What Mass Effect 5 Could Learn from Bethesda’s Playbook

Bruce Nesmith, the lead designer behind Skyrim and a former Bethesda veteran, has shared his thoughts on what he hopes to see in Mass Effect 5—whatever title the upcoming chapter in the franchise ends up with. In an interview with Press Box PR, he suggested that BioWare might benefit from adopting some strategies that have worked for Bethesda over the years.

“I would hope that they would try to just take their lore and make a modern game of it,” Nesmith stated. He noted that while Mass Effect has had memorable characters and compelling narratives, the gameplay often felt outdated. “It just wasn’t there.” He believes that if BioWare synergizes its unique strengths with “more modern” gameplay sensibilities, it could lead to a truly exceptional game.

Nesmith also mentioned that drawing inspiration from Baldur’s Gate 3 could fit seamlessly into the Mass Effect universe. “But I think they should probably try to make a more Bethesda-style game, to be honest.” Of course, he’s not suggesting that BioWare veer completely toward the first-person sandbox format typical of Bethesda games. He posits that fans of the series are “dying for an open-world science fiction game that has that kind of flavor to it” and is “content heavy.”

“Mass Effect players would be going nuts for that,” he added, albeit with a nod to his own background. “But I’m a former Bethesda guy so I’m probably going to say that about a lot of things.” It’s hard to argue with a bit of nostalgia for gaming classics.

Recently, the last word about Mass Effect 5 hinted at BioWare ramping up development; they have even brought on a production director to lead the charge. One thing is certain: if BioWare decides to go all out and bring back the original voice actors from the OG Mass Effect, they’d be “there with bells on.”