The Next Mass Effect, a mini-analysis
Transcript
Hi, this is Ashe. Hope you had a great N7 Day, because I've come back from the abyss to say a quick Hello and share a quick analysis on the new poster image we received from BioWare. We'll talk shop about the image, then afterwards, there'se a link in the description where you can download the high res version from the original Mass Effect site. Anyway, I'm prone to overthinking so let's get started.
First is this massive crater in the center top of the poster. Considering the distance from the bottom, this reminded me a lot of the head of a Geth, considering the bright eye at the top and long neck. There's a noticeable crack along the middle of the eye on both sides, which is similar to the crazy lens flare that Mass Effect is kind of known for. If we were to think about what this was in a "realistic" sense, since there's a bunch of bodies near the eye, I think this could have been an exploded Reaper core, which would make sense considering the original trailer that had a bunch of dead Reapers in the snow.
But I'm more of the mind that this poster is meant to evoke that eerie resemblance to the Geth and hint at their possible involvement in the next game. It'd make sense considering how important human-AI symbiosis was in Mass Effect Andromeda's story. Both Andromeda and the original Trilogy have shed light on the logistics and ethics of artifical intelligence, and I personally think this is the most natural transition BioWare could create a story on within the Mass Effect universe. Not only is it a core struggle within the games, but also a reflection of our value systems as a society that we'll have to tackle through in real life. Most notably, technologies like Neuralink and OpenAI that quite literally have everything to deal with AI, sticking a piece of hardware in our brain, and humanity's progression into the future in reality or metaverses.
But that's a topic for another day.
There's 4 corpses near the eye. Two human sized bodies near the eye. Down below is a slightly larger body buried in the sand or perhaps half blown off. And to the right is a large body that I'd estimate is close to a Geth Juggernaut.
Below are four people coming from a ship with the designation SFX. One looks like a Krogan, while the others have similar body size to humans, asari, or perhaps salarians. The fact there's four of them immediately struck me, as historically, the Mass Effect games have always been the Protagonist and 2 companions. Only in Dragon Age have we seen 3 companions active at a time. I believe this is either a hint at 3 active companions at a time, or we will have the traditional 2 companions, and also a guide to come along.
As far as the ship itself, while it's smaller than other military ships we've seen, it looks equipped with a weapons system. It's a bit torn up, with the painting above the right side SFX scraped off. The cockpit is small with only one viewable pilot, so this looks more like a Corvette or similar vessel size.
As far as the rest of the image, it doesn't seem like there's much else to note on. It's going to be a long time until we get the next Mass Effect, especially since the next Dragon Age is still to come out eventually. That said, if you're a diehard fan of Mass Effect, this is likely the best time to take a relaxed playthrough of Mass Effect Andromeda. I definitely had some criticisms to say about the game when it came out, but it's really not that bad. You can check out the review on my channel, but I definitely believe the next Mass Effect will blend results of the past trilogy with the Andromeda Initiative's benefactor. I'd count on it.
That's all I have for now. Honestly we don't have a timeline for either Dragon Age or Mass Effect news, outside the potential for something during the Game Awards next month. But for now, I'm off to sleep. Take care of yourselves! Hope you had a happy N7 Day. And Fen'harel enansal.