Commander Shepard’s story is over. Where should BioWare take the Mass Effect franchise from here?
I’m exhausted. I’ve just seen most of humanity’s finest wiped out by a giant mechanical menace, and while I survived the blast, I’m barely able to stand. The Illusive Man is dead; good riddance, after that bastard made me shoot Anderson. Now I stand at the top of the Citadel, with one last decision to make: kill the Reapers, along with all synthetic beings, control the Reapers, or create a new species? Whatever the choice, whether I live or die, my story ends here.
Such is the way things play out for Commander Shepard in Mass Effect 3, and whether you loved or hated the endings, one thing is for certain: BioWare will have to take the franchise in a different direction. But after staring down the Reapers, arguably the biggest enemy possible, how does one continue the story?
1) A New Threat
For many, this would seem the most obvious approach. Now that Shepard’s story is over, focus on the aftermath, somehow using the player’s save data from the previous game much like Mass Effect 2 and 3 did… but then for BioWare that means somehow copying data to a new, next-gen system, or at the very least using the “interactive comic” idea that first showed up with the PS3 version of Mass Effect 2. Perhaps take the player on a tour of previously-visited sites, let them see the effects of the choices they made, and in time uncover a new threat to the galaxy. Maybe a conspiracy to seize power of an obviously frail universal government, or a terrorist group sprouts up, opposed to whatever it is you did as Shepard in the final moments of Mass Effect 3… they could definitely have one particular race become a huge opponent based on one possible choice in ME3, but not have that quest even be an option if you made a different choice. Or maybe the next story takes place a hundred, or even a thousand, years in the future. BioWare could have a much older Liara introduce the players to the story that came before (granted your Shepard succeeded against the Reapers).
2) Look to the Past
BioWare could just as easily explore the events that precede the first Mass Effect. Maybe a new trilogy could follow Anderson’s rise through the ranks and flirtation with becoming the first human Spectre. Heck, Saren could even be a part of your party at one point. Take an in-depth look at the First Contact War, or the stories told in the series’ novels. There is plenty of material and backstory that could be looked into.
3) Retell the Story
A third approach could be to introduce a new protagonist, but have his or her story run alongside that of Shepard. Of course, it probably wouldn’t be nearly as epic (at least as far as the finale is concerned), but there are possibilities there. It’s a big universe; maybe this new character and their team is on the other side of the galaxy, handling something Shepard can’t because his (or her) hands are already full.
Either way, there are many stories left to tell in the universe BioWare has created. What do you think? How would you follow up Shepard’s story?
