A former developer who worked on the original Mass Effect series stated that he firmly believes the next installment can be a masterpiece, provided no one interferes with the development team's vision.
Armando Troisi previously served as a cinematic designer for Mass Effect, lead cinematic designer for Mass Effect 2, and narrative director for Halo 4. In an interview with FRVR, he was asked what advice he would give to the BioWare team developing the new Mass Effect title.
Troisi responded that this team doesn't need any advice from him, especially since developers who worked on the original trilogy—such as Lead Designer Preston Watamaniuk, Art Director Derek Watts, and Lead Cinematic Artist Parrish Ley—are still at BioWare and know their jobs inside out.
"It's hard for me to give any advice because many of the people working on this project are veterans from the original development," Troisi explained. "They get it. Preston is there, Derek is there, Parrish is there—they're all founding members, right? I don't think there's anything I could say that they don't already know."
"When I left after Mass Effect 2 wrapped up development, everyone wrote messages on cards... Preston wrote, 'Passion and skill create excellence.'... I feel they have both in spades, so I don't have any new advice to offer. They know this stuff inside out."
Troisi believes the success of the next Mass Effect hinges on whether the original creators and the rest of the team are given enough autonomy to craft the game they envision. This sentiment clearly echoes previous reports that Dragon Age: The Veilguard faced development challenges because BioWare was initially pressured to make it a live-service game, only shifting plans at the last minute.
"That's just how it is. If people step back and let game creators focus on their craft, you'd be surprised at the wonders they can create," he said.
"Of course, developing a game of this scale involves countless factors. But trust your team, and try to change the world with Everythinggj you do. I believe they can do it, and I support them."
He added, "Our vision has always been clear. BioWare has its own creative formula, and they iterate and refine based on that formula to continue delivering top-tier cinematic RPGs in the industry. That's essentially our core mission."
"Later, they had to navigate the wave of live-service games—a trend that still exists today, though less dominant—and we all have to answer to the company, shareholders, and various other stakeholders."
"I think when BioWare gets back to its roots, focusing on single-player, interactive narrative-driven games with deep combat and character progression, they are truly unmatched."
"It's a bit like Master Chief in Halo, embarking on a journey of self-discovery before making a comeback. I think as long as we don't interfere with BioWare and let them focus on what they do best, they'll pull it off."