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Gear up and strap in Mass Effect fans, a new Mass Effect board game has been announced! Publishers Modiphius announced it will be distributed by Asmodee in late 2024. Designed by Eric M.Long and Calvin Wong Tze Loon, it’s definitely got a solid foundation to make it a great RPG experience.
One Final Mission
Priority: Hagalaz will have players stepping back into the Mass Effect universe. Set against the backdrop of Mass Effect 3, this game sets to explore a lost mission which Shepard went on. For fans of the video game series, many will recognise the planet of Hagalaz. This planet was shown during the Shadow Broker DLC in Mass Effect 2 and will serve as the game’s location. The premise is simple, Shepard has been tasked with tracking down a crashed research carrier on the surface of Hagalaz. But this is no ordinary research craft, this belongs to terrorist organisation Cerberus and may hold secrets which can help them defeat the Reapers. But with a storm looming, the crew have limited time to land, search the craft and discover what they need. And of course, in true Mass Effect style, they won’t be alone. Not only will players have to battle through Cerberus agents, but something far worse lurks in the darkness.
Paragon or Renegade?
In terms of mechanics, the game will follow an RPG format. Players will be able to choose their character, level them up and undertake a series of quests. To capture Mass Effect’s video gameplay, the board game will use card-driven AI to create branching pathways and provide an evolving narrative which adapts to your actions. This will include moral choices and players will be able to live out their Renegade or Paragon dreams.
Not only does this gameplay mirror the video games but it also provides an element of replayability. The choices you make throughout the campaign will determine your ending. So, there is lots to explore. Players will also have to choose their character upgrades and won’t be able to unlock everything in one playthrough which adds to its replay value.
This cooperative, story driven game is for 1-4 players and will ship with 5 chapters. With multiple pathways there’s a lot of Mass Effect content to unpack. But who do we get to play?
Mass Effect Minatures
In the box there will be 6 32mm preassembled miniatures consisting of female Shepherd, male Shepherd, Tali’Zorah, Garrus Vakarian, Urdnot Wrex and Liara T’sonni. Each character will come with unique perks and loyalty quests to complete. Chris Birch, Modiphius’s founder, mentioned in a recent interview that “the contents of the game won’t be stuffed to the brim to make sure costs are kept affordable”. They also stated they aim “to deliver a game that will be enjoyable, easy to pick up and can be completed in a reasonable timeframe”. As a Mass Effect stan with limited time, this sounds right up my street.
With an established team at Modiphius at the reigns this announcement seems promising, especially as they have delivered other successful video game adaptations.