Mass Effect fans have gotten some exciting news in the last few months. First, it was confirmed on N7 Day that the original trilogy is being remastered for Playstation 4 and Xbox One, titled Mass Effect: Legendary Edition. Then, later at The Game Awards 2020, a teaser was released for a new upcoming Mass Effect game, known in the community as Mass Effect 4.
The trailer shows a familiar face from the first three games, picking up what seems to be a broken piece of N7 armor. This video situates Mass Effect 4 in a unique position and has opened up a lot of speculation about what the plot of the game will be and how it will affect the ending of Mass Effect 3. There are also implications that this game will somehow combine both the original trilogy with Mass Effect: Andromeda—a game that left players with many unanswered questions.
Who are the Jardaan?
Mass Effect: Andromeda introduced a new unseen alien race, the Jardaan, that has massive ties to the Andromeda galaxy. The Jardaan created the Remnant and Meridian, which are both vital aspects of the game that players familiarize themselves with pretty quickly. Meridian is the end goal and studying the Remnant helps players get there.
In a unique twist, it’s later revealed that one of the other alien races newly introduced in the Andromeda galaxy, the angara, were created by the Jardaan. “Rem Tech,” the nickname asari archaeologist Pelessaria B’Sayle (PeeBee) gave the Remnant technology found throughout the game, is used to terraform planets and make them habitable for other life forms. To help the Initiative plant roots in the different available planets, players must break into Remnant vaults and turn them on to change the different planets’ environments.
Though the situation seems too similar to the Protheans from the original Mass Effect trilogy, there’s reason to believe the developer will go in a different direction than what’s already played out. According to in-game lore, the Jardaan’s technology is actually less advanced than the Prothean technology featured in the trilogy. It seems the major difference between the two is that Rem Tech requires a combination of synthetic and intelligent life for proper understanding.
Players still have no clue what the Jardaan look like, let alone what their goals may have been in the Andromeda galaxy. Mass Effect 4 could take the opportunity to give players more insight into the Jardaan and what it is they wanted with the Andromeda galaxy. This could include divulging why the Jardaan created the angara and what they were hoping to accomplish with them. Incorporating the Jardaan and more of their history into the new game would give some much needed answers to such a mysterious Mass Effect: Andromeda plotline.
Who Unleashed the Scourge?
Mass Effect: Andromeda also introduced players to a galactic phenomenon known as “the Scourge.” Even the advanced science of the Mass Effect universe can’t understand what exactly the Scourge is and why it’s there. As the game unfolds, it’s revealed that the Scourge was a weapon unleashed against the Jardaan by “Jheln”—though no one knows who that is or why a weapon this massive was necessary.
The Scourge is thought to be a form of dark energy, yet the phenomenon doesn’t act in the way “normal” dark energy would. It also contains traces of Element Zero, but the mineral can only be harvested at the expense of whatever technology is being used to retrieve it. Somehow, though there aren’t any clear answers, the Scourge is designed to destroy Remnant technology wherever it can, especially on the worlds the Initiative planned on settling.
In a way, learning more about the Scourge and who (or what) released it would also give players more information about the Jardaan. Clearly, the unseen alien race was fighting another entity or group of people, but players are unsure why. Perhaps this storyline was left open-ended in anticipation of a sequel to Mass Effect: Andromeda, especially because it’s unclear what the actual plot of Mass Effect 4 will entail given the appearance of Liara T’Soni in the trailer.
Who Is the Benefactor?
Jien Garson was the founder of the Initiative, but Garson was murdered right after the organization successfully made it to Heleus. Players know that Garson was in contact with someone nicknamed “the Benefactor,” and it’s later revealed that one of the Benefactor’s agents killed Garson to make sure their identity remained secret. Ryder’s father also knew the identity of the Benefactor, but was also in contact with the Shadow Broker (presumably the one who came before Liara T’Soni).
The Benefactor is someone who clearly wants their identity hidden well, probably because they have access to lots of lucrative information and resources. However, the jury is still out on who the Benefactor could be. Given the description of someone with lots of money and sway in the galaxy, it’s possible The Illusive Man could be the Benefactor, especially considering how adamant he was about preserving humanity in the galaxy. It wouldn’t be too extreme for him to see the potential of human preservation in a galaxy beyond the Milky Way as a backup plan if the Milky Way succumbed to the Reapers.
However, there’s also an equal chance it’s not The Illusive Man—though that would be an interesting tie between the original trilogy and Mass Effect: Andromeda. The Benefactor could potentially be an unnamed person as well, but it has to be someone who knew that the Milky Way was going to be attacked by Reapers. Thematically, it would pack more punch for the Benefactor to be someone players have already encountered or someone seemingly right under their nose, but it’s possible the developer could go in another direction too.
With the current plot of Mass Effect 4 up in the air, it’s hard to say when, or if, any of these questions from Andromeda will be answered. Regardless, it’s exciting to speculate about the future of the Mass Effect franchise and how it could possibly combine Shepard’s legacy with the other stories introduced in Mass Effect: Andromeda.
Mass Effect 4 is currently in development.