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BioWare has been releasing underwhelming games for the better part of a decade now. And after the recent announcements of restructuring within the studio, fans don’t have a lot of hope or goodwill left for the upcoming titles in theMass Effectseries. But there is one reason to hold onto hope, and that is Mary DeMarle’s role as Senior Narrative Director.
DeMarle was the Narrative lead forMarvel’s Guardians of the Galaxyand given that the game won Best Narrative at The Game Awards 2021, fans might just get their expectations rewarded. She could bring some much-needed help to BioWare, especially after the poor reception ofDragon Age: The Veilguard.
Mary DeMarle needs to sprinkle some of her magic onMass Effect 5
Mary DeMarle took a very balanced approach to storytelling inMarvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. Her focus on balancing humor, emotional depth, and character development is very evident in how she handled the Guardians as a team. If you’ve played the game before, you’ll know that each of the guardians has excellent character traits and writing.
Oh, hey!I’m really excited to let you know that Mary DeMarle will be joining the Mass Effect team as Senior Narrative Director. You’ve seen her work in Guardians of the Galaxy & Deus Ex (to name a few!). She’s amazing.
On paper, Guardians of the Galaxy (2021) did everything right:-Single player narrative driven-No microtransactions-Intensely detailed graphics-Legit good storyBut it came out after Avengers so no one played it 🙁pic.twitter.com/qP2XRNS5JZ
She embraced the heartwarming aspects of the MCU while also making her own changes and taking more from the comic book lore. The game was a great example of how to make good things better while adding a personal twist to it. GivenMass Effect’s focus on squad dynamics and player choice, DeMarle’s style of storytelling could be exactly what it needs.
After 3 Months of Launch, BioWare Is Finally Moving Away From Dragon Age: The Veilguard Likely to Work on Mass Effect
TheMass Effecttrilogy hassome of the most celebrated gamesin gaming history. The games had top-notch character writing and worldbuilding, but 2017’sMass Effect:Andromedawas nowhere near the quality of what players expected. But with DeMarle at the helm forMass Effect 5, we hope that the series can come back to form.
Seeing Bioware slowly die sucks. I hope the next Mass Effect isn’t their swan song, but it’s not looking good.#Biowarepic.twitter.com/qF4okVIz1X
Ironically enough, you’ll notice while playingGuardians of the Galaxythat it was heavily inspired byMass Effect. We find this particularly noticeable in its ship-based interactions and team dynamics. And this influence will now flow in reverse with DeMarle bringing her experience fromGuardianstoMass Effect.
BioWare is on its last legs afterDragon Age: The Veilguard
BioWare’s restructuring has placed enormous pressure onMass Effect 5to succeed. Following the underwhelming reception and sales ofDragon Age: The Veilguard, EA recently announced thatthe company has shifted its focusentirely to the sci-fi franchise. An EA spokesperson toldIGNthat “the studio has the right number of people in the right roles.”
BioWare Boss: Mass Effect 5 Won’t Copy Dragon Age: The Veilguard “as long as I’m running it”
The studio itself has been on a steady downward trajectory for the last decade. Anthem was a colossal flop,Mass Effect: Andromedais the textbook definition of mid, and even in 2024Dragon Age: The Veilguardshowed us that the studio is just not receptive to player feedback. If this keeps going, it’s unlikely that the studio will survive for much longer.
Mass Effect 5is in the early stages of development so don’t expect to hear any release date announcements anytime soon. But DeMarle’s involvement alone gives us fans a lot of hope. What do you think?
Daniel Royte
Gaming Writer
Articles Published :1370
As part of the FandomWire team, Daniel has followed the hero-shooter genre closely with a focus on titles like VALORANT, Apex Legends, and Marvel Rivals. You can also find him providing insight on the latest AAA titles from Elden Ring to GTA 6 and exploring the world of gacha games like Genshin Impact and Wuthering Waves. With more than 1,000 articles under his belt, you’ll need to look no further for a unique insight into every situation.If he’s not looking for the latest video game news, you’ll find him cheering on Ferrari in the race tracks of Formula 1 or at the theatres for the latest MCU releases.
