Should bioware do one final shepard game?

Yeah. And if Luke Skywalker were to return again, especially to undo the damage TLJ did, people would be all over it. Besides, we already went through TLJ with ME3. We were the first, guys Before Reean Johnson and Neil Druckman. We were the original subverters of expectations. Could Bioware bring Shepard back, to shit on him furhter? Absolutely. Would it be corporate suicide? Absolutely. Would it be equally corporate suicide to give the same treatment to any other protagonist? Absolutely. So if your intent is to destroy your creation, it's going to die regardless of who you put on the helm. The only problem is that, with anyone other than Shepard, you won't even get that initial sales boost. And that's an even bigger corporate suicide. At that point, you're taking the publisher down, a notch or two, along with you. And we already have Mac Walters on paper saying how he overstepped with his "artistic vision" of ME3's ending(s). So obviously, pulling the same shit a second time is out of the question. At least for Shepard. They know not to do it.

While that is true, you can still salvage the IP. Some methods are better than others, would require less long term financial losses to recoup the fanbase loss, even more so now, after Andromeda for ME and tRoS/Solo for Star Wars, which have managed to dilute the brand further, but certain moves, like the undoing of the divisive titles of their respective franchises, could mend and bring some people back.

Truth is that, as you said, the damage is done and for some people, no matter how hard you backtrack, you're never going to get them back. Some are gone for good. But there are still those that you can earn back and you'll need those back, sooner, rather than later, to temper whatever financial hit you're going to have, under current circumstances.


While it is inevitable that the franchise has to move on from Shepard, eventually and had ME3 been a different game, I'd agree with that sentiment. Gears of War moved on from Marcus Fenix, for example, successfully so far. Meanwhile, Halo has regressed enough that the return to the Chief is inevitable. More than that, the return of Shepard, even if he is no Mario, no Gordon Freeman, no Sonic to you personally, or anyone else, there are always Shepard's companions who would return with him, who are equally as formidable in "star power" in the eyes of the fans. Which is why, as I've said before, Shepard isn't the solution to ME's problem, by himself. It's the cast that surrounds him. As evident, at the very least, by the success of the Citadel DLC. Even if it is a blight upon the franchise. The crew sells the games. The extended crew sold Citadel. Including the underutilized ME2 squadmates. Citadel did fantastically well in terms of sales, if I recall. Did it not? Even as every other part of the DLC was below expectations. I am positive, with the numbers, as I read them, that basically making an Andromeda levels of writing game, with the MET crew would get fairly criticized, but it will earn good will and praise from the fans. From there, Bioware can start building themselves up again to attempt a successful departure from Shepard and crew. We'll take one step back to take two steps forward. It's not an unreasonable compromise. It's not even a bad compromise.

That's Rey Palpatine and says a lot, to completely not mention Anakin Skywalker.


Pathfinder Ryder was heavily criticized, further hurt an already damaged brand and effectively put the franchise on ice, while shutting down Bioware Montreal. Can we, finally, put Pathfinder Ryder to rest? It just didn't work.

Yeah. I loved TLJ, including Luke. In fact there are many people who dislike the movie but say the scenes with him and Rey are among the best parts. 

What makes Ryder's story more complete than Shepard's? When Bioware told you to find closure in related media for Andromeda, why is that less valid then when Bioware told you so about the MET with the EC?


You don't have to agree. You just have to see what that did to Star Wars. It was a bad idea that forever ruined the franchise.

They said Andromeda. I'd like to see them make a Ryder tale outside of Andromeda, but I wonder where that would take place. During deep freeze or before they left Milky Way? I don't see a prequel doing the job. Is Ryder going to take a jump back into the Milky Way? Won't the return to Milky Way have to facilitate the canonization of one of the ME3 endings? Won't making them "lost in legend" invalidate all of them? It is safe to assume that Ryder's story is done.

However, I will once again extend my double dog dare to Bioware; make an Andromeda 2 with Ryder. I am sure it will be a big hit. I am 100% behind it.

The Bioware blog post where they said "closure in related media". I can't link it, I am at work.

It doesn’t help anyone to be willfully obtuse. We all know why “related media” is never a meaningful substitute for actual game content in a game franchise. BioWare and anyone else can say whatever empty statements they like about “closure” and can fuck right off with it. 

Well for me Shep's story feels like a complete story Andromeda and Ryder's story atm feels like a part 1 so for me I get the feeling they intend to come back to it. Given ther have been moerepositive receptions to  it moer recently I'd say there's a chance it will be continued.

Not to mention that they killed off the Rookie in a book.

If only laughter was currency, because that’s all they’d get out of me for that lol