There were a few loose ends leftover from Mass Effect: Andromeda, and the shroud of mystery surrounding The Benefactor is one that Mass Effect 4 should absolutely explore. Very little is known about The Benefactor, but the character was intriguing enough for fans to be asking questions related to their identity and intentions after finishing what was a mostly disappointing entry in the series.
In Mass Effect: Andromeda, The Benefactor was an unknown individual or group that had played a pivotal role in the Andromeda Initiative. When Commander Shepard told the Citadel Council of the Reaper threat, it validated The Benefactor's belief that the Milky Way was on the precipice of a life-threatening event. The Benefactor then provided the necessary funding to accelerate the Andromeda Initiative to launch prior to the attack of the Reapers and specifically recruited Alec Ryder to be the project's human Pathfinder. The Benefactor clearly appears to be someone with access to substantial resources and information, but their true intentions are unclear.
To this point, the identity and whereabouts of The Benefactor are unknown, and it's a mystery that should be explored in Mass Effect 4. There's just enough information known about The Benefactor to make the character worth investigating, and BioWare can use that to its advantage. If The Benefactor was planning an escape from Mass Effect's Milky Way galaxy, it's more than probable they also had a plan in place in the event that the Reapers were defeated. In that case, The Benefactor would likely have a major impact on the events of Mass Effect 4 and could possibly be its primary antagonist, and they could also set up future storylines if the Mass Effect series starts to redeem itself.
Alongside the disappearance of the Quarian Ark, The Benefactor was clearly intended to be explored in a future game before Mass Effect: Andromeda put the series on ice. In Mass Effect: Andromeda, the player discovers The Benefactor orchestrated the murder of the Initiative's founder, Jien Garson, upon arrival in the Andromeda galaxy and that both Garson and Alec Ryder were incredibly suspicious of them, due to The Benefactor's knowledge of the Reapers and significant amount of resources. If Mass Effect 4 were to delve deeper into the mystery surrounding The Benefactor, it could potentially get fans invested in what's going on in the Andromeda galaxy and set the stage for a solid sequel to Mass Effect: Andromeda.
Many fans have theorized The Benefactor could be Liara T'Soni, the Shadow Broker or the Illusive Man, but the possibility also remains that they're an entirely new character. While it would be fun to have this mysterious character be someone players are already familiar with, it would probably be best for BioWare to go in new direction. Mass Effect: Andromeda didn't go over well because it just didn't do enough to kickstart a fresh beginning to a familiar universe, and overusing established characters isn't going to accomplish that, either. The Benefactor is an intriguing figure who should be further explored in Mass Effect 4, and they present BioWare with a tremendous opportunity to get creative with the future direction of the series.
from ScreenRant - Feed https://ift.tt/3h3930g
0 Comments