Mass Effect

[Prof. Amy Lupin]

A fellow HOLer recommended Mass Effect to me and so far I'm loving it. This took me somewhat by surprise as this is the first proper science fiction video game I've played (I tend to prefer RPGs with fantasy elements).

I'm still in the early stages of the game, but the storyline and the world-building appeal to me, not to mention the depth to the various characters' backstories. I really like how one's dialogue and squad choices seem to have more impact on gameplay than most other games. I'm still getting the hang of combat (I may have had to reload several times >>), but there's a lot more strategy to it than the average "hack and slash" RPG.

Has anyone else played the original trilogy or the latest installment Mass Effect: Andromeda?


Note: Although the first game came out more than 10 years ago, please use spoiler tags when discussing specific plot points or characters, so that those new to the franchise can still experience these first-hand.

[Prof. Amy Lupin]

I'm a little further into the original game since I last posted, having completed one or two of the first main quests (depending on one's perspective). I've enjoyed exploring the other planets while completing the various side-quests. I really like how each has a different landscape and there's descriptions of the various planets just before you land or survey them, as this really adds to the depth of the Mass Effect universe.

One of the things I like about this particular RPG is that you're encouraged to change your squad up depending on the mission. While Kaiden and Tali are probably my favourite squad mates -- I ended up switching to Ashley and Garrus when it came to the geth incursions. I definitely found times when I missed Kaiden/Tali, particularly because their skillset would have come in handy with decryption, but it's a balancing act really because Ashley/Garrus are better fighters. With most other RPGs I've played one tends to stick with the same team throughout, unless the storyline forces one to temporarily choose someone else to stand in for one of the characters.

My only real complaint of the game so far is that it isn't as open-world as I was initially led to believe from interacting with the various NPCs. After getting thrashed in the second/third main quest as well as being caught off-guard by a thresher maw during one of my planetary explorations, I decided to consult a walkthrough for some guidance as to where to go next, and it was just as well because with most of the side-quests you're given in the first part of the game, it is suggested one has a minimum level of 30. This isn't the most practical though, as I'm still only a level 22 at this stage, and experience isn't always the easiest to come by.

In spite of that, I'm still enjoying the game and looking forward to seeing how things pan out.

[Prof. Amy Lupin]

After I finally managed to reach the coveted level 30, I was able to breeze through the remaining side quests. I then was able to focus on the remaining main quests, and doing so was bittersweet. I found those to be among my favourite, but I knew it signalled that the end of the game was coming. Virmire was by far my favourite planet. I loved the crystal blue water and it was oddly relaxing despite where one was at during the storyline. I cherished the thought that the non-enemy robots moving about were frolicking about at the beach despite impending doom.

I also felt that some of the decisions I made really mattered. I knew by that point from the walkthroughs that some decisions had bearing on the rest of the trilogy, but the one of the critical decisions every player is faced with had much more of a sense of finality to it — in fact, I was so sure I'd be able to choose both options that I went the one route only to experience dread that I couldn't subsequently go the other route (and I reloaded so that I could go the latter route, but even then there was still some regret). I was comforted though that either decision garnered one the same number of Paragon points, so there was no right or wrong decision as such.

I loved the character development, primarily for Shepard, but also for the other members of one's crew (although in some cases, you had to actively guide the character development through your conversations with them). I don't think I've ever been this invested in the characters of any video game.

Another thing I really enjoyed was that the side quests all added some value to the game and one's understanding of all the external factors influencing the main events of the game (even if not directly, because whether you complete those side quests or not have very little bearing on how the storyline itself unfolds). I remember finding one of the side quests very tedious, and only much later on did I find out that what that side quest relates to, is actually such a critical component of the Mass Effect universe.

The game also had a very satisfactory conclusion (in which you also got to make some key decisions). I remember having an element of "now what?" after finishing Skyrim, which was my favourite video game before Mass Effect edged it out.

I was also seriously impressed with the amount of work the developers put into the game, which I only really came to appreciate with some of the final cut scenes — as there are so many possible permutations of it, depending on the two crew members you chose to have with you, Shepard's gender and even the armour you and your crew each wear (and possibly even other factors). I'd imagine there are ways to simplify the work on the developers' side, but it just made an awesome game that much more awesome.

[Prof. Amy Lupin]

I finished playing Mass Effect 2 this morning, and I have to admit, while there were some parts I liked about it, overall I was a bit disappointed. It was refreshing that things weren't as black and white as they first seemed in the original game as regards Cerberus. Some of the gameplay changes took some getting used to, but I liked that they made things more realistic as well as interactive (in the case of hacking/bypassing technology).

Shepard's nostalgia for his/her old crew was palpable. While Miranda and Jacob eventually grew on me, I really missed the likes of Kaiden and Tali. In fact, I was both relieved and pleased to run into an old crew member on the first mission, but leaving them behind once again was rather painful. I enjoyed coming across old crew members at various points in the game and seeing where they are at 'now'. I was really excited, in particular, to discover Archangel's true identity. It was interesting seeing how the various characters had tried to move on following the initial events of ME2, and the feeling of how much things had changed since then was also very tangible.

While ME2 didn't have the seeming lack of 'open worldness' that the original had, there weren't a whole lot of options in terms of side quests, and certain main quests which were seemingly optional (but not really, because they were essential to the last part of the game) only unlocked after certain points. I found the process of recruiting the various team members and completing their loyalty quests a bit repetitive, even tedious at times, even though the plots/themes differed substantially.

One thing I did enjoy though was visiting Tuchanka and learning more about the krogan as well as stopping by the quarian Migrant Fleet. I liked that new species were 'introduced', such as the drell. And learning more about Legion's species really helped put the original game into perspective.

That being said, I couldn't help but feel that ME2 serves as a filler game in between the original and final games of the trilogy. Barring some new discoveries, it didn't feel like a whole lot actually happened in ME2.