When it comes to the fourth game of the Mass Effect franchise, my approach was pretty simple: I would wait until the price was low enough for me to buy it without feeling it in my pocket. By my calculation that would be until the price had dropped to what is currently 20 USD. That had been my resolution and I'll admit it faltered with the recent sale on the game. Not quite 20 USD, but close enough that I could justify to myself that I had waited a sufficient time.
I'm still deciding whether it was actually worth the selling price.
There are a couple of reasons to this. EA and Bioware haven't really done much to redeem my poor opinion of them. I like to think I'm a forgiving person, but that is sorely tested when it comes to those two.
Anyway, I'm out of practice when it comes to blog writing, so I'm just going to fall right into it without any grace that I might have used when I still babbled up a storm.
Mass Effect: Andromeda (from now on referred to as ME:A) starts off with a team of colonists from the Milky Way galaxy mozying over to Andromeda. When they shake off their 600-year hibernation, they're shocked to find that the worlds they had designated as habitable don't look so nice anymore. You are Rider, son/daughter of the main man who is supposed to lead the colonisation. After some bumbling about, daddy steps aside and you become the Pathfinder instead of the second-in-command who spent years preparing for this venture.
Sound a little holey in logic, right? But there you go, your character needs to become the game changer and so that's how it goes.
There are may little holes like this in the game's logic that has me studying ME:A like one would a specimen rather than diving into it as a fun game. I'm not very far into the story, so I can't really comment on the game as a whole, but your willing suspension of disbelief needs to be wide not to get distracted by things that don't add up. Unfortunately, this includes things such as blurry graphics and what on earth did they do to omnitools?
But I digress. As I've said, the habitable worlds suddenly don't look as habitable any more and its up to you to 'fix it, Felix'. This has you jetting off to different worlds, working ancient things and making big decisions such as deciding on what kind of colonies to establish when you finally sorted out the habitation problem.
The more I've played ME:A, the more conflicted I've felt. On the one hand, it makes me very angry. I can see the potential of this game and the creators have been very sloppy. Which is sad and annoying. There's a strong ideal that plays out - the desire for a home. It's there and yet you're constantly bombarded with design choices that distract you from that main thrust. Parts of this game looks beautiful. Parts look like an unintended train smash.
Combat seems to have taken a step backwards from ME3 and feels almost as clunky as ME1 at times. Roleplay also feels degraded somewhat with dialogue choices that are both limited and just... Well, let me give you an example to explain.
There's a science officer on board your ship who believes in God. She comes out and says it right smack in the first conversation you ever had with her. Now, that's fine. Random, but fine. Here's the kicker though, your limited to respond to her stance in one of two ways: 1. I agree with you. 2. There is no god.
... Where's the third option of smoothy skirting past the comment? How about a Rider who doesn't believe that isn't a jackass? Or one who does believe, but might choose to keep it to herself? Oh and by the look of things, the believer is a potential romance partner. There's a dialogue option to flirt like one had in Dragon Age Inquisition with some characters.
I can't help but feel that the creators of ME:A didn't really know what they were doing which after the fourth game shouldn't really be a point of discussion. I didn't really have my hopes all that high and I'm surprised by my own disappointment. I suppose that deep down I still wanted them to capture me. To surprise me. To be good at what they had been in ME1 and ME2. And maybe now that the disappointment has settled in, I can just play the game and see what creature it does end up becoming. I think I will still get my money's worth out of it and maybe it will make me sit back and go 'not bad' in the end. At the moment though, it still has me scratching my head and asking 'but why?' more than usual.
It's almost the end of the year and I tend to keep a book list of everything I've finished in the year along with some comments. So I figured share and share alike ;)
I don't think I will be posting again before next year. Maybe I will if something bites hard enough, who knows? But if not I hope you have an awesome new year with fresh challenges that you feel confident in overcoming and not those frustrating ones that laugh at you at every turn (I've had an awful year, so sue me).
All the best for the rest!
1. How to ruin your life by 40 - Steve Farrar:
It was okay... some of the principles were fine and legit. The guy is a little old fashioned and most of the book had to do with choosing the right marriage partner (which makes sense since that's probably the biggest thing in your life besides having children). It's just not really applicable to me in particular. Other than that, definitely has some things one could chew on.
2. A feast for crows - George RR Martin:
There are so many things he leaves us hanging on in this book. Evil, evil author. But still a series I enjoy. This is actually the second time I've read the Song of Ice and Fire series through. I know 'A dance with dragons' is out, but I'm waiting for the paperback version... which looks like it's going to take a while if you consider how long I've been waiting for 'Rogue' by Trudy Canavan to go soft.
3. Darkly Dreaming Dexter - Jeff Lindsay
I really enjoyed this book. Dark, somewhat twisted but beautifully executed. Jeff not only managed to convey Dexter's "strangeness" but made you believe it too. You felt his confusion and understood his amusement. I grinned through most of the book and worried through the last. I have to say that the shift to mortal peril was a little jagged and random. But it was a good read. Somewhere in future, I'll definitely get my hands on the second book in the series.
4. The Crucible - Arthur Miller
Short, somewhat sad and disturbing. Lots to take out of it but still not a play that I'd fall over myself recommending.
5. Basilisk Station - David Weber
The First of the Honor Harrington series. I've read the series so many times through. Love it. David Weber can be somewhat info-dumpy, but it's easy to overcome.
6. Honor of the Queen - David Weber
Second of the Honor Harrington series. Just as fun as the first if a little slower. Totally different dynamic with a lot more outer politics thrown in.
7. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
Thought-provoking. Well written and well thought out. I also love the fact that the movie worked to enhance and clarify the book.
8. A Dance with Dragons - George R R Martin
Took me over two months to read! Interesting, surprising, confounding. It finally appears as if the real players are beginning to reveal their cards. Still seems far to go though. I wonder how long it'll take for the next book to appear.
9. Equal Rites - Terry Pratchet
My first step into the Witches series of Discworld. It was a rather interesting journey. I found it a little slow going but it said a lot more than what was written. Very thoughtful approach to gender roles and what is expected and unexpected. I LOVED the concept of headology :) Granny Weatherwax is an interesting character.
10. Mistborn - Brandon Sanderson
Intriguing. Magic based on science, a well thought out system that is fed to you slowly and steadily as the main character beomces more competent. It was a really interesting read. I admit it took a couple of chapters to pull me in, but I eventually got to the point where I couldn't stop reading. You'll sit through most of the book speculating about what's going to happen at the end. In my case I was about 50% right... but I wasn't disappointed by my accuracy. I felt quite proud that I had guessed correctly. Rewarding the reader is the best way to get them to your side. ;)
11. The Well of Ascension - Brandon Sanderson
I have some mixed feelings about this one. I only got interested by what I was reading 600 pages in (nope, not making this up). It took me far longer to finish the book than it should have because of how much of a slog it was to get through. Oh the characters were interesting, but it just never got anywhere until the end. Sanderson has amazing setups, but he is his own worst enemy. Instead of keeping important things secret, he ends up blurting them out in the very next page. With that being said, he put it one helluva amazing twist in the very end of the book that made your heart drop into your shoes. I have to read the last book now because of that even if it ends up being a slog too. Bastard.
12. Mass Effect: Revelation - Drew Karpyshyn
I was rather apprehensive about reading a Mass Effect book. I've read a couple of Star Wars extended universe ones, and they've been... very coincidental. I was afraid I'd find something similar in this book. Surprisingly, that was not the case at all. The story was well set out, easy to read without being simple, and finely crafted. It expanded on a well known character without throwing him out of sync with what he appeared like in the games. The book also presented concepts and explanations of the 'verse that broadened and enriched what I already knew. Nice.
13. Mass Effect: Retribution - Drew Karpyshyn
So I only realised that this is the third book in the series when I was already something like a quarter into it. By then I was already well into the story. Going on about how much the book helped me with getting ideas for my story and how I had to jump up, grab a notepad and start taking notes won't really make anyone all that eager to read it. But Drew Karpyshyn - having been one of the main writers who brought ME & ME2 to life - will pique every ME fan's interest. He knows his lore and shares it freely without boring you.
14. The Hero of Ages - Brandon Sanderson
A bit of a weird ending to the series. Some interesting twists and turns. It was rewarding in its own way, but I wouldn't exactly call the book satisfying. I'll have to sit on the fence with this one.
15. The Walking Dead - Kirkman, Adlard and Rathburn (Issues 1-30)
I read the first 20 issues a couple of months (or maybe over a year) before the series came out. I thought it was rather interesting - and this from someone who doesn't do horror at all. I decided this year to start from the beginning and work my way through. I've gotten to 30 and it's good. It's not necessarily excellent. I do feel that it's lost its punch, but that seems to be a trend with most graphic novels that don't have a definite end. I know there are some twists coming (don't spoil me), but I'm giving it a break for a bit. There's only so many crazy people you can take at a time.
16. Mass Effect Redemption #1 - Story by: John Jackson Miller & Mac Walters
Short but rather interesting. Some key moments that link up with Mass Effect 2. I'm not completely convinced of the Liara-Feron friendship. He seems too much of a greasy git and she seems far too passionate about his plight. Not that I'm saying she's interested in him, but seriously? Too much angst, too little foundation.
17. Mass Effect Invasion #1-4 - Story by: John Jackson Miller & Mac Walters
Again an interesting series detailing the seizure of Omega by Cerberus. It was noteworthy how many plans-within-plans there were. Cerberus are a bunch of seriously sneaky bastards, that's all I'm saying.
Maybe next year I'll keep a list of movies and series too. I'm nerdy enough to do that, after all. :)
Firstly, some of you may have
noted that my blog has become littered with black squares instead of pretty
images in some places. I will slowly but surely amend this. It involved me, my
phone and a folder I removed because I couldn’t understand why it was there….
Teehee.
Part of me wanted to run through the missions and just give a ‘what I
liked vs what I didn’t like’ through some of them. As tempting as that sounds,
I’ve decided against it. The most pertinent things have already been mentioned
before. I haven’t whined about everything I could have, but that’s not
important. I’ve gushed about how amazing the scenery is, I’ve oohed and aahed
and WTF-ed over some story stuffs. I think the only thing I really left out is
how AMAZING the sound track for this game is. Really, it is extraordinary. And
I’m going to share two of my favs
Grunt's Last Stand
An End Once and for All - Original Version (I just like it a lot more)
So instead of going the route I was planning on, I will end this off
with briefly talking about the extended ending and just a final wrap up. I once
again want to plug ‘Where Mass Effect 3 went wrong'.
The guy helped solidify a lot of thoughts in my own mind and did inspire
some others. He only spends twenty odd minutes on the subject (as opposed to
certain people).
The Extended Ending
I have some mixed feelings about the ending but it wasn’t about how it
played itself out. I disliked the idea that we would have to sacrifice data
(I’m from South Africa, it is
a sacrifice if you can manage
it at all) to download
something that would have been logical to put in the game to begin with. I was
also somewhat unimpressed by Bioware telling gamers that the changes in the
game start from the Cerberus base when no one I’ve talked to who actually
played the extended ending saw any change up until the last goodbyes.
The DLC also brought in a lot of odd moments too. You now see whether
your squad makes it or not. If they do, you have them evacuated by bringing
in the Normandy to land at your location and helping the two onto its loading
ramp. You can have a real touching moment with your love interest – that part I
liked – before you run and the evil red beam hits you.
So here’s the problem I have with this sequence: You have a big-ass
reaper shooting at cars and people running (very tiny little things in
comparison to the massive ships they could be battling) and then Normandy flies
in, lands and takes back off – flying past the reaper – and never having
to dodge so much as a single ill-aimed shot. If it were that easy to pick
people up, why couldn’t the Normandy have dropped people off? Then you wouldn’t have had to run your ass off
to begin with and it would have avoided the countless, and seemingly
unnecessary, casualties. Hm. You also have a group of at least four main npc’s
that are on the ship that don’t bother coming to the fight. What are they
doing? Sipping turian brandy, sitting in front of a screen watching Shepard
duck and run, betting on how fast it’ll take her to get to the target?
All that aside, the ending itself… it definitely did bring some
‘closure’ to the endings that they had previously presented. Note how I state
that. To the endings they had before, an epilogue has been added each ending giving
you an idea of what will happen very broadly with regard to civilization and
whatnot. You also get to glimpse some still pictures (the entire epilogue is in
stills) of some squad mates. And then there’s the really moving scene at the
end where Shepard’s crew gathers around the memorial wall and sticks her name
to it as well – right under Anderson’s. It’s not perfect. It doesn’t sort out
any issues with the endings offered, but at least it ties the chords of the
endings you were presented with.
For that I will say “Aww, thanks Bioware!” I didn’t, however, appreciate the fourth ending they stuck in. This would be where you either shoot at the little space twerp or tell it to go shove off and refuse to decide one of the three options presented. This choice causes the game to end immediately with no extra cutscenes of the battle. All you get to see is a time capsule with Liara telling the listener how they'd lost and expressing her hope that the next cycle will be able to defeat the reapers. Nice. It felt like an calculated insult, I have to say. At least they didn’t
take it that step too far by also assigning it a colour.
Wrap up
Back in January I wrote a post called A Mass Addiction. It basically explained what got me
hooked on Mass Effect. In it I listed the three main drugs Bioware pumped into
my system that got me hooked.
Story
Choice
& Consequence
A woman in the lead
Somewhere in the middle of writing these posts, I realised that what
upset me the most was that the drugs that had got me hooked was either no
longer present or tainted in some way. I love
that Femshep got some real acknowledgement. I really truly adore that. I will
always feel that they should give her more in the DLCs and whatever other
promotional stuff they throw our way. I would also have loved to see a Femshep
motion picture which isn’t going to happen. Maybe it’s just to avoid the whole
slash part because, come on! How could Liara not be the romantic interest in the movie? In any case, #3 I was happy with in ME3. Very
happy actually. But the first two just… *shrugs*
I love the Mass Effect series. I really and truly do. I adore it. I
have a lot of reasons and I know how powerfully it has affected the lives of
other people. The stories are numerous. It truly is the Star Wars of our time
in many ways. And ME3 has some crazy powerful moments. I cannot remember when last I had cried as hard through any book,
game or movie as I did in this game. I was broken
by the end. I had rooted for my Shepard every step of the way and I knew even
before playing the game that she would need to be taken off of the board
permanently for any chance that anyone else would be turned to for help in the
future. I knew that and was waiting for it. I was enraptured by Tuchunka and
Mordin, by Tali’s moment of ‘home’ on Rannoch, I cried through Grunt’s
sacrifice and Thane’s last prayer. I was emotionally invested. These were my guys stuck in struggles which were
beyond them but they fought on anyway.
I was highly impacted by the idea of playing a strong female character
who doesn’t have to show her breasts to get attention from those around her.
Guys have very little idea of how hard it can be to have to play a female character
who is essentially designed solely for a male gamer’s pleasure (or leave him
yearning for it). I loved the fact that FemShep was judged by who she was, what
she could do and what she strove for. Not what she wore, how well she could
flirt and how helpless she could look so that a man can run to her aid. I found
a hero in FemShep and a home on the Normandy and I think a great number of
female gamers feel exactly the same way.
From a writing perspective, Mass Effect is a goldmine. I think it has
really taught me a lot of things about characters and perspectives; about
actions, choices and consequences. It has made me ask story-type questions I
haven’t had to ask before. It has shown me how possible it is to have
three-dimensional characters within your story – even when they’re not the hero
of your story. I admire that.
I don’t know why the last installment turned out the way it did. Though
I can’t say “never again!” to Bioware (I really want to, I won’t lie), I think
I will only end up saying “not yet”. I think they’ve gotten as much of a knock
as they’ve given. Maybe we’re all going to be a little careful around each
other for a bit.
I’ve received a complaint questioning how long I’m going to harp on
ME3. The answer is FOREVER!!!! AAHHHHHH!!!!
Ahem.
No, I think there should be one more post after this one I think. I’ll
be babbling as briefly as I can (ha) about the different main missions and then
a few side ones. It’s all dependent on how many words it ends up being. And
then I’ll move on to something else. I’ll actually be happy to get this done. I
need to get back to stuff that have landed on the backburner due to this
series. It’ll be nice to have this over. It’s been really cathartic.
Anyway, back to characters and what I would’ve liked to see.
Miranda Lawson
As with Jack, Miranda is side-lined for this game which, once again, I
think is a shame, but for different reasons (and similar ones here and there). I
really enjoyed Miranda’s story in ME2 – if rushed. That she hardly featured in
ME3 is therefore quite a disappointment. I felt that there was still so much
that could have been done with her character and just wasn’t.
As with Mordin (but to a far lesser degree), Miranda’s story touches on
her loyalty mission of the game before. You meet her at the Citadel where she
ends up being all vague and mysterious and talking about her sister and
whatnot. I have to say, I already disliked what was happening. The whole point
of Miranda’s journey in Mass Effect 2 was to realise that 1) she shouldn’t be defined
by her engineering but rather by who she was as a person and, as with her own
identity, 2) she should define Shepard by who she is as a person and not by her
ability as a soldier and leader. And through that, she begins to trust Shepard.
Suddenly, we’re back at holding Shep at arm’s length. How the hell did
that happen?
Miranda pops in about two times after that – each time giving a bit
more information – and then finally makes a last appearance in the Horizon
mission. Rather disappointing really.
The fact of the matter is that she was sorely missed as an XO on the
Normandy. In ME2, you got the distinct sense that Miranda was managing while
Shepard was directing. She filled the role of XO so well, countering Shepard,
challenging her so that Shep had to make definitive choices. She gave Shepard
another perspective to work from. Very XO-like in my book. You also felt that
staff went to her first. Shepard wasn’t disturbed by crew-issues (with the
exception of some squad temper tantrums). That was Miranda’s role. Who was the
XO in ME3? Can someone tell me? Anyone?
I have to say, while I feel that some rather big character aspects took
a step backwards, there was a certain sense of tenderness that Miranda conveyed
to Shepard. While I totally do not understand why Bioware made the choice of having
Miranda fret over a chip she didn’t insert into the commander, I loved how she spoke to Shepard. There was
definitely a change, a vulnerability, a depth. If Miranda dies in the end, the
last moments with her are particularly touching. The ice queen definitely
thawed out and it’s beautiful. I just wish they didn’t pull a completely 180 by
having Miranda keep Shep at arm’s length prior.
It just makes no sense.
Romance
… Well, at least Miranda doesn’t promise BroShep a good lay at the end of
the game. He actually manages to get a moment with her. I have to say that from
a romantic perspective, Miranda’s distance is even more baffling. In ME2,
keeping her sister safe was so important that she approached Shepard even when
they were still cold towards each other. She was desperate enough to break
through the awkwardness and ask for help. And yet, now that she has a strong
suspicion that her sister is actually in trouble, she would
rather side-line her love interest. Hm.
In terms of dialogue, obviously you do have a more intimate connection
with Miranda, but I actually felt that there wasn’t as much a difference in
dialogue between having her as an LI and not. Maybe that’s just me.
The most painful moment – besides if she kicks it – is if your
character decides not to continue a relationship with her. I had my BastardShep
break up with her and boy, did I feel like a dog. It was so well done.
Samara
Samara, Samara, Samara… mysterious, beautiful, complex… and yet no pay
off in all Shep’s hard work to befriend/romance her. Her mission was quite interesting. Shepard
gets to learn quite a bit about the Ardat-Yakshi and about Samara’s family. The
twist in the end was also rather interesting.
And this is what I find baffling. Here you have this amazing character
who will be so conflicted about the fate of her daughter that she would
remove herself from the obligation of her code by turning a gun on herself
rather than kill her child. And yet
she will not step into a relationship which isn’t against her code, nor in any
way forbidden. Riddle me that.
I really enjoyed the small piece of Samara’s story. I was just so sad
to see that she barely had 5 minutes face time throughout the game.
Romance
In ME2, she is one of the few squad members that cannot be successfully
romanced. You can get her as far as acknowledging an interest and almost get a kiss out of her, but she
pulls back right before. For those who are Samara shippers, ME3 would have been
the ideal place to duke it out with Samara’s stubbornness; to get to the heart
of it all and maybe even find some success after all the effort.
But no. If you actually stay loyal to your almost-relationship with Samara,
the closest you get to her showing any care for you is if you save her from
herself in the mission and meet her at the Citadel afterwards. Then she’ll take
your hands for a moment and say "Your time is precious. Spend it wisely.
And with those who care for you."
And that’s that.
WTF?!
Garrus Vakarian
Character
Old faithful Garrus still ends up hanging around if you didn’t manage
to get him killed in ME2. His story throughout the game or rather his take on
the war is probably the most realistic. He is still not a guy of many words and
has been thrown into the deep end of leadership. Maybe that’s why he can
actually connect with Shepard having to make tough calls as he now has to do
the same.
I have to admit that I enjoyed Garrus but never quite understood him.
He has his moments though. He stole the show with his day out with Shepard on
the Citadel. “I am Garrus Vakarian and this is now my favourite spot in the
Citadel.” It makes me grin every time I think about it.
Romance
I really didn’t understand where Bioware was going with Garrus’ awkward
ignorant/friends-with-benefits angle. I was generally unimpressed with the male
selection a femshep had to choose from. My poor girl ended up staying celibate
through ME2 just because she could only choose between ick, eww and gross.
Garrus would have been my choice among the three had they bothered giving him a
romantic angle.
ME3 doesn’t change much there. It is very much still a
friends-with-benefits thing and… really? That’s the best you could come up
with?
I have to say I really liked
the Garrus/Tali hookup. I thought that was really sweet.
Combat
I wasn’t all that impressed with the infiltrators in ME3. Even playing
one was frustrating for me. I ended up almost never using my sniper rifle and
what’s the point of being an infiltrator if you don’t? It felt like Ashley and
Garrus had the same issues so I very rarely selected them for a mission. I only
brought Garrus along if I thought his angle might add to the story. And that’s
kinda sad.
Tali’Zorah vas Normandy
I’ve always had a soft spot for Tali. I found her loyalty mission in
ME2 the one I really sat and chewed on the most. I played through every
possibility to see what would be the best angle for the future, and which would
fit not only Tali’s character but who I felt my femshep was. Took forever.If I had known Tali’s story in ME3 would be
the same regardless of what I chose, I could’ve saved a lot of time by just
throwing a coin.
So you encounter her as the quarians are taking on the geth and getting
their asses handed to them (way to go, guys). If in ME2 you chose to have the
evidence revealed or argued your way out of the trial, then Tali comes onto the
Normandy as part of the quarian entourage. If you chose for her to be banished,
she comes onto the Normandy as part of
the quarian entourage. Hey, wait…
Despite the lazy writing in that part, you do have quite a few powerful
moments with her throughout her ME3 main mission. I loved the scene of her
staking a claim on Rannoch - especially “carrying home with you”. I found that
very touching. In the Rannoch Primary, I was rather upset at the two extreme
choices you were given (sans persuasion dialogue). So you either have Legion be
killed by Tali or Tali commit suicide. Am I the only one who thinks suicide
couldn’t have been more out of character for Tali? I personally believe that
those who loved her (be it Shepard or Garrus) would’ve helped centre her. I
don’t believe Tali is that impulsive. It made no sense for her to react in such
a fashion even if she were weaker in character. I can see her curl up into a
ball, but the whole backwards swan dive thing was simply far too over the top
for me to accept.
I will say that I quite enjoyed the idea of her and Legion having come
to a point of understanding. They never really go all that into it, but I love
the idea of at least two races managing to build a bridge of understanding and
not just for the necessity of war – ala krogan, turians and salarians.
I also loved drunk Tali and her emergency induction port! “Don’t
‘aaahhh’ me, you sound like a vorcha.” One of my favourite lines in the game.
Romance
I think one of the things about Tali that I enjoy is that she’s
confident in herself, but not always with how she interacts with others. One
would expect her to lose that insecurity the more she is put into situations
where she’s had to stand her ground. With regard to her romance with Broshep, I
find I have a similar problem with hers that I had with Jack’s and that is the
sense of overconfidence. Now granted, the two women are the same age (yes, they
are, go look it up), but that’s where I would have thought the similarities
should end. Both were, in their own ways, unsure of how to approach a
relationship with BroShep. Now suddenly they’re perfectly fine and daring? There
was again a lack of connection in the ME3 relationship, but this really was the
case with all the relationships.
So I guess I should mention the picture…
… I don’t know. I just really can’t decide what I think about it. Would
I have wanted to see Tali without her mask on? Yes. Was I particularly annoyed
with her giving Shepard a picture instead? Well… the idea of a picture? No. The
circumstances surrounding it? Yes. The Bioware shortcut? Oh hell yes!
It was lazy and sloppy and stupid.Taking a stock photo and manipulating it and telling us that’s Tali. And
then to put it in a setting wherein Tali would never be in! Here we
have a race that we know (from Tali’s words) would have to take a sick day just
to be able to take their masks off and show their faces to their kids. And you
have her posing in a picture, not wearing a suit with a landscape behind
her…How stupid is that?
The whole getting sick thing also shoots holes through her comment
about her body having adjusted to Shepard’s. Well, that’s nice Tali, but then
there is still the atmosphere you’re exposing yourself to etc. etc.
*sighs*
Combat
I found Tali very useful when fighting geth, but there wasn’t a whole lot
of geth to fight in this one. I essentially used her only for the Rannoch
missions. I’ve noted that ME3 gave you situations where the squad mate most
affected would be the most effective. With Tali it was the geth. I guess
fighting Cerberus she might be able to do something against the Atlases. The
extra powers they gave the engineering class in general weren’t all that handy.
Here you have Cerberus engineers setting up massive turrets to riddle you with
bullets and the best you and Tali can throw at them is Chiktikka. And your own
turrets are pitiful in the beginning. I haven’t played far enough to see how
they turn out later, but I wasn’t in the mood to put more effort into the game
to find out.
Legion
The geth is an interesting race. With them, there’s a whole development
on what is VI and AI and true AI – all of which could drive scifi enthusiasts
ape as they start arguing about which is which and what’s relevant. What I also
liked about the Mass Effect games is how they brought one character in from
each race and have it act almost as a representative of its kind. You quickly
picked up on values and behaviourisms even when they would still be a broad
stereo type. With Legion, those stereo types weren’t quite as broad. He is geth. In him is a perfect representation
of the whole race.
I was both happy and unhappy to find Legion hooked up to the geth
dreadnaught. There was definitely an “Ooohhh!!! It’s Legion!” reaction at play
but the ‘coincidence’ of Shepard stumbling onto all the old faces was very much
like reading a Star Wars extended universe novel.
Besides that, I can’t say I found any fault in Legion’s arc. I thought
it was insightful, pulled open a lot of the old questions, and made humans (I
mean quarians) look evil and stupid. I understood Legion’s sacrifice or his
‘merging’ with his kind. His response to Shepard if she decides to side with
the quarians instead is surprising, but remarkable. It just shows how much
Legion developed into a character of its own. The interaction between Legion
and Tali also speaks volumes with him asking her whether he has a soul, but not
calling her creator but rather Tali’Zorah. Tali’s affirmative also shows quite a
bit in how much her view has changed.
Samantha Traynor
Why mention her? Well, she is a romantic interest, isn’t she?
I have to say that I’m conflicted about Samantha. I think they did that
shower scene a bit too early. (Seriously, did anyone else feel like that needed
to reach for a glass of water? haha). But actually, there was no real lead-in.
I think if they really wanted to develop a same-sex relationship, don’t make it
just about Shepard’s shower.Not that it
was only physical, but there was no real depth in interactions that made me
feel that the progress the two made was all that real or ‘earned’.
What really caught me about the Traynor relationship is Shepard’s confession
the final evening. It is probably one of the most frank admissions Shepard can
make and one of the best lines I think Jennifer Hale delivers in the game.
“Everyone’s looking at me like I know what I’m doing”. As you know, in every
relationship Shepard has this exact scene where she can comment on how she’s
feeling. What bugged me a lot was that with every other relationship, there’s a
physical distance between Shep and the love interest. Now this might not bug
other people, but it really bothered me. With Traynor, she actually is right
there with Shepard in what the latter is saying and I found that also rather
noteworthy.
Alyssa(link) commented that this
confession she would’ve expected with a relationship that had more time to grow
and mature – like with Liara for example (I’ll get to her a little later) with
whom she already had a moment of deep vulnerability in the ME2 Shadow Broker
dlc.One can’t really fault Traynor. She
is an interesting character and the relationship, while very rushed, could have
been a lot deeper if more time was spent on it. The problem is that it just
wasn’t enough time to be spent.
Steve Cortez
If I’m conflicted about Samantha, I’m downright baffled by Steve. I
didn’t understand the relationship. Maybe it’s because I’m not a gay dude.
Maybe I’m just missing something. It seemed very weak to me; very hollow. To
some, it could appear that Samantha’s scenes were something of a male fantasy.
Steve’s appeared to be what a group of heterosexual men tried to cook up and ended
up failing at miserably.
But again, I’m not a gay dude, so I’ll leave space open for me just
being ignorant.
Liara T’Soni
Liara always was something of a curious creature. Maybe due to her
stage of life, her personality seemed to be ever shifting. By the last
instalment of the series, we’ve seen her as the naïve archaeologist, the little
blue puppy dog, the heartless information broker, the cool and calculating
Shadow Broker and then…an odd mix of
the bunch. The catalyst to all of her
changes was always Shepard. With every event in Shepard’s life, the asari was
also impacted and she responds by shifting her own approach to life and people.
Maybe it is this that causes her to be more difficult to put into a box.
Many have been very unhappy about the amount of attention Liara
receives in this game. Regardless of who Shep’s love interest is, Liara is undoubtedly
the main supportive character in this game and that can understandably cause
quite a bit of consternation from everyone regardless of whether they like her
or not. I do think I understand the reason why they chose Liara for this role.
As said above, Shepard tends to cause the greatest change in Liara. As a
person, Liara tends to be the book capturing what Shepard is. She doesn’t
become like but is shaped so much by the woman that you can look at Liara and
see who Shepard is – much like you can look at a mould to see a shape of the a
key. As an archaeologist, she has an inherent need to discover and understand
and so she consistently scrutinises and records everything Shepard goes through.
Having linked their consciousness a couple of times in ME1, she may very well
know the commander better than anyone (love interests included). And finally,
Liara loves the woman(/man) completely and unreservedly – and will do so to the
end of her days regardless of whether she had Shepard as a bond mate or not.
The ‘name in the stars’ sequence just confirms it.
In ME3, just as the end of ME2’s Lair of the Shadow Broker, Liara acts
as Shepard’s emotional barometer. This does help connect the gamer to Shepard
since she can’t just look at the gamer through the screen and go “okay, so
let’s recap on how I’m feeling.” Even when she plays a cold wench, Liara is a
really emotional character and she shows a lot of what Shepard can’t simply
because the latter is in a leadership role (plus again, the character played by
the gamer can’t just fall to pieces and still remain a representation of the
player. Meaning you can cry and sob as much as you want behind the controller,
but Shepard most certainly can’t).I
think Thessia was really the breaking point for Liara and it just brought it
all home again.
I have to say that I do like the character quite a bit. Tali will
always be my homegirl, but Liara will always finish close second.
Romance
I think the most moments of tenderness are shared with Liara as a love
interest – which is kind of a shame. It also appears that Bioware feels it must
have at least one romantic interest
that really steams things up. Maybe it was for the controversy they created in
the first Mass Effect (all that hype for nothing really, but anyhoo), but you
have the Miranda scene in the previous game and in ME3 you have the shower
scene and then Liara’s scene. It’s funny that humans are so modest and the
alien has to be the one who has no issue with being naked. (Speaking of, who
besides super modest people shower in
their underwear? Just wondering out loud.)
In the end, it’s actually really difficult to comment on Liara as a
romantic interest because there’s very little that deviates from her
interaction with you as a friend (besides getting naked and blue misty). She
still stays the same; she just gives you a bit more space.
Combat
I’m not going to say much about Liara as a squad mate. She is someone
whom you should always have by your side even if you are a biotic yourself.
Simple as that.
But that is also the criticism I’d like to raise. I know that Liara
vastly (and I do mean vastly)
improves her powers during the two years that she hadn’t been with Shepard. I
can’t say I remember why she did, but I do know that she was already becoming
badass by the LoTSB dlc. But in ME3 she performs like the biotic equivalent of
Vega – ie she fights as if she’s on steroids. I’d go as far as to say that it
isn’t Liara’s powers that is the cause for having to revive her so frequently,
but rather combat AI (Don’t stand there! Don’t run into their fire! How was
crouching with your ass to them ever a good idea?). Not that combat AI is terrible, but it does
still have its baffling moments. Were that sorted out completely, Liara could’ve
taken on the reapers single-handedly.
Other characters
Just a quick nod to other characters. I was happy to see Kenneth and Gabby back and I love the
fact that Gabby finally sorted Kenneth out on the fact that they’re actually
interested in each other. Cute. Engineer
Adams was also a nice addition; however I found that he annoyed me more than
anything else. He could have been used
better. Dr Karin Chakwas was also a
welcome sight. The whole explanation on why she doesn’t call Shepard by her
first name was seriously dumb though. Come now. Kelly... well, I haven’t played a game where she was in it, but I’ve
heard from others about her. Nice that she gives Shepard her fish back.
Although, why is it that every other Cerberus crew member don’t need to change
their hair and hide? No hint of that whatsoever. Hm.
I also enjoyed the character interactions amongst one another. Like
Joker asking Liara about her tentacles; Garrus and Joker sharing war jokes;
Tali and Garrus communicating and eventually hooking up. I loved that the crew
moved around in the ship. I thought that was a nice touch.
And finally, what I would have liked to see
I fully understand that these expectations would’ve put three times the
work on Bioware, but I still would have wanted these things, damnit!
Choice of crew
I would have wanted to choose who is on my ship and who gets side-lined.
It was disappointing not having Miranda sort out the smaller things or having Jack
skulk about in the sub-deck. A lot of attention was given to ME1 characters
and, honestly, they didn’t give me the time of day during ME2 so why should I
do so now?
Primary supportive character
I would have loved to see Shepard’s love interest step into Liara’s
place and have the story play out at different angles. I’d like to have seen
Miranda as a strong support, challenging and refining Shepard’s ideas. I would
have liked to see Jack’s anger and see her grow even more in taking care of
others. I would have loved to see Tali grow more and challenge the expectations
of her people. I would have even liked to see Ashley work through her conflicts
and strain as she walks in lockstep with Shepard. Have Garrus be conflicted
about his job as an advisor. Have Kaidan grow into someone who is less of a *ahem*
mama’s boy.
Liara could still be herself. Bring on the seeds and writing names in
stars and all of it. But have her take a secondary spot rather than dominate
the story so completely when Shepard’s focus isn’t going to be on her.
I think that’s the thing that best describes what I would have wanted
here. Have Shepard choose what and who she’s going to focus on. Don’t make the
choice for her. Each of these interests wouldn’t have changed much in terms of
how the events play out or even the ending *sighs* but it would’ve given each
playthrough a... different colouring. That would have definitely made me replay
the game a million times over.
Deeper characters
I’ve said this repeatedly in a million different ways: Use what you
have better. The truth is that Bioware created some amazing characters. Some really
extraordinary ones, in fact. The
conflict between Miranda and Jack is just as much about how similar they are as
it is about how different. Imagine having the characters get to know each other
throughout the game. Imagine the jealousy of old and new lovers. The crew does move
around, but make them really talk to each other as much as they talk to
Shepard. Well, not as much but you know what I mean. Have Ashley have it out
with Miranda (oh, you know there would’ve been some issues
flying around there – former Cerberus operative and all). There is so much
potential in each of these 3D characters. Use it!
Don’t use similar words in
different character’s dialogue
New drinking game: Every time someone says” conventionally”, take a
shot. Enough said.
Phew! Okay. Now just a babble about missions and the extended version
and we’re done.
As I noted before, things have been a little... wonky.Just bear with me until I get all cylinders firing again.
I’m going to look deeper at the characters in this one. I’ll be all
feminist and refer to ‘her’, but obviously I will be talking about broshep’s
romantic interests in here too, don’t fret. I'll have to continue the topic in the next post. Can't get everything all jammed into one while saying most of what I would want to say about it (most not all, that wouldn't been longer. Can you imagine?).
Everyone knew that this last game was going to be an emotional
rollercoaster just because it was the last one. In the lives of the characters,
the climax has now finally arrived where every fear is playing out before their
eyes. To say emotions are running high is a bit of an understatement.
Shepard
Bioware said it and, in this case, I agree with them: This isn’t the
same Shepard as before. The creators really made a point of showing her as a
human being first, hero/saviour/soldier second.
Shepard had done all she could to warn others and still it wasn’t
enough. She repeatedly put her wellbeing and those of her crew on the line for
a galaxy that couldn’t have been less bothered. And then all she had warned
them of came into being. The reapers invaded and no one was ready. And while
the lesser characters would be forgiven for going off the rails, Shepard
obviously can’t. For one thing, it would’ve been a very short game if she did. Character-wise,
she could only do what she has always done which is to stand her ground
regardless of the cost. But people aren’t just physical. They aren’t just skin
and meat and bone. They have emotions. In this instalment, the creators really
went into that. It was one of the best choices they could have made. And it
most certainly paid off.
Shepard was always the one causing others to respond, ordering them,
challenging them or simply showing them that there is another perspective to
consider (as in Miranda and Jack’s storylines in ME2 among others). She was always
their immovable centre (to quote Dr Chakwas); the thing they could anchor
themselves onto.
In ME3, Shepard can’t but be
moved herself. She can’t but realise the futility and it shows in everything
she does. The heartache, the impotence, the frustration; it’s is written in
every muscle twitch, in every line of dialogue. It is not as if Shepard doesn’t
still affect others, but Bioware (finally) decided to turn the lens to the main
character and help give us an idea of what’s going on in her mind. I can recall
only two times where I saw Shepard buckle and that was during the locker scene
in ME1 and the cabin scene in ME2 Lair of the Shadow Broker after the big fight.
It’s not as if they made her into a baby. She doesn’t sit and cry and
wait for others to pick her up and dust her off again. The circumstances are
simply so large, the sacrifices countless, and the death of friends so many
that not reacting would have made her an incredibly heartless person.
In this final game of the series, Bioware went all out to tell a
compelling story… sortof. And regardless of gender or age, fans could get
sucked into this character. Where most RPG/FPS games simply gives your
‘character’ a face and a name – sometimes not even that – Mass Effect gives you
a person. And that makes a helluva difference.
Romance
I will be babbling on the different love interests on the ship with
each character as I discuss them. I do feel like commenting on the fact that
the romance –with comparison to ME2 – was surprisingly dry. There were very few
moments where you could see moments or gestures of intimacy. I don’t mean that
you need to have a boinking scene every minute, but the only time I saw some
form of intimacy among the lot of them was Shepard pulling Liara onto his/her
lap and just holding her.
There IS a war going on and we’ve already establish that there are a
lot of emotions flying about and lots of unspoken speculation of how quickly
they were going to be made splat. So why wouldn’t there be some form of
intimacy? Why wouldn’t there be more dialogue between the characters that give
some kind of reflection of that? I found this a little baffling. There is some
dialogue/banter while you’re on a mission, but that’s about it. Hm.
With each romance, you could also reject a previous love interest. I
didn’t see all of them so I’m only going to comment on the ones I have. Also,
there are also some confrontations if you didn’t stay true to a love interest
from ME1. But seriously though, the only one of the three I would understand that
reaction from is Liara. At least she gave you the time of day in ME2 and in the
Shadow Broker DLC she gave you more. The others? Meh. It’s interesting to note
their reactions, but that’s about it. You can also ‘cheat’ on ME2 characters
and have similar confrontations. I like the fact that they brought it in. My favourite part of it though is the
tension between squad mates in the docking tube as you’re about to make your
way to the geth ship. If you take in a former love interest and a current one,
the comments are rather amusing to listen to.
Councilman Udina
I have to make a quick mention of Udina. You only have a few
interactions with him besides the fact that you get to shoot the indoctrinated
bastard (which was sweeeeet!!).
I was rather surprised by how Udina’s character really felt fleshed out
even though he said very little. He brought across his interest in earth and
even though he was still an asshole he wasn’t one just because he was supposed
to be someone you hate. He developed into something deeper and that was
something that was noticeable enough to give me a moment’s pause. I love how he
was manipulating Ash/Kaidan and, even though you saw it clearly, it was still
something where you could nod at as a typical thing Udina would do – which
again just shows you how quickly you get to know him.
I didn’t like the fact that Udina would end up earth’s representative
on the council even when you chose Anderson before. I do realise that there are
novels and comics and all kinds of stuff that gives you the explanation – and I
do think it’s awesome that they brought that into the game – but I did sulk
about it somewhat.
Diana Allers
Ha, I’m back to the ugly wench.
Character
Simply put, the idea of a reporter on the ship was a really good one.
As I’ve said before, this would have been the opportunity to play the devil’s
advocate; to ask hard questions and demand them answered. To really show the
mettle of both the choices made throughout the game as well as the characters
of not only Shepard but the rest of the squad AND even the crew of the Normandy
as well.
The problem being that Bioware made this poor woman as flat as a
pancake. They gave her no personality and brought nothing to the table that
would have justified her being there at all.
Romance
Allers is one of the characters Shepard can sleep with… why on earth
she/he would want to is something only the creators would know. Simply put, the
character is a quick lay and I have to say if I were Chobot, I’d be supremely
pissed.
James Vega
Character
Vega is supposed to present a blue-collar soldier… a grunt in some
ways. I can actually understand the idea given that most of your squad are
either exceptionally talented individuals or groomed for leadership. Vega is
neither – besides being built like a tank.
There is some backstory brought in about the character and it does have
substance. I like the idea of having a character who isn’t someone rushing
towards command. What is sad though is that they didn’t do much with Vega except
give him an inferiority complex and make him whiney. The whole N7 discussion…
I’d rather have Shepard know it was something that Vega was considered for and
support him in doing it – if humanity survived afterwards. I don’t like Vega
saying to Shepard “You are my mentor, I’m seeing this as N7 training”. Shepard
by nature is a mentor. If you really want Vega say the line, have him tell it
to someone else.
So basically Vega started strong, had potential but fizzled out in the
end.
Romance
None. I’ve seen petitions made about this. If the man had backbone, I
might’ve agreed with them. If.
Combat
James is simply a soldier, but simply doesn’t mean he is worthless as
one. If you’re any other class, you might want to have him tag along to pound
the creatures while you do what you do – be it to throw biotics at them or take
them out with a sniper rifle. I found him highly affective as a tank.
Ashley /Kaidan
I haven’t focused as much on these two characters. But I feel like
throwing them together since they virtually play the same role.
Character
Ashley Williams is career military and if she said “I’m an
Alliance soldier, it’s in my blood” again in ME3 I might have shot her then and
there – or at least waited until she was protecting Udina. I didn’t feel she
had much of a backstory. Her family is basically married to the military, there
is scandal about the grandpa surrendering to the Turians during the First
Contact war, she has siblings of which she is the eldest and… that’s about it.
Meh. Okay.
After ME2 she got promoted… and that’s it apparently. Alrighty then.
Kaidan Alenko is an Alliance soldier and biotic with an L2
implant which is a tad unstable and gives him migraines. He was taken into an
early biotic school as a kid, treated horribly, liked a girl who got hurt by a
trainer, snapped and killed the trainer. Okay, so some backstory there.
After ME2, Kaidan was promoted and commands a biotic unit. I found it
puzzling that Jack sticks around with her kids being only a trainer while
Alenko feels no urgency to join his own. Okay it might be that they’re on earth
and he can’t get to them, but that should still frustrate the hell out of him,
right?
ME3 story
I feel the response of Ashley/Kaiden to Shepard on Horizon in ME2 makes
them the kind of people I want to kick to the curb. Seriously, if you had them
as a romantic interest you’d have thought their first reaction seeing you alive
would be pretty much the same as Liara’s and then have them whine about Cerberus. But no. Accuse first and
marvel only in ME3. To hell with them then!
So both will get onto the Normandy and be part of your squad on Mars.
Both will be bitchy about Shepard’s former involvement in Cerberus and show
severe distrust. NOT a good start at all but it is in line with how they acted
in ME2 so I’ll give them that. Then they get horribly injured by pre-EDI fembot
and it is here that were you really feel something – be they a love interest or
not. You care about the fact that an evil Cerberus fembot seemingly killed a
squad mate in front of you and it is your second major shock in the game – the
first being pre-space child kiddles getting blown to bits.
What I really liked about this sequence is how Shepard responds when
she carries them up the Normandy and then in the Normandy itself. I loved the fact that if broshep had
Ashley as his only love interest, he cradles her as he carries her into the
Normany as opposed to using a fireman’s carry.
The Spectre arch was a really interesting idea. You could see Udina
basically trying to replace Shepard, the disgraced human spectre, with someone
who would be more pliable. You could also see how Kaidan/Ashley would fall for
it. Hell, becoming a spectre is a massive honour and having Udina bestow that
on them would of course endear them somewhat to the sneaky git. You could also
see why they would be conflicted in protecting Udina and believing in Shepard
given the fact that she had worked with Cerberus in the past and here she
wanted to shoot one of the councillors that the group was also gunning for
them. I thought this was masterfully crafted.
What I also liked about the face-off scene is that, if you managed to
talk them down and they didn’t like you, they will still wait for you at the
Normandy and apologize. And you still
get to invite them on board despite the mutual antipathy. It may seem silly,
but it speaks of professionalism and respect – if given grudgingly – and of integrity.
All old-school notions that I appreciate.
It’s just a shame that the characters basically fall flat right after
that. There is more that could have been done and it just wasn’t. I also didn’t
like the idea of Kaidan trying to justify
Shepard working with Cerberus. “Oh so the Cerberus scientists that brought you
back to life were nice? Oh so there are good people in the organization and
they’re not all evil? Oh well then that
makes everything fine and dandy in my little judgemental box.” Ashley not
really commenting about it after the standoff made more sense. She was still
hostile and had every right to be for goodness’ sake! Just look at what they
were doing now! That made me want to go back to the standoff and just shoot
Kaidan instead.
And maybe he needed that justification. And maybe Ashley needed to go
“well, stuff you, I don’t care about the whys. Cerberus is evil and it’s going
to take a lot of time for me to deal with that. Whatever the case, if you want
to bring sense of trying to reason Shep’s involvement with into the story, why
not with different crew discussions? If Tali gets killed, Ashley states that
she always saw the quarian as a little sister. Well, why not use that? Have
Tali chat to her and they discuss the whole Cerberus thing? Wouldn’t that have
been more interesting? If Kaidan needed justification, why not talk to Joker or
Garrus? The Normandy is pretty quiet despite all the conversations and crew
movement. It would have been great to fill those empty spaces. Ashley most
certainly couldn’t spend the whole time on the Normandy leaning against the
wall in the observation deck ignoring the view. That’s just silly.
So while having some of the best moments in the game, I still felt the two were underused –
which was a shame because, even if I still want to smack them around for ME2,
they really could have been used more effectively. Especially given the fact of how much face time they were given in
the game promotions. In the end they basically became shrubbery.
A last thing that just baffled me enough to mention it: I did not understand Ash’s binge moment. Yes,
it was funny. Yes, it showed that Shepard has a sense of humour. But for what?
At least in Tali’s scene there was some understanding. Ashley’s came out of
nowhere and had no real point to it. Sure, all of the crew members are feeling
the strain and have their own way of dealing with it. I can go with that, but
how about showing her on the binge and then doing the hangover on the cold
floor thing? At least then it wouldn’t have been so utterly random.
Romance
I honestly don’t feel like either of the two characters should be
romantic interests. They’re both still very much in the dog box. But okay,
let’s look at them.
I felt the build-up for both were pretty lame. Kaidan’s one I don’t get
at all. I don’t know how he jumped
from ‘oh so some Cerberus people aren’t so bad’ to ‘oh hey, let’s drink and
sleep together’. Ashley’s is a tad better. What I really did like about Ash’s
approach to the final romance scene is that they show how well the two
characters know each other. Ash knows that she needs to pull Shep away from the
work knowing he’s done everything he could. Shep knows she’s doing it and when
he snaps, she doesn’t get defensive. She instantly knows that he’s trying to
push her away. I love that.
What I didn’t like was how she went on about how Shep’s return was a
miracle. There was nothing wrong with those lines at all, it’s just that should
have been her reaction in ME2. Not after she first told him that he was
crap working with Cerberus, distrusting him on Mars and having a gun trained on
him in the Citadel. You put that kind of talk before all the damage and not after. It felt like a moment that
wasn’t earned.
Combat
I can’t comment much on Kaidan’s
use as a squad member. As a sentinel, I assume that he obviously may be
kick-ass at biotics, but why would I need him if I have Liara and her fantastic
singularity?
Ashley plays as an infiltrator… she has had a bit of an identity crises
methinks because I’m sure she was a soldier in ME1. However, she appears at
least competent with sniper in hand. She would not be one of the two squad
members I’d take with me in the last push to the beam (and the monster massacre
that occurs while getting the missiles launched – good grief what a nightmare)
though. I don’t have a lot options in my Bastard Shep (as my broshep has become
known as due to his rather bastardly behaviour) playthrough seeing as he got
most of his people killed and we’re not even on Tuchunka yet.
So basically, I can’t say much of either. If I wanted an infiltrator it
would be either Garrus or my Shepard. If I wanted a powerful biotic, it would
be Liara. Sorry guys, you’re just not a good fit.
Mordin
Mordin was as awesome as ever. I love the character to bits.
His arch was the only one that really came directly from his ME2
loyalty mission – which I thought was utterly fantastic. I would have loved to
see something similar in the others, but okay, I shan’t whine about that in
twenty words. Only 21 haha.
So you meet Mordin at a Salarian base where they have stashed the
Krogan females and are trying to keep them alive for some nefarious scheme.
Seriously, why would they keep them for any other reason than trying to find
out how they became fertile and how to prevent it? Anyhoo, from there you can
already see that there is some change in Mordin. When you get him on the ship,
he’s supposedly as chipper as ever as he helps Eve, but even then one has to
wonder about his zest.
I loved the Tuchunka mission. I thought it was well put together. The
thresher maw was epic. I loved Wrex’s comments and I thought Mordin’s dialogue
in the tower was amazing – especially if you challenge him on why
he is now suddenly so eager to help the Krogans. “I made a mistake!” is
a line that was beautifully delivered and incredibly striking at that moment.
It was the first time you could see Mordin seriously struggling with what he
had done before and the depth of his regret.If you played Renegade, you could actually confess to Mordin that the tower
was still sabotage and you can stop him… by shooting him in the back. His rogue
death scene was one of the most upsetting scenes in the game, but so well done.
His ‘Paragon’ death scene was also incredibly powerful and sad. Lots of
tears were shed at the conclusion of this mission, make no mistake.
Jack
Not much to say here because there’s not much to tell… why
the hell not?!
So you’re given the option of doing a side mission that you can decide
to skip. You need to go help a biotic school which is being attacked by
Cerberus. The baddies want to experiment on the kids and you have to get them
out asap. In this mission, you also encounter another extended universe (what
else do you call it?) character Kaylee who runs the
student programme.
If ever you can be proud of a video game character… I couldn’t be
prouder of Jack. Her growth was nothing short of amazing. I absolutely love
what they’ve done to her. From her hair, to her approach, to her consideration
of her kids. I felt like my heart
could burst. I am surprised that she could leap like that in six months, but I
could also see that being possible. She was put in exactly the right
environment to grow exponentially and she did.
One of my favourite moments in the mission is when some of the kids
express doubt as to Cerberus’ intentions. When Shepard gives a blunt response
to the students, Jack charges up and grabs the student who spoke (Rodriquez)
and then Jack turns her own neck to the side and points out the scars that
Cerberus had cut into her. Up until that moment, I hadn’t ever noticed the
scars – though they were there in ME2. I love also the fact that she wasn’t
abusive to the kid as such, but desperate to make her understand. Her approach
was very Jack-like, but the motive was visible and that was great to see.
If you don’t take on the
mission then Cerberus wins. They cart off the kids and Jack to a research
facility where they examine them and modify them. While in the Cerberus
base you can listen to a recording of Jack’s defiance while being
tortured. You eventually encounter her in the base as a ninja
chick. You kill her, a squad mate mentions that that was Jack (though you can
see it over her health bar during the fight) and Shepard basically goes “Huh.”
… WTF???
Romance
Jack is one of the three characters that never join you on the
Normandy. I really disliked that. For one, you have virtually zero interaction
with a character that is really
interesting. I would have loved to hear what shaped her to that point. Imagine
the type of interactions she could have had with the rest of the crew. Stupid,
stupid idea.
As a romantic interest this is particularly stupid. Shep talks to Jack
two times after your mission with her – one in a bar and the other through a
holo-vid where she tells Shep that he’s going to get laid if he survives. Nice. While not necessarily completely
out of character, you have to wonder how she went from scared and vulnerable to
overconfident when she only had a couple of months with Shep and then a six
month gap with no communications – where I think she could have had some
correspondence – and then where one of her few encounters basically is a chat
about a continuing relationship.
I thought Jack’s relationship was really crude, weak tea. For a
character they shifted so dramatically, you would have thought they could’ve
spent more time on her otherwise.
EDI
We knew it was coming. Okay, maybe we didn’t know it was coming, but it
wasn’t a surprise when EDI managed to find herself a body. How long could
Bioware keep Joker’s love interest a disembodied voice?
I do have to say that it was a really good setup and execution. Evil
fembot takes out a squad mate and gets herself dumped unceremoniously in the AI
core which appears to be the robot brig and then EDI goes “Hmm…”
Crew member responses were really nicely played. I love Dr Chakwas' unphased but incredibly funny response as EDI walks through the medclinic. Kenneth of
course takes the prize
Her story is also an easier one in terms of learning about
relationships and morality and being able to reprogramme herself. She makes
some interesting comments on human behaviour and how they now keep approaching
“this body” if they want to have a chat. Of course, that might be because you can’t talk to her anywhere else on the
ship. Really? Ship AI only reachable within what is basically nothing more than
a node? Hm.
Combat
I wouldn’t have thought it to be true, but EDI ended up being an
awesome squad mate. In the last London battle I had her and Liara with me and
the two are a potent combination of electronics and biotics. I had initially
avoided bringing her with me to missions. I felt other team members would be
more capable – just from a design point of view; she was clearly there for
Joker not to be worth a crap in any other way – but I was definitely wrong. The
bot knows how to kick-ass.
Joker
Miles Monroe definitely undertook quite a change after the Collector
base. He doesn’t feel like the same smart-ass pilot. He is quieter, more
emotional, more pensive. He seems to have become the crew’s emotional
thermometer to some extent and provides the summary of whatever mission you had
just undertaken. It makes him interesting. Even though you find him in the
Citadel with EDI and whatnot, he still felt underused for me.
The idea of a relationship with EDI is still… I can go with the idea in
a game, but I’m in the “AI will always only be AI” camp (or VI as Mass Effect
distinguishes the two). Also, I doubt that the fembot was designed to the
specifications required for EDI to be as human as they try to paint her. She
would have to be able to have a sensual experience for one thing. You should be
able to prick her finger with a needle and her have feel pain. I also seriously
doubt fembot was designed to be a sexbot. But maybe I’m just being too… logical?
I like the idea the writers brought in to give the nod to those who
asked “Why not Shep/Joker?” The conversation at Purgatory with Joker was well
played. The soft let down was really well handled.
Grunt
Also a character you see very little of, but he is the one character I
can accept as not having to be on the Normandy. I think he would have been a
fantastic part of the team, but if I had to decide who would have been the second
to stay off the Normandy it would have been him. It just felt like he didn’t
have any loose ties with those on the ship. It made more sense for him to be
where he was.
It was really good to see him. I loved how he “thrived” after ME2. His
last stand had me in tears (yes, I’m a sap, I cried through most of ME3). The
action sequence – how they made him charge and use his shotgun – made him
really look like krogan aren’t as clumsy as they can be when you usually face
off with them. And the score written for
that scene was perfect.
(If you’re wondering about who’d get booted first, it would’ve been
Jacob. Third place would go to Wrex, but that’s for the same reason as Grunt)
Thane
Thane Krios was also one of those characters I never really was a major
fan of. He would’ve been fourth off in
Survivor: Normandy. Given his condition, I knew that if he made an appearance
in ME3 it would be a very brief one. He had already said that the collector
base attack would be his swan dive and the period between ME2 and ME3 was six
months. If he was still tip-top in ME3, I’d have cried foul.
They did give him a really good send-off which I think most fans would
be satisfied with. I like that he could go toe-to-toe with Kai Leng. You’re
left with the impression that Ninja Boy may have gotten his ass handed to him
if it had been six month earlier. The final hospital scene was touching – and I
didn’t even like him. I loved the prayer in the end being directed at Shepard.
It was a lot more striking when FemShep reads it, given how the pronoun changes. And yes,
there were some tears involved.
Romance
From what I’ve seen via youtube, it seemed that it was rather short and
clipped. Yes, the dude kicks it in the end and yes you’re expecting it and yes,
you’ll be rather emotional by it. But I’m not sure I would’ve been satisfied if
I had taken him as a romantic interest. It had more meat than Jack, but not by
much.
Jacob
Mr Too-Smooth-Chocolate-Need-No-Sugar Taylor looked like he took a
shrinking pill. I can’t say all that much about him. As said above, he would’ve
got kicked out of the Normandy first. Didn’t like the guy in the slightest. Had
him as a romantic interest once in ME2 (just because the alternative was
between a bird and a toad) and just… no. The side mission was simple enough and
quick to work through. In, out, leave. Pretty much like your relationship with
him.
Romance
… He knocked someone up. Shepard was out of the picture for six months
and he not only cheats on her but manages to impregnate someone. And if you
think about it, it had to have been damn fast to get over Shep.
The little lying, cheating bastard! I don’t care how thorough I’m
trying to be in my ME2 playthrough and I don’t care that I’m not actually
giving him the time of day in the game, Mr Sugary Taylor is going to die in the
vents. It’s as simple as that.
I'm ending it off here. More on the other characters in the next post!
There are may little holes like this in the game's logic that has me studying ME:A like one would a specimen rather than diving into it as a fun game. I'm not very far into the story, so I can't really comment on the game as a whole, but your willing suspension of disbelief needs to be wide not to get distracted by things that don't add up. Unfortunately, this includes things such as blurry graphics and what on earth did they do to omnitools?
