Mass Effect 4 New Concept Art Released, Halo 4 Lead Writer On-board for Story

Bioware recently held a round-table discussion to talk about the next game in the Mass Effect franchise, tentatively referred to here as Mass Effect 4. While the team has been very cagey with regards to details – especially given the disappointing appearance at E3 2014 where it simply confirmed the existence of the game for current gen platforms – today’s round-table offered slightly more.

The first important note is that new concept art for the game (courtesy of GameSpot) has been released. There’s not much to see aside from what appears to be a new Mako of sorts; a character accessing what appears to be a planetary map while walking through a ravine; a vessel that bears somewhat of a resemblance to the Reapers (aside from the massive glowing red lasers); and a large Citadel like area with lush architecture and waterfalls. You can check out all of this concept art below.

The other important detail, announced earlier via blog post, is that Mass Effect 4 will have Chris Schierf as lead writer. Schierf last worked on 343 Industries’ Halo 4 and did a stellar job in penning what is essentially a brand new opening chapter in a long-established franchise (which explains why Bioware hired him for Mass Effect 4 really).

Bioware didn’t reveal much more sadly. Its comments earlier in the day about a remastered HD collection of the original Mass Effect Trilogy, where it said it was looking forward to fan feedback, did not ultimately lead to any kind of announcement. In a sense, it’s good that the development team is focused on the next iteration in the franchise but it will still be several years before Mass Effect 4 releases for the PS4, Xbox One and PC.

What were your thoughts on the live-stream round-table discussion? Did it whet your desire for more Mass Effect 4 details or simply leave you wanting? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.