Mass Effect > everything.

[luciazephyr]

foxfirefey suggested I join up here when I got a little squeeful about Mass Effect 2 in my journal.

Can we talk about how goddamn amazing the world-building in ME2 is? I know ME is the only series I've ever played where I cared enough about the game world to sit and read through some of the in-game encyclopedia. The universe BioWare created is so vibrant and rich.

I mean, there's history. Like, really important history that genuinely colors the game. The Batarians are almost universally brusque to you. Why? It's not just racism against humans; it's lingering resentment over humanity's colonization of the Skyllian Verge, which the Batarians were trying to get a foothold in. The Council ignored the Batarians claims to the region and let humans go in. Race tensions lead to the Skyllian Blitz battle between humans and Batarians.

All of that just to explain why Batarians are a bit shirty with you. It barely has an effect on gameplay, but BioWare set up all that background anyway.

And that's just one thing they did! Anyone else pour over the Codex entries on the various races to see their different social structures? If you're aware of the turian promotion system, the fact that Saren went batshit crazy evil is colored completely differently. Who promoted him? Did anyone get punished for what he did? Is that maybe why the turian Councilmember is a dick to you?


I'm in the middle of playthrough and I'm shocked all over again about how much work BioWare put into this series. Amazing stuff.

Anyone else head-over-heels for Mass Effect too?


(Tangentially related, one of the BioWare dudes confirmed there's going to be a trailer for ME3 with FemShep. YAY JENNIFER HALE.)

Comments

[cavocorax]

I agree! I love Mass Effect ddue to all the effort they put into the world. There's just so much info! I have to admit that I haven't poured over everything as meticulously as it sounds like you have, but now I want to pick the game up and go through it again.

(To be fair, I'm not too far into it as I get limited tv time and I want to finish Portal2 before resuming anything else. I think I've collected most of the party and started some of the character quests, but it just feels as though I've barely scratched the surface).

But the game is amazing. It looks great. The characters are interesting and flawed. You get to make decisions without being sure about the consequences, much like a real commander. It's so completely immersive.

I hear that they are going to make a DragonAge pen&paper game. I wish they would do the same with Mass Effect. I'd love to make my own character and explore the universe. <3

[luciazephyr]

GARRUS ICON. Hiiiii Garrus ILU best

Portal 2 is so very much worth taking the time to finish. I've played the single player campaign five times now. :is very fast as Portal:

It sounds like you're about 2/3s of the way done, if I had to guess. BEST GET TO HITTING ON GARRUS, I'M JUST SAYING. That is, if you've actually gotten everyone. Do you have Samara and (SPOILER)?

[cavocorax]

Re: hitting on Garrus - DONEANDONE! He's easily my favourite of the romantic choices.

And I imagine I'm half-way through Portal 2. I'm on Chapter 4 or 5. I've seen Wheatley but haven't met up with him yet. (Also I need Wheatley icon, note to self. :D)

And yes - I think I have all of the crew now!

[luciazephyr]

God Garrus is awesome and snarky and genuinely funny. Makes me disappointed in Thane. Way to be obviously engineered for female players, Thane. 8|

Oh. Um. No, you have a lotta plot twists to go in P2. DON'T LET ANYONE SPOIL YOU, IT WILL BE AWESOME.

You have all but one, I think. Otherwise you'd be doing the final mission.

[cavocorax]

Oh - I might be missing Legion? I can't remember atm because it's been a few months since I had solid gametime. My bf went and beat the game so I've had some spoilers, but luckily he did the final few hours of the game while I was at work so I don't know the details on how it all goes down.

I really want to see how I complete the game and who I can manage to save. (He lost a few characters and was pretty unhappy about that).

SPOILERS IN THIS COMMENT I'M SERIOUS GALS

[luciazephyr]

Okay, here's a tip: When you go to get the Reaper IFF, that kicks off the endgame. If you want the best ending, you can only do one or two missions after getting the IFF, and one of those needs to be Legion's loyalty mission.

Basically, before getting the IFF, make sure you've finished all your crew member's loyalty missions. If you don't they will likely die in the suicide mission.


Also, there is only one way to make sure Mordin survives to the ending. This may not make sense now, but remember it for the final mission: Have Mordin accompany the crew. Otherwise he's a goner.

Re: SPOILERS IN THIS COMMENT I'M SERIOUS GALS

[cavocorax]

EEEEK! :D
Ok, thank you so much! I'll make sure I tidy everything up before I go do that one.

[sqbr]

Woo Mass Effect! I love all the background detail in Mass Effect and Dragon Age, they really feel like worlds your character is traveling through not sets designed just to tell a particular story.

[luciazephyr]

There's a joke Garrus tells late in the second game, "Quarian architecture. There are two words you don't expect to hear together." I remember laughing out loud, then going omg, because that joke literally only makes sense to someone who knows the cultural history of the Quarians, but it's funny.

[sqbr]

Yes! I love those little moments, and the fact they don't feel the need to overexplain things.

[cavocorax]

So true! This is a game that respect it's players. There's no hand-holding here.

[kitters]

Mass Effect is my second-favorite game series right now. :DDDDD I'm currently on my second playthrough of ME2 using Femshep. I made her look like Megan Fox. Ahahaha... /bricked

But yeah, I love the Mass Effect universe. It feels real. I almost expect to walk out my front door and see flying cars whizzing around. XD

[lian]

I love the lore & possibilities of it so much I'm sometimes frustrated by the realization of it, you know? Probably a weird way of showing love, but I kinda love the idea of the Asari especially, and how they're actually represented is in such a weird commonplace gendered way...idk... that leaves me always a little disappointed. But on the other hand, I am a squeeful bag of squee about Mass Effect, omg! Haha. I love it SO MUCH. I don't quite know what I'll do when ME3 has arrived and the journey is over, aaaaaaaaaah.

I suppose my favourite moral conundrum is the genophage and the "Krogan question", so to say. Mordin's loyalty mission is just...such a great combination of emotional&intellectual dilemma, in away. [hope this is not to spoilery!]