BioWare should take a page out of Horizon Forbidden West's playbook when introducing Shepard into the story of Mass Effect 4.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Mass Effect 4 faces a dilemma in reintroducing Shepard without making the game feel forced or stale. Finding the right balance is crucial.
- The Aloy-Elisabet relationship in Horizon Forbidden West could serve as inspiration for Mass Effect 4, with a mentor-like dynamic between Shepard and the new protagonist.
- Including Shepard in a similar manner to Elisabet in Forbidden West could create a captivating narrative while avoiding the pitfalls of being overshadowed by the main trilogy.
It's unclear whether Mass Effect 4 will reintroduce Shepard or not, as the decision could have a number of difficult implications. Rehashing old Mass Effect dynamics could make the game feel forced or stale, but there's also a need for Mass Effect 4 to feel cohesive and connected to the broader series.
Handling Shepard is a balancing act, in essence, and ME4 could pull inspiration from a key Horizon Forbidden West character relationship to pull it off.
Horizon Forbidden West follows Aloy as she continues her attempts to restore GAIA and repair the Earth's biosphere. Alongside her many companions, she is aided in her journey by recordings of Elisabet Sobeck, a long-dead scientist working to reverse the catastrophic impact of the Faro Plague on Earth's environment.
Aloy, being cloned from Sobeck's DNA, naturally feels a sort of kinship and connection to Sobeck, despite the pair never meeting, and the knowledge she hands down from the past is invaluable to the former's mission. While Aloy is central to Horizon's plot, Elisabet almost serves as a sort of secondary hero in some ways. Mass Effect 4 could benefit from replicating this dynamic.
Based on what little information is available about Mass Effect 4 and the fact that it's a numbered entry, it's safe to assume that it will take place after the events of Mass Effect 3. Shepard dies in most of ME3's endings, with only the Destroy ending teasing their potential survival after besting the reapers.
In light of these facts, it seems likely that ME4 will follow a new protagonist entirely, and this new protagonist could have some one-way interaction with Shepard through recordings or other forms of recovered media.
Shepard Could Fill a Mentor Role in Mass Effect 4
While it would be a bit strange for the ME4 player-character to be a clone of Shepard, like how Aloy is a clone of Elisabet, the teacher-pupil dynamic of the latter pair might be rather fitting for the player's relationship with Shepard.
For instance, it could be revealed that Shepard kept a sort of journal, either in video, audio, or written form, describing their encounters with the Reapers and Collectors. This insight could prove to be useful for ME4's protagonist, both directly and indirectly.
Indirectly, the protagonist of ME4 could view Shepard as an inspiration, learning from their resolve, bravery, and prowess in battle. This would underscore Shepard's status as a galactic hero, one who would naturally leave some significant shoes to fill, both in-universe and on a metatextual level. More directly, Shepard could provide useful information related to the core conflicts of Mass Effect 4.
For instance, it could be revealed that Shepard came across some data or artifacts that are key to solving the central mysteries of the game's story. In this way, Shepard could fill a sort of mentor or ally position without actually being fully featured in the game, which could complicate the plot.
Unlike Elisabet in Horizon Forbidden West, Shepard is already a well-established and iconic character. Given their central role in the main trilogy, it would be impossible to simply ignore their existence. At the same time, bringing Shepard back as ME4's protagonist could take the wind out of the game's sails, not letting it escape the main trilogy's shadow.
If Mass Effect 4 included Shepard like Elisabet's inclusion in Forbidden West, the franchise could strike the perfect balance while creating a more intriguing narrative.
