Fans are still waiting for EA and Bioware to reveal more details about Mass Effect 4, or whatever the series’ return is called. While information on the game is slim, a leaker claims that it will go back to the traditional Bioware format and ditch Andromeda’s open-world gameplay.
Jez Corden spoke on The Xbox Two Podcast (via Eurogamer) and confirmed that the new entry would go back to its roots. Corden’s exact words were that it would be going back to the “classic” formula, which should make longtime fans happy.
To those unfamiliar, the original Mass Effect games are pretty linear. Players have a central hub where they can socialize with party members and various characters, maybe even develop a romance or two. Once missions start, they have a good blend of third-person shooting and choice-making, the latter of which can affect your ending and character relationships.
"I've heard that Mass Effect is ditching open world," Corden said, "and going back to its classic format. I don't know if that's accurate, 100 percent, but it's an industry rumour."
With Bioware and EA wanting to win back fans after Mass Effect: Andromeda’s failure, the standard RPG style for Mass Effect 4 could win them over. Plus, the current gaming ecosystem is overflooded with open-world titles, which would make the sci-fi RPG stand out even more.
Admittedly, the open-world design isn’t why Andromeda ended up being a failure in the eyes of many. It was clearly a rushed game spat out to keep fans busy while Bioware worked on Anthem. Both titles ended up suffering in the grand scheme of things, with Andromeda being a buggy mess while Anthem never found its footing as a live service.
To be fair, patches have made Andromeda a much more tolerable experience and there are even fans who like it now. Still, it was an overall disappointment and fans are hoping that things get better with the franchise.
Bioware has been busy working on the new Mass Effect and Dragon Age entries, with the latter getting more updates. In addition to working on these, the company also gave up control of Star Wars: The Old Republic to focus on these projects.
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Mass Effect Legendary Edition is available now on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. This is a collection of the first three games in the series.