In the past, BioWare developers have made clear their desire to return to Mass Effect in the future. Indeed, the beloved franchise, despite missteps with Mass Effect: Andromeda, is not dead. During an interview with Polygon, this point received express reiteration. Additionally, developers teased that the franchise’s future could either follow existing plot threads featured in Mass Effect 3 or those crafted in Andromeda.
Executive Producer on Anthem, Mark Darrah, told Polygon BioWare hasn’t shut the door on Mass Effect. He explained, “We’re definitely not done with Mass Effect. There’s a lot of stories to be told. We could pull on the threads we put down with Andromeda; we could pull on threads from Mass Effect 3. There’s a lot of interesting space to be explored.”
Is there a world wherein the aftermath of ME3 gets explored in full? If so, it would possibly require BioWare to pick a definitive ending for the trilogy, a Herculean task cleverly avoided in Andromeda. Pulling from the narrative of the latter would also be an interesting direction for the series, specifically as it would allow for further exploration of humanity’s fight for survival in foreign star systems.
The studio’s General Manager, Casey Hudson, added that returning to the series is just a matter of time. Hudson told Polygon, “In my mind, it’s very much alive. I’m thinking all the time about things that I think will be great. It’s just a matter of getting back to it as soon as we can.”
When that time will come is bound to remain a mystery for quite a while. In addition to Anthem, a live-service experience likely to last several years, BioWare also has a team currently dedicated to production on the next Dragon Age entry.
Players can jump into the latest BioWare-produced experience when Anthem releases for the Playstation 4, PC, and Xbox One on February 22, 2019.
[Source: Polygon]
Now Loading...Thoughts on Mass Effect Andromeda Reception
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Now Loading...Thoughts on Mass Effect Andromeda Reception
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Zarmena Khan
I kind of expected it when the first impressions started to appear online. But I'd be lying if I said I'm not surprised by the quality. I am. It's 2017 and there just aren't enough excuses to put out a $60 game that looks so last-gen. I'm the first one to say I don't care about graphics but if it's bad enough for someone like me to notice, it's bad.
Apart from the above, the complaints about the story are bad news. It seems that the game just doesn't excel in any department whatsoever. What happened, BioWare? -
Stephen Bitto
I've been anticipating disappointment from Mass Effect: Andromeda for quite some time now although I was also hoping I'd be wrong. Honestly, ever since they announced the return of Mako exploration I was skeptical of the creative team's ability to identify what made the series great. I am glad I held off on pre-ordering as there are many more deserving games to play in the gaming market right now.
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Chandler Wood
Reviews are extremely mixed. Plotting a different course was bound to create the kind of love it or hate it response we are seeing, and the technical issues only compounded that by asking players to decide what was really important to them instead of just making an all around solid game. From everything I've heard, Mass Effect: Andromeda is not a bad game, it just failed to meet certain lofty expectations it was never going to reach anyway.
I think this will be a wake up call for Bioware. The franchise is not dead. One mixed title can't kill the juggernaut that is Mass Effect. I almost guarantee that a lot of the preproduction work for a follow up is already done, and that we'll see a lot stronger of an offering from Andromeda 2. Just look at Mass Effect 2 compared with the original game, and you'll see that improvement on the core ideas is inevitable. -
Michael Briers
Once those impression pieces started to surface, things started to snowball. Granted, from the little I've played on a friend's Xbox One (I know, I know...) Andromeda is by no means a disaster, but it's not exactly the revival that BioWare's series needed after a five-year hiatus. Plus, Stephen's right, the fact that there are so, so many great games out there at the minute hasn't exactly done Mass Effect Andromeda any favours.
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Cameron Teague
Sorry I had no thoughts on it originally so no disappointment.
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Alex Co
Honestly? I am shocked at how much BioWare dropped the ball on this one. It's been in development for such a long time, and it's rare nowadays for a big, AAA game to come out this technically flawed. I mean, for me, that's the most surprising thing. Story, plot can a subjective thing, but technical guffaws aren't.
I wouldn't be surprised if this puts the Mass Effect franchise on ice for a while. Either BioWare Edmonton takes back the reins, or it'll be put on the backburner for a bit, and maybe reboot it if needed. That said, this is all moot if the game sells like gangbusters. If it does, then prepare for Andromeda 2 sometime before this gen is up. -
Mack Ashworth
I thought BioWare would succeed, at the very least, in making a strong foundation for future games in this new series.
Unfortunately, I was wrong, and the developers are going to have to pull out all the stops if they hope to impress with the sequel... If there is a sequel, that is!
