Avery K. Tingle, The Gamer Author

Amazon is close to developing a Mass Effect TV series because we can’t have nice things anymore. While we don’t know the premise of the show, former lead writer for Bioware has not given the idea a ringing endorsement.

Hey, Amazon. Here’s a hint. When a former writer of the IP you’re making a series off of says it makes him cringe, you should probably listen.

Mass Effect is an extremely difficult intellectual property (IP) to attempt a static narration because the story is so personal for a lot of us. The original Mass Effect trilogy puts you in the role of Commander Shepard, an office in the Systems Alliance. Over time, he becomes aware of (and is killed by) a threat called Reapers, which extinguish all advanced life every fifty thousand years or so. Along the way, s/he picks up some of the most enduring and lovable characters you could ever meet in a scifi world. We take these characters and their relationship with our Shepard very seriously. It’s almost impossible to adapt the story to the screen. A second story in the Mass Effect universe features a multispecies group leaving the Milky Way for the eponymous Andromeda galaxy. That story has been met with mixed reviews (I enjoyed it)

The thing is, there is a wealth of good lore in the Mass Effect universe that would translate to the screen pretty easily. These are just a few ideas Amazon could take for free (you’re welcome) to make this series more palatable.

1). The Legend of Saren Arterius

Mass Effect 1’s primary antagonist, Saren Arterius was a legendary spectre before becoming a thrall of the Reapers. Even amongst his own people (the Turians) he was revered for his exploits. There is a lot of potential for nuance and storytelling when it comes to Mass Effect’s first antagonist. How did he become a spectre? What did he lose along the way? How did he develop his hatred for humanity? What kind of family life did he have?

2). The First Reaper Invasion

Before humanity, Asari, Turian, Krogan, and others, there were the Protheans. We come to learn in Mass Effect 3 that the protheans were fascist conquerors. Those who didn’t submit to their rule were destroyed. Though other races existed, all were Prothean. Then the Reapers came and made quick work of their extinction. Javik is the last surviving Prothean. We met him in Mass Effect 3 and got snippets of his life through flashbacks. We need to see the first full Reaper invasion.

3). The Krogan Rebellions

Long before Mass Effect 1, Turians and Salarians faced the rachni. Unable to repel such an overwhelming force, the Salarians uplifted the violent, primitive Krogan to fight the battle for them. Krogan excel at two things: reproduction and killing things. The rzchni didn’t stand much of a chance. After the rachni were put down, the Krogan became a problem. The genophage brought an end to the rebellions, but we don’t know how the war was fought. Krogan and Turian are two of the toughest races in the Mass Effect universe. We just wanna see them go to war.

What about you? What aspect of the Mass Effect universe would you like to see adapted to the screen?

Thanks for reading.

Avery K. Tingle is a scifi/fantasy author currently residing in the Las Vegas area. Owned by two cats, he is passionate about social justice, Star Wars, and mental health. Connect to his award-winning writing and social media here.