If the game is anything like ME3 they can keep it. The first two Mass Effect games were amongst the best titles I'd ever played, the third pretty much ruined the entire series for me. I'm not just talking about the half-arsed ending either, I could literally go on all day about what was wrong with ME3.
According to Bioware's SDCC panel, they discussed some tidbits about ME4. The game is still a few years off from release and will be on PS4/XB1 and PC only. The main character will not be Shepard, but it will be a human and the game will be set during Shepard's timeline. Most likely in another part of the galaxy. Also, the Mako will make its return.
ME1 (and to a slightly lesser extent ME2) was roleplay first, action second. The fact that BioWare shifted the focus of the series to primarily action with the illusion of role play is what stopping me from getting excited over ME4.
I actually felt sorry for that guy during the ME3 fiasco. The death threats he was getting via twitter and on forums were simply uncalled for. I understand a lot of people, myself included, didn't like the direction Mass Effect 3 went. But to threaten a mans life over a damn video game is just stupid.
But, he's not in charge. My concern is the lead writer and side writers. They could cheese up the game as they did with ME3. I hope ME4 will become an action RPG for sci-fi just what the Dark souls is for fantasy RPG.
I don't feel sorry for the a-hole at all. He took it upon himself to send the writers home and finish the game himself and turned the greatest game trilogy ever made into a steaming pile of crap. I still can't believe they didn't fire him, and even more amazingly... they put him in charge of Mass Effect 4. Even employees at bioware are shocked he's still there. I know one of them personally and they are NOT happy.
The best Mass Effect is by far ME1. And not only as a new franchise but the in-game cuztomisation of gear/ evolution of skill is more complexe. Some part of map are more open-space than the 2 others (the citadel in ME1 is way better than the linear and small version of 2&3) ME2 & ME3 are console port for me. Even if the storytelling delivers.
You must remember and this was mentioned on the Bioware forums and a few other places quite awhile back, the reason there was so many plot holes in ME3 and why it sucked, as that Mac Walters replaced Drew Karpyshin as lead writer, and it's known that Mac Walters isn't that great when it comes to writing a Mass Effect story. By the time Mac Walters got done writing the "final story" for Mass Effect 3, there were so many plot holes and it was so full of cheese as you say, it wasn't even funny. What worry's me, is that if Mac Walters is involved in writing it, the next Mass Effect game is going to have a mess of a story and be so full of plot holes it isn't even funny.
ME3 combat was best but animations were horrible (and you couldn't even put your weapon down). ME1 had crouching. ME2 conversations and interaction was best in the series. Also graphically ME3 was one step forward in some cases and one step backwards in some. Story wise ME3 was mostly fine but those last ten or so minutes killed the game.
I hated the story for M3, in fact I hated most of the game. It had devolved into a sub par third person shooter with very little to do and a bunch of badly conceived and often conflicting plot points. As for the visuals, the 2D sprites were an absolute insult, I felt like I was playing Duke Nukem 3D every time I charged through smoke. Don't even get me started on the Tali unmasking. Speaking of insults, the fact a member of the IGN review staff was invited to do voice work for the game was insanity. It never should have been allowed. ME3 was the final nail in the coffin for Bioware as far as I'm concerned, I used to buy all their games day one. Then we had three major flops in a row after EA got their claws into the company, I wont be buying any of their games from now on unless there's a massive turn around.