Highlights

  • Mass Effect 4's N7 focus hints at a connection to the original trilogy, potentially bringing back Commander Shepard in some capacity.
  • BioWare may need to consider a soft reboot for Mass Effect 4 to avoid narrative inconsistencies with player-driven endings from the original trilogy.
  • Regardless, players eagerly await Mass Effect 4's direction, hoping for a story that is as impactful as the original trilogy as well as gameplay improvements.

It has been twelve years since the release of the Mass Effect series' third game, Mass Effect 3, and although Mass Effect: Andromeda has been released since then, many questions inspired by the end of the original trilogy have gone unanswered to this day. That's why Mass Effect 4 is such an anticipated installment, as many hope those questions will be answered. Currently, it's unclear what direction Mass Effect 4 will go with its story, but some clues provided by its trailers seem to confirm at least one thing about it.

Every teaser released for Mass Effect 4 so far has focused heavily on N7. In the Mass Effect universe, N7 is a vocational code and the designation given to the original trilogy's protagonist, Commander Shepard. This implies a few things about Mass Effect 4's story that could potentially be divisive, but it's nonetheless difficult to deny the direction BioWare is taking the game.

mass-effect-boss-human-reaper
Related
How Mass Effect 4 Could Improve on the OG Trilogy's Boss Fights

Mass Effect 4 has the chance to overcome one of the Mass Effect Trilogy's biggest weaknesses by making its boss battles stand out in the series.

What Mass Effect 4's Apparent N7 Focus Could Mean for Its Story

Mass Effect 4's N7 Focus Heavily Implies a Connection to the Original Trilogy

There is a bit of an issue with Mass Effect 4's apparent N7 focus, as it means it will likely be connected to the original trilogy. If BioWare canonized any of Mass Effect 3's endings and established them as a basis for Mass Effect 4's story, it would simultaneously invalidate the Mass Effect 3 playthroughs of those who chose a different ending. This wouldn't be the first time BioWare has contradicted its own game design when it comes to Mass Effect, as it once said that Mass Effect 3 was meant to conclude Shepard's story and yet it's possible to achieve an ending where Shepard lives. Even though Shepard's story doesn't necessarily need to end with them dying, many of those whose trilogy ended with a living Shepard feel they still lack the proper closure concerning the character's future.

One of the hottest debates surrounding the next Mass Effect game is whether Commander Shepard will return and whether they even should. It's possible that Mass Effect 4's N7 focus means Shepard will return, but it's unlikely given BioWare's desire to see the story of the famed protagonist concluded in Mass Effect 3. Even so, it's interesting that the developer would go to such lengths to advertise the N7 focus of Mass Effect 4 if it didn't plan on doing something with Shepard. Teasing a possible Shepard return and then not following through might feel like a low blow to some fans, so unless Mass Effect 4 is only distantly connected to the original trilogy, it may have no choice but to somehow bring Shepard onto the scene.

Mass Effect 4 Could Take Place in the Distant Future

Online forums have been plagued by countless theories since the first Mass Effect 4 teaser was revealed, but almost every one of them runs into the same obstacle: Mass Effect 3's player-driven ending. The most promising way BioWare could avoid any narrative inconsistencies is to do a soft reboot of the series, with Mass Effect 4 telling a story that wouldn't depend on the events of the original trilogy. In fact, it seems this might be the direction Mass Effect 4 is headed, as the game's first teaser showed an aged Liara, and since Asari can live for centuries, the next Mass Effect may take place long after Mass Effect 3.

Unless Mass Effect 4's N7 teasers have absolutely nothing to do with the game's story, it's clear that it will somehow be connected to the original trilogy. To do this safely and effectively, however, Mass Effect 4 may need to be a reboot of the series rather than a direct sequel. This way, BioWare could still honor the trilogy without invalidating playthroughs and provide a new story that wouldn't be rife with narrative inconsistencies.