Highlights

  • Mass Effect games were known for rich storytelling and RPG mechanics, not combat, unlike modern games like Cyberpunk 2077.
  • Star Wars Outlaws showcases fast-paced combat and customization with a focus on movement abilities and dogfighting mechanics.
  • Mass Effect 4 could benefit from incorporating similar combat elements and seamless movement systems to enhance player experience.

Mass Effect has become a cult-favorite series and it was one of the biggest talking points of the seventh generation of gaming consoles. Developed by BioWare, the game was known more for its detailed and in-depth storylines, characterization, and dialogue choices, than the actual gameplay. While Mass Effect and its sequels made an effort to improve combat as time went on, fans were always usually more interested in delving into the rich world and RPG mechanics over fighting enemies and using new weapons - and that's where Mass Effect 4 comes into play.

As the games industry has progressed, games like Elden Ring and Cyberpunk 2077 have proven that games can have incredibly detailed worlds and deep RPG mechanics without skimping out on the combat in the game. Star Wars Outlaws, an upcoming game set in the Star Wars universe and for release on August 30, 2024, seems to be pushing the envelope further, with incredible movement abilities, fast-paced and responsive action, and more that will be available to the player in addition to a possibly complex story. In a perfect world, Mass Effect 4 would incorporate some of these gameplay elements in its next installment too — to freshen up the combat that had held back its predecessors.

Star Wars Battlefront 2 promo art
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Star Wars Outlaws' Dogfighting Needs One Classic Battlefront Feature

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The Best Star Wars Outlaws Gameplay Features

If BioWare is searching for inspiration in Star Wars Outlaws (they should), there are a few key gameplay elements the new Mass Effect should aim to emulate. In Outlaws, blasters and ships are incredibly important, and, as a result, the space dogfighting between ships and other vehicles has always received special attention. Mass Effect 4 could incorporate a similar mechanic to great effect, following Outlaws’ cues to create massive setpieces that would feel right at home.

The overall gameplay, spot-on gunplay, and other combat elements in Star Wars Outlaws make combat feel more fluid and varied even in smaller moments. This includes mods and customization for blasters, and weapons, and then allowing players to use these weapons as they want to. Other factors at play would be hand-to-hand combat and stealth melee takedowns, bridging the gap further, and fulfilling power fantasies that virtually every player has. Mass Effect 4 should basically take inspiration from all this to create a character more powerful and fun to play than Shepherd ever was.

How Combat And Movement Can Make An RPG Play Better

BioWare is a well-known RPG developer in the community, and they’ve had a major impact on the action RPG subgenre through its many games including Dragon Age and Mass Effect. However, a lesson they can learn from modern games is how great movement and combat progressions can make an RPG, especially one with a massive open world and sidequests, easier and more fun to explore and play through. Cyberpunk 2077 offers a ton of side missions in the form of “gigs” to the player, but, crucially, the driving mechanics that CD Projekt Red has provided make it fun to roam around the city and explore. It is genuinely the driving force that leads players to find new gigs to take part in.

Movement Systems Mass Effect 4 Could Use

Developing a movement system is tougher than it seems, especially if it needs to hold true to the aesthetics and core themes of a series. For example, Spider-Man's fun traversal in the form of web-slinging is a staple, and Mass Effect 4 needs a similarly suitable form of traversal. Games like Outlaws with its speedsters on the surface of planets and Starfield have proven how fun space and ground travel can be, albeit the former has yet to be released. With the right resources, Mass Effect should also have a seamless, immersive combination of space and ground travel, using a spaceship that is easy and effortless to control, similar to No Man’s Sky.