Summary
There is virtually no information available aboutMass Effect 4, other than the fact that it is indeed in development. As is the case with most highly-anticipated video game sequels, though, this lack of information hasn’t stopped fans from speculating about what might and might not appear in this continuation of one of BioWare’s most beloved series. Gamers have wondered whether iconicMass Effectships will reappear, what features will return, and when the game will take place. Key to all of these questions is the issue of the game’s story, and exactly what force players will be up against.
For many fans of the franchise, Cerberus may be an obvious choice for an antagonist. Although Shepard and their crew were allied with Cerberus inMass Effect 2, the human-first organization grew out of control in the third game, eventually falling under the spell of Reaper indoctrination. Helmed by the manipulative and paranoid Illusive Man, Cerberus exercised great power in theMass Effectseries, spending massive amounts of resources in the mission for human dominance in the Milky Way.The bar is high forMass Effect 4, and one could argue that BioWare’s reputation hinges on its success, so it will be crucial that it has an antagonist worthy of the franchise’s legacy. Cerberus might fit the bill, but it might also fall flat as a villainous force.
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Why Cerberus Would Work as the Central Mass Effect 4 Antagonist
As previously mentioned, Cerberus is an extremely powerful and influential organization, despite the controversies surrounding it. Thanks to the Illusive Man’s sprawling network of informants and spies, Cerberus seems to have detailed knowledge of just about everything happening in the galaxy. Since Cerberus has never been the primary villain of anyMass Effectgame,Mass Effect 4could show exactly what it looks like to be its number-one target.
Cerberus famously brought Shepardback from the dead inMass Effect 2by developing advanced, expensive restorative and cybernetic technology through the Lazarus Project. The technology and the scientists behind it are presumed to be dead, but the power to bring people back to life is something that shouldn’t be thrown away so easily. InMass Effect 4, Cerberus could rediscover this technology somehow, and use it to bring others back from the dead, perhaps with somewhat disastrous results. This is just one example of how the organization’s rich backstory and considerable resources could create potentially interesting narrative scenarios.
Why Cerberus Wouldn’t Work as the Central Mass Effect 4 Antagonist
There are certainly some interesting paths BioWare could take with Cerberus as the main villain, but there could be drawbacks to this decision as well. It looks like iconicMass Effectcharacters like Liaraare making a return inMass Effect 4, but it would be much more difficult to bring back the Illusive Man, who dies at the end ofMass Effect 3. Of course, another character could simply replace the Illusive Man as the head of Cerberus, but the Illusive Man was a major part of why the organization was so intriguing and menacing in the first place. His replacement would have some rather large shoes to fill not just as the head of Cerberus, but as an antagonist in the greaterMass Effectcanon.
Cerberus could bring back the Illusive Man via the aforementioned Lazarus Project, but that speaks to an even larger issue related to bringing Cerberus back; BioWare could be seen as retreading old ground by reviving this character and group - something it has to contend with even if itbrings back Shepard forMass Effect 4. The franchise may benefit more from introducing a new antagonist altogether.
BioWare has quite a bit riding onMass Effect 4. While the studio recovered a lot of good will with theMass Effect: Legendary Edition, gamers haven’t forgotten aboutMass Effect AndromedaorAnthem, soMass Effect 4needs to remind audiences what made older BioWare games so beloved. Bringing back Cerberus could help to revive the love that fans have forMass Effect, or it could wind up being tired and underwhelming.
