Why We Game: The Unlikely Hero (Mass Effect 2)
Welcome to our new series on Everyday Gamers, “Why We Game.” In this series, we will be taking a look at moments, innovations and experiences in individual games that made us stand up and take notice. You know, those experiences that transcend the game, sticking with you long after you are done playing. Those moments about which you must speak with a friend, but you hold back till you know the person with whom you are speaking has played that part of the game so you don’t ruin it. The innovation that seems so simple, and yet it completely redefines a game style or genre. It’s the moments, innovations and experiences that make the games stand out in your mind, and they are what lead us to spend so much time and money on this hobby.
The Illusion of the Moral Choice
For quite a while now, game designers have been working moral choices into video games. Gamers find themselves having to make decisions that will shape their characters, making them the ultimate hero or the diabolical villain. Many games have been praised for forcing people to actually think about what they want to do in a given situation, and some gamers, myself included, have found it next to impossible to take actions in game that would go against their moral codes.
When I look beyond the surface of these choices, however, I begin to wonder if they are not just a facade. Do the choices you make in the game really affect the outcome? Does choosing to be a jerk really mean anything if you can just erase the stain by being a saint come the next moral choice? Are we, as gamers, really being given a moral choice that will truly affect the game itself, or are we just being given something that looks that way so the designer can list that as a bullet point for selling the game?
In order to answer this question, I am going to look at just what makes up a moral choice in real life and then look at how companies have tried to introduce that into gaming. I will be examining many of the games which have been heralded as providing gamers with moral dilemmas to see if the choices really made that much of a difference. Basically, I am going to attempt to see if the games we play have really done a good job of integrating moral choices or if it is all just an illusion.
More than just Black and White
When I ask you about making a moral choice in a game, what comes to mind? Whether to help someone or kill them? Whether to serve the interest of a large entity, be it a corporation, government or otherwise, or help innocent people? Whether to help someone defend something valuable in hopes of a reward or kill them and take what you want?
Let’s face it; moral choices in video games normally boil down to two things: Good or Evil. The choice is so obviously black and white it tends to lack any real punch. Jordan put it best in his article “Mass Ineffective;” the extent of most of the moral choices in games boils down to “Throw the puppy in the furnace” or “Turn off the furnace.” There is a slight problem with that: moral choices in real life are rarely so cut and dry.
When was the last time you faced a moral dilemma that was that obvious? Granted, they do exist, but I am much more likely to be facing questions like whether I should follow up on something at work that as not handled correctly and therefore serve the customer or throw it back in the lap of the person who made the mistake. Sure, the person who made the mistake needs to learn, but there are times where the right thing to do would be to just get the job done, and yet I balk at it because I feel entitled to making the other person fix it. Meanwhile, the customer is the one who suffers.
It’s choices like that one that truly define our morality. We live in a world full of shades of gray. We also have seen our games start to reflect our world more and more, whether in storyline, graphics or physics. So why have they not found ways to really integrate the moral struggles we actually deal with?
Maybe you think I am being a bit too harsh in saying that. Maybe I am. The only way to know for certain is to take a look at some of the games which have presented us with “moral choices” and see if they fit this pattern. Just as a word of warning: these next sections will contain spoilers; there really is no way of avoiding them.
You’re doing it wrong
Any of you remember what one of the major selling points of Fable was? You were going to be given the opportunity to create the ultimate hero or villain, and the choices you made were going to shape the world around you. While I liked the original Fable and really enjoyed its sequel, this was one of the many promises Peter Molyneux failed to deliver. The “Moral Choices” you make in that game are ridiculous. When a new quest is available in the Hero Academy, you are actually given two different versions of the quest: one good (protect the innocent travelers on the road) and one evil (join the bandits in robbing the travelers). Even the choice you make at the end of the game, whether to kill your sister in order to keep this ultimate weapon or destroy the weapon to save your sister, really does not have a major affect on the outcome. You can be the devil and kill your own flesh and blood, and yet you are still the “hero” because you took down the main villain of the game.
Bioshock is another great example of a game which presented you with what appeared to be a moral choice with real consequences. Throughout the game, whenever you finished off a Big Daddy, you had to decide what to do about the Little Sister it was guarding. You could choose to cure her, gaining some Adam and knowing you have done the good thing, or you could harvest her, killing her cruelly yet gaining much more Adam for your troubles. Only two major problems with this perceived moral dilemma: every time you free three little sisters, you are given a gift pack containing extra Adam among other goodies which kind of offsets the positive bonus you get from harvesting, and other than the ending cut scene, the choice you make has no real effect on the game itself. The designers really had a chance to change things up based on the choices you made; they could have had Doctor Tenenbaum refuse to assist you if you harvested the girls, making you find another way to take out Fontaine. What could have been a monumental choice ends up really not mattering in the end.
What is even worse than the black and white moral choices are the ones which end up becoming more about the game mechanic than the choice itself. A great example of this is inFAMOUS. Most of the choices you make in the game are so completely black and white they make the choices in Mass Effect look gray. Then there is the “Do I save the woman I love or the doctors,” which ends up not really being a moral choice since Trish dies either way, one way professing how proud she is of Cole, the other cursing his name. Those pale in comparison to the last karmic moment of the game: do you choose to activate or destroy the Ray Sphere. Destroy it and you game some experience and some good karma. Activate it and you gain a ton of experience, three new battery cores to help you stay charged and your karmic rating is forever branded as evil/infamous. Now you know going into this decision that activating it will give you great power at the cost of many lives, but by putting that kind of a weight on it, the choice is now moot. After all, what kind of a moral dilemma is it if one choice ruins what you have been doing the entire game?
There are many other examples I can bring to up to show how little the moral choices really affect the games we play. No matter how noble you are when you meet Marle in Chrono Trigger, you will still end up having to fight your way out of jail. In the original Mass Effect, saving Wrex was more about getting charm or intimidation leveled up than it was about the choices you made. Modern Warfare 2 tried to force gamers into making a moral decision in the “No Russian” level, but since you cannot change the fact you are going to be shot and killed at the end of the level no matter how many innocent people you gun down, it kind of loses its teeth and becomes something many gamers, myself included, feel has no business being in the game. The list of games which just do not seem to get it goes on and on, but there have been a few which seem to be catching on.
Not all Moral Dilemmas fail
As easy as it is to rag on games where your moral choices just do not matter, there have been a few examples recently where designers seemed to have started to make them count. Fable II is one of these examples. While many of the moral choices are pretty obvious, a few do have more far reaching consequences. In the beginning of the game, you have to earn enough money to buy the music box. You go to Oldtown Bowerstone to try and find ways of making money and are presented with different quests where you can either help the honest people of that district or help the local crime lords. If you choose the former, Oldtown Bowerstone will become a thriving community later in the game. If you choose the latter, the area will be overrun with crime. Add to this the loss of experience when you choose to not be cruel in the Spire and the ultimate choice at the end, and you have a game which tries to make more out of its dilemmas than most others.
As much as Jordan ragged on it in his article, Mass Effect 2 actually does a decent job with some of its moral choices. There are a couple of times in particular where this comes into play. The first is during the loyalty mission for Samara. When Samara and Morinth are facing off, you get the opportunity to sway the outcome of the battle. Choose Samara and Morinth dies, while the Justicar pledges her loyalty fully to you. Choose Morinth and Samara is killed, with Morinth coming with you pretending to be her. This does make a difference as Morith’s powers are not the same as Samara’s, and if you do take the Ardat-Yakshi onto the ship, there is a chance you can lose Shepard. Then there is what happens after the Collectors kidnap the crew. While Jordan may not have known there was a danger to the crew if you did not go after them immediately, I figured there must be based on the comments about keeping your crew alive through the final mission. The problem is that event will be triggered a certain amount of time after trying to integrate the Friend or Foe tech into the Normandy. So what do you do if you have not fully gained the loyalty of your teammates before your crew is captured? Sure, you can go after the Collectors and try to rescue your crew, but without the loyalty of your team, your chances of making it back in one piece or at least with all the members of the team in tact are greatly reduced. What makes this work as a moral dilemma is it is not about being Paragon or Renegade; it is about how you played the game up to that point and whether you are willing to risk your teammates to save your crew.
Of all the games I have played where the moral choices have truly made a difference, the one which stands out is one which has been blasted by the critics. Alpha Protocol has many flaws, but one thing the developers did with this game has set it apart from any of the others on the list: they made your moral choices matter. At the end of the first chapter, you are given the choice t0 kill the terrorist who was responsible for shooting down the commercial airliner, arrest him for his crimes or set him free him to help you get the information on the corporation that set you up to die. From that point on, every decision you make matters. Choosing to only disable the CIA agents in the infiltration mission will raise your reputation with Mina, which benefits you. Madison Saint James can be a great help in Rome, but getting her involved could get her killed, which could help you deal with a major enemy later if you play your cards right. If you choose to kill Brayko in Russia, you will not learn who really smuggled in the weapons and will miss out on an entire mission. You are even faced with some real moral dilemmas, including one where you must either decide to rescue the Taiwanese president or allow him to be assassinated but stop the riots designed to let his assassins escape. Unlike most moral choices in games, this one forces you to decide which you think is the lesser of two evils: letting a good man who has worked to help his people die or saving him at the cost of the lives of many of the people he has chosen to protect. Oh, and thanks to the time limit you face when making most decisions in game, you do not really have the time weigh the pros and cons of both sides. It is choices like these that set Alpha Protocol apart. While the game may have several frustrating bugs that make it difficult to play at times, it more than any game I have played shows how moral choices can be integrated into video games properly.
Where do we go from here?
While a few game designers seem to understand that morality involves more than just black and white, it appears many have not realized adding true moral dilemmas into their games is going to take work. Of the three examples I listed of games where the choices mattered, it can be argued only Alpha Protocol truly demonstrates how morality can affect the game in more than just subtle ways. If game developers really want to add a level of realistic moral choices to their games, they will need to realize the choices need to involve more than the standard options of hero or villain.
Of course, there could very well be a downside to this. Adding moral choices which change the game can upset gamers who want to experience everything about the game in one sitting. That, however, is a discussion for another time.
The Weekly Byte for 7/26/2010
New Releases
- Tuesday 7/27 – Starcraft II : Wings of Liberty King of the RTS, MSRP – $59.99
News Bytes
THQ, Relic and Company of Heroes award service medals to veteran franchise players. Details are sketchy but if you have a copy of Company of Heroes, and plan to jump in when the free-to-play CoH goes online this Fall, you may want to bronze that CD Key. One of the games producers, was quoted in an interview as saying how much the CoH team appreciates it’s fan-base, and will have some rewards in store for those who enter their CD Keys into the free-to-play game when it hits. For those unfamiliar, Company of Heroes debuted shortly after Vista, and revolutionized RTS games by abandoning the traditional base-building/resource gathering system found in games, and created a Risk-style game mechanic, where players fought for control of supply routes/depots to choke out their opponents in a WWII setting. The game has seen expansions, and remains a largely popular competitive online game, in the RTS space. Registration is still ongoing for the game, with chances to get into the Beta.
Charge up your R2 unit, space combat is coming the Old Rebuplic. It seems PC Gamer will have the scoop on space combat in Old Republic, for their October issue, so details will be scarce until then. I’m sure it’s great news for those already looking forward to TOR, or maybe it’s something that will attract players on the fence about investing in the game. Full details will not be disclosed until the issue hits, on 8/17, but it will be interesting to see how the combat factors in with that games features, and if it will be an interesting addition, or an annoyance, hindering travel within the game’s universe.
Fighting games making a PC comeback? We can only hope so! PC gamers reveled in the release of Street Fighter IV for PC, now we can continue the great one-on-one fighting game battles with BlazBlue : Calamity Trigger! The good news is that Japanese fans can square off when the game releases there on August 26th, the bad news is that Games for Windows LIVE will be handling the multiplayer aspects. No news on a US release yet, but we will be watching this closely, maybe Mortal Kombat will follow suit, with Marvel vs. Capcom not far behind?
Dragon Age 2 breathing fire on traditional RPG lovers? I have to admit, as much as I like what I hear about Dragon Age, it seems to be abandoning all of the things that made it hearken back to the RPG of yore. New details outline a more action-oriented combat system, and a streamlined conversation system, limiting choices to no more than three responses–each with a Mass Effect-style Paragon/Renegade icon. While I very much enjoy strategy and tactics in my games, I do prefer them blended into the action setting, and the punishing I took in DA:O was enough to sway me from not finishing it(yet). To me, these details are welcome and not upsetting, but I can definitely understand how those who enjoyed the style and gameplay of DA:O could see this as a negative “Mass Effect in a fantasy setting” setup. Unfortunately, I think the latter portion of gamers make up the minority and Bioware is definitely catering to the masses in the DA sequel, but either way I can’t wait to see it this Spring.
Geared Up
This week’s Geared Up gear is not out yet, but pay’s homage to a 12 year, in the making, gaming juggernaut Starcraft II. Hailing from Comic-Con, DC Unlimited has announced the first three figures, in their Starcraft II series. The first three are an action pose of hero, Jim Raynor, sans armor, a space marine and Protoss Dark Templar, Zeratul. This set of three will be in range of our tractor beams in Spring of 2011. If they follow suit, from the similar WoW series’ from DC Unlimited, they will stand 8.5 inches tall, and retail for around $26.99 for the set—-however, those specifics have not been released yet, that is my speculation from past precedence. Detailed pictures, from various angles, are displayed here, or check out the pic of the set below.
Daily Bits for 7/23/10
In today’s Daily Bits: Some nice gaming deals, Kane and Lynch demo goes live, Old Republic gets space fighting and LittleBigPlanet 2 gets a release date.
Such Great Deals
Looking for some gaming deals this weekend? EA is severely discounting the Mass Effect titles, with digital copies of the original selling for $5 this weekend, while Mass Effect 2 is selling for $23.97 ($35.97 for the deluxe edition). If you don’t already ahve the games, you will be hard pressed to find better prices. Pick them up at the EA Store.
Maybe a western style shooter is more you thing. then you are in luck. Steam is offering a chance to play Lead and Gold for free this weekend. If you find you like it, you can purchase the game for $7.49, half off the normal $15 dollar price.
All in all, not a bad weekend to be a gamer.
Kane and Lynch comes after non Playstation+ members
The Kane and Lynch 2 demo goes live to non Playstaion+ members on PSN Tuesday. As far as PC and 360 versions of the demo go, all Square will say is they will be released “next week.” So now almsot everyone will get the chance to see if the sequel can outdo the horrible first installment.
The Sackboys return November 16
There is no denying that LittleBigPlanet is a unique and entertaining game. Well, its sequel now has a bona-fide release date: November 16. The sequel will contain so much more than the original, including a game editor that allows you not only to edit levels in the game but also create entirely different game styles from puzzle to RTS.
Yeah, this is more than likely a day one purchase for me.
Space Combat confirmed for Old Republic
It’s official: Star Wars: The Old Republic will include space combat. The rumor had been reported at Comic-con by fan site Mos Eisley Radio, and Bioware confirmed this in its forums today. The game developer had already announced at E3 that gamers would have ships to house their characters, so this reveal is really not a shocker, but it has fans getting even more pumped for the release of this game.
You all know my stance on paying to play MMOs, but if I was ever to break my boycott of them, this game would be very tempting.
Speaking of Comic-Con
In the past, Comic-Con was all about comics. Then, slowly, the convention started to get invaded with more news about movies. Now video game news is starting to pour out of this year’s convention. Whether it is Capcom’s announcement that thor will be joining the cast of marvel VS Capcom 3, Bungie showing off Forge World and Firefight for Halo: Reach or all the news coming out about Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, this year’s convention appears to be a veritable cornucopia of gaming information.
Veritable cornucopia? Don’t ask.
Read Joystiq’s coverage of the Comic-Con gaming news here.
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Daily Bits is a collection of all the gaming news that has happened for the current day that we deem as interesting and relevant to our readers. Check back daily for more news round-ups and feel free to send your suggestions to dailybits@everydaygamers.com
Daily Bits for 7/22/10
In today’s Daily Bits: More Transformers, more Mass Effect 2, Mafia 2 gets a demo and Dead Rising 2 gets a prequel.
Transformers: War for Cybertron DLC Next Week
It’s probably not an overstatement to refer to Transformers: War for Cybertron as being a surprise hot, especially after years of suffering through horrible game adaptations of the Hasbro toys. Well, for those of you who just cannot get enough of Optimus and the rest of the crew, your wish has been granted. The new DLC pack releasing July 27th includes 5 new characters including the preorder bonus characters Shockwave, Demolisher and Jazz along with 4 new maps, two each for standard multiplayer and Escalation.
7/27/10, huh? Not a good day to be releasing an expansion pack. No word on price yet, but I’d be shocked if it was free.
“Lair of the Shadow Broker” DLC due soon for Mass Effect 2
Bioware has announced the next DLC expansion for Mass Effect 2. Titled “Lair of the Shadow Broker,” the latest addition to the game will have Shepard teaming up with Liara T’Soni to find and confront the Shadow Broker, the info dealer who lurks in the shadows throughout both games. No release date has been given; Bioware will only say the DLC should be out “soon.”
While much of the DLC for Mass Effect 2 has been disappointing, Bioware’s last entry, “Overlord,” left gamers feeling that maybe the company has finally learned how to put together good game add ons. Let’s hope this one lives up to that belief.
Mafia 2 demo due August 10th
2K’s Mafia 2 demo is due out August 10th on PC, PS3 and 360. Not much is known about what the demo will entail. Mafia 2 is due out August 24th.
Dead Rising 2: Case Zero due August 31st
Dead Rising 2 prequel Case Zero hits the Xbox Live marketplace August 31st. Priced at 400 MS Points ($5), Case Zero follows the hero of the full game, Chuck Greene, as he fights to escape Still Creek with enough Zombrex to keep bis daughter from joining the ranks of the undead. Case Zero is slated as a stand alone experience which will lead up to the events of Dead Rising 2, releasing September 28th.
While this seems like a good deal, I do have one thing i have to say: Zombrex? Capcom had to some up with a drug that helped keep people from turning into zombies, and the best name anyone could think of was Zombrex? Really?
Could FPS Terminator be the Terminator game we have been waiting for?
Kevin Bryant and The Original Studios are trying to do what High Moon Studios, the maker of Transformers:War for Cybertron, managed to do: make a good game from a belived franchise that has seen its share of bad games. Bryant and his team has been using Epic’s free Unreal Development Kit to make what is currently being called FPS Terminator.
Okay, the name may be a little lame, but the concept video Joystiq has posted is not by any means. Check it out here, and just imagine what a game like this set in the Terminator universe could be like. Here’s hoping Bryant and his studio can find the backers to help bankroll this game.
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Daily Bits is a collection of all the gaming news that has happened for the current day that we deem as interesting and relevant to our readers. Check back daily for more news round-ups and feel free to send your suggestions to dailybits@everydaygamers.com
Weekly Byte for 5/24/2010
Release List
Tuesday, 5/25
- Blur – Racing, $39.99
News Bytes
- Our fishbowl spies broke the news last week, and we can confirm it this week – Fable III is indeed being told on the PC platform this year! Hold your jubilation, the details are somewhat confusing. Apparently, PC players will only have to pony up $49.99 for the game BUT that is because the Exclusive Edition will not be available on PC. However, it seems that the exclusive level and in-game items will be accessible on the PC-the question is how much will we pay? The 360 Limited Edition will retail for $79.99 and will include an exclusive quest, region, dog breed and outfit-as well as a Fable themed deck of cards and Guild Seal Coin. Which means that, even if, all that DLC retails for $29.99 or less, we may still be getting hosed. One can only hope this will be automatically be included in PC copies, but none of those details have been leaked. That, couple with the “episodic storytelling” promised for Fable III has this PC gamer very skeptical that this will be Microsoft’s holy return to the platform, but we will see when E3 tells all.
- Enjoying your Mass Effect 2 DLC? Yeah, me either, but brace for impact, commander, much more is on the way! Apparently Bioware representatives have said that the gap between Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3 will unfold over DLC packs. Now, we’ve already heard the announcements that no new party members will be forthcoming, but it’s curious to see how well this will play out. Certainly, no ME3 details have been released, but it will be interesting to see just how much of the stage gets set for Commander Sheppard’s third iteration. I would love to see Dragon Age style full expansion to attack this story gap with, but an episodic approach might not be bad if it beaks the trend of short, throwaway DLC packs. Eiter way, watch the stars for more news!
- I feel the need, the need for speed! No, that doesn’t mean another Need For Speed game on the horizon, I’m sure when EA figures out how to charge $10 per multiplayer track, we’ll see that. Instead, the PSN Top Gun title will buzz our PC towers, with or without clearance. The single player campaign will be written by the film’s screenwriter, Jack Epps Jr, and will expand upon the movie’s content. Also available, will be 16 player multiplayer across 5 different game modes. Hitting this summer, we can’t wait to take to the skies! Will it be possible to save Goose?
- Google Chrome selling games? Apparently, the Chrome App store has been confirmed to start carrying browser based games. Bejeweled 2, Lego Star Wars, FIFA and Plants VS Zombies were among the games revealed, but more have been promised. I’m still trying to figure out if this is an attempt to emulate the Iphone App Store or move in on Gaikai/OnLive territory. Either way, we will have the details here when they download!
Geared Up
Once again, the ‘Geared Up’ faeries have sold me short, I regret that I have no entries for this week. However, I would like to take the time to share a link to MonoPrice. If you need network cables, HDMI cables, LCD Wall Mounts or anything for your Home Theater, I have not found prices cheaper than here. Sure, gaming gear is great, but useless without the right equipment to set it up! Also, I would love to hear from our readers, send your interesting gaming gear entries to “chris@everydaygamers.com”. Thanks!
Mass Ineffective: Why Mass Effect 2 is barely an RPG.
It’s impossible to deny the success of Mass Effect 2. Both critically and commercially the game shattered expectations everywhere. A sure fire contender for game of the year, you might be wondering why I would want to criticize such a beloved game. Well, I’m not going to try and convince anyone that Mass Effect 2 is anything short of a masterpiece, but I do have a few gripes. In reality these are more likely gripes with the role playing genre in general, but I am going to use Mass Effect 2 as a launching pad.
For a role playing game, Mass Effect 2 doesn’t exactly let the player represent his personal convictions or opinions. Your own voice is merely a suggestion whispered into the ear of the Mass Effect 2 story as it trudges boldly along in its predestined path. Occasionally the game offers you choices, but does it let your own personality reflect and shape a characters response? More likely you are offered something along the lines of “Throw the puppy in the furnace” or “Turn off furnace”. Two options that sit as far away from each other on a morality scale as possible. Their might be a middle choice like “Turn off furnace. Also kick puppy”, but the game doesn’t really rewarding you for fence sitting. Let me explain before you raise your pitchfork and use it to puncture my car tires.
Spelling it out.
One of the big things that bothers me about role playing featured in Mass Effect 2 is the way the game lets you know the moral standings of your responses. I understand it’s a video game and can only fit so many options for dialog choices, but do they really have to be organized? One of the best features of Heavy Rain is the way you actually get to decide what your character is going to say next, without the game telegraphing the reactions. Mass Effect literally colors your big decisions into evil or good options. You don’t get the opportunity to weigh options and decide for yourself; the game tells you what is good and what is evil. The second you see the organization and color of those choices, your personal opinion has been totally compromised.
Maybe you had an opinion of what was right and wrong. It no longer matters; you still have to choose between sinner and saint. What if you happen to disagree with the options? Where’s the fun in having every choice’s results revealed to you in advance? Taking away the colors and organization would force the player to make a personal decision and would exponentially increase the feeling of weight of your choice following a decision. If all three options were presented on a completely even keel, then the decision would truly be in the players’ hands and not biased by any external factors, making it their own. I’d love to see the person who flew threw Mass Effect 2 do it over again fresh, without the options sorted out for him or her. I’ll bet their game gets played a lot differently. This time it would be more reflective of their own personality.
Pick a side!
Maybe you think you did really make the game your own. You tried your best to ignore the games pokes and prods and approached every situation from a uncompromisable standpoint. You weren’t rewarded; in fact you were punished. Failure to comply with either good or evil standings in Mass Effect 2 leaves you with even fewer options. Basing decisions on your own morals will leave you stuck in the middle. All of sudden you are literally denied access to dialog choices, simply because you aren’t “Paragon or Renegade” enough to make that call. Maybe it’s your fault for being a fence sitter and basing actions on your own feelings, but it sure does feel cheap and is certainly unsatisfying. The game teases you with grayed out sentences. If only you had sucked it up and accepted what the game deemed honorable or detestable earlier. Then you could really make your own choice.
Hey, what’s your rush?
Apparently the entire galaxy will wait for you to mull over the options and come up with a response. That’s the way it works in real life, no? You could have the fate of millions of people resting on your own heavily armored shoulders, but still not feel in any kind of rush. Put the controller down, go make a sandwich; we’ll wait here and not move. The game occasionally presents situations as time sensitive when in reality the clock only turns when you say so. Einstein would not be amused.
One of the games most potent repercussions occurs (SPOILER ALERT) if you choose to wait and continue to build up your team instead of charging in after your captured crew. I chose to wait and paid a heavy price. Unbeknown to me, the crew was being slowly executed as I fluttered around the galaxy map launching my probes. Honestly, I was a little confused and a tad frustrated. I loved that my ignorant time wasting had resulted in real unfortunate consequences, but since when did time start moving along without my say so? I could sit at a dialog screen for 300 hours before deciding, but all of a sudden all that free time was snatched out from under me. I’m not complaining; in fact it was one of my favorite parts of the game. Yes, the world kept turning in this one instance, why couldn’t it continue to do so earlier in the game? Not to continually compare this game to Heavy Rain, but at least that game was consistent in the passing of time. Like in real life, you only have a certain amount of time to make up your mind. It builds pressure and really make my reaction one of gut instinct, a beautiful feature in a game that wants you to make up your own mind.
In the end
I understand that I am only picking on one game when I can’t really think of an example of one single game that does it all right. Many of my humble criticisms apply to many more games then just Mass Effect 2. I highlight the faults I feel show prevalently in Mass Effect 2 only because it’s the most current example standing out in my mind. Again, Mass Effect 2 is a great game, and any gamer worth his salt should take the time to play through and enjoy it. While I’ll be the first to admit my idealistic fantasy of a role playing game that completely shapes its narrative around ones personality is a pipe dream, their are still certain steps I feel could be attempted in pursuit achieving said pipe dream. Hopefully I laid some of those ideas out in a relatively comprehensible fashion.
EDG Podcast Special: Mass Effect 2
Listen in as Eric Bouchard, David Lange and Jordan de Boer have a rather spoiler filled discussion on the phenomenon that is Mass Effect 2. We do not recommend listening if you have not beaten the game, unless you do not mind having the ending ruined.
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EDG Podcast Ep. #47 – The Podcast that Almost Wasn’t
Listen in as Eric Bouchard, Chris Maeurer and Jordan de Boer attempt to actually have a podcast about Torchlight…and other things as well…but mostly Torchlight…and maybe some Mass Effect 2…but mostly Torchlight.
And yes, that will make sense after you listen to it.
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Mass Effect 2
The Story: A New Threat
After a dramatic intro to the game, Mass Effect 2 drops you back into BioWare’s universe two years after the fateful battle at the Citadel. Human colonists in the terminus systems are being abducted by an alien race known as the Collectors, and no one seems to know why or how to stop them. Cerberus, a shady entity with a pro-human agenda, seems to be the only group willing to do anything about the Collectors. Its leader, known only as the Illusive Man, hires Shephard and provides him/her (your choice) with a new and improved version of the Normandy, believing Shephard is the only person who can assemble a team capable of dealing with this new threat.
As Shephard, you must recruit the best of the best, whether human or Asari, biotic or soldier, in hopes that the collective skills of the crew you assemble will give you a chance against an enemy that outnumbers you and has much greater technology. Along the way, you will run across your old friends and enemies, along with several new characters who make the story truly come to life. The voice acting in this game is absolutely top notch, with sequences that will rival any movie being made in Hollywood. Add to that a plot that completely changes everything you thought you know about the universe created in the first game, and you have what is easily one of the most engaging storylines in gaming.
While it is impossible to talk too much about the story without spoiling it, one thing I can say is to pay attention to the decisions you make. Not only will they affect the game itself, they can affect the loyalty of your crew, and you will need all of their loyalty to make it though the end of the game in tact.
After all, in case you did not know this, it is possible for you to beat the game and yet still have Shephard die.
The Gameplay: BioWare Listened
As good as the firstMass Effect was, there were some things that drove gamers absolutely crazy. A poor inventory system, quirky combat controls that looked like a shooter but really did not play like one, cookie cutter side missions with the same buildings and caves over and over and those darn elevators tended to drive even the most ardent fan of the game insane. BioBare had said going into Mass Effect 2 they were going to improve all of those things, and they delivered in that promise.
- Inventory: There basically isn’t an inventory system in the sequel. As opposed to having multiple weapons of a particular type and all the various upgrades, you find various items you can research to improve your weapons, armor and even the Normandy itself. What this means is you are never having to decide what useful item you were going to have to turn to omni-gel just so you could carry more stuff.
- Combat: Mass Effect 2 plays much more like a third person shooter with RPG elements, as opposed to its predecessor which did the reverse. Gone are the feels of the die rolls; there is much more emphasis on aim and headshots in this game. At the same time, you have a much better squad command system and the ability to map three biotic/tech powers to buttons on the controller on top of your standard time pausing target selection process. The game also forces you to rely on cover; you are usually outnumbered and outgunned, and if you try to run headlong into battle, you will not last very long.
- Side Missions: There is no such thing as a cookie cutter mission in this game. Every side mission takes on its own life, with unique settings and additions to the storyline. Some side missions actually unlock others as you beat them, giving the missions a depth that was never really there in the first game. I never felt like I was just going through the motions of the side quests in this game. On the contrary, I quite enjoyed them.
- Elevators/Load Screens: The first time I entered an elevator in the Normandy, I could not help but mockingly brace myself for what was coming. Instead of spending forever in the elevator just spinning the camera around to waste time, I was rather pleasantly surprised to see myself zooming out to a schematic of the ship, giving me an overview of where the elevator was taking me. Other load screens are handled in this same style, showing anything from your shuttle departing from the Normandy to land on a planet to whatever path the planet side transportation you are using is taking. Its a nice touch that never lasts as long or gets as frustrating as the first game’s load screens.
While BioWare has made signification changes to the gameplay, the best element may be a slight refinement to what was already one of the series’ most distinctive features: the conversation system. Conversations flow much more naturally in Mass Effect 2, with characters actually moving around and reacting logically to the flow of the dialogue as opposed to just standing there as you talk. Little touches, like a character standing up to pace a bit before answering or moving closer or further from you as you converse, make the dialogue seem more real.
No discussion of the conversation system would be complete without discussing ME2′s interrupt feature. During conversations, you will often be given the chance to interrupt the character in either a positive or negative way. Paragon interrupts, activated by hitting the left trigger when prompted, will result in positive actions, such as giving medi-gel to an infected Batarian or helping someone focus. Renegade interrupts, activated with the right trigger, lead to more negative results: shooting someone’s bodyguards, head butting a Krogan, etc. This feature draws you into the game even more, making you pay extra attention to the conversations in the game, often wondering what would have happened if you had chosen to use an interrupt, or if you hadn’t.
And then there is the character import system. BioWare obviously wanted to reward those who had played the first game, and while it may have seemed the company down played this feature, you will be amazed at what a difference it can make. You will run across several characters who were influenced by your actions in the first game, giving fans a chance to truly see the difference they have made.
Mass Effect showed how cinematic an action/RPG can be. Mass Effect 2 improved heavily on its predecessor, making this an almost flawless game.
The Verdict: Not Hyped Enough
As I just mentioned, Mass Effect 2 is an almost perfect game. There are some issues with the cover system where you will find yourself suddenly vulnerable to attack, an odd choice to have you fly manually between solar systems not containing Mass Effect relays and some game glitches including but not limited to a complete loss of sound in the game that keep it from being perfect.
In the end, however, I found these few negative points just really did not bother me. BioWare has built an absolute masterpiece of a game that manages to more than live up to its hype. Every character is multi-dimensional, even Subject Zero, who could easily have been just the archetype bad girl. Players of the first game will love the references to characters and events in it. Even more impressive than that is the the fact BioWare did with this game what I thought would be next to impossible: creating an ending even more epic than the first.
Every now and then a game comes along that forever changes your perspective on just what is possible in this medium we enjoy. Mass Effect 2 is that kind of game. I cannot stress enough just how much of a joy it is to play, and though I have beaten it, I am already planning my next playthough. An early favorite for 2010′s Game of the Year, Mass Effect 2 gets a 5 out of 5.