Mass Effect 4: 'sequel or prequel?' asks BioWare

Mass Effect 4 is no big secret, in fact VG247 recently discussed BioWare Montreal's approach to the games hero recently. BioWare's Casey Hudson has asked fans for their thoughts on when the next game should be set.

Over on Twitter, Hudson asked fans, "Parsing through your thoughts on the next #ME game. Would you be more interested in a game that takes place before the trilogy, or after?"

Either way, BioWare is clear on one thing: that it doesn't want the game's hero to be 'Shepard 2', and wants them to be a very different kind of person to the heroic commander we know from the current trilogy.

BioWare Montreal producer Fabrice Condominas told us at a recent EA showcase, "We don’t want to make ‘Shepard 2′, or Mass Effect 4 with like, ‘Oh there’s no more Shepard but you’re a soldier in the universe’. So this will be a very, very different context for sure, and nothing has been decided on the rest.”

Just a few weeks ago, BioWare Montreal published a surprise manifesto regarding its handling of Mass Effect 4, stating that it would be treated with the utmost respect. The statement also revealed the game would run in Frostbite 2.

BioWare Montreal studio director Yanick Roy said, "While it will be very respectful of the heritage built over the course of the first three games, with the original trilogy now concluded and the switch over to a new engine, we are exploring new directions, both gameplay and story on the fronts.

“You can still expect the pillars for the deductible is known to be fully intact though, including diverse alien races, a huge galaxy to explore, and of course rich, cinematic storytelling.”

So what do you think? Prequel or sequel? What might that look like in your mind? Let us know below.

Thanks Eurogamer.