Mass Effect is going to be a trilogy. Bioware told us that up front when the original released in 2007. Normally, that isn’t a big deal – trilogies happen all the time. But after playing the first few hours of the game, I started really thinking about it, and one question popped into my head… Is Bioware insane?
After much rumination, I have decided that Bioware is indeed crazy…LIKE A FOX! The Mass Effect trilogy is an incredibly ambitious undertaking, and playing the sequel has made me realize why I love what Bioware’s doing, and also why it seems like a suicide mission (see what I did there?). But before I go into it, minor spoilers of the original Mass Effect below, although I will do my best without revealing any big ones.
Role playing games are all about personalization, but in the Mass Effect series, Bioware has taken this idea to a whole new level. In the original Mass Effect, like any good RPG, you meet an ensemble of characters who you can feel personally connected to. As you get to know them and their back stories, it’s possible to start feeling an attachment to them, much like characters in a good novel. Then, like some RPGs (see: Fallout 3), you are given the power to make decisions that affect these characters lives, and in some cases, their continued existence. It’s a great feature of the original game, and it makes a game experience that can be very different for two different players. I could play my character as a jerk who steps on anyone in his way, which results in some consequences, while espion4ge plays as a saintly character who betters the lives of everyone he meets, which has its own consequences.
The crazy thing about Mass Effect 2 is the fact that the consequences from the first game carry over to the second. If someone was dead at the end of Mass Effect, they’re still dead. If you were a jerk to someone in the original, they’ll remember. If you were romantically involved with one of your crew members, that relationship still stands. Thus, when LargeLobster and I both started the game around the same time on Tuesday, we already had some small differences in our intro sequences.
But think about what that means for Mass Effect 3. That game will be built off of the personal choices players have made over the course of TWO games. If LargeLobster and I already are having different game experiences, imagine how many potential scenarios Bioware needs to account for in the third game! It already blows my mind to think about how Bioware is dealing with the divergent options in Mass Effect 2, so Mass Effect 3 is going to be nuts to deal with.
That presents both a potential problem and a potential payoff. The problem is, will Bioware have to dumb down its storyline so as to make it basic enough to cover all of its bases? That would be a shame. But I think Mass Effect 2 already presents some of the potential payoffs. More than a lot of other games, Mass Effect 2 feels personal. When I threw back some alien alcohol with one of my crew members in a scene, it was much more meaningful because the scene brought back memories from the first game. It was touching in a way that usually only movies can pull off (or real life, obviously). And in Mass Effect 2, I’m thinking a lot more carefully about my decisions. I played through most of the original as a renegade, but now that I have a better feel for how some of my decisions will carry over to the final installment, I find myself thinking a little bit more before I make my choices. In effect, I am being more conscientious about fulfilling the role I want my character to fill. In the end, isn’t that what RPGs are all about?
So I’m a bit apprehensive about whether Bioware can see this through to the end (Mass Effect 3), but if they can continue to make this series feel personal, then it’s a risk worth taking. Do yourself a favor and play the original before you check out the sequel, as you will get much more out of it. I’ll touch upon the gameplay improvements in a later post, but I will leave you with this teaser: THERE IS NO MAKO.
I like the game so far – i feel the need to bumrush through the beginning since it’s a little slow. i’m on the fence about the “streamlining” of leveling up and loot. Now that I’m experiencing ME2, I realize I kind of liked it in the first one and I’d almost rather be overwhelmed with options rather than not have enough. On the other hand, I’m not wasting time going through useless crap in my inventory. Also, leveling up seems slower since you only gain XP after each mission.
Combat is improved, smoother and more engaging. The cover system is similar to Gears but not as smooth. I found myself popping out of cover unintentionally a bunch of times without realizing it and then dying.
Also, it’s annoying how the shortcut buttons for your partners’ powers also command them to move into a position. I’ve tried to use powers on enemies but end up telling my guy to stand right next to the enemy. retarded.
no mako is a mixed blessing. scanning planets instead is still slow and tedious, but at least i’m not trying to climb up unclimbable mountains in a mako.
other than these gameplay gripes, I can say that this game and story is as involving and deep as the first and I am addicted to see what happens next. The game is still about the characters and the choices you make.
no mako? woohoo!
anyway – i can certainly see how bioware implementing consequences of choices made in the mass effect games having repercussions throughout the entire trilogy. after playing through dragon age: origins and seeing the number of choices you could make in that game and what would happen in the world based on that, i’m not surprised.
if you guys ever have time, definitely check out dragon age: origins – although it’s probably longer than the entire mass effect trilogy combined heh