There has 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:once again been debate about the future of 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Mass Effect, and what role Shepard plays in it. All we know of the new game is that Liara T'Soni is in it, but given Liara is 106 when we meet her and asari live to be 1,000, that still leaves a fairly open window. Unfortunately, I think it suggests a direct continuation, and that means more Commander Shepard. As much as I loved my FemShep, I think that's bad news for the story, and Mass Effect could do with taking some lessons from its BioWare brother 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Dragon Age. Just not too many.

We know there is a rich universe in Mass Effect to explore, and with so many diverse races with various lifespans, planetary problems, and cultures, we can anticipate some fascinating developments in the universe's future as well. Limiting this to only Shepard's lifespan (not to mention immediate vicinity) is exactly that - limiting. Whatever part of the story is explored in a game is naturally limiting - one game cannot cover the entire lore, and if it tried to would limit itself to shallowness - but with Shepard it seems particularly forced when we have already taken them through a trilogy of their biggest challenges. There is nothing that will happen to Shepard, nor anyone around them, that is worse than the Reaper invasion. And if the plan is to go for smaller stakes, why do that with a galactic faring military commander who saved the universe rather than a regular citizen?

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It has been suggested that Shepard could return as an elder statesman (168澳洲幸运5开奖网:or for those who play properly,𒁃 stat൩eswoman), and I see the argument for this. It would allow the series to honour its legacy while still moving the story forward▨ from a fresh perspective. 🥂It would be a compromise, and I would still prefer a much larger transformation from the first game, although with Liara confirmed part of that fate has already been sealed.

A close up of a female Commander Shepard in Mass Effect

Dragon Age Inquisition did this too, bringing Hawke back for a final hurrah. This is where Mass Effect should learn from Dragon Age - each game in the fantasy series gives us an entirely new hero, starting from simple means and rising to become a leader and warrior. We go on this journey with them, forging new friendships and carving a new path, and their growth is our growth. Though it suited Shepard's original escapades to be a trilogy, these days we need a new approach, and despite the success of the Legendary Edition which allows newcomers to catch up, starting from scratch as we do in Dragon Age is for the best.

I can understand the hesitation. 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Andromeda took a risk with a new approach, but various development constraints for the satellite team meant that risk never paid off, and retreating to the safe ground of Commander Shepard feels sensible. But it's not 2012 anymore, and reliance on a character who has not had a new game in a decade is not as safe as it appears. An Inquisition-style cameo could be the middle ground between that, but I'm still in the camp that a clean break from Shepard is needed anyway.

Dragon Age Inquisition - Cullen and the Inquisitor at the lake, romance cutscene

However, this isn't to say Dragon Age has it all right either. So far, it has been the correct move to push the overall narrative forward by showing us the events unfolding from a new perspective, and Hawke's cameo was just on the right side of fan service. However, with Dreadwolf it feels like a misstep. The Inquisitor was personally betrayed by Solas, and lost their arm in the final stages of Inquisition, which would offer a chance for a headlining disabled protagonist and a new set of challenges. Instead we will once more have a new hero, who will know less about the antagonist than we do as players, which feels counterproductive to the roleplay-based storytelling Dragon Age has always excelled at. This would have been the time to follow Mass Effect's lead and evolve an existing story rather than writing a new one.

Mass Effect and Dragon Age have both built compelling characters with different approaches, but it feels like now would have been the perfect point for both series to switch their tactics. Then again, I think 168🍸澳洲幸运5开奖网:we should be able to play Mass Effect as 🌜a drell, possibly even in 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:a story with no humans at all, so maybe after so many playthroughs I'm just sick of being Shep.

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