A first trailer and several teasers for Mass Effect 5 confirm that the trilogy around Commander Shepard will continue. We analyse all the info.
Mass Effect 5 apparently picks up directly from the Legendary Edition and returns to the heroes from the Milky Way: This is what the first teasers suggest. Here you can find out everything we know so far about the role-playing sequel.
The first trailer gives you a first glimpse of the new Mass Effect 5. It already reveals a lot about the characters, setting, time period and story to experts – read more about it below. For now, let’s analyse the latest teaser that Bioware has released for N7-Day 2021.
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Teaser for N7-Day: Return of the old crew?
On November 7, 2021, which is N7 Day, Bioware has released a new teaser. Taking to Twitter, the new artwork was accompanied by a tongue-in-cheek note that fans should definitely not zoom in and play detective!
Of course, we immediately zoomed in and played detective. There are always new discoveries coming from the community too. We share our finds and interpret what they might mean. If you want to join in yourself, the best thing to do is save the image directly to Twitter, keep the JFIF format and set your monitor brighter:
We have another N7Day surprise for you from the team working on the next Mass Effect. 👀
Thank you all for being the best fans in the world! pic.twitter.com/kUwASGJhcx
– Mass Effect (@masseffect) November 7, 2021
That’s in the teaser:
We see a landed spaceship from which four figures have disembarked. They are walking towards a large crater in front of which another figure is lying on the ground. There is snow on the surrounding rocks, and water or ice has collected in a smaller crater. Zooming in, the image reveals much more:
Is the Normandy crew returning? The four people who apparently came out of the ship look suspiciously familiar. A krogan in red armour and a smaller figure in blue remind us strongly of Wrex and Garrus. The person in the middle is harder to recognise, but carries a thick weapon – maybe that’s quarian Tali with her shotgun? The person walking in the lead is also hard to make out. But it could be Liara, who walks over snowy rocks in the first trailer. At least the outfit with a light-coloured robe and dark hood would fit.
When does this take place? If it is indeed the Normandy crew, then ME5 would probably take place not long after the fight against the Reapers. Liara and Wrex might still be alive centuries later, but Quarians and Turians live about as long as humans. So that narrows it down quite a bit more.
What happened to the Geth? The figure lying on the ground is a geth. There also seem to be several dead machine creatures scattered in the rocks around the crater. What happened to them cannot be seen, but we at least have a theory: This could show Bioware which trilogy ending will be declared canon. This would also fit the first trailer – and would mean that Shepard has declared himself for the destruction of the Reapers. Which, after all, wiped out all synthetic life forms.
First trailer shows familiar locations and characters
The teaser was shown at last year’s Game Awards and made many a fan shed a tear – because the new Mass Effect is set in the Milky Way again and guarantees a reunion with old acquaintances.
This is what we know about the new Mass Effect
- Not much is known about the next Mass Effect yet: It will be made without veteran developer Casey Hudson, who left BioWare some time ago. Furthermore, it doesn’t even have a proper name yet, the trailer only talks about “The Next Mass Effect”.
- Whether it will be called Mass Effect 5 or have a subtitle like Andromeda is not yet certain. However, the two-minute video is full of details that indicate the game will be a sequel to the original trilogy:
- At the very beginning of the video, the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxy can be seen, the camera flies unerringly into our home galaxy.
- The trailer shows space and flying debris at the beginning. This is probably not the Citadel as we first assumed, but a destroyed mass portal.
- In (official concept graphics) a damaged Mass Relay could be seen earlier, which is being repaired.
- During the tracking shot, the Reaper sound effect can clearly be heard. There is also mention of Arcturus Station, which was also destroyed by the Reapers in Mass Effect 3.
- In the next scene, we see a person climbing a mountain in a snowy landscape – which is obviously a destroyed Reaper.
- The person retrieves the part of an N7 helmet from the snow, which could possibly belong to Commander Shepard – her knowing smile suggests this, anyway.
- At the end of the trailer it is revealed that it is the asari Liara, a loyal companion of Commander Shepard. In the background is the spaceship from the first concept art for the game.
- Next to that are other silhouettes that definitely show a Salarian. The other two figures are harder to make out, they could be a human and a Turian. Is Liara searching for Shepard with a team of her own and might more old acquaintances return?
The release is still far away
However, fans will have to be patient a little longer until the story of the space saga continues. In the description under the (Trailer on YouTube) it is written:
‘An experienced team at BioWare is in the early stages of the upcoming Mass Effect installment, and we’re excited to show you where we’re going next!’
The fact that the project is still in an “early stage” should confirm that we will have to wait a few more years for the continuation of the Shepard trilogy.
