An overhaul ofAnthem,Dragon Age 4, andMass Effect 5all appear to be on BioWare’s plate, meaning many fans of the developer are optimistic for its future. That said, it’s likely a careful optimism as BioWare has seen many highs and lows during its time, with the lows being much more recent.Anthem, for example, is the second-to-lowestreviewed BioWare game ever made, withMass Effect Andromedaappearing just two ranks above it.
Indeed, whenMass Effect Andromedareleased, many thought it was the lowest BioWare could ever go. It was a wild ride where it was praised by some to a degree (while still falling short of theMass Effecttrilogy), while it was critically panned by others. In some realms of the internet, it was even a laughing stock as many took aim at its character and facial animations, voice acting, and a variety of technical issues. To its credit, some of this has since been fixed but leaving a sour taste in many mouths nonetheless.
Still one feature was well-received and was a nice reprieve, that being thecombat system ofMass Effect Andromeda.
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Mass Effect Andromeda
Unlike previous games,Mass Effect Andromedadid not lock players into one single class. Instead,ME Andromedaplayers would have combat profilesthat allowed them to change their abilities on the fly, even in the midst of combat. Players could still spend skill points and increase ranks within certain profiles, but this allowed them to focus and unlock the profiles they wanted, while ignoring those that they did not. Oftentimes, in a class and companion based game, it’s about figuring out good team composition.
For example,Dragon Age Originspractically required a rogue (Zevran or Leliana, if not the player) to unlock items, whereas a age was required for healing (either the player or Wynne, or a reliance on items). To a lesser extent,mass Effecthas always been the same way, whileMass Effect Andromedaopened this up. If players wanted to focus on playing a heavy combat soldier type of character but found that they did not enjoy any ofAndromeda’s biotic companions, swapping up profiles helped ease this and not give up that style of gameplay necessarily.
It was a fluid system, one even recognize at the time of its pre-release marketing and actual release, yet it was also one that was a overshadowed by thefailings ofMass Effect Andromeda’s facial animations.
Mass Effect 5
Rumors indicate that aMass Effect Trilogyremake is on the way. Reports indicate thatMass Effect 5is in early stages of development. Really, the future is bright for the franchise. A remake of theME Trilogycould pave the way for the next game, hopefully cementing the funds and time required to take it above and beyond BioWare’s recent snafus. Whether that’s a return to the Milky Way galaxy (somehow? and ignoringAndromedaaltogether), a continuation of theAndromedastoryline, or a new galaxy turning it and Andromeda into potential standalones. After all, putting the future of the Milk Way all into one basket doesn’t seem like the best bet.
Regardless, it has a lot to live up to and a lot to live down. Many would love to see BioWare return to glory, keepingDragon Ageon its pedestal, bringing backMass Effect, and evenredeemingAnthemby the end of the road. Adapting and improving onMass Effect Andromeda’s class system is just one lesson of many from the franchise’s latest entry that may likely be incorporated into the next iteration of the franchise.
