Mon, Nov 12, 2012 | 16:45 GMT

Mass Effect 4 uses Frostbite 2, is ‘respectful’ of previous games – BioWare

Mass Effect 4 will officially run on DICE’s Frostbite 2 engine, according to a new blog post by BioWare Montreal studio director Yanick Roy. He also promises that it will be respectful of previous Mass Effect titles. So it won’t be a first-person shooter anything like that, we hope. Get more details below.

In his blog post on the official BioWare site, Roy confirms that BioWare Montreal is in charge of Mass Effect 4 development, although it will still be supported by the core Edmonton branch, headed up by Casey Hudson.

Roy also confirmed that Mass Effect 4 will incorporate many features developed by the Edmonton branch for Dragon Age 3, (please excuse the Google Translate French-English translation) “There is really not much I can tell you about the game right now, except that it will be built with the amazing technology of Frostbite acts as foundation, enhanced by many of the systems the Dragon Age III team has Already Spent a lot of time building.

“The other thing I can tell you Is that, while it will be very respectful of the heritage built over the course of the first three games, with the original trilogy now concluded and the switch over to a new engine, we are exploring new directions, both gameplay and story on the fronts.

“You can still expect the pillars for the deductible is known to be fully intact though, including diverse alien races, a huge galaxy to explore, and of course rich, cinematic storytelling.”

The studio is now hiring for the project, and we’ll be keeping our eye on the job listings for new information.

The news follows BioWare Montreal confirming to VG247 that the next hero of Mass Effect will not be ‘Shepard 2′, but a very different person. Check out the details here:

Thanks OXM.

19 comment-trail-alt Posted in: Microsoft, PS3, PS4, RPG, Shooter, Xbox 360
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19 comments

#1

Giskard
12/11/12, 4:39 pm

I’m a big fan of the Frostbite engine. After BF3 and NFS: Most Wanted, I’ve seen how well it performs, and blimey, it does look good.

#2

Maximum Payne
12/11/12, 4:54 pm

Well if game will be still very linear like ME2 and ME3 then Mass Effect 4 will launch on this generation for sure.

#3

tezzer1985
12/11/12, 4:56 pm

Hoping its on next gen systems, I feel that Mass Effect was a great series, and would love to see where it goes from here.

#4

TD_Monstrous69
12/11/12, 4:56 pm

I don’t know if I’m quite so keen on seeing other games using Frostbite 2. I mean sure, Mass Effect’s a great series (in fact, one of the best ever), and Frostbite 2 is an incredible engine, but how exactly would Frostbite 2 improve on an already impeccable palette such as the Mass Effect universe? Also, need I remind people that just because you have a great engine, doesn’t necessarily mean you’re gonna have a great game (NFS The Run anyone, or how about Medal of Honor: Warfighter?).

#5

Ristas
12/11/12, 4:56 pm

Most Wanted does NOT use the Frostbite Engine 2. It’s a common mistake because it looks so much like it and as far as i know, it was even claimed by many news outlets if not EA ifself at some point. Criterion developed their own graphics engine though.

#6

tezzer1985
12/11/12, 5:01 pm

I see why EA would want to use Frostbite 2 as a bases for their development across all games.

@4 just to add, just cause a developer is using a engine, doesn’t mean the game will be bad…take a look at UE3, bad and good UE3 games.

#7

AmiralPatate
12/11/12, 5:16 pm

Frostbite 2 failed to suprise me so far. Maybe a game with some actual design and artistry will change my mind on the matter.

Also, instead of Google Translation, there’s an English translation on the site linked in the article.
It’s from “There is really not much I can tell you about the game” to “a huge galaxy to explore, and of course rich, cinematic storytelling”

#8

Talkar
12/11/12, 5:21 pm

So if i look at the sun while in space in ME4. Will my monitor melt? :P

#9

GwynbleiddiuM
12/11/12, 5:29 pm

Frostbite 2 is a solid engine, I’d like to see more games on that, but I hope people who are working with the engine implement key features of the engine in their game, like destructible environment and proper physics.

And I hope ME4 leans more toward RPG than a linear shooter with close to no surprises.

#10

Phoenixblight
12/11/12, 5:32 pm

@9

Bioware already said they had to create their own features with the engine. Frostbyte 2 engine is just the foundation that they start from.

#11

hives
12/11/12, 5:53 pm

I’m not a fan of Frostbite 2, I play on PC. And only game on this engine that isn’t optimised bad is BF3. Both NFS games are badly optimised, I feel like only DICE can make it right :X

Hope that won’t be a problem with BioWare Frostbite 2 games.

#12

LuLshuck
12/11/12, 6:58 pm

Can we please have a story where your character is a spector and non of this end of the world bullshit, one of the biggest reasons why i hated mass effect 3 was because it didnt bring any new details about the other aliens and shit like mass effect 1 and 2 did and also frostbite engine is the shittest engine to date, sure it looks ok but like someone mentioned only dice can make the cunt work, everyone else who has tried has failed

#13

GwynbleiddiuM
12/11/12, 7:36 pm

@10 Yeah, but I guess certain features and addons are hard to pass on. Besides what would be the point if they don’t implement those things so their game can look like what, let’s say Dragon Age 2 looked?

#14

marioporfirio
12/11/12, 8:49 pm

Need for Speed – Most Wanted dont use frostbite.

#15

roadkill
12/11/12, 9:50 pm

YES! \o/ <3 FB! :)

edit: NFS MW is using Chameleon engine, which is a modified version of FB I think. Right?

#16

Maximum Payne
12/11/12, 10:29 pm

@15 Which is modified Burnout:Paradise engine.
I think

#17

Joe_Gamer
13/11/12, 2:23 am

worthless promise is worthless, respectful my ass, and this angry bitter “entitled” former fan certainly wont be buying it, and no, I wont just let it go, ME3 was the greatest gaming disappointment in a decade.

IMO of course >.>

#18

NocturnalB
13/11/12, 6:37 am

@4 What is your point exactly? “I don’t know if I’m quite so keen on seeing other games using Frostbite 2.” And? So are you saying your base point of argument is that you’re some sort of “engine stinge” and don’t want other games to look good? Yeah there are some bad games on it, which makes putting a hugely successful franchise like Mass Effect on it make all the more sense to me.

Successful franchise + great engine = successful and beautiful game

2+2=win

Sorry i just really don’t get whatever point you were trying to make.

#19

roadkill
13/11/12, 8:45 am

@16 They’ve used RenderWare in Paradise. So.. I don’t know. But still, we’ve at least established that they’re not using FB. :)

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