Mass Effect 4: BioWare Examines Potential Mass Effect Spin-Offs

In a recent interview with The Official Xbox Magazine (OXM), BioWare's executive producer and lead developers shed light on the lead characters of Mass Effect (ME), who could potentially take over the reigns of Commander Shepard as the game's protagonist in Mass Effect 4. While talking about the upcoming issue of the game magazine (OXM), the game development members: Casey Hudson, Mac Walters, Dusty Everman, Mike Gamble and Preston Watamaniuk share their insights on the possible ME spin-off games that might see the light of day.

Here are the excerpts of the interview:

"There's so much that could be told in the Mass Effect universe," Hudson said, while expressing his vote for the popular G-man, the Turian Garrus (a possible candidate for Shepard's replacement).

"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," he adds.

Everman too opts in favour of a spin-off starring Garrus:

"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. 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)."

On the contrary, Watamaniuk suggests: "A game centred on brutal Krogan combat with more of a melee focus could be pretty exciting."

A confused Walters, however, settles for his favourite Aria: "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."

Finally, Gamble backs Javik for being the sole surviving Prothean from the Mass Effect 3 DLC, From Ashes.

"Following the story of Javik a little bit more would be pretty cool. 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."

The first hint that BioWare Edmonton is working on a brand new ME series came in March, after speculations of Shepard returning in Mass Effect 4 nose-dived with BioWare's negative response, hinting that a new protagonist would be born. Nevertheless, the game's executive producer, Casey Hudson, has confirmed his continued support for BioWare Montreal in his current capacity.