After the disappointing reception of Mass Effect: Andromeda and the nostalgic success of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, BioWare needs Mass Effect 4 to be a return to form for its flagship sci-fi series. To that end the upcoming game seems to be returning to the setting and some of the characters from the original trilogy, with the trailer hinting that Shepard may even be alive and coming back as the player character.
It's already clear that Mass Effect 4 will be making some big choices regarding events from the original trilogy in order to form a foundation for its new story. If Shepard is the next game's protagonist, however, the romances from the first three games could pose one of BioWare's biggest challenges when it comes to balancing fan expectations and launching a new story. Here's why, and what the implications of Mass Effect's romance problem might be for Mass Effect 4.
Mass Effect 4's Foundation
While little has been revealed about Mass Effect 4 so far, it's clear some major optional events from the original trilogy will be made canon in order to form a foundation for the next chapter in the series. Most notably, there's a lot of evidence pointing to Mass Effect 3's Destroy Ending being Shepard's canonical choice at the end of the original trilogy.
The Mass Effect 4 trailer shows Liara walking over a dead Reaper and retrieving a piece of what fans can only assume is Shepard's N7 armor from the snow. Only the Destroy Ending saw the destruction of the Reapers and could hint at Shepard's survival with a high EMS. Not only that, but the Destroy Ending also destroyed the Mass Relays. An image posted to BioWare's Twitter showed a Mass Relay being rebuilt by the Systems Alliance, suggesting they were indeed destroyed at the end of the original trilogy.
This raises some big questions about just how much BioWare will make canon, and whether players will be able to import some of their choices from the original trilogy. It seems likely that the studio will want to canonize some of the choices with the greatest effect on the galaxy in order to tell new stories without having to worry about the vastly different long-term implications of some player choices in the original trilogy. The Krogan genophage is likely to have been cured, for example, among other major decisions that would likely reshape the entire galaxy.
While BioWare defining canonical choices could be controversial, there is one choice Mass Effect 4 is extremely unlikely to force on the player. Romances are one of the single greatest differentiators between different Mass Effect playthroughs, especially since the vast majority of Mass Effect players chose Paragon options throughout the original trilogy. Picking a single canonical romance for Shepard or ignoring the original trilogy's romances entirely would be extremely controversial, likely far more controversial than making the Destroy Ending canon.
Dealing With Romances In Mass Effect 4
The original trilogy romances face Mass Effect 4 with a huge problem. If Shepard survives and returns as the player character, many fans will be hoping to reconnect with their romance option from the original trilogy, whether it was Garrus, Tali, Liara, or any other Mass Effect romance options. Liara has already been confirmed to be making an appearance in the upcoming game thanks to the trailer, but satisfying players who chose other romance options could be very difficult, especially with some of the less popular romance options with characters who are less likely to return.
There are a couple of ways BioWare could overcome this problem. The first is by having a protagonist other than Shepard, even if Shepard is alive as the trailer seems to hint. This could be even more controversial than ignoring original trilogy romances entirely, though it isn't the only option.
Mass Effect 4 could take place hundreds of years after the original trilogy. There are a few hints that this could already be the case. A shot of two galaxies in the trailer shows both Andromeda and the Milky Way, which BioWare project director Michael Gamble described as "intentional." The events of Andromeda take place 600 years after the original trilogy, and setting the game far in the future could explain how they were included.
Liara could easily be alive 600 years or more after Mass Effect 3. Asari live to be 1000 years old, and in Mass Effect 1, Liara was barely over 100. Finally, a time jump could help explain how the galactic community has been able to rebuild the Mass Relays and reconnect without undermining the mass destruction and civilizational setback implied by the Destroy Ending.
The major question would be how Shepard has lived so long, though having been rebuilt during the Lazarus Project and having been at the heart of the Crucible when it was activated could form the foundation for an in-universe explanation. If the trailer is anything to go by, Shepard may even have been frozen Captain America-style.
If Mass Effect 4 was set centuries after the first game most of the companion characters from the original trilogy would be dead. It would be bitter sweet, but it would stop BioWare having to worry about bringing back romance characters, and it could allow Mass Effect 4 to feel far more like the start of its own story. Past Mass Effect romance options could be reflected in dialogue without the need to bring back the full range of characters Shepard could have romanced in the original trilogy.
Whichever solution BioWare comes up with is bound to be controversial. Romances are one of the original Mass Effect trilogy's greatest strengths, and many players will be expecting to see their choice reflected in the new game even if other major decisions were made canon. For now, however, players will have to wait and see exactly what the premise of Mass Effect 4 is, which characters will be returning in the main plot, and the effects of making the Destroy Ending canon on the game's universe.
Mass Effect 4 is in development.