Dragon Age's Morrigan and Cassandra, and Mass Effect's Miranda are BioWare's well-known ice queens. This character type is commonly known as an "ice queen" for a cold, domineering nature requiring significant time investments to break through. Many BioWare games feature female characters portrayed as powerful and independent, but they are also sometimes given more miserable personalities. Players might be more inclined to listen to the suggestions of a sibling or parental figure, which is a relationship largely unexplored in BioWare titles. This new personal connection could function as motivation for the protagonist to grow. Few protagonists in video games utilize familial relationships during gameplay. Mass Effect 4 could benefit from a living sibling or parent that survives the story and acts as a mentor figure or confidant. Games like Fallout 3 centered the protagonist's journey around family ties, a new trope that BioWare could introduce in its upcoming Mass Effect title. By implementing family roots, protagonists will have a legacy beyond their heroic actions during the game's campaign. Mass Effect Legendary Edition also let players choose their origin, but only one featured a living familial figure. Several origins lacked the presence of a living family or removed the possibility for the Hero of Ferelden to return to their roots. Mass Effect 4's Protagonist Should Have Present Familyĭragon Age: Origins featured a complex origin system that allowed players to experience their Hero's humble beginnings. If BioWare avoided some of its most common story and character tropes, that could help set Mass Effect 4 apart from some of the studio's other titles. Mass Effect Legendary Edition revitalized some support for the company, but expectations for the next Mass Effect game are high. The recent failure of Anthem's story and characters has only further impacted BioWare's reputation. Many fans were disappointed with Mass Effect: Andromeda, thanks to its disappointing graphics and flat characters. Related: Why Mass Effect 5 May Use Unreal Engine Instead of Frostbite Unfortunately, while these tropes can serve as charming BioWare signatures, they have begun to turn characters and worldbuilding methodologies a bit stale. While each in-game universe is unique, details like dialogue options, character archetypes, and story tropes reappear in many of their games. The success of Mass Effect Legendary Edition has reinvigorated interest in a franchise whose legacy is hanging in the balance and needs to stand apart from the original trilogy's story.īioWare is responsible for developing several well-established RPG franchises, including Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and Star Wars: The Old Republic. BioWare has overused several narrative tropes that cripple diversity in its characters and worldbuilding throughout several franchises. To improve its story and prevent another Andromeda, ME4 must avoid some of BioWare's familiar tropes.
BioWare is currently developing an unnamed Mass Effect project that may be Mass Effect 4.