Feature: Mass Effect - The Evolution of an Epic Trilogy

Talking up a storm

What happens when you’re not sitting behind waist high walls waiting for enemies to pop their heads into the open? For the most part you're communicating with other races and making decisions. This is the other side of Mass Effect, and essentially it’s why the series is considered an RPG.

The difference between being a good guy or a bad guy can be huge, and is reflected in missions like curing the genophage in the third game

Dialogue choices revolve around the concept that you’re either Paragon or Renegade, the former representing equality and self-sacrifice, and the latter a victory-at-all-costs kind of soldier. Morality isn’t an original concept when it comes to gaming, but Mass Effect has always done it extremely well, mostly because your choices come with consequences.

The difference between being a good guy or a bad guy can be huge, and is reflected in missions like curing the genophage in the third game. Taking the Paragon route leads to the cure being dispersed, allowing the Krogan a chance at rebuilding their civilisation and culture. In contrast, the Renegade route leads to Shepard sabotaging the cure and possibly killing your good old pal Mordin in the process, thus potentially robbing an entire species of their future. The variables throughout the franchise make BioWare’s efforts even more admirable, since choices like this show up again and again.

A million Spectre packs later

Let’s have a show of hands here: who thought Mass Effect 3’s multiplayer co-op mode was going to be a tacked-on, rubbish addition that added no value to the overall package? We thought as much.

There was an ocean of doubt surrounding the build-up to Mass Effect 3’s release, and much of that came from the not-so-surprising reveal of a co-op mode. We’ve seen plenty of games get torn to shreds for even thinking about adding multiplayer elements, so when something similar was announced for what had always been a single player-centric franchise, chaos ensued amongst the fanbase.

However, over a year later, players are still raging war online with their friends. What was at first tagged as an unnecessary addition has fared extremely well – probably beyond even the developer’s expectations. There’s just something incredibly addictive about the mode, in which friends and strangers team up to thwart various enemy factions.

Mass Effect's multiplayer harkens back to the days of trading cards – buying pack after pack in the hopes of getting that one super rare shiny

Without doubt, the biggest draw comes from the fact that you have to unlock weapons, character kits, and equipment through purchasing randomly assorted packs using in-game credits. It’s a system that harkens back to the days of trading cards – buying pack after pack in the hopes of getting that one super rare shiny. That said, the game's engaging combat doesn’t hurt either, especially when well-coordinated teams can pair up their powers with absolutely devastating results.

Whatever the reasons, multiplayer is a triumph. Not just because it’s actually good, but because it’s a brilliant example of how to add such a mode to a single player game: make it optional, make it fun, and preferably support it with ridiculous amounts of free DLC and weekly balance updates.

Tears, tantrums, and know-it-all kids

Let’s be honest, the ending to such a beloved trilogy was never going to sit well with everyone, was it? It wouldn’t have mattered if everything concluded with Shepard returning to Earth with their romantic interest and starting a family – someone, somewhere would have complained about something.

In some respects, making a franchise so reliant on player interaction was always going to result in controversy at one stage or another. Unfortunately for BioWare, that backlash amassed around the endings – or lack thereof. This was a news story that stuck around for months after the title’s release, and it even makes us sigh having to write about it here.

Regardless of your own opinion on the matter, it’s something that Mass Effect will now never be without. Even the arrival of the free Extended Cut DLC wasn’t quite enough to appease everyone, but at least the recent Citadel add-on gave many what they wanted from the finale – a celebration of the characters and universe that we’ve all come to admire so fondly.

All’s well that ends well

At the end of the day, it’s hard to complain about Mass Effect. Is it a perfect trilogy? Not at all – but it comes remarkably close. Despite being billed as an epic from the very beginning, we’re left with three games that are similar in design yet vastly different in execution. Playing through the entire thing is an incredible experience, and will no doubt have a huge influence on the next generation.

But before we put a period on the interplanetary adventure, we want to know about your fondest Mass Effect memories? What kind of Shepard did you play? Did you like the ending? Do you have high hopes for the next entry in the series? Share your galactic experience with us in the comments section below.