The End of a Generation - My Favourite Games of the 7th Gen: No. 2
I'm writing a series of posts about the games and consoles of the seventh generation (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PSP and DS). It includes a Top 20 countdown, thoughts on the industry and lots more. The Rules
20. DJ Hero
19. Wii Sports
18. Journey
17. No More Heroes
11. Mass Effect 3
5. Shatter
2. Mass Effect 2
I really wanted to like Mass Effect but it just didn't work out. Mass Effect 2 (2010) was a different story. I had
my reservations - see Mass Effect - but I figured I should give it a go anyway,
if only to make use of my neglected Xbox 360. That proved to be a wise decision
indeed.
There was a focus to Mass Effect 2 that is missing from
most games of its size and ambition, and this made it very easy to enjoy. Its structure
was simple and effective - recruit team members, earn their trust and take them
on a do-or-die mission - and I always knew exactly what I was working towards.
Even the smallest of ventures felt like a step in the right direction. Once a
crew member had been recruited, my attention switched to earning their loyalty
by helping them on a series of personal quests, which in turn increased their
effectiveness. This process was repeated with each character, but it never felt
repetitive, as each set of missions provided new insight into life in the Milky
Way. I may have been racking up some serious air miles, but I was never allowed
to lose sight of my ultimate goal.
The Normandy crew is one of my all-time favourite video
game ensembles. While their individual roles and specialities were far from
inspired – weapons expert, scientist, mechanic, good at getting angry etc. –
they were an entertaining and likable bunch. Commander Shepard may not have
been the most colourful of characters, but he held this unlikely group
together. Freshly arisen from the dead – Commander Shepard is an anagram of
Jesus Christ – my Shepard was good natured and an excellent dancer. He was
fairly vanilla, but he didn’t need to entertain when surrounded by such an
unusual cast.
I took every opportunity to learn more about my team, and
I would dedicate entire sessions to running around the Normandy, shooting the
shit with humans and aliens. The Dialogue Wheel made even run-of-the-mill
conversations interesting, and time sensitive prompts kept my mind from
wandering. Paragon and renegade options were always signposted, but I liked the
surprise of not knowing exactly how each choice might play out. There's a big
difference between shouting at someone and shot-gunning their face off, though
the dialogue wheel didn't always make that distinction.
The conversations I enjoyed most were those with my
non-human compatriots. Garrus and Shepard made for a great pair, Mordin was
always entertaining, even when he was talking about genocide, and the gradual
unravelling of Thane's past ensured that he was always one of the first stops
on my rounds. The team was full of varied and complex characters, and
uncovering new aspects of their story was often more satisfying than laying
waste to intergalactic baddies. My non-combatant crew also had plenty to say,
but unfortunately the vast majority of them were fed to a people-blender, when
I was a bit slow in rescuing them from the heinous Collectors.
Interactions and excursions contributed to the ultimate
success or failure of the final mission. Who lived and who died depended on
your actions and choices throughout the game; ME2 was 90% preparation, 10%
execution. It was a relatively straight forward operation - infiltrate the
enemy base, rescue survivors, beat the boss then make a quick escape - and If I hadn't been so fond of my crew it
probably would have fallen flat. It tested my understanding of and attachment
to the team I had assembled, and I was terrified of losing even one of them. I
thought long and hard before deciding who should assume which role and was able
to keep my team alive. No other game has had me on the edge of my seat quite
like the final hour of Mass Effect 2.
Story and structure is important, but if the action
hadn’t been up to scratch then ME2 would not have placed as high on my list.
Third person shooter elements were expanded and polished, and once I'd gotten
the hang of mixing biotics with bullets, I started to really enjoy popping heads. Bioware succeeded in encouraging the player to experiment with
different combinations of skills and characters. Despite having my own
favourites, I was always switching up my party, something I rarely do in other
squad based games.
As was the case with Mass Effect 3, I was drawn to the
detail and variety found in the Mass Effect universe. It was an old world,
complete with its own politics, cultures, friendships and conflicts. Mankind
was the brash newcomer; Asari, Hungor, Turians etc. had been zipping around the
galaxy long before our kind had even begun to consider the heavens. I enjoyed
being the new kid on the block and got a kick out of discovering the secrets
and histories of alien species and planets.
I'm rarely drawn to Sci-Fi adventures, and the Xbox 360
was the odd-one-out in my last-gen console line up. Mass Effect 2 was the wrong
kind of game on the wrong box, but that didn't stop it from winning me over
completely.
I'm Commander Toomanywires and Mass Effect 2 is my second
favourite game of the Seventh Generation.
This is the one I've been looking forward too most. It's my favorite game this gen with my top 3 consisting of the entire trilogy. The ME universe is my favorite ever, the shooting while lacking in controls, was still fun and entertaining thanks to its slow paced strategic element. I just love how it plays like a space heist mission also, you get the crew together, get their loyalty towards you and the mission, then assign them to their area of expertise which can have dire consequences if picked poorly.
ReplyDeleteI also agree how great the crew was. ME2 probably has the best video game ensemble ever. Excited to see what Bioware does with the franchise next gen.
So if Mass Effect 2 is your favourite, which ME is the runner up? I really should give the first game another go, but I doubt I'll ever get around to it.
Delete"Space heist", yes! That's a great way of describing it.
Cheers
1 is my runner up. It and Halo 3 were my introductions into current gen and everything about it just clicked for me. I loved the atmosphere, the alien designs, the way combat blended Gears of War with Knights of the Old Republic, the music, the characters, and I really, really loved the codex. Spent more time reading that than I did with most games this gen.
Delete3 is a lot closer after the Extended Cut and Citadel DLC though. The ending really brought it down for me at first and I Citadel so much.