Ex-BioWare writer David Gaider reveals that the new idea of a Mass Effect TV show adaptation makes him cringe rather than feel excited. Created by Casey Hudson, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic‘s Drew Karpyshyn and Preston Watamaniuk, the sci-fi third-person role-playing shooter primarily centers on veteran Systems Alliance Navy Commander Shepard as he journeys through the galaxy looking for a way to save the universe from the ancient machine race known as the Reapers. Mass Effect first hit shelves in 2007 and was followed by two mainline sequels in 2010 and 2012, the latter of which concluded the original trilogy, before finding new life with 2017’s Mass Effect: Andromeda focused on a new setting and cast of characters.
The original Mass Effect trilogy received largely rave reviews from critics and gamers alike for its narrative, characters, voice acting, world building and emphasis on player choice, though the ending to Mass Effect 3 was panned by all for its unsatisfying conclusion and discarding of choices from previous games. Mass Effect: Andromeda would ultimately received mixed-to-positive reviews, with praise directed towards its improved combat system while much criticism was aimed at its litany of technical bugs and underwhelming plot. Fans were recently delighted to learn that a new Mass Effect game was in the works and would seemingly be a sequel to the original trilogy with Liara T’Soni featured in the teaser video, though the expansion of the franchise is only just getting started.
On the heels of news that Amazon Studios is finalizing a deal for an adaptation, ex-BioWare writer David Gaider took to Twitter to share his thoughts on the Mass Effect TV show. Though expressing relief that the video game is being adapted for the larger-scope small screen over the shorter-natured big screen, Gaider revealed that the idea of a Mass Effect TV show makes him cringe and explained much of it comes the issue of creating a protagonist with their own story rather than the supporting character-driven nature of the source material. See Gaider’s explanation below:
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Amazon’s reported Mass Effect series isn’t the first attempt at adapting BioWare’s celebrated game franchise for the screen, with Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. having initially acquired the rights from publisher Electronic Arts in 2010. After initially landing Morgan Davis Foehl to pen the script in 2012, it would eventually die in development due to the team’s inability to figure a way to adapt the game’s story into a film fitting between 90 and 120-minute runtimes. Gaider’s concerns for a Mass Effect series does largely echo some audiences’ concerns for how any creative team could adapt the expansive nature of the games for the screen, be it a film or television format.
Unlike Netflix’s adaptation of The Witcher franchise, Mass Effect is a franchise in which, as noted by Gaider, the story is driven by the player’s choices and the central character is a blank slate, serving as more of a catalyst for the supporting characters’ stories to be further developed. Gaider’s idea that a writers room would be better off exploring a different story or character within the Mass Effect universe is likely one that would better appeal to fans and general audiences, offering a more accessible introduction for those unfamiliar with the games. With Amazon’s deal for the Mass Effect series not closed, only time will tell what the future holds for the adaptation.
