Mass Effect: Andromeda, while attempting innovation, stumbled in its execution, leaving many long-time fans disappointed. To recapture the magic of the original trilogy and avoid repeatingAndromeda’s mistakes,Mass Effect 4needs a significant course correction. This isn’t about simply reverting to the old formula; it’s about learning from both successes and failures. That’s the only way the series can make long-time fans and newcomers happy.
There are plenty of examples of what developers can change and modify to make thisMass Effectmuch better thanAndromedaand a worthwhile sequel. This isn’t aboutsetting itself up to fixAndromeda’s biggest issue, but about fixing multiple issues. The developers only have one chance to make a good impression, because a lackluster comeback could put the series back on hiatus.
10Remove The Open World
This Is an Action RPG, Keep The Action Heavy
Mass Effect: Andromedagave players a semi-open world to explore, with hubs for players to roam around.Mass Effect 4would likely be better off without that.Dragon Age: The Veilguarddoes a great job showing thatcompletely open worlds aren’t always necessary, and the original trilogy had a lot of linear levels.
5 Reasons Shepard Has To Be Alive In Mass Effect 4 (& 5 Reasons They Can’t Be)
There are many reasons to believe that Shepard would be alive In Mass Effect 4 but there’s just as many reasons to prove that they are dead.
It seems best if the series just sticks to what worked well, because this was one of those things that turned off long-time players. The exploration was not as fun as it seemed on paper, and it just felt like it disconnected from the rest of the gameplay. Instead, the clear winner is missions where the storytellers can give a good narrative during play. There’s no need for an open world in aMass Effectgame, especially when the focus should be on storytelling.
9Bring Back Every Alien Race
Don’t Leave Any Out Again
Mass Effect: Andromedaremoved so many alien races and gave the excuse that they were still traveling to the new galaxy. They then introduced new races, which were interesting but didn’t feel as well-developed as the older ones. Now that the game returns to the Milky Way galaxy, thedevelopers can bring back the racesplayers know and love inMass Effect 4.
They are pretty easy to get to know, too, as the three games didn’t expand on them very much. Most players knew a lot about thenine Citadel racesby the end of the first game, and the other non-humanoid species weren’t around very often.This will give the game a feeling of nostalgia and normalcy, which was lost in Andromeda.
8Acknowledge The Events of Mass Effect 3
We Want Some Answers
Mass Effect: Andromedatook the safe route and tried to mention the events ofMass Effect 3as little as possible. In fact, the game makes it clear that everyone left before the arrival of the Reapers, so there’s no way to know what was happening. This way, they didn’t have to acknowledge anything and could create a new story.Mass Effect 4can’t do that.
Players were pretty vocal about wanting to know what happened after the Reaper invasion and if their Shepard was alive. Now that the developers are returning to the Milky Way galaxy,they need to acknowledge everything that happened. Players need to know if their choices had an effect and what happened in the time following theend ofMass Effect 3.
7Renegade And Paragon Need To Return
It’s The Best Morality System
The Paragon/Renegade system in the originalMass Effecttrilogy, while simplistic, offered a compelling illusion of player agency. It wasn’t just about choosing “good” or “evil;” it shaped Commander Shepard’s personality, influencing dialogue options and even impacting squadmate relationships. A Renegade Shepard was blunt, aggressive, and often ruthless, while a Paragon Shepard was diplomatic, empathetic, and morally upright. This would be perfect forMass Effect 4.
Mass Effectdefinitely needs tofix the Renegade systemif it’s brought back.
While not perfectly nuanced, this binary system provides a clear and consistent framework for player expression. Its removal inAndromedaleft a void. Modern RPGs often favor complex moral grey areas, but the Paragon/Renegade system offered something different: clearly reflecting the player’s chosen approach. The system didn’t dictate morality; it provided a lens through which Shepard’s actions were interpreted. A more modern return would improve the system rather than replace it.
6No Vehicle Traversal
Don’t You Dare Say Mako
TheMass Effectseries keeps trying to make the player enjoy vehicle exploration, and it hasn’t worked yet. EveryMass Effect, either through the vanilla game or DLCs, has had some kind of vehicle driving and fighting parts. This has never been what the games have been loved for, and many times, players just want it gone. Without it,Mass Effect 4would be a lot better.
This game needs to end the vicious cycle and just give up on any form of vehicle combat. The developers don’t need to waste their time trying to give players a vehicle combat system. It’s usually the worst part of anyMass Effectgame and should be done away with here.
5A Much Better Character Creator
Let Us Make Our Characters Well
Mass Effect: Andromeda’scharacter creator was better than the original trilogy’s, but still not the best around. Today,character creators need to be really high-endor focused on giving players a lot to do and change. This isn’t just about inclusion, but about letting players be exactly who they want to be with little effort inMass Effect 4.
Dragon Age: Veilguard Not Having DLC Is A Great News For Mass Effect Fans
Dragon Age: The Veilguard is not getting any DLC, which is amazing news for those who’ve been patiently waiting for the next Mass Effect.
This time, the character creator should be more likeDragon Age: The Veilguard. That game is a good example of an RPG character creator today that doesn’t go as far asDragon’s DogmaorinZOI. It’s something thatMass Effect 4has to get right because it didn’t feel very good inAndromeda. A lot of the characters inAndromedalooked off, and that may be because of the limitations of the character creator.
4More Music
It Was Quiet, Too Quiet
Mass Effect: Andromedawas noticeably quietcompared to other games in the series. MostMass Effectgames had music that played the moment something happened or just when the player was moving around. It was so often that the times without noise were even more important, and it felt like something big was happening.
Mass Effect 4needs to bring back the music and ambiancethat the trilogy had established well. It helps a lot with combat and with immersion. It’s so unsettling when players need to go across areas, and it’s quiet everywhere. This isn’t the feeling a player should have from an RPG that mostly revolves around its intense action, so a soundtrack with a lot of background music will help a lot.
3Bring Back the Power Wheel
We Give The Orders Around Here
The power wheel in the originalMass Effecttrilogy was an important element of squad-based combat. This lets players have tactical control beyond simply aiming and shooting.This radial menu lets players direct commands to squadmates, impacting combat effectiveness and strategic depth. Players can quickly select individual squad members and assign them targets, ordering attacks on specific enemies, prioritizing threats, or focusing fire.
Beyond target designation, the wheel lets players pause the combat and make tactical decisions. Players can also instruct squadmates to move to specific locations. Finally, the power wheel lets players manage squadmate abilities. This was taken out so players could mostly focus on their own abilities. It didn’t work well and felt much worse than the easy one to control in the original trilogy.
2No More Puzzles
Andromeda’s Puzzles Were Really Dull
Mass Effect: Andromeda’s puzzles just weren’t as engaging as the developer probably wanted them to be. Their shortcomings stemmed from feeling like they cut out the action and were a chore players had to complete.Many felt like arbitrary obstacles, disconnected from the overarching plot and character motivations, hindering the flow rather than enhancing it.
The solutions often lacked ingenuity, relying heavily on predictable patterns or easily identified visual clues, thereby minimizing player agency and problem-solving satisfaction. Instead of forcing puzzles, the focus should be on making a third-person shooter action RPG, like the previous games.Mass Effect: Andromedais the most boring of the series because it tried to make this puzzle element a big component of a series that wasnot known for its puzzles.
1Make Sure the Game Is Ready
Stop Releasing Broken Games
Mass Effect: Andromeda’s troubled launch significantly damaged the franchise’s reputation and was a big part of why the series went on a hiatus. There was no saving it after a clearly broken launch. This is a woundMass Effect 4must avoid.Andromeda’s release was plagued by many issuesstemming from insufficient time in development. Facial animations were widely mocked, creating an uncanny valley effect that broke immersion.
The negative reception stemmed directly from this lack of preparedness. The game felt unfinished, as if a significant portion of its potential had been unrealized. ForMass Effect 4to succeed, it must learn fromAndromeda’s mistakes. A polished, bug-free release is crucial; anything less risks repeating the same critical and commercial failure that marredAndromeda’s legacy. IfMass Effect 4can do this, it will be a lot better thanAndromeda.
