Mass Effect Impact
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Mass Effect changed what Role Playing games are.
The Mass Effect franchise is very unique as an RPG. In fact it almost redefined what an role playing game can be. Before Mass Effect, the vast majority of true role playing games followed a particular format. Many of them used the number based Dungeons and Dragons combat style for their games with the random dice rolls and numbers deciding everything. It would decide how much an attack would do to an enemy, how much defense a particular armor would defend a character, if a character could equip a certain weapon or armor based on their points in strength stats, the list goes on. The other style was turn based combat styles which were popularly employed by Pokemon, Final Fantasy and other JRPGs. Mass Effect was one of the first to step outside of these boundaries and push beyond these classical restraints. Unlike the traditional number crunching formulas of the before mentioned other RPGs and JRPGs, Mass Effect's gameplay is an action filled, third person shooter, RPG hybrid. While the first Mass Effect was still a RPG in a traditional sense due to the collectible loot, morality system, player choices, exploration, and customizable armor and weapons, the next two installments became something else entirely. Much of what was considered a defining trait of roleplaying games such as collectible loot and weapon customization was removed and in its wake became more action oriented in its gameplay and had more streamlined mechanics. While it had removed these elements it still retained decision making, player choice, morality and exploration as key focuses of the series. Was Mass Effect now a shooter with RPG elements or a RPG with shooter elements? It was a question on many player and critic's minds. The blend of RPG elements in shooters that Bioware had achieved inspired other video game developers to do the same resulting in titles like Borderlands. Mass Effect blurred the lines between RPGs and shooters and the results of the aftermath have opened up a sea of possibilities for future role playing games and shooters alike. The following images below show a traditional western RPG like Dragon Age Origins with the Dungeons and Dragons style combat as well as a turn based combat system of JRPGs. The video below shows the combat of Mass Effect for comparison.
Gaming Innovations of the Mass Effect series
The Dialog Wheel
One of the several innovations that Mass Effect has brought to the gaming industry was their creation of the dialog wheel. Now what is the dialog wheel? The dialog wheel is a new revolutionary way of choosing how your player character communicates with others, makes decisions, and interacts with the world around them in role playing games. Now before we can explain how the dialog wheel was such a revolutionary addition to communication in role playing games, we need to discuss how players communicated before the dialog wheel's creation. Prior to the dialog wheel, the vast majority of western role playing games used a communication system that consisted of a list of responses the player character could make an a conversation. However, due to the vast number of responses among other reasons this system was almost always coupled with a silent protagonist. This meant that while you had a plethora of responses, your character had no voice actor and spoken lines of dialog. In addition, the so called plethora of responses were often just an illusion of choice. The vast majority of choices on the dialog list would lead to the exact same carbon copy responses from NPC's regardless of which option was chosen more often than not. Popular role playing games before Mass Effect such as Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, Fallout 3, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic all used this system of silent protagonists and response lists. The following images are quality examples of this system.
Mass Effect was the first western role playing game to truly deviate from the silent protagonist and response list system. The result was the dialog wheel. The dialog wheel severed the same purpose of making the decisions throughout the game as the response list but in a different way. The response list was replaced by a wheel like interface at the bottom of the screen. The interface that would later be dubbed as the dialog wheel had six total response sections. There were three options on the right at almost all times. These options dictated a positive response to the conversation (Top right), a neutral response (middle right), or negative response (Bottom right). The left side of the wheel was used less often in conversations as it was mostly used for alignment responses (Good or evil responses) or used to receive more information. The top left was used for good or heroic responses if you played as a good guy. The middle left was used to investigate a topic further and would often lead to an entire different dialog wheel specifically to just ask questions. Lastly, the bottom right option was used for evil responses if you played as an evil character. To put the wheel in simple terms the right side of the wheel tended to be the side that would propel the conversation forward while the left was mostly used to ask questions. The result of this system was that it made the conversations in the game more cinematic since there wasn't a wall of text taking up the vast majority of the screen. Another side effect of this system was that the player character Commander Shepard was fully voiced. The dialog wheel's options are made short and to the point and convey what you want to say in this situation. Once the option is selected the player character will respond in a manner that both expresses your choice as well as expands upon it. For example you could choose an option that simply says: "I won't do that." Commander Shepard in turn responds by saying: "There's no way in hell I'm going to do that. There are too many lives at stake here! There has to be another way." Having the protagonist fully voiced also allowed for greater emotional depth for scenes. It's hard to convey your character is having a heated debate with another when the only way to convey their emotions is an exclamation point at the end of some silent text. The voiced character helps keep the emotional tone exactly where it should be. The dialog wheel system with a fully voiced protagonist was very well received by critics and players alike. The voiced protagonist with this system really made it much easier to relate and connect with Commander Shepard as opposed to the silent protagonists of other games. The following image below is an example of how the dialog wheel looks in use and video below shows how the dialog wheel system works.
The dialog wheel, as previously mentioned, was very well received by critics and players alike and changed what a dialog system in an RPG could be. Some newer RPGs have replicated the Mass Effect series success with the dialog wheel by adding it into their own games. For example, before the success of the dialog wheel had really sunk in, the Dragon Age series which was also developed by Bioware was still using the silent protagonist and response list. But after relizing the impact of it, the dialog wheel because the new dialog standard for all future Bioware games with all future titles including Dragon Age 2 and Star Wars: The Old Republic. The impact of the dialog wheel did not stop there though. Its effects have ripped through the RPG developing community as whole with games such as Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning and Lord of the Rings: War in the North following suit and adapting dialog wheels of their own. The following images show the dialog wheel being utilized in Bioware games as well as other developer RPGs.
Save Import System and Decisions that Matter
Another innovation of the Mass Effect series is the save file import system. Before Mass Effect most RPGs were standalone games. They would have their own interwoven plots that you could complete any way you want. While that is all well and good in concept when a sequel to that game comes into the picture the concept gets a little complicated. For example in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Elder Scrolls Oblivion, or other RPGs, you deal with the story the way you see fit to. You can be any gender you like, any class you prefer and any alignment that you wish. Its all up to the player, until we come to the sequel. Since there is no way to know how each individual player played and beat the game, the game developers are forced to either canonize certain events or what race and gender the player character was in the history of the game's world. This can lead to fan outrage and continuity issues. With Mass Effect they promised to solve this problem. Right from the get go they promised that the Mass Effect trilogy would be a series of interwoven games that would follow the journey of one protagonist and his/her crew. They promised that across this journey the decisions you made as a player would impact the galaxy around you, impact who lives and dies, and impact the endings of each game. How would they do this? The answer is the save import system they created. How the save import system works is an interesting process. Let's say that you have played and completed the first Mass Effect game and want to play the second game. If you import your save file to Mass Effect 2, your version of the Mass Effect story could be significantly different than your friends based on your choices in the first game. Well how does this work? It works through your save file data of the game you beat. It is recorded in the memory on the hard drive of what ever console you used to play it. It records the decisions you made, what your personal Shepard looks like, and what alignment you were. If you still have your save file data from Mass Effect 1, upon starting a new game in Mass Effect 2 you will have the option of importing your save file data. You will be able to continue your Shepard's personal story as opposed to starting the game without an import and being forced to play as a default Shepard and default story where none of your choices are remembered. This process can be repeated to import your data to Mass Effect 3 as well thus shaping the entire trilogy to your own personal adventures. Its very much like a choose your own adventure story book that remembers everything you've picked. The following clips below show exactly what I mean. Here is the same mission playing out in Mass Effect 3 but because of different choices the player took the scenes differ. In the first clip the character Wrex has survived to the third game based on the player choices. While in the other clip Wrex died somewhere in the previous games. As such in the second clip the character Wreav is there instead. The two clips are also different based on which squad mates are taken with on the mission as well. It is surprising how different each player's experience can vary based on their personal choices. Below the clips is a few images showing the save import process.
Controversy
Mass Effect Sex controversy with FOX news
Among other things the Mass Effect franchise brought to the gaming industry, it also brought about two gaming controversys. The first controversy Mass Effect brought about surfaced during the release of the first game of the series. FOX news created a news report suggesting that all the Mass Effect game was really about was a man having sex with as many random women and aliens as they chose. The news report was carried out by a reporter who had only seen the trailer of the game and never actually played it. Her supporting evidence on the subject was psychologist whom had only very played the games Pong and Pac Man in her life. The argument was even further disproved when they brought on a video game expert who defended the game but they immediately discounted everything he said because all they wanted to focus on was one scene of sexuality in the game. This story generated huge fan backlash from the gaming community with fans voicing how the argument was idiotic and baseless. Several gaming websites among other websites wrote about how FOX needed to publicly apologize and set the record straight. The reporter and psychologist would both eventually apologize for their baseless claims. The whole incident made FOX news seem very foolish and made many further question their credibility as a news source. The following video is a clip of the interview
The Ending of Mass Effect 3
The biggest controversy to come out of the Mass Effect series was the ending to Mass Effect 3. Many fans upon reaching the trilogy's conclusion were upset and outraged at the ending. Many fans claimed that it lacked closure, had numerous plot holes, it did not fit the themes of the series, and that Bioware had flat out lied to them when they claimed player choices would impact the ending. Others complained about the lack of a boss battle and how the ending seemed completely rushed and poorly developed since each of the ending cutscenes were practically the same except for different colored explosions. Not long after the fans started forming groups on facebook, most notably the Retake ME3 page, about how the Mass Effect 3 ending was a slap in the face to players who had invested so much time into this trilogy. In fact the "Retake Mass Effect" movement as it became to be called started a group fund show their disappointment with the ending in a positive way. They started a charity donation fund with all proceeds going to Child's Play. Everyone who donated to this fund was showing their disappointment with the endings in a symbolic gesture by raising money for the less fortunate. They also all signed a form showing their anger at the endings. This charity fund ended up raising over $80,000 all from fan donations. Other gamers responded in a less constructive way and decided to give Mass Effect 3 remarkably low scores on consumer reviews on Metacritic.com. Scores ranged from 5 to 0 all because of the endings. To this day Metacritic.com's user review is 5.1 due to fan backlash. Others sent their game copies back to Amazon in disgust leading to countless refunds for pre-ordered copies of Mass Effect 3. In response to the fan outcry Bioware announced the Extended Cut on April 12th, 2012 promising extended ending content to further expand upon the ending itself, the choices fans made, and offer closure. During the wait for The Extended Cut DLC others fans started to write their own fan fictions about how the series should have ended, the most notable of which was the Marauder Shields series developed by the deviantart.com user Koobismo and his team. The fan made ending project made through a comic book style continues to be made to this day on Koobismo.com The Extended Cut DLC was released on June 26, 2012. The DLC was met with mixed responses many fans declared that even with the Extended Cut the ending was not enough and still didn't solve all of the problems of the original endings. Other fans stated that the Extended Cut did exactly what they needed for closure and delivered a satisfying ending to the Mass Effect trilogy. The following images below are an image of the original endings and how similar they were as well as an image from the fan made ending by the team at Koobismo.com
The Galaxy of Mass Effect
The Mass Effect series has been praised often for having one of the fullest, most memorable, and most realized galaxies of science fiction games of all time. There are few players of this series that could not find themselves impressed with detail behind the history of Mass Effect's galaxy. This is thanks to the tremendous time and effort the writers put into the lore and culture of each space fairing species, their intercultural history and relations, and the planets and space stations the species populate.
The Races of Mass Effect:
Each race of the Mass Effect series has their own culture and history that has defined who they are and how they interact with other species. It really shows how the politics of each race was planned down to the last detail. The level of attention to detail really makes the Mass Effect series shine. These brief descriptions on each race from the game's codex entries on each should indicate just how impactful, well thought out, and memorable these races are.
Asari - "The asari were the first species to discover the Citadel. When the salarians arrived, it was the asari who proposed the establishment of the Citadel Council to maintain peace throughout the galaxy. Since then, the asari have served as the mediators and centrists of the Council.An all-female race, the asari reproduce through a form of parthenogenesis. They can attune their nervous system to that of another individual of any gender, and of any species, to reproduce. This capability has led to unseemly and inaccurate rumors about asari promiscuity.Asari can live for over 1,000 years, passing through three stages of life. In the Maiden stage, they wander restlessly, seeking new knowledge and experience. When the Matron stage begins, they "meld" with interesting partners to produce their offspring. This ends when they reach the Matriarch stage, where they assume the roles of leaders and councilors."
Salarians - "The second species to join the Citadel, the salarians are warm-blooded amphibians with a hyperactive metabolism. Salarians think fast, talk fast, and move fast. To salarians, other species seem sluggish and dull-witted. Unfortunately, their metabolic speed leaves them with a relatively short life span; salarians over the age of 40 are a rarity.The salarians were responsible for advancing the development of the primitive krogan species to use as soldiers during the Rachni Wars. They were also behind the creation of the genophage bioweapon the turians used to quell the Krogan Rebellions several centuries later.Salarians are known for their observational capability and non-linear thinking. This manifests as an aptitude for research and espionage. They are constantly experimenting and inventing, and it is generally accepted that they always know more than they're letting on."
Turians - "Roughly 1,200 years ago, the turians were invited to join the Citadel Council to fulfill the role of galactic peacekeepers. The turians have the largest fleet in Citadel space, and they make up the single largest portion of the Council's military forces. As their territory and influence has spread, the turians have come to rely on the salarians for military intelligence and the asari for diplomacy. Despite a somewhat colonial attitude towards the rest of the galaxy, the ruling Hierarchy understands they would lose more than they would gain if the other two races were ever removed.Turians come from an autocratic society that values discipline and possesses a strong sense of personal and collective honor. There is lingering animosity between turians and humans over the First Contact War of 2157, which is known as the "Relay 314 Incident" to the turians. Officially, however, the two species are allies and they enjoy civil, if cool, diplomatic relations."
Krogan - "The krogan evolved in a hostile and vicious environment. Until the invention of gunpowder weapons, "eaten by predators" was still the number one cause of krogan fatalities. Afterwards, it was "death by gunshot". When the salarians discovered them, the krogan were a brutal, primitive species struggling to survive a self-inflicted nuclear winter. The salarians culturally uplifted them, teaching them to use and build modern technology so they could serve as soldiers in the Rachni War. Liberated from the harsh conditions of their homeworld, the quick-breeding krogan experienced an unprecedented population explosion. They began to colonize nearby worlds, even though these worlds were already inhabited. The Krogan Rebellions lasted nearly a century, only ending when the turians unleashed the genophage, a salarian-developed bioweapon that crushed all krogan resistance. The genophage makes only one in 1,000 pregnancies viable, and today the krogan are a slowly dying breed. Understandably, the krogan harbor a grudge against all other species, especially the turians."
Quarians - "Driven from their home system by the geth nearly three centuries ago, most quarians now live aboard the Migrant Fleet, a flotilla of fifty thousand vessels ranging in size from passenger shuttles to mobile space stations. Home to 17 million quarians, the flotilla understandably has scarce resources. Because of this, each quarian must go on a rite of passage known as the Pilgrimage when they come of age. They leave the fleet and only return once they have found something of value they can bring back to their people. Other species tend to look down on the quarians for creating the geth and for the negative impact their fleet has when it enters a system. This has led to many myths and rumors about the quarians, including the belief that underneath their clothes and breathing masks, they are actually cybernetic creatures: a combination of organic and synthetic parts."
Geth - "The geth are a humanoid race of networked A.I.s. They were created by the quarians 300 years ago as tools of labor and war. When the geth showed signs of self-evolution, the quarians attempted to exterminate them. The geth won the resulting war. This example has led to legal, systematic repression of artificial intelligences in galactic society. The geth possess a unique distributed intelligence. An individual has rudimentary animal instincts, but as their numbers and proximity increase, the apparent intelligence of each individual improves. In groups, they can reason, analyze situations, and use tactics as well as any organic race. Geth space is located at the trailing end of the Perseus Arm, beyond the lawless Terminus Systems. The Perseus Veil, an obscuring "dark nebula" of opaque gas and dust, lies between their space and the Terminus Systems."
Hanar - "The hanar are a Citadel species known for excessive politeness. They speak with scrupulous precision, and take offense at improper language. Hanar that expect to deal with other species take special courses to help them unlearn their tendency to take offense at improper speech. All hanar have two names. The Face Name is known to the world; the Soul Name is kept for use among close friends and relations. Hanar never refer to themselves in the first person in conversation with someone they know on a Face Name basis. To do so is considered egotistical, so instead they refer to themselves as "this one", or the impersonal "it". Their homeworld, Kahje, has 90% ocean cover and orbits an energetic white star, resulting in a permanent blanket of clouds. Due to the presence of Prothean ruins on the world, many hanar worship them, and hanar myths often speak of an elder race that civilized them by teaching them language."
Elcor - "The elcor are a Citadel species native to the high-gravity world Dekuuna. They are massive creatures, standing on four muscular legs for increased stability. Elcor move slowly, an evolved response to an environment where a fall can be lethal. This has colored their psychology, making them deliberate and conservative. Elcor speech is ponderous and monotone. Among themselves, scent, slight movements, and subvocalized infrasound convey shades of meaning that make a human smile seem as subtle as a fireworks display. Since their subtlety can lead to misunderstandings with other species, the elcor often go out of their way to clarify when they are being sarcastic, amused, or angry. Dekuuna's high gravity impedes mountain formation. Most of the world consists of flat, open plains which prehistoric elcor wandered across in small family bands. Modern elcor still prefer open sky, and become restless and uncomfortable on long starship journeys."
Volus - "The volus are a member species of the Citadel with their own embassy, but they are also a client race of the turians. Centuries ago, they were voluntarily absorbed into the Hierarchy, effectively trading their mercantile prowess for turian military protection. Irune, their homeworld, lies far beyond the normal life zone of its star. However, the world has a high-pressure greenhouse atmosphere that traps enough heat to support an ammonia-based biochemistry. As a result, the volus must wear pressure suits and breathers when dealing with other species as conventional nitrogen/oxygen air mixtures are poisonous to them, and in the low pressure atmospheres tolerable to most species, their flesh will actually split open. Volus culture is tribal, bartering lands and even people to gain status. This culture of exchange inclines them to economic pursuits. It was the volus who authored the Unified Banking Act, and they continue to monitor and balance the Citadel economy."
Batarians - "In the early 2160s, the Alliance began aggressive colonization of worlds in the Skyllian Verge, much to the dismay of the batarians who had been developing the region for several decades. In 2171, the batarians petitioned the Council to declare the Verge a "zone of batarian interest". The Council refused, however, declaring unsettled worlds in the region open to human colonization. In protest, the batarians closed their Citadel embassy and severed official diplomatic relations with the Council, effectively becoming a rogue state. They instigated a proxy war in the Verge by funneling money and weapons to criminal organizations, urging them to strike at human colonies.Hostilities peaked with the Skyllian Blitz of 2176, an attack on the human capital of Elysium by batarian-funded pirates and slavers. In 2178, the Alliance retaliated with a crushing assault on the moon of Torfan, long used as a staging base by batarian-backed criminals. In the aftermath, the batarians retreated into their own systems, and are now rarely seen in Citadel space."
Vorcha - "Although they resemble a mammal-reptile cross, the vorcha have no terrestrial analogue. They are humanoid in form, but vorcha have "clusters" of non-differentiated neoblast cells, like those of Earth's planarian worms. Damaged vorcha cells mature into specialized structures to alleviate injury or stress. Transformations include thicker skin following injury, lung adaptation for barely-breathable atmospheres, and stronger cardio-skeletal muscle under high gravity. Skull capacity and brain size do not change, and vorcha rarely make more than one somatic overhaul. Vorcha assault each other frequently, causing their young to gain strength, intelligence, and resilience. As a result, vorcha see inflicting and receiving pain as normal communication. Few vorcha study professions, in part because their average life expectancy is only 20 years. Because vorcha can eat and breathe nearly anything, they can live almost anywhere, but racism prevents them from integrating into most societies that dismiss them as vermin. They have few employment options beyond krogan mercenary bands."
Drell - "Two centuries ago, the hanar helped 375,000 members of the drell race migrate to the hanar homeworld, Kahje, to escape the environmental extermination that had claimed the remaining 11 billion drell. Nearly all drell demonstrate tremendous loyalty to their famously reclusive saviors. The intimacy of their relationship, expressed in a formal sociopolitical alliance called the Compact, also results in extremely close personal relations in which some drell actually learn hanar Soul names. While most drell reside on Kahje, some assist hanar off-world as envoys, researchers, co-investors, wayfarers, assassins or otherwise, eager to help their saviors. For a century, galactic wisdom has held that behind any high-ranking hanar hides a resourceful and fanatically devoted drell.The omnivorous, reptilian drell possess an average life span of 85 galactic standard years. Having evolved on an arid planet, drell face serious illness on the hanar homeworld, especially Kepral's Syndrome, a fatal bacterial lung disease."
Rachni - "Though now extinct, the rachni once threatened every species in Citadel space. Over 2,000 years ago, explorers foolishly opened a mass relay to a previously-unknown system and encountered something never seen before or since: a species of spacefaring insects guided by a hive-mind intelligence.Unfortunately, the rachni were not peaceful, and the galaxy was plunged into a series of conflicts known as the Rachni Wars. Attempts to negotiate were futile, as it was impossible to make contact with the hive queens that guided the race from beneath the surface of their toxic homeworld.The emergence of the krogan ended the Rachni Wars. Bred to survive the harshest environments, the krogan were able to strike at the queens in their lairs and reclaim conquered Council worlds. But when krogan fleets pressed them back to their homeworld, the rachni refused to surrender, and the krogan eradicated them from the galaxy."
Protheans - "Fifty thousand years ago, the Protheans were the only spacefaring species in the galaxy. They vanished in a swift "galactic extinction". Only the legacy of their empire remains. They are believed to have built the mass relays and the Citadel, which have allowed numerous species to explore and expand throughout the galaxy.Prothean ruins are found on worlds across the galaxy. While surprisingly intact for their age, functioning examples of Prothean paleotechnology are rare. Time and generations of looters have picked their dead cities and derelict stations clean.Some believe the Protheans meddled in the evolution of younger races. The hanar homeworld of Kahje, for example, shows clear evidence of Prothean occupation. The presence of a former Prothean observation post on Mars has caused a rebirth of "interventionary evolutionists" among humans. These individuals believe the god-myths of ancient civilizations are misremembered encounters with aliens."
Collectors - "Living beyond the Omega-4 mass relay in the Terminus Systems, the mysterious Collector species is glimpsed so rarely as to be taken for a myth by most in galactic society. In reality, Collectors are human-sized insectoid bipeds and can resemble massive winged beetles. They are a terrifying force in the galaxy, responsible for the murder of hundreds of thousands. Collectors generate permanent stasis fields around themselves, creating nightmarish red-shifted energy fields. In battle, they hold position whenever possible, relying on their aggressive biotics and nearly limitless power. Several types of bipedal Collectors have been identified, including minions, defenders, zealots, assassins, and artillery-operators. Acting together, Collectors have imprisoned entire cities in stasis. While no definitive forensic accounting exists to explain the fate of those imprisoned, leading speculation is that victims are harvested for scientific experimentation and neuro-biological repurposing."
Important Locations:
Just as the races are excellently thought out so too are the planets and space stations of the Mass Effect universe. However it could take hours to list them all off so we will simply mention a few of note
The Citadel - "The Citadel is an ancient deep-space station, presumably constructed by the Protheans. Since the Prothean extinction, numerous species have come to call the Citadel home. It serves as the political, cultural, and financial capital of the galactic community. To represent their interests, most species maintain embassies on the Presidium, the Citadel's inner ring. The Citadel Tower, in the center of the Presidium, holds the Citadel Council chambers. Council affairs often have far-reaching effects on the rest of the galactic community. Five arms, known as the wards, extend from the Presidium. Their inner surfaces have been built into cities, populated by millions of inhabitants from across the galaxy. The Citadel is virtually indestructible. If attacked, the station can close its arms to form a solid, impregnable shell. For as long as the station has existed, an enigmatic race called the keepers has maintained it."
Omega - "Originally an asteroid rich in element zero, Omega was briefly mined by the Protheans, who eventually abandoned it due to its thick, impenetrable crust. Thousands of years later, nature did what even the Protheans could not: a collision with another asteroid broke Omega in half, exposing its trove of element zero for easy mining. A rush ensued as corporations and private individuals tried to strike it rich on Omega, and thieves and outlaws followed in their wake. As space became tight, construction of processing facilities extended vertically from the asteroid, creating Omega's jellyfish-like silhouette. To prevent future collisions, the station is ringed with enormous mass effect field generators that redirect incoming debris. Today, Omega is a major hub of narcotics, weapons, and eezo trafficking without even a pretense of civilian government or military control. Only mercenary groups have been able to instill a limited order; the most ruthless is an asari syndicate run by the notorious Aria T'Loak."
Characters of the Mass Effect Trilogy
It is a well known fact that the video game developer Bioware has many writers that are ingenious at creating complex and well written characters that fans have come to love. In fact well written character and excellent storytelling is basically the trademark reputation of Bioware as a studio. The Mass Effect series is one of the main reasons for this reputation. Each of the many characters of the series stretching from the main cast of squad members and Shepard himself to supporting cast are all completely fleshed out with their own background stories, individual personalities, and skills. In fact, even the villains are compelling and interesting as opposed to the cut and paste blatantly evil masterminds for other games. Perhaps it is because the writing allows for each of the characters to struggle with the many dark and difficult situations you encounter across the games that make these characters seem so believable. Another thing that made the characters so memorable is the option for Commander Shepard to enter into a romantic relationship with some of them. These romances give you an even greater view into who these characters truly are and in same cases the romance will let you see deeper into their psyche than you would have from just a platonic relationship. From Garrus Vakarian, the Turian former law enforcement officer turned vigilante to the Asari archaeologist turned information broker Liara, these characters will stick with the player years after the game's completion. Even the player character Commander Shepard is brilliantly voice acted for both male and female counterparts. Yes that's right, the player character Shepard can be either male or female and each has their own amazing voice actor. Coupled with some of the finest voice actors of the gaming industry, these are really some the most realistic and believable cast of characters you could find in video games today. The following video by watchmojo.com shows some of the most significant examples of the brilliant characters this series has to offer. (Warning. Spoiler alert for those who haven't played the games. This video assumes you have played and completed the entire series and thus mentions character that die. You have been warned.)
The Music of Mass Effect
Another thing that is very unique about this game franchise is its soundtrack. The Mass Effect trilogy employs a very unique style by combining bombastic orchestral themes such as intimate piano pieces, as well as string and brass ensembles, with a classic 80's sci-fi electrical and synthesizer music. Combine that with the rousing vocals and choruses added to certain tracks and you have a soundtrack that is truly its own. In fact, the series soundtrack is one of the most highly praised parts of the trilogy with it receiving multiple awards including Mass Effect 3 winning the Best Soundtrack award of 2012 from Gametrailers.com. The following are a few tracks of the soundtrack across all three games to show how distinct and powerful the Mass Effect's soundtrack is.
Reviews
The games and dlc's of the Mass Effect Franchise are often praised very highly by video game reviewers thus leading to very positive ratings and high review scores. Every single installment has been praised for its quality voice acting, top notch story telling, compelling characters and universe, and entertaining game play. In fact, according to GameRankings.com (A website known for compiling and averaging out a games overall quality score based on multiple online reviews and other review sources) every single one of the Mass Effect games of the trilogy all have an average score higher than 90% on the Xbox 360. Mass Effect 2 has an average score of over 90% for all platforms it is available on, while Mass Effect 3 has an average score of over 90% on the Xbox 360 and PS3. The following below are a few reviews done by IGN (a well known and respected video gaming website) on the Mass Effect games.
Background Home Our Study
References
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