N7 Day has come and gone, though Mass Effect fans weren’t left completely empty-handed at the annual celebration of Bioware’s famous (and sometimes infamous) sci-fi video game series.
The developers released a series of teasers for the upcoming game in the series and whilst it is still unclear as to what exactly this game will focus on, Bioware’s teasers all seem to suggest that the game will be a follow-up of some sort to the original trilogy rather than a spin-off (like the poorly received 2017 game Mass Effect: Andromeda).
One of the biggest questions that fans of the series have is whether Commander Shepard—the protagonist of the original trilogy and one of the most iconic characters in gaming—will be making a comeback. The teasers suggest so, but if this is the case, just how much of a role will Shepard play in the new game? Or perhaps the question is, how much of a role should Shepard have?
We’re going to be diving into this topic and look at some of the key points in the speculation surrounding the possibility of Shepard’s return in the next Mass Effect game.
The possibility of Shepard returning to the next Mass Effect
As mentioned, the teasers that we have seen so far all point towards Shepard coming back to the franchise in one way or another, such as the teaser trailer showing Liara finding a piece of Shepard’s N7 armor. It could be argued that this is just any old N7 armor, but it seems too much of a coincidence for it not to be connected to Shepard in some way.
Shepard’s return can be both a positive and a negative, so let’s look at both ends of the spectrum.
The Positives
Commander Shepard is a well-known and beloved video game character for a good reason. Both the male and female iterations of Shepard managed to perfectly balance player choice—in terms of their personality and decisions—with general character development.
No matter whether you chose to be a Paragon or a Renegade or what choices you made as them, Shepard still manages to be likable (thanks in part to the excellent voice performances from Mark Meer as male Shepard and Jennifer Hale as fem-Shep).
Not only is Shepard a great character, but players walked in their shoes and were engrossed in their story across three games over the course of five years. When you spend so much time with a character, it’s hard not to feel some kind of connection with them.
The love that the fandom has for Shepard as well as the expectation of discovering what happened to them after the events of the series is more than enough to create some hype amongst the Mass Effect community.
The Negatives
There are of course some downsides to the possibility of Shepard making a comeback in the next Mass Effect. The character can only return in a way that would make sense if one particular ending from Mass Effect 3—the Destroy ending—is confirmed to be one hundred percent canon by the developers. There was a lot of controversy surrounding the ending to Mass Effect 3, with players having to choose from one of three options.
Some were upset that the choices made throughout the three games seemed to be disregarded in favor of this one final decision. Another issue fans had with these endings is that they felt that they were all felt too similar, leading to Bioware releasing the Extended Cut after release, a DLC with new cutscenes to give more context to each ending.
The Destroy ending is the only one where we see Shepard survive, as a new cutscene added to this choice depicted the character seemingly waking up, buried in rubble. It might feel like a bit of a kick in the face to those who opted for one of the other endings if Shepard does return, as this pushes their decisions aside in favor of one linear ending.
This isn’t exactly a negative, but it is fair to point out that while Shepard’s story might not have a satisfying conclusion for everyone, there is no denying that it was a fitting end for the character’s story from across the three games.
Shepard has had their time in the spotlight, and it was a fantastic time filled with space exploring, saving the galaxy, and making your way through the alien dating pool. It had its highs and lows, but it was an iconic series that truly captured the hearts of gamers everywhere. Isn’t that enough for Shepard to have earned an extended vacation?
Introducing some fresh new faces to the Mass Effect series is also a must, as relying on nostalgia alone isn’t the best way to continue a franchise. This isn’t to say that our favorites can’t return in some way, but why not allow them to take a step back to make room for a new generation of intergalactic heroes?
Should Shepard return?
Personally, I think that Shepard should come back in the next Mass Effect game, though not in a starring role. After saving the universe from the Reapers, Shepard has well and truly earned their retirement. However, that isn’t to say that they can’t come back in some kind of supporting role, perhaps as an advisor to the new player character.
Despite the controversy surrounding the ending, there is no denying that Shepard’s ending concluded the story of the original trilogy. Because of this finality, pulling the character back into the franchise in a major way doesn’t seem like the right decision on Bioware’s part. However, having Shepard return for a bit part could definitely work if done right.
No matter what Bioware chooses to do, we can only hope that they stay true to Shepard’s character or at least commemorate them appropriately if they don’t make an appearance in the next Mass Effect game.
