The Mass Effect franchise features a universe so rich in history that it's easy to get lost in files detailing stories that take place before the events of the games. Instead of just focusing on futuristic flying cars and levitating cities, Mass Effect forces players to engage with the past.
Although the series has only covered Shepard's fight against the Reapers and the Andromeda Initiative, there are still dozens of stories that future games could explore. With the word of a new Mass Effect game in development, who knows, one of the entries on our list could be coming to a Gamestop near you.
10 The Rachni Wars
At first glance, the Rachni just look like hideous space shrimp. It's easy to forget that they nearly took over the Milky Way galaxy. The Krogan were eventually called to put an end to their galaxy-wide outbreak, overwhelming the Rachni just as the Rachni did everyone else.
We'd not only enjoy getting the opportunity to fight alongside the Krogan during a time when they were the galaxy's last hope, but we've never truly seen the Krogan at their peak.
9 The Geth War / Morning War
Long ago, the Quarian people were blessed with an entire planet that was so spacious and fruitful that they created robotic slaves, known as the Geth, to perform all the hard labor on their behalf. Over time, the Geth grew intelligent enough to question their status of forced servitude. After billions of lives were lost, the Quarians were driven from their homeworld by the very creatures they created.
In Mass Effect 3, Commander Shepard plays a pivotal role in ending this centuries-long conflict, but we never truly get to see how it all started. Rannoch currently looks like one giant, desolate rock, and it's hard to believe that it was once a place that could support anything. We'd love to see how Rannoch looked in its glory days, not to mention we'd be able to see Quarians without those anti-bacterial suits for a change. We know players would enjoy a Mass Effect game that plays like Detroit: Become Human as they find themselves in countless scenarios that test their sympathy with the Geth and their loyalty to the Quarian people.
8 The Krogan Rebellions
After the Rachni Wars, the Krogan were rewarded with new territories, but due to their explosive birth rates, they began to spread across the galaxy like... Rachni! The Krogan Rebellions broke out as they ignored all warnings to avoid conquering territories claimed by other Citadel races.
In the end, we know that the Krogan lost only due to the deployment of the Genophage, which crippled their birthrate. The Krogan still possess animosity towards the Turians and Salarians for this, and we've since dreamed of the day to be a soldier in the midst of this war. It doesn't matter which side we're on, although we can confidently say that killing Krogans is nothing new to us at this point.
7 The First Contact War
While we do enjoy the Human-Turian friendship that Shepard and Garrus have developed over the years, it's easy to forget that the first interaction between their species was very much an antagonistic one. After humans reactivated Mass Relay 314, they encountered the Turians, who immediately opened fire. This was the first time humans interacted with any other species, and of course, it had to start with an act of violence.
This is the war that led to humans diverting their racism not to their own kind, but to other alien species. Most importantly, this war was what gave Saren his hatred for humans, his negative emotions becoming the catalyst for the Reapers to manipulate him in the first game.
6 Previous Reaper Cycles
Given that the Reapers have destroyed entire civilizations thousands of times before, it's no wonder they're so good at this. We've seen in the Mass Effect 3 DLC From Ashes how Javik, the sole survivor of the Prothean race, managed to live through their last attack on the galaxy over 50,000 years ago, and we wonder what other kinds of civilizations fell to the Reapers.
Perhaps the further back in time we go, the more we can even understand the Reapers, or even witness their creation by the Leviathans.
5 Andromeda In A Few Years
Given that players actually played through the entirety of Mass Effect: Andromeda, they managed to save the galaxy and establish several colonies across new worlds, making the Andromeda Initiative a success, despite its rocky start. But what'll happen as this new society develops? We're sure civilizations on these planets will grow, leading to big cities like the ones currently on planets like Earth, Thessia, and Palaven, and we're also sure that there are other forms of intelligent life living somewhere on a planet that has yet to be explored, even by the Angara.
The Reapers may even make their way to this side of the galaxy given a few more years. We're not sure where developers would choose to go with a Mass Effect: Andromeda sequel, but they have more options that just continuing Ryder's story. With so much more to Andromeda, fans may find themselves in the distant past or the near-future of this developing corner of space.
4 A Spectre's Journey
Commander Shepard wasn't the first Spectre, although depending on the choices you made in Mass Effect 3, he could very well be the last. We know that Saren was the youngest Turian Spectre, and Asari and Salarian Spectres played a prominent role in the Krogran Rebellions, but besides that, not much is known about these Council-appointed agents, except the fact that they're pretty much above the law.
We loved playing as Shepard, and truly felt the freedom of being a Spectre as we made choices that, under normal circumstances, would've probably required hours of paperwork and approval. But how fun would it be to play as another Spectre? Maybe even an Asari or Salarian Spectre? They often come from impressive military careers, so playing through these campaigns definitely wouldn't be a bore.
3 A Quarian Pilgrimage
After the Quarians were forced from their home, they had to make several adjustments to their culture. The Pilgrimage is one such change, in which Quarians of a certain age are forced to leave their birth ship and venture the galaxy to retrieve a gift that they will then present to the Migrant Fleet in order to establish a home in a new ship.
We all know just how unpredictable a Pilgrimage can be since Tali's was the whole reason she bumped into Shepard in the first place. We'd love to get the chance to play a young Quarian in a heartfelt, planet-hopping coming-of-age story as we embark on a Pilgrimage to ultimately prevent the Migrant Fleet from being filled with a bunch of inbreds.
2 Jack's Past
Since she joined Shepard's team in Mass Effect 2, Jack has been one of the most intriguing characters in the franchise. From an uncontrollable biotic renegade to a responsible instructor, she's grown more than most other characters in the franchise.
She's had a traumatic, crime-filled past, and we know players would enjoy having the opportunity to play a character who's not an outward virtuoso like Shepard or Ryder. Her biotic prowess would definitely make for a difference in gameplay not stressed in previous Mass Effect games.
1 Commander Shepard's Past Career
It's often easy to take Commander Shepard's impressive military tenure for granted. As humanity's first Spectre, the original Mass Effect trilogy chronicled his quest to prove himself to the rest of the galaxy, but what about when he proved himself to humanity? Players are given the option to choose his pre-service history from the very start, and we just can't help but envision how fun it would be to play as Shepard during his formative years, enlisting in the military to either escape petty crime or follow in his parents' footsteps.
Maybe your Shepard will have earned his stripes after repelling Batarian slavers or surviving a thresher maw attack. And what about N7 training? We'd love to know if we got what it takes to get through it ourselves.