Not too long ago, BioWare confirmed that a complete rework of its online multiplayer RPGAnthem–which released only a year ago–is in the works, leading to an eventual re-launching of the game. After arough initial start forAnthemand a rough couple of years before that, it’s clear that BioWare is hoping to salvage its first foray into multiplayer games and thereby get back on a successful track, but is that really BioWare’s best bet for a return to success?
BeforeAnthem, BioWare made itself a worldwide name and reputation with both theDragon AgeandMass Effectseries, which were hugely successful (minus a snafu over the ending ofMass Effect 3and a few smaller bumps in the road). But overall, both of those series are considered some of the best of the best where single-players RPGs are concerned even though most of them are getting relatively old by technology standards; still, fans have been wondering if BioWare plans to develop a remaster of theMass Effectgames since the first one launched in 2007.
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So while BioWare (and by extent, its parent company Electronic Arts) appears to be focusing its efforts on its more recent and less-successfulAnthem, arguably, perhaps a better goal would be to breathe a little life intoBioWare’s most beloved gamesof all time.
The Making of Anthem Next
Firstly, the announcement of this ‘Anthem Next’ overhaul begs the question: how much, and how urgently, is anAnthem Nexteven needed? Not a lot of details are available about what theAnthemremake is going to look like; whether it’s going to be a whole new world that existingAnthemowners can get for a discount or a series of massive updates that progressively overhaul every aspect of the game. But on its first time around,Anthem’s release wasn’t nearly as hypedas, say,No Man’s Sky, which is a game that made the same miraculous recovery BioWare is clearly hoping to engineer withAnthem.
No Man’s Skyhad a momentous rise and fall upon its release, butAnthemdidn’t–it was released with not nearly as much clamor around players, and quietly just didn’t do well. One of the big reasons for that was the fact that not many people were expectingAnthemto do well in the first place, so when it didn’t, they simply saw that they were right and moved on. That’s not to saythatAnthemcan’t be saved, or that BioWare shouldn’t try: correcting the game’s course is entirely possible and it makes sense that BioWare and EA would want that, but it might not be wise to make that the main focus right now.
TheoriginalAnthemgenerated nowhere near as much interest or excitement as theMass Effectseries, so it’s not likely thatAnthem Nextwill do so more. The game’s existing players may be pleased, but if BioWare wants to bring back the excitement of the studio’s fans overall, there’s a better way to do that: by giving them remaster they’ve been craving.
Mass Effect’s Long History of Remaster Rumors
Now let’s talk about theMass Effecttrilogy: its last game,Mass Effect 3, released eight years ago in 2012 before Sony and Microsoft’s current-gen consoles were even released, so a remaster of the game for current or evennext-genconsoles would make perfect sense. Not only that, but fans have been wondering about a remaster of the series for roughly the last four years, on and off. Multiple times each year, “rumors” would make the rounds suggesting that BioWare was going to announceMass Effectremastered soon, and every time, the rumors led to nothing.
Even now, when themost recent remaster rumorswept through last month in January 2020, fans are learning not to get their hopes up. But maybe theyshouldbe able to, because every time a rumor pops up, a huge wave of tentative hope sweeps through the many enduring fans ofMass Effectwho still hope one day that they’ll get to enjoy the games at today’s quality. Back towards the beginning of these rumors, when BioWare was focusing the majority of its attention on developingAnthemthe first time around, the studio’s reasoning for not working on a remaster was that it preferred to look to the future. But right now that’s obviously not what is happening, so if BioWare is going to finally go back and revamp something, it should let that something beMass Effect.
Arguably, the fervor that surrounds every rumor is proof that if BioWare chose to take its focus in this direction and putAnthemon the back burner temporarily, the studio would get all the enthusiasm and attention it’s hoping to generate and more.
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Why Mass Effect Deserves a Remaster
Really, does this question even need answering? Of course, many fans are of the opinion that BioWare’s focus should be split between bringing thenext installments of bothMass EffectandDragon Ageto fruition (and yes, that would be phenomenal), but whether or not it ends up coming before or after that, the three originalMass Effectgames absolutely deserve to be remastered at some point in the future–especially with next-gen consoles on the horizon. Should BioWare release a remaster of the trilogy around the same time as the Xbox Series X and PS5 dropped, it certainly wouldn’t be surprising if sales went through the roof.
As fans of the trilogy already know,Mass Effectdidn’t just earn success or even acclaim: it changed the playing field of storytelling RPGs.Mass Effect 2, in particular, is still recognized as one of the best RPGs of all time, though all of the games usually rank somewhere on the list, and the trilogy is far too widely beloved to be left with only the Xbox 360, PS3, and old PC editions. Not only would a remaster of the trilogy reignite fans' love of the series and of BioWare’s work, but it’d also be a perfect precursor to introducing whatever comes next in the franchise.
Whatever BioWare does next, it’s clear than most fans' focus isn’t really onAnthem. If a BioWare producer so much astweets the words “Dragon Age,“the whole of Twitter explodes. Every November 7, N7 Day, fans hold their breath and cross their fingers that the rumor they heard about BioWare finally announcing itsMass Effectremasters is really true this time.
AnAnthemoverhaulcan happen, and after all the work put into the game, it probably should, but all in good time. For BioWare’s fanbase to be fully mobilized and raring to go, the studio and EA should consider giving them the thing they’ve asked for time and time again: theMass Effecttrilogy polished and primed for today’s technology.
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