Mass Effect 4is likely still quite far away, as BioWare hasn’t revealed any real information about the game aside from some minor, vague teasers and promo images. Still,speculation about whatMass Effect 4’s story will be likehas been running rampant, but there aren’t an infinite number of possibilities in this area, mainly due to the restrictions put in place by the previous games.
The biggest question mark surroundingMass Effect 4is what it will mean for the ending ofMass Effect 3. At the time of its release,ME3was meant to be the end of the series, which allowed BioWare to write several different endings, which often contradict one another. With these endings being considered the final word forMass Effect, messy issues of what might be considered canon were able to be easily avoided, but that’s obviously not the case now. Put simply,Mass Effect 4is going to have to contend withMass Effect 3’s many endings, and no matter which one is canonized, it’s going to massively complicate the franchise’s narrative.
The Canon Ending of Mass Effect 3 Will Have a Huge Impact On Mass Effect 4
Mass Effect 3’s Endings Go Far Beyond Shepard’s Fate
Understandably, a lot of discussion surroundingMass Effect 3’s various endings, as they pertain toMass Effect 4, tends tofocus on whether Shepard is alive. However, the implications of eachME3ending extend beyond just one individual, as they all transform the series' world in different ways. There are technically eight endings toMass Effect 3, but they can be broken up into four broad categories:
None of Mass Effect 3’s Endings Allow for a Return to the Status Quo
Part of what makesMass Effect 3’s various endings so memorableis that they are uncompromising; in an era where relentless franchise-building seems to be the norm,Mass Effect 3ends on a decisive and final note, regardless of which path a player chooses. Naturally, BioWare will try to find a way to keep the Milky WayMass Effectstory going, but it’s clear that this decision is going to come with a lot of strings attached.
IfShepard does indeed return inMass Effect 4, that would mean that the Destroy ending would have to be the canon choice, as it’s the only outcome that ensures the commander’s survival. However, this would also requireMass Effect 4to be completely devoid of synthetics, including EDI, the Geth, and possibly even the VIs that most of the Alliance races rely on in their daily life. More importantly, the Destroy ending sees the destruction of the mass effect relays, which are used for faster-than-light travel and are the backbone of galactic civilization.
Needless to say, these narrative elements have serious implications, and the world ofMass Effect 4would need to be entirely different given the Destroy ending. Things aren’t any cleaner with the other endings, either, as Control means ruthless machine enslavement with Shepard as an AI overlord, and Synthesis would mean a transcendent, incomprehensible society. Refusal isn’t viable as a canon ending, as it is heavily implied that it results in a Reaper victory. Of course, these complications present exciting narrative possibilities, as long asMass Effect 4’s storydoesn’t try to walk back or retcon the consequences of the original trilogy.
