I don't think I'll ever be as emotionally invested in a series as Mass Effect.

[Brannon]

Still want a Deep Space Nine-like procedural-ish game based only on being on the Citadel, based on the trials and tribulations of C-Sec. No epic space war, no planetary conspiracies, no "Reapers", just humans and all the other aliens doing shit on the Citadel. Maybe some visits to Omega to break things up a bit, add a bit more grime and grit to the story, but there are plenty of environments on the Citadel that can do that as well.

So much potential in Mass Effect and they just bloodfucked it away.

 

[SuperBoss]

Hell yeah, one of the best series in gaming.

Really hoping for that trilogy remake.

 

[DarthBuzzard]

I don't agree personally. Games are getting more emotionally mature as a whole. It's just a matter of time before another trilogy strikes gold like Mass Effect.

It's easily one of the best franchises for me, but I know it will be surpassed far and wide eventually.

 

[OmahaGTP]

I agree 100% with the sentiments in the OP.

I am also 100% on Team Indoctrination Theory. Forever.

 

[Garlador]

Warts and all, Mass Effect is still probably in my top 3 favorite franchises. I miss the series dearly.

That remaster better get here soon and also be amazing.

 

[Nikus]

Yeah I've played videogames for 30 years now and nothing tops the emotional investment I've had with this series.

 

[chandoog]

👏

Click to shrink...

The ME3 launch trailer was also dope:

 

[a916]

Didn't think I would either but Uncharted 4 really brought that franchise home. From the somber main theme to the quieter moments, Uncharted 4 really put the franchise up there.

 

[SofNascimento]

A few things:

i. You're absolutely correct. The fact that you create your own Shepard and build them and their relationships over the course of three games is absolutely unique and fantastic. I think as a whole we tend to understate just how bold Bioware was with this project. It's easy in hindsight to feel like the trilogy was a certainty, that when they made ME1 they were sure they would have the chance to make ME2 and ME3, but that's far from true. And there are many examples is gaming that show how one bad game can fuck things up for good Worse, even good ones can not be successful enough.

ii. I will second the opinion of others here that your Shepard looks awesome.

iii. I highly recommend this video to you and anyone that likes the franchise:



It's long but I asure you it's worth it.

iv. The Mass Effect trilogy has been in my mind a lot lately. I mean, more than usual. And in particular four words that I'm associating with it:

Melancholia enshrines all triumph.

The idea that EA will remaster the trilogy and not improve the endings is tormenting me. They have the chance, it's there, take it for fuck sakes.. It's hard to fathom how much good it will make for the franchise, yet the people in charge seems incapable of seeing this. And it's worth the invesment without any doubt.

Also tormeting me is the prospect of the remaster being a by-the-number enterprise. I want to see the Mass Effect franchise alive again, I want to feel hopeful for it and its future. And I'm convinced, I've been conviced for a long time, that a very good step in that direction is a great remaster of the trilogy. And knowing what EA is capable of, and just how rematers can be awful products, makes me very, very fearful.

 

[Undeniablybiased]

As much as I didn't really care for mass effect it is odd that the concept hasn't really been attempted again since then. Maybe there's the odd game here or there that I don't know about, but still, you'd think the idea of higher level continuation between game entries would've been a hot new thing everyone tried to copy.

At the time I thought that style was going to be the future of RPGs.

 

[BossAttack]

Click to shrink...

Oh, I definitely already saw that video. I'm subscribed to GMTK and watch pretty much all his videos. I even commented on the thread made on here on that video. Shame many others weren't interested.

Also, its strange seeing all the love my Shep gets, he's just been my guy for over a decade. I wish I could've kept his eye scar across all the games. I always made up he got that defending Elysium and kept it that way out of pride and recognition for what happened there.

 

[daninthemix]

I'm with you, OP.

I've never cared more about a story and characters in a videogame that this trilogy.

Heck - for 95%+ of games I don't care at all about those things.

 

[BossAttack]

More Shep pics:

 

[Infi]

1 & 2 were off the charts for emotional investment for me. I agree OP. There hasn't been anything that has done the same for me since.

I really wish I didn't dislike ME3 as much as I did. It's when I fell off the series. I felt the writing from beginning to end was significantly worse than the prior entries. On top of that, wrapping up all of these long story threads in a neat little bow all precisely at the same time took me completely out of it. It felt like I was just going through check lists. I can not fully explain what a disappointment ME3 was for me.

At least the multiplayer was good?

Click to shrink...

Yeah same here. Was so invested in 1 and 2 and played through them loads but only managed to get through 3 once. The ending got a lot of flack at the time but the entire story of three including Cerberus and that cyborg ninja dude didn't work for me.

 

[Enduin]

Melancholia enshrines all triumph.

The idea that EA will remaster the trilogy and not improve the endings is tormenting me. They have the chance, it's there, take it for fuck sakes.. It's hard to fathom how much good it will make for the franchise, yet the people in charge seems incapable of seeing this. And it's worth the invesment without any doubt.

Also tormeting me is the prospect of the remaster being a by-the-number enterprise. I want to see the Mass Effect franchise alive again, I want to feel hopeful for it and its future. And I'm convinced, I've been conviced for a long time, that a very good step in that direction is a great remaster of the trilogy. And knowing what EA is capable of, and just how rematers can be awful products, makes me very, very fearful.

Click to shrink...

This is me. I have ZERO interest in a remaster. I own all 3 on PC as is and can replay them with higher resolution and textures, thanks to mods. Replayed them nearly a dozen times each at this point. I've been there, I've done that, many times over. Great for new people who haven't experienced the series yet, but there are many elements that could be improved from top to bottom, not just some minor graphical upgrades. The ending of ME3 in particular, but so many other things.

I'm sure a remaster will do gangbusters and cost them next to nothing making for a huge return on investment, but a high quality remake, top to bottom, could do so much more for the series as a whole. ME series was a really massive undertaking and remains an outlier and very unique to this day, and many mistakes were made along the way as a result. Not knowing if a sequel would be greenlit, lots of cut content, figuring out how things like carrying over choices and decisions from one game to the next could be done technically and narratively. The huge explosion of interest for romances and LGBTQ+ representation. Not everything worked out perfectly. An actual remake would give them a chance to change that and improve up on what's there. And if they screw it all up, oh well, we still have the originals. Rather they try than be afraid of it not working out and doing nothing at all.

 

[SeanBoocock]

Hell yeah, one of the best series in gaming.

Really hoping for that trilogy remake.

Click to shrink...

Same. Mass Effect and Dragon Age are my favorite franchises. Can't wait to see how the next Dragon Age entry shapes up.

 

[SofNascimento]

More Shep pics:

Click to shrink...

I see you have good taste for armor. I'm replaying ME3 right now and I'm using almost the same armor, only the shoulder parts are different. I think Shepard's armor in Mass Effect doesn't look very protective or tough, so I like this one because it looks very practical with the granade slots and pouches. Cerberus armor is GOAT though.

This is me. I have ZERO interest in a remaster. I own all 3 on PC as is and can replay them with higher resolution and textures, thanks to mods. Replayed them nearly a dozen times each at this point. I've been there, I've done that, many times over. Great for new people who haven't experienced the series yet, but there are many elements that could be improved from top to bottom, not just some minor graphical upgrades. The ending of ME3 in particular, but so many other things.

I'm sure a remaster will do gangbusters and cost them next to nothing making for a huge return on investment, but a high quality remake, top to bottom, could do so much more for the series as a whole. ME series was a really massive undertaking and remains an outlier and very unique to this day, and many mistakes were made along the way as a result. Not knowing if a sequel would be greenlit, lots of cut content, figuring out how things like carrying over choices and decisions from one game to the next could be done technically and narratively. The huge explosion of interest for romances and LGBTQ+ representation. Not everything worked out perfectly. An actual remake would give them a chance to change that and improve up on what's there. And if they screw it all up, oh well, we still have the originals. Rather they try than be afraid of it not working out and doing nothing at all.

Click to shrink...

Although a remake/reimagining of each game of the trilogy would be a dream, I think in the context of a trilogy remaster we have to be more down to Earth. I do think however you can make a nice package that would make people want to buy it even if they already own all the games. There are definitely small tweaks that can be made in all three games which would improve the moment to moment gameplay, you have a lot of content from ME3 that is exclusive to multiplayer, so putting that in the singleplayer campaign would be amazing. But of course, the end is what matters the most. The entirerity of Priority: Earth should be remade, all the way to the end credits.

 

[HououinKyouma]

I'll always be thankful for the Mass Effect series. Among other things, it was the catalyst that got me into sci-fi and learning about space in general.

 

[Siggy-P]

Game was a perfect mix of every sci fi genre out there. Star wars, trek, firefly, battlestar, etc... Everything you like about them all mixed into one.

It's also one of the few franchises out there that's focus is "You are a space man." and letting you play out everything that entails.

 

[Deleted member 21875]

Me neither op. I've not been into any game as much as I was with the Mass Effect trilogy. The first game had me hooked from day one and consequent playthroughs always hammer home just how good those games are.

 

[The_R3medy]

Agreed. I don't think I'll ever be as emotionally invested in any media after Mass Effect.

Truthfully, it's because the ending kinda destroyed my ability to be excited and get invested in media at that level again. It all just fell so utterly flat for me and felt like a slap in the face to me for getting invested.

As others had a similar reaction with Game of Thrones, and all I could do is think "First time?"

 

[Coyote Starrk]

Right there with you OP. The only game that's ever come close was Witcher 3. And despite the fact that I consider Witcher 3 to be the best game I ever played I would still say I was far more emotionally invested in Mass Effect. I cared about those characters in a way no game has gotten me to do again. Especially Shep, Wrex, Liara, and Garrus.


It why I get genuinely pissed off to this day when I think about that bullshit ending.

 

[Mass Effect]

Have to agree with you (obviously). Nothing I've played comes close to the feeling of Mass Effect.

I think I mentioned it before, but I've actually been replaying the original and it is still amazing despite the jank. You can still feel how vast the galaxy is.

 

[SofNascimento]

Game was a perfect mix of every sci fi genre out there. Star wars, trek, firefly, battlestar, etc... Everything you like about them all mixed into one.

Click to shrink...

I think that would make for a good sci-fi universe, but also a forgettable one. Mass Effect definitely has that feeling of mixing a lot of influences from different sci-fi genres, and that was by design. But it also went beyond that, and this is why I think it's so relevant. It found its own voice, it found its own place in the canon of great works of science fiction.

The Quarians and the Geth for example, aren't simply the Battlestar Galactica part of Mass Effect, even if at first that what they may feel like. They became, well, the Geth and the Quarians, period.

 

[Deleted member 51248]

Agreed. I don't think I'll ever be as emotionally invested in any media after Mass Effect.

Truthfully, it's because the ending kinda destroyed my ability to be excited and get invested in media at that level again. It all just fell so utterly flat for me and felt like a slap in the face to me for getting invested.

As others had a similar reaction with Game of Thrones, and all I could do is think "First time?"

Click to shrink...

Not having any interest in GOT but seeing the petitions, backlash against the writers and stories/theories going on about for how it ended up that way gave off some deja vu, also cringed at the thought that jeez i must have been a bit insufferable to listen to with how much i talked about disliking the ending between the games first year and extended cut release... I like to think I've matured more from then (I wasn't too keen on how a recent trilogy wrapped up, gave some thoughts on it to friends and family then just stopped talking about it altogether). Loved Mass effect but it also served as a hard lesson on the negative aspects of being too invested in a piece of fiction.

Discovering that Space Opera RPG's are super rare outside of Mass effect has been disappointing, nothing has been able to scratch the itch left by its absence.

 

[monmagman]

It's certainly got something special about it.....I hope they do it justice with the remaster.

 

[RespectThySole]

Yeah I was really invested in the series. Probably the most invested I've been besides Witcher.

 

[apocat]

I adored playing through it, but the ending kind of killed my investment in the series. I have almost exclusively good memories of the trilogy, but I don't think I'll ever replay it.

 

[Tibarn]

I mostly agree, Mass Effect is one of the few series that makes me really care about the story.

Amazing lore/world building, really good characters and some really strong moments, Mass Effect trilogy has it all, specially the first one that has one of the most hyping endgame sections ever.

 

[TheHunter]

It's the greatest series/trilogy of all time, and I still consider 2 to be my #1 of all time.

Only Halo has come close for me.

Click to shrink...

 

[BossAttack]

The Witcher is what you are looking for, but to be really invested youll have to read the novels, at least 3 of them.

Click to shrink...

Did all that, still doesn't compare to the feelings I had with ME. Not that I don't think TW3 is GOTG.

 

[Siggy-P]

I think that would make for a good sci-fi universe, but also a forgettable one. Mass Effect definitely has that feeling of mixing a lot of influences from different sci-fi genres, and that was by design. But it also went beyond that, and this is why I think it's so relevant. It found its own voice, it found its own place in the canon of great works of science fiction.

The Quarians and the Geth for example, aren't simply the Battlestar Galactica part of Mass Effect, even if at first that what they may feel like. They became, well, the Geth and the Quarians, period.

Click to shrink...

Definetly. I was talking more a general appeal rather than copying stuff.

 

[Deleted member 13101]

Your Shepard looks great. My Shepard's looks couldn't be imported into III for whatever reason, so that game went somewhat differently.

I remember on BSN people were still squeezing yet-unheard lines of dialogue out of the first game, right up through the launch of the third game.

 

[thepenguin55]

I didn't hate the ending like many others did, but yes, I agree that ME was/is perhaps my most emotionally-invested game series. Legit mad they dropped Andromeda like they did, because by the end, I was just as invested as the OT.

Oh man, that piano piece that played during the end of the Crucible scene. Still gets me.

Click to shrink...

I think I like what they were going for with the ending but the execution of it leaves a lot to be desired. I think the dream sequences and the ending tried to do something interesting with a kernel of an idea they had but they didn't execute on it well and for me it mostly had to do with how that stuff was presented.

This would almost certainly be too weird for most (especially since previous games never seeded this) but I almost feel like with direction the story goes in they needed to go FULL David Lynch Twin Peaks with the dream sequences and the ending. Maybe no backwards talking but not far off from some red room-like kind of vibe. You are Cooper, starchild is Bob, the Illusive Man is Windam Earle, and Anderson is Annie. lol it all works perfectly!

 

[The_R3medy]

Not having any interest in GOT but seeing the petitions, backlash against the writers and stories/theories going on about for how it ended up that way gave off some deja vu, also cringed at the thought that jeez i must have been a bit insufferable to listen to with how much i talked about disliking the ending between the games first year and extended cut release... I like to think I've matured more from then (I wasn't too keen on how a recent trilogy wrapped up, gave some thoughts on it to friends and family then just stopped talking about it altogether). Loved Mass effect but it also served as a hard lesson on the negative aspects of being too invested in a piece of fiction.

Discovering that Space Opera RPG's are super rare outside of Mass effect has been disappointing, nothing has been able to scratch the itch left by its absence.

Click to shrink...

Agreed on this. I realize I was wrong for doing all the petitions, pizza or cupcake sending, and what could probably be classified as harassment of devs on Twitter. It was utterly wrong of me.

 

[justiceiro]

Good. Getting emotionally invested in videogames is damning to anyone. Treat as entertainment,for your own sake.

 

[JusDoIt]

I had a black Shep too. FEM SHEP THO

 

[ClarkusDarkus]

ME3 ruined the series for me personally, It changed too much and got way worse regarding RPG mechanics, I agree it's a great series, But only the first two games.

The series died at the end of LOTSB dlc, ME3 is the RE6 of the series.

Action mode of all things, Day 1 dlc and then having the gall to tell us to buy more dlc at the end of the trilogy!

Fix the ending in the remaster and i'll happily go through the series again.

 

[Veelk]

BossAttack speaks truth like usual.

Only difference is where you replayed the events before the ending, I can't go back. When they released the 'fix' and stubbornly stuck with it, I basically promised I'd never go back until they write an ending that honors everything leading up to it and I haven't. But I am with you in wishing that I could. There are so many good characters, so much awesome worldbuilding, so many good story beats.

If I ever write a scifi universe, I will do it with Mass Effect at the forefront of my mind.

 

[RedFury]

Yo your Shepard looks like YouTuber Raynday.
Mass effect has got to be the franchise I was most invested in. Its also a game I would never have tried had it not been for my uncle who worked for EA(yes I understand how that sounds lol). Everytime he came over he'd bring some EA titles. Some before release some after, just depended on when he visited. The stand outs for me were Mass Effect and Dragon Age. I have been a disappointed fan ever since (Andromeda).

 

[BBboy20]

I think the same about Metal Gear. And not just in gaming. But in all of fiction.

 

[Elfgore]

First off, kudos for making a custom Shepherd that looks good. Any I made always had a neck as thick as their head.

I was about to disagree, until the screenshot from the Citadel DLC. I haven't played this series for a long while, I remember every single one of their names and some of their personalities. I don't think I can say that for most series.

 

[IcyBlueStrawberry]

Totally agree, though I would be cautiously hopeful for a similar experience if we ever get new entries. No other game has left me with that feeling of camaraderie for the characters by the end of the story. I still remember the reveal trailer from 2006, I kept that thing on my Xbox 360 hard drive all the way to launch because I was so excited for the potential:


It would be a crime for the franchise to never be properly revived after the remaster.

Click to shrink...

Holy shit I completely forgot about downloading trailers to my 360 HDD. Man I miss that feeling so much.

Now I wanna play through Mass Effect 1 again.

 

[dancingphlower]

👏

Click to shrink...

Still one of, if not THE greatest game trailers of all time.

 

[DeSolos]

As someone who usually prefers JRPGs, I was really let down by the 7th generation, but Mass Effect really help to fill the void.

I hope they revive this series one day.

 

[MAX PAYMENT]

I started another trilogy playthrough today!
I want to try femshep for once, but the default face looks kind of half assed, and everything I try to make looks like hills have eyes.

 

[Loanshark]

I felt the same way until The Witcher 3 came along.

 

[AimLow]

I think I like what they were going for with the ending but the execution of it leaves a lot to be desired. I think the dream sequences and the ending tried to do something interesting with a kernel of an idea they had but they didn't execute on it well and for me it mostly had to do with how that stuff was presented.

This would almost certainly be too weird for most (especially since previous games never seeded this) but I almost feel like with direction the story goes in they needed to go FULL David Lynch Twin Peaks with the dream sequences and the ending. Maybe no backwards talking but not far off from some red room-like kind of vibe. You are Cooper, starchild is Bob, the Illusive Man is Windam Earle, and Anderson is Annie. lol it all works perfectly!

Click to shrink...

Oh man, I would totally play an ME game written, produced, and directed by David Lynch.