I finally sat down years after Mass Effect 3 came out to finish Shepherd’s tale. I originally swore off Mass Effect 3 in a fit of rage at the game’s endings. Bioware somewhat amended that in the extended cut, by providing more information on what the hell the endings actually meant. And I honestly think they did a good job. The synthesis ending is pretty damn cool.
Looking back though, I’d say that despite the lofty promises how every decision would have a consequence, people were obviously upset and hurt because none of that mattered. I’d argue that similarly, such is the case with life. There aren’t always happy endings based on what we do, even if we do what society, our conscious, etc. deems to be right. You could literally go to work and on the way there, get killed by a drunk driver. That’s independent of any decision you’d ever make, and clearly, not something anyone would want.
But I digress… I understand that the Mass Effect series are games. And being games, people expect to be entertained. We want those decisions to matter. And what’s wrong with a fairy tale ending? Games, movies, etc., are my drug of choice on smoothing the rough edges of the real world. I want those escapes to be enjoyable.
So I get the outrage. I really do. Hell, I felt it myself when the game first dropped.
I felt hurt. Betrayed. Disgusted. But eventually I got over it and came to finish what I started.
Interestingly, I couldn’t. But it wasn’t because of the endings.
No, it was because I found the game to be boring.
An endless sea of people would vehemently disagree.
But here’s my issues:
First off, there’s not much variety to the battles. You’ll face some grunts, some heavier enemies, then maybe a mini-boss of sorts. Once in a while you get to pilot a mech. It quickly becomes rinse, lather and repeat. The varied settings capture the imagination, and coupled with the story, act as bread crumbs to keep you moving forward.
But the final nail in the game’s coffin for me were the worlds. It’s not that they weren’t pretty. Hell, they were downright amazing. But as I’ve come to see since Knights of the Old Republic, a lot of Mass Effect’s worlds or settings feel sterile and empty. Part of that is due to the lack of environmental interaction. But in an RPG title, there should be a lot to explore in the maps. There should be loot. There should be oodles of characters to talk to. In Mass Effect 3 there isn’t much of either. You’ll find credits and gun mods, with the occasional piece of armor. But that’s about it. The whole process feels closed in and linear.
All that would be fine if you could actually have conversations with some of the NPCs. But you often can’t. Most of the “interaction” on worlds boils down to you having a small conversation with a quest-giver, where there’s really only one thing to do (often kill a specific monster or save someone). Or, you can listen in on someone else’s conversation and choose the “good” or “bad” option, netting paragon or renegade points respectively. It felt tired and half-assed.
These elements culminate in a feeling of emptiness to the worlds. The whole experience feels like an on-rails event, which is a shame as the setting is simply amazing. I think the universe in Mass Effect is one of the deepest and most interesting of any game I’ve ever played. But in Mass Effect 3 it feels like a prop. You realize you’re in a game. And that’s what kills the experience.
Pretty and varied as the environments are, they feel hollow. And with no hacking mini-game, going through locked doors merely becomes a chore as you wait a few seconds for the next section to load. It’s incredibly boring, and coupled with the combat, caused me to just put down the game. Which is disappointing, because even though I know all the endings to Mass Effect 3, I don’t know all of Shepherd’s story. I’ll never take that final ride with the crew of the Normandy and experience the journey myself.
But the repetitive grind that is Mass Effect 3 did it for me. It’s just boring.
Closing out, I’d like to say that yes, all games are repetitive. But if they can make the experience fun, you’ll quickly ignore that fact. The gun-play in Mass Effect 3 is fun. But it’s not enough to prop up the game from the other shortcomings that weight it down, namely empty worlds and grindy fights.
I’m hoping Mass Effect: Andromeda nails what I want. Until then, stick with Mass Effect 2. It’s the best in the series.
Images courtesy of Dead End Thrills.
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