state they were in, they'd probably be out for the count for a significant amount of time. And lack of epilogue notwithstanding. Shepards story is concluded, dead or alive. After all they've been through, Shepard is probably done with playing hero. Additionally, from the teaser showing the new mass relay under construction, I've been under the impression that a significant amount of time has passed since ME3. Enough for the galaxy to not only rebuild after the war, but also to advance technologically by quite a margin. Keep in mind that during the timeline of the trilogy, the milky way races had barely any idea about how the relays really function, let alone how to build one from scratch. Yes, the protheans had come close, but they were significantly more advanced back then by the time the Reapers invaded. Also, barely anything remained from them, most of it was barely functioning after 50 millennia of abandonnment. So even if Shepard survived the activation of the crucible, and the injuries sustained leading up to that, they'd most likely be dead by now, or at least very old. On the same note, for most of the OT characters and companions the same would be true, except the Asari and Krogan (and even Wrex is basically ancient, even for a Krogan, by the events of Mass Effect. Remember that he lived through the end of the krogan rebellions, which makes him easily as old as Drack, even if he is seemingly in better health than our grumpy krogan grandpa).
I think the best way for the ME trilogy to move away from Shepard is for the next game to give sort of closure/send-off. There’s a lot of ways to do this. Have a bit of environmental storytelling along with familiar characters like Liara to tell us what happened. We just want to know what happened to Shepard and the Normandy crew. whether Shepard return or not or the game takes place decades or century after me3. They still need to address the fans regarding the fate of these beloved characters while transitioning into a brand new game with new characters and new adventure.
i'm wondering if it's possible to somehow incorporate 2 protagonists. that can definitely be difficult, i know, but when i try to reconcile the original trilogy and andromeda, i feel like that best way is to incorporate a little bit of both. what if you played as ryder in some chapters, and either shepard or a new protagonist in others? i'm not sure how it would work without fundamentally changing the mechanics of the game, though. i'm also someone who liked andromeda, so i might tolerate more. but if the dark energy, for example, becomes the next threat, it would be interesting to have both galaxies working on it. i could also be 100% wrong lol. i'm cautiously optimistic regardless :)
I trust Bioware and whatever they choose to do with Shepard. Above all else though, Shepard must be mentioned many a time, he/she is the single greatest hero the galaxy has ever seen, thats not someone who just gets forgotten.
I'm a Shepard fan 100%and if Shepard isn't in the next game I won't purchase it I'm 64 years old and a gamer and Mass effect is one of my all time favs and that is because of Shepard
The Mass Effect lore is vast and great foundation for a lot of games set in this universe.
While I can agree that the series can move on without Shepard, I still feel like there needs to be one more game for the character at least, akin to something like how Uncharted 4 ended Nate's story after the third game was supposed to be the last.
"One more story" for Shepard, a last simple adventure before the character retires off someplace with their love interest.
I think Bioware & Mass Effect can let Shepard go as we saw that with Andromeda... But I think the fanbase needs to let Shepard go... We shouldn't forget Shepard, but we should move on towards the future with someone new for the sake of the franchise and to not possibly/eventually ruin or oversaturate Shepards character, like we've seen happen with numerous franchises that couldn't move on from their protagonist when their story naturally concluded in the narrative.
Whatever! >.>
Like the way the Star Wars franchise is at the moment, every single f***ing character gets their own show, and the whole franchise is stagnating because of it. There's no new ground being broken.
I don't recall hearing people say Shepard should be in Andromeda. More so a game with a good idea, but poorly executed.
Halo destroyed itself by giving in to it’s obsession with Master Chief. He’s my favorite video game character, but either his story should’ve ended with 3, or he should’ve been relegated to a legendary side character once he was found again
What if the last thing liara did in mass 3 was create a kid with say your femshep so mass 5 begins with asari Shepard the daughter of liara and Shepard?
I certainly hope so. If ME wants to become a franchise beyond the trilogy, it has to move on.
^ This. Thank you.
Shepherd is to masseffect
What masterchief is to halo
@@WGasmssAnd look where Halo went with that.
Shepard never got a proper send off that's why the 4 failed
I want my Shepard to have a nice happy ending without using mods, so one more adventure would be perfect for me
You are 100% right Kala, Shepard coming back would be the easiest way to have a successful launch. I feel if they are going to do a new protag, they HAVE to give closure to Shepard and their team. Low key I hope Shep and the OG team come back but I know its also a long stretch to hope for but this is coming from a Perfect Destroy Ender. I genuinely enjoyed Andromeda but it made me miss my Shep and Garrus so much. So I really really hope they give us some closure or bring Shep back, I'm not ready to let Shep go as petty as it may be. 😔
Ditto!
I think how is the wrong question and should is better when it comes to ME as a series even playing the first two games for the first time I have to say the series is a bit weak compared to the hype it gets and the only options they have is bring back the og cast and people jump at it but get sick of it or create a new cast and the people don't jump at it and it flops
Shepard never got the proper send off or passing the touch
I think Shepard need to return for 3 games and then move on. 1 To prove they can make good game and show they can write. 2 to build up the 3 game and lore. 3 To give respectful ending to Shepard story. I fully expecting shit.
Mass Effect without Shepard is like Halo without Master Chief. Any of the games that didn't have neither respective heroes failed. Shepard needs to be cloneable. Liara's last meld in Mass Effect 3 at the forward tactical base was different than previous melds. Maybe Liara backed Shepard up in her mind. Or maybe Javik did in the shard. Or both. This way clone Shepard won't be like the angry counterfeit Shepard from the Shore Leave mission. He/she will have the backed up memories.
Shepard, and Mass Effect as a whole sit in this weird gray area that was a lot more common for games way back in the day. "Do we make the series about the universe or the characters?" Because they successfully built an IP that did both wonderfully, but you can really only push forward with one at a time. Do you develop the story far removed from the one that defines the entire IP? Or do we develop the characters with a new story branching off of the one we just finished.
They tried the first route with Andromeda, but failed miserably. In part due to a terrible final product built with a less than equipped team on an engine not built for what they wanted. So it was never going to be looked at fondly, but removing anything people could relate too or feel nostalgic for put the last nail in the coffin.
Frankly, I think they'd be better off doing another Shepard story again, reuniting with characters we've missed for over a decade at this point. Shepard isn't just this nebulous character to act as a Stand in for the player, he's like Revan from KoToR. He shouldn't be ignored and left to die.
I think it will be almost impossible for BioWare to hit the same gold they struck with Shepard, and it’ll be difficult but entirely possible to bring back Shepard in a satisfying why and pick a canon ending that everyone is happy with, but honestly I don’t think most ppl myself included would really care as long as Shepard was back
Bioware made the mistake of making N7 too synonymous with Shepard. Any N7 person or character, that is a VERY tough act to follow.
I completely agree, and it'll be interesting to see how they handle this issue moving forward.
This is the same issue Halo has with Master Chief.
This isn't entirely true. We had ODST and Reach, neither of which featured John 117 and were still very well regarded by the fanbase.
ODST and Halo: Reach have their fans, and Halo 4 and 5 are, well, not as good. They should have opened up the Haloverse to other stories and characters, yet instead they diminished the brand.
Its hard to pass a torch to another character because Shep is such an icon, but we never know ... I just really hope we won't have the same thing happen to Joel from The Last of Us ...
I've had numerous discussions over the years about Shepard coming back and not surprisingly it's always been very mixed. For me, I selfishly want Shepard to return, but I also realise that I need to move on from her story.
Andromeda had a very youthful and different energy to it. I warmed to the characters really quickly and though I recognise the problems with the game I still came away wanting more.
For now, I'm just counting down the days till N7 day...
I’ve recently found your channel and enjoying the content so far so thanks for that.
I recently went back and replayed all 3 games and something stuck with me after the ending with the star child “tell me more about the Shepard” when the older man says “ok one last story” that makes me think Shepard will return
I didn't realize you had commented on this already. I had the same thought.
@@lumina1104 it only clicked after I went back through the trilogy maxing out the trophies and playing it on max difficulty. Once I rewatched the star child scene I realised they had already given us a tease that Shepard was returning
When that was released, the devs were adamant that Shepard wasn't returning and that they were gone, so it'll be interesting to see how that plays out now that we have this sequel!
@@kalaelizabeth hopefully we can get another trailer on N7 day to ease the speculations, I personally would love to see Shepard return as I feel he didn’t get an ending that he deserved. Plus considering after doing the destroy ending and seeing the single breath of shepherd afterwards leaves a lot of unanswered questions. If the catalyst was telling the truth. (Which i highly doubt) then it wouldn’t have been possible for shepherd to take that final breath at the end.
I'm going to share with Bioware one of the best pieces of advice I got from my dad as a young teen...
"Son, I can't give you the secret to success because I don't know it, but what I can give you is the perfect formula for failure and that's to try to please everyone. It's a fool's errand that human nature itself does not allow"
I hope they do whatever it is they're going to do and do it great. Those who love it will be there for it, and those who don't, won't. It's that simple.
I would give anything and everything to get Shepard back. I have GOT to see him be with Tali.
I'm afraid not. I enjoy watching playthroughs that are new to gaming. They are kind of shocked such a game exists. It is all because of Shepard. If you look at all the attempted reboots, why do you think they all failed?
Andromeda proved that without Shepard it's just not mass effect.
Not only can Mass Effect let Shepard go, they HAVE to let Shepard go. If they want the series to continue, as hard as it is, it's the only way to go. I love Shepard as much as the next person and I'm conflicted because part of me thinks that after everything, Shepard deserves a happy ending; lying on a beach drinking beers with Garrus, Joker and the rest of the Normandy crew. On the other hand, Shepard is the ultimate soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice and died the ultimate soldier's death. It's kind of bittersweet, but it makes sense. I can understand people feeling a bit cheated. Personally, looking back on it, the endings keep growing on me, but then I only got into the Mass Effect series from Legendary Edition. I can't imagine what it would be like for people who played the original games.
I think Mass Effect needs to be careful not to go in the direction of Star Wars. Currently the entire Star Wars franchise is just re-telling the same moments or telling stories about the same characters. It's only a matter of time until we get "The Untold Story of Baze and Chirrut", but I digress. Imagine if the Assassin's Creed franchise had stuck with Ezio as the protagonist all these years. I know he's a popular character and a favourite of many people. It just wouldn't be the same after fourteen games or whatever it is though, now.
So, Mass Effect needs to move on from Shepard, take some risks, and instead of trying to cash in on nostalgia, it needs to create more moments for us to be nostalgic for, so that in another 11 years we're all saying "Wow, remember that amazing moment from ME 5?"
Also, just on the Mass Effect live action TV Show, I personally would love to see the first season set during the First Contact War. I think it would make sense from a studio perspective, as it would give them a chance to test the waters and see how well the show is received. It would allow them to introduce characters like Anderson, Hackett, Saren, Jack Harper, etc. without having to rely on the Normandy crew to carry the story. Also, the lore around the First Contact War is pretty loose, so there are lots of stories they could tell. I think logically, from a studio perspective, that would make the most sense.
This exactly how I feel. You are correct, however, if the Shepard Trilogy ended properly then this comment hold true. The Issue is that mass effect ending put an emotional scar on players which I find fascinating because no video game has ever impacted me emotionally before. If you watch Jules Gill from whatsculture “moment mass effect broke forever”, it summarize how the whole mass effect community feels and why it is divided on what they want from the next game. Personally, I wanted Shepard to make the ultimate sacrifice to save the galaxy in a blazing glory, not forced 3 color ending and all of them leaving us feeling bitter. Shepard death was handled similar to Joel from TLOU 2.
The worst thing that can happen (I really hope it doesn't but unfortunately it can) is that they decide to make a TV show from ME franchise. Just no, God no, please no.
@@Stforv I hate to break it to you, but a ME TV show is almost certainly going to happen. Amazon acquired the rights in 2021. Nothing has been greenlit yet, or started pre-production, but it's only a matter of time.
@@JokeCubed A Mass Effect TV show is a good idea to sort of revive the dead franchies but it needs to be done properly and NOT use Shepard (role-play character). Like you mentioned about the first contact war, that would be a good spin-off series. But first, Bioware needs to do good with DA Dreadwolf, because there reputation and company success depends on that game so it will give momentum and faith toward the next mass effect and so forth.
For me, Shep and Mass effect are intrinsically linked. Andromeda didn't really work for me, just for the fact of being an unfinished game. I like it though, because despite its flaws, Andromeda looks good, has a nice storyline and some good gameplay. But, again, the game falls short because the storylines are cut off because unfinished. I feel that the next ME installment should again have Shep as main character because she (I play with a FemShep) IS mass effect. No matter the vastness of the ME universe and the possibilities there-in, Shep needs to come back. For that to happen and be good, ME needs some very good writing. Here's to hope...
I think Shepard needs to come back in some form. Taking Anderson's role as a mentor would be perfect.
I think shep should comeback but for only 1 game as a playable character, cause I want to see my shep in the aftermath of it all and to do a proper passing of the torch. That would be the only way I think that ME could move on from shep, one last story while grooming the new protagonist and then, if the plan is more game I guess each player could decide at the end if they prefer to send shep to retirement or if they chose to move him in the role of anderson or hackett for the following games which would give the player the choice in the how they want to ''move on'' from shep
Damm , i like that idea, admiral Shepard , Hero of the citadel, Conqueror of the collectors, Savior of the Galaxy , former captain of the Normandy SR2 . That would be badass.
Personally if I was writing ME5, I would lean into this exact problem in the narrative itself and make it a bit of a meta-commentary. Have the new crew struggle to unite a shattered galactic society using Shepard's image and legacy, and eventually discover for themselves that the best way forward is not to chase the ghosts of the past, but to let Shepard rest and blaze their own path.
Heck, I'll tolerate the story having the main character being Shepard's kid
@@Megatron_95 An idea of mine if have the game be about Shepard's adopted kid navigating the galaxy to get home after an incident separated them. The journey can broaden the kid to the galaxy, allowing the player to retread familiar planets, while also being a history lesson for new players.
There’s so many possibilities of a new game to lock themselves into such a narrow view by bringing back shepherd would be such a misstep. I personally don’t want them to come back because I can’t see myself playing as Shepard without Garrus. Liara and Wrex being the only two characters that could realistically return makes bringing them back tough as well. The orillia trilogy was amazing because of the relationships we made across those three games and not being able to follow up on them would be tough. The mass effect universe is massive, let us play as one of the alien races or let us choose what race to play. There’s so much they can do and i know that they have wish a mountain to get over in terms of addressing the ending of the original trilogy but I feel brining back shepherd will only make that problem worse
If they brought Shep back and had great writing and brought the series back for another 3 games it would be a win-win for everyone. It all depends on if they want to put in the work or not. Or are allowed to put in the work. It's very simple answer to any question we have. The company has a choice. They can bring Shep back and make a great game or not.
I don't think it would be good to move the series on without Shep.
If I was in charge I would tell the ME5 Director "tell your team to make the game great. Take all the time you need." The fans would be happy and the company makes a ton of money. I do not understand why it would be any other way.
100% Shepard coming back should be enough to get a win or a good enough win. It would be incredibly risky to gamble on not having Shep. I certainly won't pre order it if Shepard isn't in it and will wait to see for myself if I want to pick it up. I trusted in MEA and ... yeah not going to fall for that again.
it can. i know it can, but… i don’t want it to? i want a proper sendoff-closure? and a part of me doesn’t want Liara without Shepard? realistically, i know they can’t make everyone happy, and with three separate endings and only (one) having Shepard survive, well, idk. i just really, really love Shep and idk how i feel about moving on from them after not really vibing with the original endings.
but great video!
All they need todo is make the destroy ending cannon with shep surviving, anyone who didn’t choose that ending can get fucked… and in the next game or this one pass the torch to a new main character.
On a serious note. I'm at that age where if they do a trilogy I might not live to see the ending. Yikes.
Same. In my 60ies now.
Aw you both, don't think like that. I lost both my parents in their 50s, but both my grandmothers are still alive. You never know. You can, still, live to see a lot of things! @@quintyss1290
I'm sorry and that is genuinely depressing.
On a related note, I strongly support Universal healthcare and Science/Medical Science today so that we may possibly have lifespans of ~140sh years, like the people in the Mass Effect universe.
Same here.
They kinda have to choose a canon ending. Not doing so would essentially require them to make 3 separate games with how vastly different each universe would look. That would be insanely cool, but not something reasonable to expect.
I've always used the destroy option my shepard is alive, out there, somewhere. So hell yeah i want my shepard back.
Also,
'' You can fight like a krogan run like a leopard but you'll never be better than Commander Shepard. '' xD
/watch?v=HiRDJLcYua0
I agree, the next ME game will COMPLETELY live or die based on the writing 100%. It will have to be compelling no matter what the base plot/characters are. Strong character development and connections. Half assed writing will be the downfall of ME in all ways. Personally I loved Andromeda and wanted more, but way too many people hated it for me to even think that is going to be possible. So the new ME5 is going to have to be very strong in it's story and characters to save the franchise.
I think the more important question is, SHOULD Mass Effect let Shepard go? They tried a different MC with andromeda but because of their rehashed and lazy character writing, it didn't end well for them. If another MC is introduced and they fumble the ball again, it might just end the franchise in it's entirety.
I'm hoping that when Shepard was momentarily knocked out in the beginning of the game that this was all a dream 😢
I think the whole Shepard thing. We're looking at it wrong as players. We are Shepard. Voices by the actors. We made the character, that's why we love our sheps. EA needs to back off and let Bioware do what they do best of making quality single player games
We need shepard
Fan base shouldn't let Shepard go we played three games as him and the vary end was probably the biggest FU to fans also players didn't hate Ryder because he wasn't Shepard he was a poorly written character and the rest of the cast besides the krogen.
Many players didn't even want to leave the milkyway galaxy
I believe in Mary DeMarle, but I don't believe in EA. That said, yes to another trilogy, and I'll re-state what I've always wanted to see for the next ME Universe. Shepherd lived and decided to teach at the N7 academy, then was asked to replace the retired Hackett as Admiral when trouble began to escalate in the Galaxy. Top of your class in the academy, Shepherd recommends you be the one to handle things. Those fans who chose to kill Shepherd would be left with his or her memorial as closure... or Liara's VI log, leaving an aged Admiral Hackett to carry on with advisory direction.
in less than one Month we might know more :)
I think the fans of Mass Effect and especially Shepard, are just like any other fans of their favorite characters, we all want to see the perfect fantasy of our heroes persevering through all the challenges that comes to them and by the end of everything, finally achieving their peace and relaxing away from everything afterwards. That's the real fantasy, and sadly not many of our favorite characters in any media we consume gets that treatment. But Shepard needs to have that rare treatment now, where they are found, rescued or however we come across them, and finally gets to relax and be finished. Gets to relax with their friends and love interest, is awarded for all they've done, and chill in their residence of choice until they are old. Because Shepard is an easy character to roleplay, many players now envision themselves as Shepard, and would be insulted if after everything they've been through, they don't get a proper reward.
At the same time we know the Mass Effect series needs to move on from Shepard if the makers want to to see continued success. We need to have a story where it's possible to be a new hero to play as that also gets the blessing of Shepard to carry the torch as the new face of the series. That's the key in whatever story Bioware makes in order to proceed.
I am pretty sure if Shepard is not coming back BioWare will close that story line. I am not fixed on Shepard and I think that Ryder was not the problem of Andromeda but rather the lackluster enemy.
I have to agree, the enemies were *too* much like the Reapers. But I genuinely enjoyed exploring and warmed up to my companions pretty quickly!
Bingo! They failed by not having faith in the project and not releasing the planned DLC to introduce characters and events. Yes, some can't seem to live without Shepard, but the rest of us wanted more from the Mass Effect universe, not a singular character. They should have realized that building an audience takes time (since we all know how anxious execs get when ridiculous profit margins aren't instantaneous).
This is why you shouldn’t kill off your main character unless your 100% ready to end your franchise.
I sort of hope they do something similar to Dragon Age Origins, specifically to allow players to choose a different species as the PC. I was profoundly disappointed that the "Go to a whole new galaxy" game forced you to be just another human, particularly because the role of pathfinder was entirely new and not specific to humanity (Unlike the N7 ranking, which is intrinsically tied to the Systems Alliance.) For myself, ME:A had very little to offer in regard to interactions between the cultures, both those previously established and those new to the game. Like, outside helping the Angara (which in itself didn't really change much about the faction), nothing Ryder accomplished seemed to result in interesting consequences. Like, imagine if the game had allowed you to play a krogan instead, or a Salarian, or a Batarian, ect. One of the chief conflicts was dealing with disillusioned or dissident members of Council races who sought to change who they were and get a new start, but ME:A pushes hard for the status quo of 600 years prior. As for Shepard, they can be exchanged for any protagonist. While masterfully crafted, the person of Shepard was a means to understand the setting around them, to experience different cultures, the conflicts and politics of a new world, and to capitalize or fail based on the understanding obtained through exploring. For a sequel to work, at least for me, the protagonist has to be someone with effective agency within the story. I understand the desire not to make the ME series into Dragon Age, but a single game set in the aftermath of the Reaper War, where you're just trying to put the pieces back together would be fascinating, and could be used as a springboard to make a new trilogy. ME:A wanted to do that, it felt, but was so focused on "hey, there's more to come" that it never actually tied off any of the story threads it made. (A bit more than a bit of a rant, I apologize. Have a wonderful day!)
it would be pretty cool to play as a krogan
@@BigFlOz Were I in charge, my first new Mass Effect series would be a "prequel", before humanity found the Mass Effect Relays.
The Rachni Wars then the Krogan Wars. Off the top of the dome, I'd think that means you could be a Salarian or Krogan for the first game, then in the second game a Salarian or Turian.
Maybe also Krogan, if you can be on the losing side? That would require a lot more work, it'd be like 2 games in 1... but that'd be awesome. The potential to import your Salarian from TRW game, so you fight against the Rachni then against the Krogan; to import your Krogan so you fight against the Rachni then against the Salarians and Turians; or create a new character, a Turian.
I think all those options might be optimal, but realistically, locking you into one choice would allow much more freedom *within the game* for a unique story, I'd think, since you could spend so much development time on different branching paths within one specific main story, as opposed to having 2 different - in the case of TKW, two *vastly* different - main stories. Maybe you have to be a Krogan in TRW, then have to be a Turian for TKW?
I hope so as much as i loved shepard, it's time to let go.
I think they set up Ryder really well. Ryder's character development is a very similar trial by fire evolution as Shepard in Mass Effect 1. In my mind Shepard is gone (or not gone), the story is told. Andromeda is a testament to the reluctance of BioWare to deal with a post-ME3 Milky-Way Galaxy. They gave players ownership of the game story. It's debatable if leaving that much of an IP's canon up to 'player choice' was a healthy idea or not. But, I'm glad that they did, there are few franchises similar to ME.
Great vid, Kala. Personally, I'd like to see Shepard return for one more story. However, if they do decide to move on with a new protagonist I'll eventually be okay with that too. I'll just need a little time to mourn before the next game releases. I do believe with BioWare needing a huge win, it will be Shepard.
I enjoy your passion for the subject matter. You bring up a lot of great points. Personally, I want Shepard back. Shepard, however, is more than just a "player character" - Shepard is no one without a team of amazing sidekicks like Garrus, Grunt, Wrex - so an and so forth. BioWare should NEVER have left the rich lore of the Milky Way behind, and they should not have left the fanbase with ME3's ending(s). In order to move forwards BioWare needs a solid win - and Shepard and team could be that win. There are so many more places I want to see with Shepard, so many quests, and so much to explore. BioWare needs to get back that bottled lightning - the blueprint for this is in the first two Mass Effect games.
Too early to be worrying about this. If Dragon Age 4 fails, another Mass Effect might not happen at all. BioWare is on thin ice from being axed by EA altogether IMO. As for this subject, the fandom is responsible for not allowing the series to move beyond Shepard. We had three entire games and DLC"s to develop relationships with the cast and crews. Which is why I believe it unfair to compare Ryder to Shepard. Ryder and Andromeda never got even ONE DLC, let alone multiple games to form attachments. And there was plenty to explore there with Mom being in cryo, plenty of galaxy left to explore and settle, an entire empire of enemies out there somewhere, the eventual arrival of the Quarian ark.
It’s not moving beyond Shepard that concerns me, it’s moving beyond reapers. How do you create a compelling enemy that isn’t jumping the shark or just more of the same.
Well think of this did the harbinger die or the leviathan's? The original reapera
Reapers
Mass Effect without Shep is like Halo without the Chief.
Thank you!!!!
But we've had successful Halo games without Master Chief. Halo Reach, Halo Wars 1 and 2. etc. Halo 3 ODST.
So you're wrong.
Vogliamo Shepard nel nuovo Mass Effect
Two possible routes to have Sheppard while allowing to pass a torch. A Cyberpunk style engram like Silverhand. Or a Batman Beyond old timer Sheppard guiding a new character.
too say it simple you are right, most don`t have a feeling of closure. most played troo get the best ending but the best is no best it just ends in a bad way. the best ending for mass effect 3 would have been the citadel dlc. i play it at last before the attack on the cerberus base and then is have closure till the next game, i just can`t play that bad ending anymore.
they have hundreds of years to play with, they could even go back 150k like 3 reaper invasions back, to play a losing defense against the reapers, usinf an unknown race
With things in the world so awful why not be able to escape to the comfort of the wonderful Shepard and team and have more amazing stories together..........
I certainly had the best time of my life in ME legendary, lots of action, love and laughter. These are brilliant characters I really think have more stories to tell. Not forgetting Aria of course 😊
I did enjoy Andromeda too but nothing like Shepard and co.....
It seems to me that no matter what the new main character is, he will always be in Shepard's shadow.
The Normandy crew has become an iconic symbol of Mass Effect.
If Bioware tries to create a new protagonist with a new team, they will suffer the same fate as Andromeda.
The Mass Effect franchise is stuck with this problem and I have no idea how to solve it. Unfortunately, the end of the trilogy does not provide a sense of completion, but only raises new questions. To start a new story without risking repeating the fate of Andromeda, they need to finish the story of the trilogy with dignity and clarity.
We are well past the days when these decisions are made by creators/artists. As you say sadly these are now strictly financial decisions and I’m sure the Perfect Destroy ending will be canonized (even though it’s clear Synth was the writers preferred ending) and Shepard will return. BioWare is in such a bad state they can’t make another mistake.
I rememember that people got upset when they found that John Marston it was not going to be the playable character in Rdr 2. At the end, Arthur Morgand ended up beign not only a better protagonist also one of the best that a videogame can offer. People loved him more than Marston.
I think that Mass effect community need to be less conservative, open their minds and embrace new characters.
As i see it that uber shep fans never let shepard go thous uber fans must get it trough their skulls that shepard died a hero and its time to move on sure i liked my own shep just like any mass effect enjoyer but i learend to move on.
Your Shepard died a hero. Not mine. And that is why your opinion is wrong and right. But don't try to phrase it as an absolute.
@@benjamintennyson4638 I didnt state it as absolute but pointed out obvious, time to let go if shep since future games always will live in shepards shadow like up coming mass effect 5, 6, 7 and etc.
@@AverageEstonian Is that a bad thing?
@@benjamintennyson4638 Depends who you ask as i see it new protaconist is needed and mass effect 4s (andromeda) didnt work Bringig shep back is derrible idea any way since time line cant move on and if time line gets moved on it leaves shep ded witch uber sheps fans dont like so yeagh bioware has 2 choices damned move on or dmned if dont move on plus old guard is cone so bioware is stuck for me i am not hyped either way best way to avoid disapoint ment.
ME5 will fail it can only appeal to uber-fans...
I fully expect them to bring Shepard back. But I'm in the "no more Shepard" camp, personally. I'd like Shep to be retired or dead. But you're right about having Liara: there's no Liara without Shepard.
I think Bioware created the "problem" of our attachment to Shepard so it's their job to fix it if they want to continue with Mass Effect. Andromeda was a failed attempt - pretty obvious since they abandoned it and no DLC. They should have never made it a trilogy with an ending like that - they should have made it open-ended like Drago Age. They didn't, so now they're stuck with a large audience wanting more Shepard. They should probably deliver. We'll give them money if they do. The fanbase is not obligated to do anything, it's Bioware's job to figure this one out.
what do you mean "open-ended like Dragon Age"
I'm not critizing, I just want to know what you mean
I believe franchises have to let their respective main characters go at some point . I think of how the council said “ specters are the right hand of the council “
Yet we’ve only seen 2. Saren and Shepard .
I think it would be amazing to use another main character from a different species in another solar sustem . There’s so much that can be done with this universe .
To me, the most important question for the sequel is if BW will go back to the trilogy structure. Yes, Shepard was a good protagonist, but it’s also the only RPG protagonist to come back for 3 games, other than Geralt of Rivia, who wasn’t a player-created character. Give us the time to get attached to Shepard’s successor and Mass Effect will be fine.
While Shepard is iconic to Mass Effect, Mass Effect doesn't need Shepard. I think the best way to move away from Shepard without as much comparison is to open up character creation choice to alien species, this would help mitigate the comparison. People will always compare the two. Ryder I believe suffered from this greatly. Andromeda aside, how many people compare Shepard and Ryder? How many times did they compare the 2? If Ryder was an alien, would people have made as many comparisons? People still would've compared but it quickly would feel like a new character. Asari have commandos, lets play a commando and see unique armor of theirs like the iconic N7. Or Salarians, they have the STG. There will always be similarities but this would make it, its own. I don't believe they'll do this, because Shepard will without a doubt bring in more money. However, I do believe it would be the best way to get out Shepard's shadow or to have an indestructible Shepard.
I probably compared the two but I really enjoyed playing Ryder because you could play more a youngish comedian role. Ryder was much younger than Shepard and no one had any preconceived expectations while Shepard started out with a reputation.
I know I compared them and I did like Andromeda for the most part but when I was reminded of Shepard it made me miss Shepard more.
Mass Effect = Shepard, 3 games is a story of 1 single character basically.
I've mentioned this on other ME channels. Bring Shepard back in Hackett's role. The Krogan and Quarians get a seat on the counsel ( Wrex & Tali ). Liara is still the Shadow Broker. Ashley / Kaiden in Anderson's role. Garrus on the counsel or the Primarch...work the original characters into the story but have a new Protagonist. If they are going to make it a trilogy you could slowly reduce the roles of the original characters while we build up and get attached to the new characters. The only thing we need from Andromeda is the combat system ( maybe the Nomad if they do right ). They are going to have to realize that they are going to piss off the fanbase no matter how they deal with the ME3 ending.
I don't think Wrex would become Councillor. He'd positively hate it. Also, he's sorely needed on Tuchanka to keep the krogan in line, especially when the reaper threat is gone and everyone is licking their wounds.
honestly, I feel like at some point bioware needs to retire shepard permanently jennifer hale is 51 and mark meer is 52 they are not young and I think mass effect ones especially those who are attached to shepard would rather bioware move on from shepard then see new voice actors for shepard. Ryder was not bad the writing for them were not that good I think if the writing is good for a new main character will be on board
I can confirm, from experience, that my voice is still working after the age of 50 😂
Even if the majority would chose human in character creators with vsrious races, I would love mass effect adopt chosing a new race for the single player, but I don't think the bioware that is now can achieve that
No Shepard was a big factor in my dislike for Andromeda. Shepard wasn’t Shepard… Shepard was ME as in I (shaped through background selection in ME1 as well as my choices throughout the series). As much as I wanted to make Ryder ME, Ryder was always Ryder; Ryder already had a background and any choices were rather mellow as you couldn’t really express anger or any other shocking emotions. I mean, come on… Ryders sibling was in a bad medical way and their father just died horribly. And all we get is the emotional equivalent of “oh well, I hope I’m good enough, I don’t really have confidence in myself”. If not Shepard, I’d want the broad array of emotions available in the choice dialogue and a player character that I could mold from clay (so to speak) so it felt like I was playing as myself and not just a cookie cutter Ryder type of player character.
Might be a hot take but the next game should have Shephard. The next game must give closure to the crew, commander, and his romantic interest. This is only possible if Shephard survives. Basically the game would be a transition from the past me to the new ones. Setting the galaxy's conditions and how people are affected by the choices of Shephard. After that, they can make a completely different story with mentions of the commander's legacy and the occasional appearance of og crew mate that can live hundreds of years
I just need closure for ME3 ending, make 1 game with shepard then let shep go .
Nope. Still want Shepard.
if he comes back then it negates his sacrifice he gave for the galaxy, move on from him. the game will be amazing and i do think that it would be awesome for all my choices being a baseline for the new game but lets leave Shephard sacrifice stand as a testament to humanity. don't water that down.
You may be able to shoot a reaper and run like a leopard - but you can never be the Commander Shepard
- Garrus Vakarian, maybe
i never finished andromeda I think, or the ending was so meeeh I forgot about it....I remember i did several character saves, I did the weird worlds with the towers and the car, building bases and such, but I do not remember if I finished it.....yes, ME need Shepard and my Shepard breathed in the end of ME3
I think ME can continue without Shep but they have to make the new protagonist not try to be like Shep. No one wants a carbon copy or wannabe.
I mean... what does "a carbon copy" mean? Isn't Shepard whomever the player made him/her?
Shouldn't any new Mass Effect RPG be, like... an RPG? And let you craft the main character into whomever you want him/her to be?
@SchulzEricT Shepard was a natural leader, confident and pretty much perfect in every regard. Andromeda would be a good example of what the next protagonist should be like Ryder was just a person thrown into a situation they weren't ready for and would have failed/died a dozen times without SAM. Mind you Ryder had the personality of a cardboard box but otherwise was a good protagonist.
@@thetokenwon506 I mean, I guess if your point is, like, Shepard but before your "psychological profile" event... okay, sure, I guess.
I'd be totally willing to let go off shepard if the "conclusion" of his/her story arc wasn't so god awful and poorly written. I played ME since 2010, the wound has not fully healed yet. I don't need to play as him, maybe a soft reboot, but my choices should be adressed, just as there should be closure and Sheps decisions should be felt. Also it wouldn't sit right with my to hang with Liara, Grunt Wrex or whatever and Shep doesn't play a role at all.
my biggest fear is EA putting financial gains above everything ME represents for its fans one more time. bioware needs to bounce back but relying into fans' nostalgia towards Shepard for a quick buck is going to hurt them in the long run. Its hard to predict which path bioware will take from here... they need a good game to keep going but the last games do not inspire any trust. Seeing Liara at the trailer released a few years ago made me happy but it also concerned me that they will try to bring Shepard back no matter what. From my perspective it would be the best if they move on from Shep, Me has a rich universe waiting to be explored can't revolve around Shepard and the normandy crew. ofc if they want to bring some memories of the normandy crew and everything they did it would be awesome if integrated correctly into the new story. (sorry about my confused rant. ME is my favorite game and the last news from bioware... well I'm frustrated at everything that has been going on bioware lately)
I think that most people want to see what happened with Shepard, not necessarily play as him/her. I belive that Mass Effect should let him/her go, maybe even make us play as non human character, to make it harder to compare him to Shepard.
You can't label the game "Mass Effect" and expect people not to compare to original) Andromeda would be recepted better if it was just "Andromeda" and not "Mass Effect Andromeda".
The problem is like or not Shepherd is the main character of Mass Effect, trying to replace them is like trying to replace Lara Croft or Nathan Drake.
So if the next game is going to be a success they need to bring them back and to do that they also need to canonise one of the endings to 3 if they ever want to move beyond the trilogy. Personal I would go with the “destroy” ending as the other two don’t leave much room for future conflicts, not to mention that is the only ending in which Shepherd could survive.
I would rather them not make another ME game than decanonize all the endings except one, but Bioware has got around very determinant endings before, though that was more of the DA crew than the ME one
@@channel45853 I suppose they could write around the other two endings and still have tension in the story, the main problem is that the Reapers undermine any new potential threat and if they try to introduce a bigger threat then you get the issue of power creep. In short they need to write the Reapers out of the story.
Shepard is not the same as Lara Croft and Nathan Drake. For the most part, those series don't have in depth worldbuilding or lore. They are set in a version of the real world (with some supernatural elements), but the core of the story is about the main characters, not the world. The idea of a Tomb Raider or Uncharted game with brand new characters doesn't really make sense, the closest thing that makes sense is something like Lost Legacy that promotes an existing side character to the leading role. A Tomb Raider or Uncharted game with entirely new characters may as well be a completely different series, there is no connection to the series without the characters.
Mass Effect, on the other hand, is an incredibly well-developed world with deep lore and worldbuilding. Any number of stories can be told with that world featuring any kinds of characters and it would still be easily identified as Mass Effect. The alien races, the technology, and the locations are all iconic elements of Mass Effect. Mass Effect is more than just Shepard.
@@Il_Exile_lI doesn’t change the fact they’re the main character and when people think of mass effect they think of shepherd, they’re too iconic to the franchise to continue without them.
@@Andrew-Bastin The point is that it doesn't have to be that way. There are so many elements of Mass Effect that recognizable and iconic besides Shepard. A good game with new characters would have no trouble being accepted and loved by fans. Just because people mainly associate Mass Effect with Shepard now doesn't mean that can't change. Also, I don't think it is a universal truth even now that the majority of people only associate Mass Effect with Shepard. Plenty of fans just love the Mass Effect world.
It is hard to think of a sequel without Shepard.
We haven't had a worthy ending, for the trilogy, and I think BW will bring Shepard back.
I don't think just for money, but just to give a continuation to the ending that unfortunately we didn't have.
I may be selfish, but it is hard to imagine another Mass Effect without Shepard.
I am also very conflicted, because it is right to let Shepard go, but in the meantime I would like her back.
Maybe I'm not ready to let her go and I'm doing it wrong, I don't know.
I just hope they do a good job and don't ruin a masterpiece.
Ps: will the TV series actually be produced? I hope not.
Even though I love Shepard too, I think his story is over and it's time to let him go. To me, the ME has always been so much more than just Shepard. A whole universe, with its own orders, patterns and races. I think there's room for a new protagonist here. Yes, it's barely possible for him to become as iconic as Shepard (just like Ryder didn't), but personally that's not a big problem for me. In this case, the universe overrides the character for me.
But if we reason from a purely economic point of view, Shepard's return is likely to be a bigger success, here I completely agree.
It's probably possible to find a compromise in this situation and please everyone, but honestly I have no idea how.
I love Sheppard, but they need to let him go, I don't want another game with Sheppard but I want a good mass effect game with a Sheppard like quality character
Didn't the Normandy sr1 crash on a snowy planet, I'm aware that you have to wear a helmet on the recovery mission. I'm still convinced that maybe it's liara recovering it in me2 ?
Alchera was the planet. And Mike Gamble already said this wasn't a recreation of that scene, so I don't think it is related.
The only way I can see a human MC successfully replacing Shepard is if they aren't Alliance.
I think that we want Shepard back because, with Ryder and a lot of other characters in metamodern media as the evidence, we lack trust that they can make a new character fit for purpose. If they can provide a sensible, adult character I think you won't see anyone who loves Shepard complaining. They have to choose their audience with this main character.
I really like your presentations and your delivery. There is a lot to unpack. Shepard is such a great character surrounded by amazing allies that became friends and family. The relationships felt deep and meaningful, there was loyalty long before loyalty missions were a gameplay mechanic. Nobody wants to see them die, but sometimes sacrifices can have meaning. Retcons and resurrections can suck if done poorly. It's true that Andromeda was a spin-off rather than a sequel but the criticisms were valid. Yes it was a cluster and not a galaxy but it felt so bland with so few new elements. The gameplay, aside from some facial animations, looked terrific. But it was a bland and repetitive area to explore. Filled with bland characters and repetitive gameplay. It was rushed and felt without passion. There is also a difference in having a long production cycle when you have a small team laying a solid foundation before the programming begins vs a large team that are constantly fighting fires and fixing what they have built. A well-written character could take the lead, but I also think that they should be Shepard's legacy. Not needing to be a descendent of Shepard but a spiritual and metaphoric successor. I know I put this on another discussion, I would almost like fore Shepard to have an advisory role. A VI or AI created by Liara that has to be constructed piece by piece to parallel the restructuring of the galactic network.
Thank you James! I see you would like Shepard in an advisory role, would you still want that if Shepard isn't controllable? Would you make you feel less connected to them (it would to me which is why I ask)
What if they throw a curve ball and you play Me5 as Liara!?
I feel like they could have made andromeda work in a sequel and too be honest i was kind of of bummed they didn't. MEA wasn't HORRIBLE, but it also wasn't great. I more or less enjoyed my run-through with it feeling grindy at times. that being said i could never bring myself to play it again. I evenn tried to do a second run through. It also was silly to not play a shepherd replacement, or his kid in the a new Mass effect, ESPICALLY with how they ended ME3. If ME3 a developed ending MEA would have probably be more digestible.
We all know if Shepherd comes back it will be a great game I almost guarantee it
I almost guarantee it won't be a great game anyway. They just don't make games like that anymore nowadays. Certainly not without Drew Karpyshyn writing, and he doesn't seem to be working with Bioware.
I think bringing back Shepard would be a mistake. They put an end a threat that had lasted billions of years and that had genocided countless species. Where do you go after that? How do create any new stakes with such a character? It would only cheapen their legacy.
As for MEA, for all it's intrinsic problems, it was also totally hamstrung by it's callbacks to Shepard and the OG trilogy. Whether it's N7 armour, an ersatz Citadel being the hub, or previously resolved plots being regurgitated (ie: Genophage), it prevented the game from truly carving it's own furrow, even if all the other issues hadn't been present.
The ME universe is rich and vibrant enough to tell so many other stories. Developing sci-fi settings is hard and time consuming. ME's is the only one that truly rivals Star Wars or Star Trek. Making the franchise all about Shepard narrows the scope in the same way the Star Wars sequel trilogy did, and ignores the lesson of TNG or DS9.
Though as foe any TV series, I will have to disagree. It *should* definitely be a retelling of the OG story. The audience necessary to justify the show would not be majority gamers. That proven story could find a new audience. And as it would be an adaptation, it doesn't matter if it sticks to all the beats and makes definitive choices.
Another thing that I think is worth pointing out, that I haven't heard anyone say, is that Shepard's story has kind of come to its natural conclusion. It has reached its climax. Where can Shepard go from here? If the next game had us playing as Shepard, it would feel a bit weird, coming off ME 3 where Shepard kills 3 Reapers and literally saves the entire fucking galaxy. What are they supposed to do next? Go back to killing Cerberus grunts and rogue Geth?
I truly hope shepard isnt the player character
I'd be fine with a "form" of Shepard returning - maybe some kind of clone with genetic memory, or an AI in a synthetic body. They should set the story hundreds of years after ME3 and hand-wave away the idea of canon endings through exposition by Liara ("the catalyst effects were only temporary, things eventually returned to how they were before"). The writers would probably also have to add all new squadmates (or some other nonsense like Garrus was conveniently in cryo stasis), but could still refer to the original characters.
Of course, any of these possibilities would piss off some subsection of fans, and let's be honest - that's going to happen no matter what narrative paths the developers take, because virtually any details will deviate from some people's choices made in the trilogy. But as long as the new game has the general vibe of the originals (not you, Andromeda), I'll be happy...
I don't think Shepard could be brought back in a way that makes sense. Even in the "secret" perfect ending, where Shepard seemingly lives, considering the state they were in, they'd probably be out for the count for a significant amount of time. And lack of epilogue notwithstanding. Shepards story is concluded, dead or alive. After all they've been through, Shepard is probably done with playing hero.
Additionally, from the teaser showing the new mass relay under construction, I've been under the impression that a significant amount of time has passed since ME3. Enough for the galaxy to not only rebuild after the war, but also to advance technologically by quite a margin. Keep in mind that during the timeline of the trilogy, the milky way races had barely any idea about how the relays really function, let alone how to build one from scratch. Yes, the protheans had come close, but they were significantly more advanced back then by the time the Reapers invaded. Also, barely anything remained from them, most of it was barely functioning after 50 millennia of abandonnment. So even if Shepard survived the activation of the crucible, and the injuries sustained leading up to that, they'd most likely be dead by now, or at least very old.
On the same note, for most of the OT characters and companions the same would be true, except the Asari and Krogan (and even Wrex is basically ancient, even for a Krogan, by the events of Mass Effect. Remember that he lived through the end of the krogan rebellions, which makes him easily as old as Drack, even if he is seemingly in better health than our grumpy krogan grandpa).
The only person I can see taking over from Shepard is little Samantha Traynor...........taking on the universe with her trusty toothbrush 😅
I think the best way for the ME trilogy to move away from Shepard is for the next game to give sort of closure/send-off. There’s a lot of ways to do this. Have a bit of environmental storytelling along with familiar characters like Liara to tell us what happened. We just want to know what happened to Shepard and the Normandy crew. whether Shepard return or not or the game takes place decades or century after me3. They still need to address the fans regarding the fate of these beloved characters while transitioning into a brand new game with new characters and new adventure.
i'm wondering if it's possible to somehow incorporate 2 protagonists. that can definitely be difficult, i know, but when i try to reconcile the original trilogy and andromeda, i feel like that best way is to incorporate a little bit of both. what if you played as ryder in some chapters, and either shepard or a new protagonist in others? i'm not sure how it would work without fundamentally changing the mechanics of the game, though. i'm also someone who liked andromeda, so i might tolerate more. but if the dark energy, for example, becomes the next threat, it would be interesting to have both galaxies working on it. i could also be 100% wrong lol. i'm cautiously optimistic regardless :)
I trust Bioware and whatever they choose to do with Shepard. Above all else though, Shepard must be mentioned many a time, he/she is the single greatest hero the galaxy has ever seen, thats not someone who just gets forgotten.