The Mass Effect Franchise Should Follow in Halo’s Footsteps

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home January 28, 2025 3 Views 6 Min Read
The Mass Effect Franchise Should Follow in Halo's Footsteps
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The Mass Effect franchise is more or less in limbo at the moment. BioWare has confirmed that it is working on Mass Effect 4, but when this game is set to release, and what it will look like, are both complete mysteries. Despite this lack of concrete information about the future of the franchise, Mass Effect 4 is an existential project for BioWare, as it will define the studio’s future in the wake of Dragon Age: The Veilguard‘s underwhelming sales.

Aside from the important role that Mass Effect 4 will play in BioWare’s portfolio, the project is of the utmost significance to the Mass Effect fanbase. Since Mass Effect 3, the series has lacked the magic that came to define it as one of the premier science-fiction gaming franchises, with Andromeda failing to live up to the IP’s lofty reputation. Whether it’s fair or not, Mass Effect 4 has essentially been tasked with redeeming the franchise and bringing it into the modern age, which is no small feat. But perhaps, by borrowing a strategy from the Halo series, the Mass Effect IP can diversify and spread in unique, multifaceted ways, going beyond a single, all-encompassing release.

Mass Effect Andromeda Romance Sequel

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Mass Effect Could Benefit From Halo-Esque Spin-Off Games

Mass Effect’s Universe Has Room for Non-Mainline Entries

Mass Effect 4‘s numbered title, coupled with the appearance of Liara in its reveal trailer, suggest that it will be a continuation of the original trilogy—something that can’t be said about Mass Effect Andromeda. But while Andromeda may loosely fit the definition of a spin-off, being untethered from the narrative of the original games, it is so far removed from that story (it literally takes place in another galaxy) that it winds up feeling like another IP entirely, at least at times.

Looking forward, perhaps Mass Effect could take inspiration from a game like Halo 3: ODST, putting players in the shoes of a lower-ranking soldier during a canon event, like the attack on the Citadel during Mass Effect 1. This sort of game could serve to show a different, more intimate side of the Mass Effect conflict, since Shepard and their team are mostly removed from such matters. Or maybe a prequel game, a Halo: Reach equivalent, could follow the Prothean’s first encounter with the Reapers, or the Krogan’s war with the Turians. These games would flesh out Mass Effect‘s world, but they would also offer a diverse range of experiences for players. Plus, if marketed correctly, they could be received with more conservative expectations, similar to how the Resident Evil fanbase views the smaller Revelations games.

With these hypothetical games being positioned as spin-offs, EA could outsource development to other teams, freeing up BioWare to work on the flagship entries.

Mass Effect Spin-Offs Could Be More Experimental

Halo Wars is a series that has long endured the test of time despite featuring gameplay that is remarkably different from the mainline Halo franchise. It’s an RTS game, one that uses the narrative language of the broader Halo series to uphold its structure and gameplay fundamentals. Something like this could conceivably work very well for Mass Effect, which features similarly advanced technology and large-scale warfare that could be leveraged for satisfying strategy scenarios. Mass Effect could just as easily lean into other genres as well, like visual novel or city-builder. It could even revive the top-down shooter mechanics of Mass Effect Galaxy, a long-forgotten mobile game.

The point of such radical departures would be to let players engage with the world of Mass Effect through distinct, refreshing mechanics; third-person tactical shooting isn’t the only way to interface with the series’ rich lore. Put plainly, such an approach would give audiences more, and more unique, Mass Effect experiences, while taking some of the pressure off the flagship entries to solely carry the IP forward.

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