Since it released this past Tuesday, most of my time gaming has been dedicated to one game, Mass Effect 3. The several hours I have spent playing both Mass Effect 1 and 2, reading the comics and reading one of the many books have all lead up to this one game and so far it is delivering in spades. To close out this Mass Effect-filled week here on Silver Bit, I want to share why I love this series, why I am so enamored with this universe.
Ever since it released back in November of 2007, I have heard great things about the first Mass Effect game. IGN even went as far to say it was the best game for the Xbox 360. So when my brothers and I pooled together our money to buy a Xbox 360 during the summer of 2009, one of the very first games I bought was Mass Effect. I played through Mass Effect quite a bit, but I did not really start plowing through it until a month before Mass Effect 2 released. The gameplay was a great balance between the strategy of a RPG and real-time action of a third-person shooter. What really got me was the story and how you could shape the story through your dialogue choices. From choosing between Kaiden or Ashley to letting the Council live or die, the choices really personalized your playthrough. You could even talk Saren into committing suicide and avoid the first part of his boss battle if your charm or intimidate is high enough, which I find incredible. Also Mass Effect has one of the best final level I have ever played. Throughout the two long hours it took to finish it, it was one exhilarating roller coaster ride fighting Geth on the Citadel. Immediately after that I went right into playing Mass Effect 2 considering that I finished Mass Effect the day I bought the second game. After watching the excellent launch trailer, I hunted down a Collector's Edition of Mass Effect 2 the weekend after the game released. Luckily I found on at my local Wal-Mart because it made for a great early birthday present as I was in school and low on disposable income. Imported my Shepard from the first game and watched the magic begin. From the moment the Normandy was shot down by the Collector's to finding out the Collector's were indoctrinated Protheans to the final suicide mission, Mass Effect 2 was everything I loved about the first game. It was an improvement on what I already considered gaming perfection. The action, story and interactive dialogue were all phenomenal and it made me really care for my entire crew from my squad mates to Dr. Chakwas and Joker. I still get sad over losing Garrus in the final suicide mission and in all honestly Mordin singing Gilbert and Sullivan is one of favourite moments in the entire series. My love for Mass Effect comes from the fact that this game feels like an interactive science fiction novel where I am writing the story. I have a personal connection with the game and with all the characters involved because I am the one choosing what my Shepard says, what my Shepard does. The actions I ultimately do define who he/she is, who he/she loves and what people think of my Shepard. My actions also have consequences that go onto affect other parts of the game and possibly even the subsequent games in the series. No game series has done something this ambitious before and there will be no game that will ever re-create.
I was not alive to experience Star Wars, arguably the greatest piece of science fiction ever, when it first released in theatres and just caught the hearts and minds of my parent's generation. Well to me Mass Effect is the piece of science fiction that has caught my heart and mind the same way George Lucas' sci-fi classic did to my parent's generation over 30 years ago. I could go on and on about it everything I love about this series, but it would take too long. Simply I love Mass Effect. I revel in the small touching moments between your crew. I am blown away the incredible set pieces. I geek out when BioWare alludes to a character or event from the expanded universe. Mass Effect is the greatest game series of this console generation in my humble opinion and I do not care what anybody says.
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