Mass Effect 1

Just as word of caution, most of these critical analysis that I write will not be of new games or even new movies now that I've quit at Regal Cinema (just one more day WOOT.) That being said, I don't see the purpose of anything that anyone does on this blog as being close to a buyers guide. We're not here to tell you what to buy or see in the theater; we're here to either make you aware of what we think is really good but no one appreciates or (and this is really just me) analyze something all to hell. I like to take pieces of pop culture apart piece by piece and examine what makes it work or not work. This is especially true in the case of video games as no one really seems to be doing this in any meaningful fashion. Enough of this though. I'll write a fuller essay on video game criticism and aesthetics later (I know you're all shitting your pants with excitement.) For now, let's get into one of my favorite games and game franchises of all time; Mass Effect.

Once again, THERE BE SPOILERS AHEAD. You should just assume there always will be, but I can't assume that you're smart enough to remember that.

It's really easy to forget that Mass Effect hasn't always been here. The first one was only released in 2007 and the second one only last year. This truly speaks to Bioware's understanding of world design. They obviously spent lots and lots of time on the mythos and the operations of this galaxy they created. Commander Shepard, the player character for the game, inhabits a world full of varied but not cartoonish races of aliens. My favorite are the Elcor, a large, hairy species with a dull, droning voice. However, through dialogue, we learn that they mostly communicate through body language and smell, forcing them to state their intended inflection at the beginning of each sentence. This is a group of characters that, if handled incorrectly, would seem foolish and probably annoying. However, Bioware avoids playing them up for laughs usually, the exception being a reference to an all-Elcor production of a certain Shakespeare play, allowing the Elcor race to seem quirky but credible. Each alien race is so different in personality and appearance, with fabulous character models and good voice acting. Though the interior environments lack on occasion, relying heavily on the utilitarian, "We're in the future!" look that can grow dull quickly, the planets themselves are extraordinary. One minute, you are on a lava planet in an off-road rover, possibly driving past Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christianson throwing down Jedi-style, fighting synthetic beings . Then the next minute you're on a lush green planet chasing down monkeys that stole a piece of a satellite you're tracking. RPG is about choice, but it is also about a diverse and interesting world. Mass Effect nails this.

The game's narrative is enthralling. This is a massive space opera without the singing. The galaxy is under attack from a rouge secret agent and a race of mechanical beings who have destroyed all of organic life many times over. As Shepard, you have to build your crew and take down the threat. The story itself is very short if done in a straight shot. However, that is not how the game is meant to be played. Exploration is not only encouraged, it's nearly mandatory. If you want to build your characters in any significant way, you need to help the people of the galaxy on a more one-on-one basis. The missions keep you somewhat on your toes, though most of them boil down to something bad is happening somewhere and now you have to kill whatever is making that happen. I know that this is a third-person shooter but I felt like they could have put a little more effort into the actual mechanics of those side missions. The setups are fantastic, with attacks by rogue biotics (people with psychic powers) or experiments gone wrong within Cerberus, a private military organization. The actual differences in the missions seem to be fairly cosmetic, however.

There is a morality system, which is all the rage these days. You can be a paragon or a renegade, though these amount to little difference. Though the paragon will say nice things and the renegade will be a dick, both outcomes usually result in little to no bloodshed. From a narrative standpoint, the only difference is how your version of Shepard comes off; as a dick or a nice guy. It's a handy tool to diffuse a situation without violence, but it is kind of shallow.

The gunplay is well handled. It is the future, so you don't have ammo. Instead your weapon can overheat, forcing you to stop shooting for a short amount of time. You can mod your weapons and armor if you like, though it isn't really necessary if you buy nice enough stuff. You can also outfit your teammates with gear. None of this is anything Earth-shattering, but it's all really fun.

Mass Effect is not a great game because of it's life-changing shooting physics, though. It's a great game because of how much you care about what is happening. As I said before, this is a very detailed world with a history. You learn about every race's culture. Through interactions, you find out how they feel about each other, their prejudices, how they reproduce even (there is a sex scene in the game, but it's brief and sparse with the nudity despite what some detractors say.) You talk to your crew and learn that they are very round characters. They have families and care about the fate of their people and their world. It lends a sense of urgency to the proceedings when you know that if you fail you've let down these people who depend on you. That is where Bioware strikes a blow; by letting you into this carefully crafted world, they make you care about it and want to save it. Even if some of the elements of the gameplay are lacking, some are done excellently (the conversations) and the slack is picked up by the story and this beautiful, immersive universe. It leaves you wanting more, which it thankfully delivered. This game proves that, while gameplay is extremely important and does not seem to get the attention it deserves these days, a masterfully handled world can go a long way.