Mass Effect: Andromedawhen trying to innovate, it stumbled in its execution, leaving many longtime fans disappointed. To recover the magic of the original trilogy and avoid repetitions Andromedamistakes, Mass Effect 4 needs a significant course correction. It’s not simply about going back to the old formula; it’s about learning from successes and failures. This is the only way the series can make both longtime fans and newcomers happy.
There are many examples of what developers can change and modify to make this Mass Effect much better than Andromeda and a worthwhile sequel. It’s not about getting ready to fix Andromedais the biggest problem, but about fixing multiple problems. The developers only have one chance to make a good impression, because a lackluster return could put the series back on hiatus.
10
Remove the open world
This is an action RPG, keep the action heavy
Mass Effect: Andromeda gave players a semi-open world to explore, with hubs for players to wander around. Mass Effect 4 I’d probably be better off without it. Dragon Age: The Veil Guard does a great job showing this completely open worlds are not always necessaryand the original trilogy had a lot of linear levels.
It seems best if the series stuck to what worked well, because this was one of those things that turned off longtime players. Exploration wasn’t as fun as it seemed on paper and felt like it was disconnected from the rest of the gameplay. Instead, the clear winner is missions where the storytellers can tell a good narrative throughout the game. There is no need for an open world in one Mass Effect game, especially when the focus should be on the narrative.
9
Bring back all alien races
Don’t leave anything out again
Mass Effect: Andromeda removed so many alien races and gave the excuse that they were still traveling to the new galaxy. They then introduced new races, which were interesting but didn’t seem as developed as the old ones. Now that the game returns to the Milky Way galaxy, the developers can bring racing back players know and love Mass Effect 4.
They’re also very easy to get to know, as the three games didn’t expand on them much. Most players knew a lot about the Citadel’s nine races by the end of the first game, and the other non-humanoid species didn’t appear often. This will give the game a sense of nostalgia and normalcywhich was lost in Andromeda.
8
Recognize the events of Mass Effect 3
We want some answers
Mass Effect: Andromeda took the safe route and tried to mention the events of Mass Effect 3 as little as possible. In fact, the game makes it clear that everyone left before the Reapers arrived, so there’s no way of knowing what was going on. This way, they didn’t have to recognize anything and could create a new story. Mass Effect 4 I can’t do that.
Players were quite vocal about wanting to know what happened after the Reaper invasion and whether their Shepard was alive. Now that developers are returning to the Milky Way, they need to acknowledge everything that happened. Players need to know if their choices had any effect and what happened in the time after the game ended. Mass Effect 3.
7
Renegade and Paragon need to return
It’s the best system of morality
The Paragon/Renegade system in the original Mass Effect the trilogy, while simplistic, offered a convincing illusion of player agency. It wasn’t just about choosing “good” or “evil”; it shaped Commander Shepard’s personality, influencing dialogue choices and even impacting squadmates’ relationships. A Renegade Shepard was direct, aggressive, and often ruthless, while a Paragon Shepard was diplomatic, empathetic, and morally upright. This would be perfect for Mass Effect 4.
While not perfectly nuanced, this binary system provides a clear and consistent structure for player expression. Its removal in Andromeda left a void. Modern RPGs often favor complex moral gray areas, but the Paragon/Renegade system offered something different: clearly reflecting the player’s chosen approach. The system did not dictate morality; provided a lens through which Shepard’s actions were interpreted. A more modern return would improve the system rather than replace it.
6
No vehicle passage
Don’t you dare say Mako
THE Mass Effect The series continues to try to make the player enjoy vehicle exploration, and it still hasn’t worked. All Mass Effectwhether through the vanilla game or DLCs, it had some sort of vehicle driving and combat parts. This is never why games were loved, and often gamers simply want it to be over. Without this, Mass Effect 4 it would be much better.
This game needs to end the vicious cycle and simply give up on any form of vehicular combat. Developers don’t need to waste time trying to give players a vehicle combat system. It’s usually the worst part of any Mass Effect game and should be eliminated here.
5
A much better character creator
Let’s do our characters well
Mass Effect: Andromeda the character creator was better than the one in the original trilogy, but still not the best. Today, character creators need to be really sophisticated or focused on giving players a lot to do and change. It’s not just about inclusivity, it’s about allowing players to be exactly who they want to be, with little effort. Mass Effect 4.
This time the character creator should be more like Dragon Age: The Veil Guard. This game is a good example of an RPG character creator today that doesn’t go that far Dragon’s Dogma or inZOI. It’s something that Mass Effect 4 I have to get it right because I didn’t feel very good in Andromeda. Many of the characters in Andromeda it felt strange, and this may be due to the character creator’s limitations.
4
More music
It was quiet, very quiet
Mass Effect: Andromeda was noticeably quiet compared to other games in the series. Majority Mass Effect Games had music that played the moment something happened or just when the player was moving. It happened so often that the quiet moments were even more important and it felt like something big was happening.
Mass Effect 4 need to bring back the music and the atmosphere that the trilogy had established itself well. It helps a lot with combat and immersion. It’s so distracting when players have to traverse areas and everything is silent everywhere. This is not the feeling a player should have in an RPG that mainly revolves around its intense action, so a soundtrack with lots of background music will help a lot.
3
Bring back the driving wheel
We call the shots here
The driving wheel in the original Mass Effect the trilogy was an important element of squad-based combat. This allows players to have tactical control beyond simply aiming and shooting. This radial menu allows players to direct commands to squadmatesimpacting combat effectiveness and strategic depth. Players can quickly select individual squad members and assign them targets, ordering attacks on specific enemies, prioritizing threats, or focusing fire.
In addition to target designation, the wheel allows players to pause combat and make tactical decisions. Players can also instruct squadmates to move to specific locations. Finally, the driving wheel allows players to manage teammates’ abilities. This was removed so that players could focus primarily on their own skills. It didn’t work well and felt much worse than the original trilogy’s easy-to-control feel.
2
No more puzzles
Andromeda’s puzzles were really boring
Mass Effect: AndromedaThe game’s puzzles simply weren’t as engaging as the developer probably wanted them to be. Their shortcomings stemmed from the feeling that they interrupted the action and were a task that players had to complete. Many seemed like arbitrary obstaclesdisconnected from the overarching plot and character motivations, hampering the flow rather than improving it.
Solutions often lacked ingenuity, relying heavily on predictable patterns or easily identified visual cues, thus minimizing player agency and problem-solving satisfaction. Instead of forcing puzzles, the focus should be on making a third-person shooter action RPG like the previous games. Mass Effect: Andromeda is the most boring of the series because it tried to make this puzzle element a big component of a series that was is not known for its puzzles.
1
Make sure the game is ready
Stop releasing broken games
Mass Effect: AndromedaThe troubled launch significantly damaged the franchise’s reputation and was a big part of why the series went on hiatus. There was no way to save it after a clearly halted launch. This is a wound Mass Effect 4 should avoid. AndromedaThe release of was plagued by many problems resulting from insufficient development time. The facial animations were widely mocked, creating an uncanny valley effect that broke immersion.
The negative reception resulted directly from this lack of preparation. The game felt unfinished, as if a significant part of its potential hadn’t been realized. To Mass Effect 4 To be successful, you must learn from Andromedaerrors. A polished, error-free version is crucial; anything less risks repeating the same critical and commercial failure that marred Andromedalegacy. If Mass Effect 4 If you can do that, it will be much better than Andromeda.