Andromeda’s Romance Should Inspire ME4

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home January 19, 2025 2 Views 6 Min Read
Andromeda's Romance Should Inspire ME4

Despite Mass Effect: Andromeda continuing to be the black sheep of BioWare’s Mass Effect franchise, there are still certain areas where it succeeded that the next game could learn from, such as its short-lived romance storylines. Among the various issues Mass Effect: Andromeda encountered following its launch, like its now-infamous facial animations, the game was criticized for its underwhelming LGBTQ+ romance options, particularly for one of its dual protagonists, Scott Ryder. However, this meant that one of its most interesting romance arcs fell under the radar, and arguably deserves to be revisited in the upcoming Mass Effect 4.

Out of the dozens of potential romances throughout the Mass Effect franchise, whether they are one-night stands or multiple games long, one particular romance in ME: Andromeda stands out by attempting to do something life-changing for its players. Yet with ME: Andromeda‘s mixed reception causing its legacy to be cut short, along with any unique stories this romance could have led to, BioWare has the opportunity to revisit this idea in its next Mass Effect game. With the high likelihood of romances returning in Mass Effect 4 following four other games of a stale formula, it could revive ME: Andromeda‘s close encounter with players becoming parents.

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One of Mass Effect: Andromeda’s Romances Stands Out Within the Series

While ME: Andromeda had ten possible romances for players to pursue, the one players could have with Gil Brodie, the player’s ship engineer, is an outlier from the others. As an exclusively LGBTQ+ romance for ME: Andromeda, befriending and romancing Gil allows players to explore the game’s core premise of colonizing another galaxy that no other in-game romance seems to tap into. Despite the reduced number of interactions players can have with Gil since he’s not a squadmate, ME: Andromeda makes up for it by being the only romance in which players can ultimately become parents with him.

In the context of ME: Andromeda‘s romances and story, procreation is a topic the game touches upon through missions like “The Little Things That Matter,” as the next generation of Andromeda-born children will be vital to the sustainability of its colonies. This is something that Gil’s character arc also explores, as whether romanced or not, players have the opportunity to encourage him to agree to be a sperm donor and co-parent to one of these Andromeda-born kids. But should players have a romance with Gil, this storyline can include them too, as the option to become co-parents extends to the player as well.

Mass Effect: Andromeda’s Parenthood Went Where The Trilogy Couldn’t

Mass Effect Andromeda Gil Jill

Due to the original Mass Effect trilogy’s backdrop of the Reaper War and a fight against extinction, there are pros and cons to overlooking the potential of player parenthood in its story. While it could have pulled focus from the trilogy’s overarching narrative, the possibility of parenthood with Mass Effect‘s romances could have added unique depth and stakes to the story where players fought for both their child and the galaxy. However, given ME: Andromeda‘s colonization background, it was arguably for the best that BioWare saved the idea of player parenthood for future games after its original trilogy.

Mass Effect 4 Should Let Players Explore Parenthood

Regardless of where or when Mass Effect 4 will be set within the franchise’s canon, BioWare still has the chance to revive its parenthood storyline in the next game, especially since ME: Andromeda never got the chance to explore Gil’s story further. After four games of multiple romances, Mass Effect 4‘s romances have the opportunity to finally follow through on what ME: Andromeda could only hint toward in its ending. As a result, Mass Effect 4 should pick up where ME: Andromeda left off and introduce the potential for players to become parents through compatible romances, such as the list of possible options below.

  • Natural conception via a human romance partner.
  • An Asari daughter via an Asari romance option.
  • Adopting a step-child during a partner’s romance storyline.

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