There are plenty of tales that can be told in the Mass Effect universe. Developer BioWare may be done with the story of Commander Shepard, but really, this is a series that doesn’t hinge on its charismatic protagonist. Instead, any member from this cast of colorful characters has the ability to shine on their own, and the developers are currently stewing over which personality would best suit a new game.
Speaking with OXM, developers Casey Hudson, Mac Walters, Dusty Everman, Mike Gamble and Preston Watamaniuk brought up a few ideas for spin-off games making use of the Mass Effect fiction. As you’d guess, it’s Garrus who received the most love.
"There's so much that could be told in the Mass Effect universe," Hudson said. "It'd be cool to do something completely unrelated to the larger storyline, like a story about a private investigator on the Citadel. Or maybe something detailing Garrus' time in C-Sec."
Hudson’s not the only member of the team promoting the Turian warrior as a possible lead.
"While being one of Shepard's most loyal friends, Garrus has also had some of the most driven personal goals. He's a hero in his own right, as Archangel and beyond,” Everman added. “Who wouldn't want to see the further adventures of the bold, charming Garrus Valkarian (there's a lot of guns out there to calibrate)."
Walters is a bit more torn on the issue than the rest of the team. As some of the lead developers on a game that’s spanned years and years of hard work, picking one character from the crowd isn’t exactly easy.
"Aria. The Illusive Man. Kai Leng. Any henchman. The list goes on. I think most of them could have successful spin-offs of their own in some fashion,” Walters said.
There is a next installment in this highly popular series. The lead writer made that plain and clear late last month. However, considering new games with existing characters taking the lead role is just plain fun. Even unexpected heroes may find themselves in the spotlight, as Gamble would most like to see Javik as the star.
"Following the story of Javik a little bit more would be pretty cool,” he said. “As the last remaining member of a lost race, I think that we could tell a lot of stories about his adventures in the Milky Way, and coming to terms with his place in the new Galaxy."
Anything can happen. For all we know, the next Mass Effect could look just like Battlefield.
