Next Mass Effect doesn't star Shepard, brings back the Mako

EA and BioWare didnt have much to say about the future of its Mass Effect franchise back at E3 2014, but the developers were feeling a bit different at San Diego Comic-Con. At a very packed panel on the series, the team revealed a ton of interesting tidbits. Put bluntly: You wont play as Shepard, you'll be driving the Mako again, and multiplayer will be there as well. Also, you can stop saying Mass Effect 4, because that isnt the title of the currently unnamed game.

According to reports, the BioWare reps made it clear that this is a brand new story separate from Shepard, though they did hint that the game was set around when Shepard was doing his/her thing. After a quick tease of the new N7 armor the mysterious new protagonist would wear, along with confirmation that youll be able to choose the characters gender once again, it was time for the Mako to make its return. The once-hated ground transport has returned, and the devs are acknowledging that the old version wasnt all it could be. In a brief bit of gameplay, the Mako was seen without a cannon, so thats already a step in the right direction.

Other tidbits discussed include that the unknown protagonist will be an N7 operative, that some familiar faces may return, as will multiplayer, and that the devs favor cooperative multiplayer to competitive, but they werent committing to one or the other right now. As for all that, we only know that the game is all too far away. But while you wait check out these shots from the panel we found off Twitter and stay tuned for more updates.

Photo credits: Nerd Appropriate, Andrea Rene