Mass Effect 4 Will Not Feature Shepard or "Shepard 2"

[Mourne]

snip

Yahtzee called, he wants his lines back. In any case, just because you didn't enjoy the rest of the game doesn't mean that others had to hate it too. It's not like there's differing opinions in the world. And while I was talking about the rest of the game I meant both story and gameplay were above average. The story had a way of feeling intense and epic while at the same time being understandable, and the gameplay didn't detract from it in any way and I felt Shepard growing stronger the longer I played. All in all, the game was outstanding, if a little disappointing with the end for some people.

Agreed. I felt that the story and combat mixed together quite nicely (one of the memorable ones for me is the introduction of the banshee on the ardat-yakshi monastery).

As for the game in entirety, I loved it. I don't understand how fifteen minutes ruins 20+ hours of gameplay. I've always looked to the adventure of getting through the story. And after spending a large amount of time on the game, I was pleased that I kept my view of the game as it was, for I was disappointed in the ending (I had avoided the pre-spoilers). I was amazed with the Extended Cut, though, because it filled in the holes and any assumptions I had made. And not only after that, I found out how the universe ended up, and the consequences thereof. It was informative, and I was pleased with the ending. And especially the very end, with the Normandy, was great. It gave a closing, but also gave you substance for thought. Before the EC, you knew nothing. And now, you had the ability to make reasonable assumptions.

Overall, I'm pleased with the game, and I agree with your statements.

 

[Doom972]

But who would buy it at this point, after so much fail on 3?

So much fail? Up to retaking Earth, most people seemed to be having fun, and they fixed the endings, though many people still weren't pleased for not getting their perfect ending.

*groan* I'm really getting tired of Bioware apologists acting as if A) it was the fans being unreasonable B) the lack of a perfect ending where you marry your waifu is the source of the complaint and C) the false-meme that the DLC actually fixed the ending. The major problem that exists because of the ass-pull that is the God-Child and the forced A,B,C ending that disregards every decision you've made to that point still exists. Internal consistency and genre focus might be a minor quibble to you but stop acting as if it means nothing to everyone else too.

In Deus Ex: Invisible War, they combined the endings without revealing the order in which they happened (the first being the one chosen by the player). It's not a very good way of making a sequel, but it's an option. As I said, I prefer that it won't take place after ME3.

With the allotment that in Invisible War these three things all could possible exist alongside one another. For this to happen in Mass Effect the Reapers would have to be simultaneously controlled by God-Shepard and destroyed. Shepard would have to exist within the Catalyst controlling the reapers, dead, and alive.

Oh look, another person still complaining about Mass Effect 3's ending. Did you not enjoy the other 20 hours of the game? Did you not think the other 99% of it was above normal?

I can't speak for everyone, but I did not. ME2 + 3 were generic chest-high-wall shooters. ME2 at least had the redeemable quality that was strong characters and dialogue, ME3 did not. Let's be honest, ME was never a series that had especially strong mechanics. It kept people going because of how well written it was. I'm not the only person who has stated that they couldn't wait for the action to get over so they could get back to story when it came to ME1.

I liked the ending, it was a means for each player to interpret it their own way rather than to have a story told to us.

PLEASE inform me of how you interpreted those endings differently. I would love to hear how you managed an interpretation of the ending events at all.

In retrospect, it was probably the best way they could end the series.

Probably, though that's not as a result of clever writing as much as it was Bioware writing itself into a corner. I suspected that sometime after ME2 Bioware would find itself not sure of where to proceed. That's the problem with "planned" trilogies and stubborn refusal to think ahead.

Some times I feel like one of the only logical people here...ugh.

I don't think you should call yourself "one of the only logical people here" and then post a summary of what everyone else has already said. You're missing the point anyway, just because a series can go on doesn't mean it should and if it should that doesn't mean it should continue in the same format. Mass Effect has been written into a corner; you can't do a prequel because humanity is a new comer on the scene and all the major actions therein have been covered, leaving little room for players to create their own stories. Looking into the future? You get to canonize 1 of 3 endings that most ME3 fanboys have difficulty offering more than faint praise for. ME3 detractors have reason to be skeptical, highly so.

Star Wars, Star Trek, Marvel and DC comics and movies say hi.

I'm not sure what that has to do with, well, ANYTHING but all the terrible things those IPs put out regularly say hi right back.

I didn't apologize for anyone, and I don't appreciate being labeled as such. I personally enjoyed the game up until Earth, which was mostly grey, boring and repetitive, and the original endings made me not want to play ME3 through with my other Shepards. I found the Extended Cut endings satisfactory and I know that many others did as well. It makes sense to me that they won't make an ending according to each and every player's fantasy, and I don't see how that would even be possible. Also, no matter how many people cry over it, there's no way to defeat the Reapers conventionally.

As for my Deus Ex example, I gave that example to show how some developers might choose to handle a sequel to a game with several different endings. I didn't say that it was particularly good or that it would work with Mass Effect.

 

[Blind Sight]

Regardless of your opinion on the ending, it was pretty final in regards to universe lore. Expanding beyond that into the future would probably be a bad idea, it'll just create an even more deterministic setting then ME3 did.

Then again, I'll admit I'm openly jaded towards new Bioware games. After Mass Effect and Dragon Age Origins I was really looking forward to what they would put out next. Mass Effect 2 was ok, the plot problems started to emerge there, but overall it was a good experience (with probably only a quarter or so of the game having major issues). Then Dragon Age 2 came out and you could see the design philosophy shifting to somewhere really...weird. It ended up being massively bogged down with plot issues and terrible pacing, but I gave it a bit of a free pass due to its rushed nature. Then Mass Effect 3 came out, with its blatant emotional manipulation, weak plot, flaccid villains, and confusing lore choices. People focus on the ending and I don't really understand why the rest of the game gets so much of a free pass, perhaps because it's just such a perfect summary of how messy the whole trilogy turned out in the end.

Anyway, I'm sensing a trend here, and unless Bioware decides to change its company culture very soon I doubt we'll see a return to their former quality.

 

[Doom972]

-snip-

I found the Extended Cut endings satisfactory and I know that many others did as well.

I'm sorry but the only way someone can be satisfied with the extended cut endings is if you don't think them through. Sure, they removed the glaringly obvious teleport but there are still several unexplained plotholes.

It makes sense to me that they won't make an ending according to each and every player's fantasy, and I don't see how that would even be possible.

It wouldn't, fortunately absolutely no one was asking for that. There's a difference between an ending which is reflected by your choices and using magic to create the ideal ending everyone wanted. You know, the thing Bioware said they were going to do then reneged on?

Also, no matter how many people cry over it, there's no way to defeat the Reapers conventionally.

Which is probably why the Reaper invasion should've never happened to begin with. If you create an enemy so powerful, where each one of their number is basically a minor physical god, but you also need your universe to survive into the sequel, don't force the protagonist(s) to engage them directly. The Reaper invasion, starting from the end of ME2, was just a poor writing decision.

As for my Deus Ex example, I gave that example to show how some developers might choose to handle a sequel to a game with several different endings. I didn't say that it was particularly good or that it would work with Mass Effect.

Granted, however that wasn't my point. My point was that there isn't anything Bioware could do that maintains all three endings that isn't a clusterfuck; they've canonically run out of space magic when the mass relays went super nova.

Sorry, but if you think that there are serious plotholes, I don't think you understood the endings very well.

Nobody was asking for a very specific ending? The Bioware ME3 forum I was reading was full of threads about why couldn't they get this or that very specific event in the end.

You would be right about the Reaper invasion, except for the fact that ME3 was planned as the last in that story arc. For that purpose the Reaper invasion made sense. They never said they want to make a sequel to ME3, but just another game in the ME universe.

I know Bioware can't combine the endings, and again that wasn't my point. My point was that there are ways (some of them not as good as others) to make a sequel to a game with multiple endings.

 

[Kinguendo]

So they gave you that crappy ending to the trilogy... and then they are continuing the series?! I dont see why they didnt just do what I said they should do, especially given that they are continuing the series as that is the primary concept behind my idea.

Basically my idea was that Shepard failed against odds that he really shouldnt have beaten anyway, and the series continues 50,000 years later with new races who have a better chance of beating the Reapers because of your efforts in the first 3 games and the things Shepard and the Alliance left behind. That would have explained a 4th game in the series, the current ending certainly does not.

 

[Undeadpool]

They'll bring Shepard back in some way. She won't be the main character, and she probably won't be in the game itself for very long, but they'll find a way to give her a cameo.

My question is this: Assuming they set the game after Mass Effect 3, how are they going to do it? While each ending in 3 is pretty much the same, there are some HUGE differences between them. Is BioWare just going to pick one of the three endings and decide, "Yep, that's what happened," or are they going to make it so the game can read our save files?

It'll likely take place before ME3 and have little to nothing to do with the original trilogy's plotline.

This isn't a surprise since they all but said this at 2's announcement. Personally I can't wait to see whatever they do and I'm really anxious to see what direction the franchise goes.

 

[Syzygy23]

Not even a soldier? Even after sacrificing so many of the decent story elements in order to make Mass Effect 3 a great third person shooter?

We always knew it wouldn't be Shepard though. They said before ME3 even came out that it'd be the last game based around them. Obviously Bioware are not particularly well known right now for saying things and sticking to them, but it's not that surprising that they have ended Shepards story.

Mediocre 3rd person shooter.

Metals Arms: Glitch in the System was a great third person shooter. After ME1 Bioware didn't know if they wanted to make a cover based shooter or an RPG, and ended up doing both at the cost of doing neither very well. It's competent, at best, but don't mistake it for something better than it is.

Shitty ending and everything else aside, I really don't see how they can top the ME trilogy with another ME series unless it's set after Shepherds final choice was made. And if they did THAT they'd basically have to write and develop 3 different games because different people chose different endings.

 

[mykalwane]

Jonathan Bolding, thank you for putting this out here. Might of been diluted into thinking Shepard might come back and have a happy ending otherwise.

 

[blackrave]

I know I'll repeat myself, but anytime I hear Shepard2 only thing I can think is this
That's what happened to Shepard2

 

[LongMuckDong]

The King is Dead (probably...)

Long live the King (Commander Kintaro 'Shepardio' or whatever universal last name is thought up by 2014)

 

[Nelires]

No no no no no no no. Just no.
*slaps Bioware*

Mass Effect is done. It ended. Don't go trying to milk your money cow until she's nothing but an unattractive skinbag with bones. Let her end looking beautiful like she was in life.

It's not Mass Effect without Shepherd and Bioware's only going to ruin a good thing if they pursue an ME4.

 

[jamesbrown]

For everyone asking what implications regarding the Reapers will have on ME4, consider this: The Collector Base's impact on ME3.

This is the most intelligent thing I have heard on this forum: +10 kudos

 

[Impluse_101]

I'd buy the game if I can be an alien from any race. Being a human made me stand out as a sore thumb in the Mass Effect universe and honestly the Alliance had nothing going for it. All the soldiers and human characters were dull compared to every other character i've gotten to know such as Wrex, Tali, Garrus, Liara, Legion, Mordin, Thane, EDI, Javik- these guys were as developed and human like as a .. well, human! Only human characters I felt close to were Jack and my own Shepard.

Hopefully ME4 can be a great game that has an amazing storyline, even if we can't be an alien ourselves. We'll still most likely have alien companions, someone to be with romantically, and further ourselves into the ME universe. Or it can crash and burn leaving Bioware in the biggest ditch a person can dig for him/herself... but I like being optimistic so GO ME4!!

#IwouldplayasanElcor.jpg

On topic however:
Short answer: No
Long answer: Nooooooooooooooooooo.....oooo....oooo.

I never played the trilogy, but, with me being spoiled on what it is, there should be no more.

 

[Swyftstar]

What? No Shepard progeny, didn't we bone like half the galaxy?

 

[lapan]

But who would buy it at this point, after so much fail on 3?

All of us who liked 3's ending, like me, or those of us who didn't care about the 10 less-than-good minutes at the end of a 3-game series. You guys are all whinier than Star Wars fans. Good grief.

For me, what i've heard and seen of Mass Effect 3 dissapointed me enough to make me not buy and play it at all. I was expecting my choices to have more weight than a few numbers and some minor differences at the end.