Six Mass Effect Universe Dream Spin-off Titles
The story of Commander Shepard is drawing to a close, but that doesn’t mean the universe created in the Mass Effect titles is disappearing along with him/her. In fact, there’s a vital world filled with alien races, awesome events, deep history and lots of potential for other games in the Mass Effect franchise, which is why Ross Lincoln and I put our heads together to come up with titles we doubt have much hope of getting made, but which would sate our thirst for all things Mass Effect. So here they are: our six Dream Mass Effect Spin-offs.
Mass Effect: Galactic Civilization
We’ve all enjoyed the white knuckle thrill of leading Commander Shepard and his squad into battle against the Reapers. But now that the Reaper war is over, how will the galaxy pick up the pieces? Mass Effect: Galactic Civilization, a turn-based 4X strategy game for PC and Mac, promises to answer the question. Help unite the galaxy in piece; Destroy your enemies until only you remain; choose to remain neutral. It’s entirely your call as you ASSUME DIRECT CONTROL of one of 5 factions competing for dominance in a post-Reaper universe. Choose from Humanity’s Systems Alliance, The Geth Network Platform, The Quarian, The Krogan Empire, and Council Space (Asari, Salarian and Turian).
The goal: to expand their territory as widely as possible, while avoiding destruction at the hands of their rivals. Spread your culture, or religious or political values. Increase access to resources and new technology to build unique units like Humanity’s N7 Marine or The Council’s Spectre, or advanced warships and weapons. Establish colonies, forge alliances and take your civilization from Galactic backwater, to the heights of interstellar power. Work toward one of five victory conditions, including Diplomatic, Financial, and Paramore, and make every game unique. Planned expansion packs include Elcor, with the unique ability to increase gravity around opponents, Hanar, with the unique Drell Assassin unit, and plenty of other surprises.
The Terminus Operations: Salarian Special Task Group
Something mentioned in Mass Effect but never fully explored is the Salarian STG, a special operations group of commandos unsurpassed in bravery and given some of the toughest, most deadly missions the Citadel races need undertaken. The turians and the krogan are feared soldiers, but if the salarians are coming for you, you’re in real trouble – you’ll likely never see them coming.
A number of games could be created by sending STG teams to deal with the political strife in the galaxy, particularly in the lawless Terminus systems. A stealth game modeled after Splinter Cell would be a good fit, as would a squad-based tactical shooter or an FPS in the vein of Star Wars: Republic Commando; anything that showcases salarian commandos as they kick brutal ass. These are the guys who were responsible for infiltrating Tuchanka and spreading the genophage, after all. They can get stuff done.
Blasto: Citadel Noire
First introduced as a joke on the official BioWare forums, Blasto the Hanar Spectre was made canon in Mass Effect 2 as the main character of a controversial exploitation film called Blasto: The Jellyfish Stings. An obvious Dirty Harry homage, Blasto utters immortal lines like “This one wonders if the criminal scum is feeling fortunate”, proving beyond any doubt that even if he is fictional, he’s clearly every bit the badass Commander Shepard is. Blasto just needs the game to prove it. A game that combines the pulse pounding action of the Mass Effect series from which it spins off, and the gritty drama of one of 2011′s most acclaimed games. A game like Blasto: Citadel Noire.
In Blasto: Citadel Noire, the first Hanar Spectre finds himself up to his tentacles in a web of deceit, intrigue, and seduction, one that reaches to the very top of Citadel politics. After the successful conclusion of yet another secret mission, Blasto is enjoying some much needed R&R in his spacious Citadel penthouse. Alas, his reverie is interrupted when an old Reaper War buddy, now serving as the head of C-Sec, asks for Blasto’s help in solving the murder of a Lower Wards merchant suspected of dealing in bootleg omni-tools. But what starts as a by-the-books criminal investigation becomes much more, when Blasto discovers a scheme to cover up the criminal negligence of a Turian who once served on the Citadel Council, but now makes a living selling medical supplies to Reaper War refugees. Will Blasto uncover the former councilor’s crimes, or will he find out that his claims have been “dismissed”? Use Blasto’s tentacles to examine objects and search for clues, interrogate suspects with Blasto’s trademark speaking style (“This one doesn’t believe your alibi is supported by available evidence”), and uncover the truth behind the council’s failure to prepare for the Reaper invasion. For Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC.
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