Mass Effect Prequel Under Consideration

Will the fourth Mass Effect be a direct continuation of the original trilogy, or will it be a prequel? It doesn't sound like BioWare has decided yet. Series executive producer Casey Hudson consulted gamers on Twitter today to find out their opinions on the matter.

"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?" tweeted Hudson.

BioWare has hinted at a prequel in the past. Before ME3's launch, fellow producer Chris Gamble said that there were many wars and battles from throughout the history of the game's universe that could be used as material. The origins of the different races of the Milky Way could also be explored, he said.

Creating a sequel seems more challenging. ME3 offered up several endings with very distinct differences. If BioWare wanted to create games set after the original trilogy, they'd have to decide which of the endings was the "real one." Such a move might not sit well with gamers, though. After all, it sort of undermines the element of choice to have the developer come in and say, "Well, actually, THIS ending was the correct conclusion."

Regardless of whether or not Mass Effect 4 is a prequel, the series is in for some big changes. BioWare Montreal will be taking over as the lead developer of the series. Furthermore, they'll be using DICE's Frostbite technology instead of the Unreal Engine.