BioWare's next Mass Effect entry could still be a while away, and since its confirmation during N7 Day in 2020, fans haven't been able to learn that much about it. The Mass Effect series is a massively popular sci-fi RPG franchise among the gaming community, and the announcement that Mass Effect 4 was on the way was met with a lot of excitement. Many fans have been busy speculating about what the next installment might entail, from the possibility of Shepard's return to the time period it takes place. Not a lot of answers are forthcoming, so players have been left to guess what features Mass Effect 4 might or might not include from the previous games.
A sci-fi RPG with a definite release date has been making waves recently – Bethesda's highly-anticipated new IP Starfield. The two games will probably not have too much in common besides a space-focused futuristic setting, but there are some recently announced features in Starfield that could make a successful transition across to the new Mass Effect title. One of these elements is the freedom Starfield grants players when it comes to customizing their spaceship – something completely missing from any Mass Effect games to date, but something that could really enhance Mass Effect 4's gameplay.
Starfield's Customizable Ships
During the recent Xbox and Bethesda Showcase, fans were finally given a look at some Starfield gameplay. Despite delays and speculation about troubled development and unrealistic timescales, Starfield looks like it's still on track for a 2023 release. The incredibly ambitious game hadn't revealed many of its secrets since it was first announced, but thanks to the gameplay reveal, players have now been able to see the RPG in action, as well as learn more about the world of Starfield and what they can expect from the upcoming title.
Alongside a look at some settings, discussions about the story, and a deeper dive into combat, the recent gameplay reveal also showed off the customization options in Starfield. The game is largely centered around customization, with an emphasis on player choice to shape the story, create the protagonist, and craft the ship and outposts as well. The spaceships and their combat capabilities were some of the more exciting features shown off in the gameplay reveal, with players essentially able to build their own ship from the ground up and tweak a variety of different aspects and aesthetics. With such a prominent focus on space exploration and travel, customizable ships just make sense in Starfield.
Mass Effect's Equivalent
The Mass Effect games have a very different approach to their ships. The SSV Normandy SR-1 was an important aspect of the first Mass Effect, not just as a political symbol of turian-human collaboration, but as a reminder of Commander Shepard's new role as the first human Spectre. It served as a hub where players could pick their next missions and get to know their crew. Even more crucially, it was a home for Shepard and their companions and was the space where they could really develop their key relationships and even pursue romances. The ship was an iconic aspect of the first game, and its destruction at the start of Mass Effect 2 was a definitive moment in the series.
The annihilation of the ship, the deaths of multiple crew members, and Shepard's own temporary demise were an emotional beginning to the sequel. Bringing (most of) the crew back together again on the Normandy SR-2 during the course of Mass Effect 2 and launching the final attack against the Reapers from it in Mass Effect 3 was suitably poignant, and the ship served as the home for Shepard and their companions for the rest of the series. The Tempest in Mass Effect: Andromeda may come with all-new gadgets and a shiny exterior, but it didn't really have the same emotional resonance as the Normandy.
If Mass Effect 4 can't make a ship with the same story significance as the Normandy, then maybe it shouldn't try. The next game will likely focus on the rebuilding of the Milky Way galaxy after the devastation of the Reaper invasion, and players having to build their own ship and improve it as they go could make a lot of sense within Mass Effect 4's story. If the protagonist isn't Shepard or Ryder – and it doesn't seem like they will be – it will probably be a character that has to prove themselves. Crafting their own space-faring vehicle seems more plausible than being given another state-of-the-art ship from the get-go.
Personalizing Ships In Mass Effect
Some players may have mixed feelings about the thought of creating their own ship instead of being given one; the Normandy is almost as much of a character in Mass Effect as Shepard is, after all. But it's likely that the series will have moved on from the Normandy and the crew that piloted her in the next Mass Effect entry, so a fresh start with something completely customizable in the upcoming title might be a good idea. It could also help with the role-playing elements if gamers can have a hand in crafting the look and feel of their ship, right down to the layout and how it handles. This could tie in particularly well if the next Mass Effect also makes the protagonist customizable through the use of a character creator.
Mass Effect 4 will likely be pushing the boat out when it comes to some classic franchise elements. Regardless of when the next game is set, Shepard's return seems unlikely, and there might not be that many other familiar faces either. Mass Effect: Andromeda tried to implement some new elements that might not have panned out quite as well as BioWare expected, and this might make the developer embrace older aspects and keep the new game in safer territory, but fans will still be expecting some upgrades. A customizable ship with ways to change not just the external look but also the way the internal areas function as well would be a really innovative thing to bring to the Mass Effect universe and could help players immerse themselves in the new game even more.
Mass Effect 4 is in development.