Mass Effect 4: How Death Stranding Can Inspire Its Post-Apocalyptic Galaxy Rebuilding

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Almost nothing is known about Mass Effect 4, yet gaming enthusiasts can’t help but speculate about its plot, gameplay elements, and other aspects. Interestingly enough, the primary concern surrounding the next Mass Effect game is how it will incorporate the existing narrative: the appearance of Liara and the N7 insignia in the debut trailer hints that it may continue the Shepard saga rather than the Andromeda one, although the events of Andromeda might still play a role.

As a die-hard fan, I can’t help but wonder how the next Mass Effect game might unfold, considering it could continue from where Mass Effect 3 left us hanging in 2012. The finales of ME3 were nothing if not controversial, and for good reason – they stirred up quite a storm of opinions. Although there were technically eight different endings, they all essentially followed three main paths: the Destroy Ending, Synthesis Ending, and Control Ending.

The Control Ending saw Shepard transforming into an all-powerful AI and enslaving the Reapers, while the Synthesis Ending had all intelligent life merging with machines. Both these outcomes are quite complex and involve Shepard’s demise, which makes me lean towards the Destroy ending as a possible candidate for what Mass Effect 4 might canonize.

If Mass Effect 4 Follows the Destroy Ending, It Could Borrow a Lot from Death Stranding

Mass Effect 3’s Destroy Ending Sets Up a Death-Stranding-Like Premise

In the Destroy Scenario, all artificial entities like AIs and VIs are annihilated. Moreover, the catastrophic consequence is that the Mass Effect relays, dispersed throughout the Milky Way, become useless. The implications of this in the Mass Effect universe are profound: these relays facilitate faster-than-light travel, and without them, trade, diplomacy, and colonization initiatives would all be severely hampered. In other words, the galactic civilization that the Alliance has painstakingly developed over millennia could crumble following the Destroy Ending.

Besides their primary function in controlling the flow of matter and energy in the Mass Effect universe, these fields are also applied to various other technologies, such as generating artificial gravitational forces.

To sum up, the “Destroy” ending presents a grim vision of the future for galactic civilization. This pessimistic outlook could serve as an engaging foundation for a story. In contrast, the “Synthesis” and “Control” endings eliminate the Reaper threat but offer limited opportunities for narrative development. It’s imaginable to craft a tale where the galaxy rebels against AI-Shepard or regrets its transformation into half-machine beings, but these possibilities might not be suitable; the galaxy has no control over AI-Shepard and there seems no way to undo the transformations brought about by the “Synthesis” ending – a change that may not even be something galactic civilization would agree to in the first place.

In the “Destroy” ending scenario, Shepard would get a chance to come back and embark on a fresh journey aimed at reuniting the galaxy. This concept bears a striking resemblance to that of Death Stranding, where the player unites various locations and settlements by integrating them into the Chiral Network, essentially revitalizing civilization through a form of magical internet. In the potential sequel, Mass Effect 4, Shepard could work towards healing the aftermath of the “Destroy” ending, either by fixing the damaged mass effect relays or by discovering an alternative means for interstellar travel and communication.

Absolutely, the epic space saga and action-packed style of the Mass Effect series sets it apart from Kojima’s work, but the emphasis on fostering relationships and constructing rather than destroying aligns with what we can expect from ME4, similarly to Death Stranding. The cooperative elements of this concept would echo Kojima’s 2019 masterpiece, and the joy of forging new bonds and creating a more united and thriving society could be just as significant in ME4 as it is in Death Stranding.

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2025-04-10 20:06