Although the developers are pleased that their game evokes BioWare’s heyday, they have said that comparisons should not be overdone.

The Expanse: Osiris Reborn seems to be heading in the right direction for this era of role-playing games, but Owlcat’s recently announced game will not completely imitate Mass Effect’s design. This is especially true for the branching narrative. Creative director Alexander Mishulin has directly addressed the comparisons. In an interview with Polygon, Mishulin said he was humbled that gamers are comparing Owlcat’s latest game to BioWare’s beloved sci-fi series.

“Mass Effect is a great inspiration for us. It’s an iconic game of the Xbox 360 generation, and many Owlcat team members played it when they were younger. It would be impossible to deny Mass Effect’s impact on us as game developers. However, we’re approaching our story a bit differently. We’re adding more choices and consequences, and we want to ensure that the game provides players with a lot of agency. If you play as a character from Mars or Earth—you can select your origin at the beginning—you won’t be welcomed on Ceres. However, if you choose a Belter origin, you will be much more welcomed and have more opportunities and places to visit, as well as some new side quests,” said Mishulin.

He stated that Owlcat is looking to simplify the Mass Effect template, noting that players are now accustomed to a more comfortable user interface and a more convenient approach to gameplay. But how do you streamline an RPG that polished off the edges of the original Mass Effect 2? In any case, I’m glad someone is picking up the baton from Mass Effect.

It’ll be a while before we get a new installment in the series from BioWare, if it ever comes out. Considering how much Electronic Arts cut the studio after the underperformance of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, another BioWare game is by no means guaranteed.

Source: PCGamer, Polygon