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http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-06-27-mass-effect-4-everything-we-know-so-far
Mass Effect 4: everything we know so far
UPDATE: Early gameplay footage added and familiar races revealed.
Two years have passed since the launch of Mass Effect 3 and, while there have been no official announcements of late, we know that BioWare is busy on its new Mass Effect game.
The team at BioWare Montreal regularly converses with fans via the company's official forum and via Twitter, where studio director Yanick Roy has said that the next Mass Effect game is "somewhere in the middle" of development.
Design work began around 18 months ago in late 2012. Another 18 months would take the team up until October 2015 - exactly a year after Dragon Age: Inquisition is due to be released.
The story, characters and gameplay of Mass Effect 4
The story will focus on a fresh protagonist who won't be another version of Commander Shepard, BioWare has said, but while there will be no direct continuation of the Commander's story, nods to past adventures will be included. (Perhaps we'll be able to revisit the Citadel and learn whether the Commander enjoyed shopping at any of the stores.) Shepard's companions are also unlikely to return, although the video revealed at E3 suggests that races such as krogans and humans will.
The video above also suggests that the story will be set in an entirely new region of space, something that would help BioWare sidestep the effects of Mass Effect 3's ending (spoiler: the existing universe is overwhelmed by angry forum posts), and start the series afresh. Navigation of that region will take place in a more fluid Galaxy Map, with the worlds themselves appearing as wide alien expanses, something which supports - without confirming - rumours that vehicular exploration will again form a key part of gameplay.
Given the omission of core characters and story fragments, when the game's official title is revealed, it certainly won't be "Mass Effect 4". But there will be no upheavals in the game's genre or design - it will be "the same type of game as the first three", Roy has said. Romance options are again due for inclusion and "there is no reason to believe" that same-sex options will be omitted, reflecting BioWare's existing commitment to diversity in its output.
Development on the game reached a milestone in September 2013 when executive producer Casey Hudson and BioWare's Edmonton and Montreal boss Aaryn Flynn both stated on Twitter that they had gone hands-on with a playable build of the game.
"What's even more fun than working on the design of a new fictional world? Taking our first steps into it and looking around," Hudson wrote.
"Great time playing the next Mass Effect game in Montreal," Flynn added. "Ambitious. Beautiful. Fresh but recognisable. And fun!"
First images revealed
Then, on 7th November 2013 (BioWare's annual "N7 Day"... oh wait, I just got it!), the first slices of artwork and blurry in-game images were posted via an orchestrated round ofTwitter posts from various BioWare staff. Humanoid figures and various alien-looking landscapes were shown off.
Like Dragon Age: Inquisition, the next Mass Effect will use DICE's Frostbite 3 engine.
One image in the selection was artwork of the original Mass Effect's Mako. "Inspiration for the future," the caption read, hinting at a possible return for planet-based exploration. "What ever could you mean by that?" Mass Effect producer Mike Gamble replied, playing our hearts like a cheap ukulele.
Perhaps the biggest question for Mass Effect fans is exactly when the next game will be set. Mass Effect 3's various endings leave an apparently wide range of variables for any future game to work from - although most of the outcomes could be retconned fairly easily when allowing for the passage of time.
One hint that the next game could be set after Mass Effect 3 came during the recent BioWare PAX East 2014 panel. Mass Effect 3's final coda, set many years later, suggests that Shepard's story has now become legend - whatever your final choice. But a panel attendee asked about the response to Shepard's final actions directly after. They were told that BioWare "can't really talk about that at this time".
The PAX Prime 2013 leak
In August last year Mass Effect producer Michael Gamble put out a call for fans attending PAX Prime 2013, requesting that they get in touch. A select 21 people were chosen to meet with BioWare, Gamble later stated, for a two-hour presentation held behind closed doors.
The contents of that meeting were not designed to be made public, but a post from an apparent attendee appeared online a week after the event took place.
Written on an obscure Mass Effect forum the post lay largely unnoticed until November last year, when it was picked up and reproduced by Reddit and NeoGAF. Included were details hinting at when the game would be set and, perhaps most excitingly, information on two new alien races.
Eurogamer spotted the post at the time but was unable to verify the contents as legitimate. A few days later, after months online, the post and its corresponding discussion thread were pulled without explanation.
The attendee had claimed that the two new alien types they were shown included an "arrogant", skeletal race with glowing eyes and an "ancient, advanced guardian" race with a sci-fi golem-like look. Mako-esque land vehicles were also apparently shown, with different models for various environments.
BioWare apparently quizzed the group of fans on what the series' "N7" moniker meant to them and whether they'd like a prequel or sequel (most picked sequel). The alleged attendee wrote that he inferred a sequel was most likely due to the introduction of the new alien species among the existing races.
When will we hear more?
Former BioWare community manager Chris Priestly recently addressed the game's marketing schedule and eventual release via a post on BioWare's official forum. Qualifying his thoughts with a disclaimer that he didn't know anything about the game's currentschedule, he did say that he had been privy to "a few details" before he departed the company in July 2013.
Early concept art for the Citadel. Who knows what designs are currently being crafted?
"I would guess that BioWare wants the focus of 2014 to be on Dragon Age: Inquisition," he wrote. "DA2 was not loved by all fans *cough*, but it was an important step going from DA:O to what DA:I looks to be.
"As such, and to ensure that DA:I will allow for much more DA content to come in the future (DLC for DAI, DA4/5/6 or whatever they get called, ancillary products, etc), I think this year's E3 will heavily push Inquisition to the press and gamers. To announce whatever the next ME game is called at E3 would dilute BioWare focus.
"I do hope Aaryn or Casey drop a few hints, but I really doubt there will be any teasers, trailers or even substantial news interviews about MENext. Given that for some fans the last memory of the trilogy was a negative one, I think BioWare will want to really wow prospective ME fans to pay attention to a new title right out of the gate, rather than announcing a few details or teaser trailer, then going dark while DA:I takes centre stage."
Mass Effect will be BioWare's 2015 focus, he concluded, and it was unlikely we would hear anything at least until Dragon Age: Inquisition launches this October.
But, after that, there are still two events in late 2014 that might provide some concrete news. Considering the teases issued for N7 Day 2013 it is likely we will hear more this year on the same date. Then there's the VGX awards show in December, the successor to the VGAs, where Mass Effect 3's first trailer was shown, all the way back in 2011. With any luck, then, it won't be that long before we start getting concrete details.
