Starfield is Raising the Bar for Mass Effect 4
Mass Effect 4 may be one of the most anticipated video game sequels of all time, but Starfield might beat it to the punch in some pretty big ways.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Starfield has the potential to set a new standard for Sci-Fi RPGs, posing a challenge for Mass Effect 4 to overcome.
- While Mass Effect excels in storytelling and companions, Starfield may outdo it in terms of immersive exploration and world-building.
- Starfield's vast galaxy and customizable spaceship mechanics will likely raise the bar for sci-fi games, something BioWare has to keep in mind when making Mass Effect 4.
As far as Sci-Fi gaming franchises go, Mass Effect is definitely up there as one of the greatest of all time. While the series' last entry was an immense disappointment, the original Mass Effect trilogy is still considered to be a masterpiece, with some great combat mechanics, excellent writing, and top-tier world-building, something that BioWare excels in. And though Mass Effect 4 is confirmed to be in the works, it isn't the Sci-Fi game on people's radar right now, Starfield is.
Bethesda's next major open-world RPG, Starfield, is set to be the developer's most ambitious project yet, and tensions are high. With this being the first game since Fallout 76's disastrous launch, and first major Xbox Game Pass game since Redfall, there's a great deal riding on Starfield, and that pressure must be insurmountable for those actually working on the game. But if Bethesda can pull it off, Starfield could end up setting the new standard for Sci-Fi RPGs, and that's a high bar for Mass Effect 4 to leap over.
Starfield Could End Up Setting a High Bar for Mass Effect 4 to Beat
There are certain things that BioWare's Mass Effect 4 will probably end up doing better than Starfield, regardless of how good the latter ends up being. The story is one such element. Though Bethesda RPG stories are usually fine, they're never the strongest aspect of the game, but the same can't be said for the original Mass Effect trilogy. A similar argument can probably be made about Starfield's companions. Though there seems to be some great variation in possible crewmates, Starfield's companions probably won't reach the same heights as iconic gaming characters like Garrus, Wrex, and Tali. But aside from that, Starfield could end up raising the bar to unseen heights.
The Mass Effect series used to be renowned for its Sci-Fi exploration. Whether it was the bustling Citadel or desolate planets with no life on them, Mass Effect's Sci-Fi environments looked and felt great to explore, and did an excellent job of immersing players in the universe. But Starfield looks like it may outdo Mass Effect in this department, in quite a few ways.
Starfield will let players loose on an entire galaxy. And while only around 10% of its planets will be hand-crafted, that's still far more planets than Mass Effect has ever had, and though it hasn't been confirmed just how large these open-world areas are, it seems like a safe bet to assume that Starfield's populated planets have a lot more going on than Mass Effect's. Players will be able to talk to countless NPCs, get a slew of quests and errands, build bases, and otherwise just explore all of these planets at their own pace. Starfield has the potential to immerse players in a Sci-Fi world like never before.
This extreme level of Sci-Fi exploration is also enhanced by Starfield's ship features. During the course of Starfield, players will be able to pilot and customize their very own spaceship, swapping out parts and upgrading vital systems along the way to make it all their own. While Mass Effect let players upgrade the Normandy with new parts, it had real no bearing on the gameplay itself, only acting as a checklist to achieve the perfect ending in Mass Effect 2. In Starfield, the player's ship is a vital part of the experience, and it's all their own. Even if Starfield doesn't quite live up to expectations, the sheer number of systems and mechanics in the game is going to set a high bar for Mass Effect 4 to reach.
Starfield launches September 6 for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
No comments:
Post a Comment