Mass Effect developers say next character won’t be a ‘Shepard 2’

One of the biggest gaming franchises of this generation has been BioWare’s Mass Effect series. According to VG247, the next Mass Effect game will star a completely new character instead of just a rehash of the previous protagonist – Commander Shepard. BioWare Montreal producer Fabrice Condominas told VG247 that the studio has never shied away from the fact that Mass Effect series will continue after the end of the current trilogy, but with a completely new hero.

When asked what the next games in the series will have compared to the current Mass Effect trilogy, Condominas said, “There is one thing we are absolutely sure of – there will be no more Shepard, and the trilogy is over”. He continued, “This is really our starting point. Now 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”.

More from News & Analysis

What is the US HIRE Bill and why is India’s $250-billion IT sector worried? Is the internet dead? What's this theory that OpenAI's Sam Altman says might be true?

“So first, we don’t want to make ‘Shepard 2′, or Mass Effect 4 with like, ‘oh there’s no more Shepard but you’re a soldier in the universe’. So this will be a very, very different context for sure, and nothing has been decided on the rest.”

The next protagonist won’t be a rehash of Commander Shepard

BioWare had recently announced the price and release date of the next downloadable content (DLC) for Mass Effect 3 titled Omega. The single player campaign is launching for the PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 on November 27, and will cost 1,200 Microsoft Points or about $15 (around Rs 793).

Omega is set to be the most expensive DLC released for the Mass Effect series yet, not counting in the online pass that came bundled with new copies of Mass Effect 2 , but cost 1,200 Microsoft Points if you had a used copy. It is also set to be the largest DLC for Mass Effect 3 so far, with producer Mike Gamble describing it during the ongoing New York Comic Con as “double the size” of the largest Mass Effect 3 DLC so far. The DLC has you revisit Omega from the second game and team up with the ruler, Aria T’loak, to retake the space station back from the control of Cerberus. Among the features of the DLC is the inclusion of new enemies like the Cerberus Dragoon class, which was recently added in the game for the multiplayer.

Back in August, BioWare had released the Leviathan DLC for Mass Effect 3. Leviathan, which was announced earlier in August, takes place during the events of Mass Effect 3. The protagonist of the game, Commander Shepard, is thrust into the darkest corners of space where he will hunt a mysterious being rumoured to be powerful enough to destroy a Reaper. As Shepard races against time, he will begin to learn more about the secret of the Leviathan. Here is a summary of the story, according to BioWare, “Something lurks in the dark corners of space, something powerful enough to kill a Reaper. Shepard must discover the most closely guarded secret in the galaxy before the Reapers silence it forever. Discover more about the origins of the Reapers as you race across the galaxy to find the Leviathan. Unravel the dark history of the Reaper Race before it is too late. Coming later this summer there is no war, only the harvest.”