'There will be no more Shepard' in the next Mass Effect

"This will be a very, very different context..."

We knew a new Mass Effect was coming in some way, shape or form. But we didn't know what it would be about, who it would star or if it would remain in its action-RPG roots.

Much is still a mystery about the next Mass Effect, but one thing is for certain now:

"“There is one thing we are absolutely sure of -- there will be no more Shepard," said Fabrice Condominas, a BioWare Montreal producer, to VG247 at a recent EA showcase. "The trilogy is over."

So scratch those ideas you had for extending Commander Shepard's story, whether you were hoping for a post-Reaper story or a prequel about humanity's greatest soldier. Mass Effect 4 -- or whatever it will end up being named -- will star a new hero, and most likely not just another "solider in the universe."

"The Mass Effect universe is vast, and very, very rich. So at this point in time, we don’t even know what kind of time frame we’re going to be in. All we’re doing is more gathering ideas from the teams, gathering feedback to see several things," said Condominas. "So first, we don’t want to make ‘Shepard 2...' So this will be a very, very different context for sure, and nothing has been decided on the rest.”

Indeed, Mass Effect's lore is rich enough to start a brand new saga at a completely different time and place, with completely different characters and circumstances. As a fan of the series, I'd love explore a more open Mass Effect world and have the ability to create a character from the alien race of my choosing.

Then again, if BioWare gave us that power, I get the feeling there'd be a lot more scantily-clad Asari's running around the Citadel.

What would you like to see in the next Mass Effect?

Staff article by Jonathan Davila (October 19, 2012) A bio for this contributor is currently unavailable, but check back soon to see if that changes. If you are the author of this news article, you can update your bio from the Settings page.